Tribes 2 - PC

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Viewed: 3D First-person / Third-person Genre:
Combat Game
Strategy
Media: CD Arcade origin:No
Developer: Loki Soft. Co.: Dynamix
Publishers: Empire Interactive (GB)
Vivendi (GB)
Sierra On-Line (GB/US)
Released: 15 Mar 2002 (GB)
2000 (US)
12 Apr 2001 (GB)
21 Nov 2003 (GB)
Ratings: 15+
Accessories: Mouse, Control Pad, Keyboard

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Summary

It is the 40th century and the situation is critical. On the outer limits of the frontier, Wilderzone tribes compete savagely for possession of the all important new land. Tribes 2 is essentially a tribal warfare game. A new enemy has entered the fray, a genetically modified race. The stakes are at an all time high. It’s time to enter the fight.

Tribes 2 is the most comprehensive team-based multi-player game we have seen. You can pledge allegiance to one of five different races; Blood Eagles, Diamond Sword, Harbingers of Phoenix, Starwolf and The Bioderm Hordes. Each race has its own characteristics and classes. You can choose a player that can carry more weapons, or has enhanced armour or possesses a speed advantage. Because Tribes 2 is so team orientated you’ll need each kind of player and you really will have to work together.

Tribes 2 offers seven different types of gameplay; Bounty, Capture and Hold, Capture the Flag, Deathmatch, Hunters, Team Hunters, Rabbit and Siege. Deathmatch is kill or be killed, the ratio between these two variables determines the winner, and Bounty is similar except you only pursue one target at a time. Capture the Flag is exactly that: you must venture into enemy territory and steal their flag. If you make it back to your base and your flag is still there, you score a point. Rabbit is Capture the Flag but with only one Flag. Capture and Hold is where your team has to control certain sections of the map: the longer you retain possession, the more points you score. Hunters and Team Hunters modes are a combination of both Capture the Flag and Deathmatch. Each time you kill someone they drop a flag, and you return these flags to the nexus to score points. Siege is where one team tries to hold a position and the other team attempts to infiltrate it.

The majority of the game is intended to be played over the Internet or a local area network. The single player experience is limited to an extensive training session that is designed to train you for network battles. Alternatively, you can set up a game using bots (computer controlled characters) and practice your skills that way. Getting used to the various ground and air based vehicles is recommended, because learning during a real game will cost you time and many lives.

Tribes 2 is not for the beginner. It has more controls and bindings than a flight sim. It will take time to learn the controls but it’s a rewarding experience once you know them by heart. You also need a ridiculously fast PC to run Tribes 2, Geforce 3 for example, but this is not reflected in the graphical complexity of the game. What Tribes 2 can offer is a massive game world with support for up to 128 players. This is a thinking man’s first-person shooter, an excellent game if you have the patience to learn it.