Tail of the Sun

by PS1

Product Features

• PS1

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00002STQC
• Media: Video Game
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #27,202 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

GameSpot Review

Tail of the Sun is one of the most tactical, small-scale empire-builder ever created - the scale here being individual hunters in small tribes. In this 3-D hunter/gatherer you play a prehistoric knuckle-dragger on a quest to, well, exist. Existing entails sleeping, eating berries - actually, they're obviously Japanese sugar cookies, please just don't even ask - hunt down creatures residing on the lower rungs of the food ladder, procreate, and ultimately croak on some godforsaken, windswept tundra. Along the way, you'll develop new skills and weapons for your tribe, which will prepare you to go after the bigger game; specifically, the mammoth, which not only provides scads of meat, but valuable tusks which are used to create your tribe's greatest cultural achievement: The Irritating Control Scheme.

No, seriously - the tribe's greatest achievement is The Tower (made of those coveted tusks) with which your tribe will reach toward societal growth, the Sun God, spiritual enlightenment, and all that crystals-and-healing crap. But that's a lofty goal for future generations, and if you don't get out there and take down some fresh meat for the tribe pronto, there ain't gonna be any future generations. So off you go, one warrior at a time, to roam the quiet Earth in search of game. The world is a 3-D environment with multiple terrains, bodies of water, and moving animals, as well as many different varieties of plants (and by 'plants' I mean 'sugar cookies') which, when eaten, have specific benefits for different skills and parts of the body; you will discover plants that increase intelligence, strengthen legs for fast running/hunting skills, or aid the, ahem, procreative faculty.

The graphics, in keeping with the game's subject, are minimalistic, reinforcing a primal atmosphere - yeah, right. The graphics are crude, with blocky warriors and creatures, some of which move around like they were stuffed animals tottering around from one leg to the next. Anyway, your warrior's days are numbered as he treks across the wild.

Snowstorms, sunrises, and the like reflect the passage of time and seasons. One very simple but nice trick comes when night falls, and the sky becomes a bright, child's kaleidoscope of stars and planets, crossing the sky in uniform arcs like points of light in a planetarium show. As you move about, it immediately becomes apparent that while the world is truly 3-D and unrestrained, your viewpoint is annoyingly bolted firmly to the south - thus, trekking south will have your own character facing you, and trekking west locks the viewpoint to the side of your cromag's progress. This whole setup gets irritating when you're trying to throw new-fangled weapons (such as rocks and spears) at prey because it's more difficult to line up a shot. Another point about hunting while the going's good: Getting your warriors tucked in each night is important, because the sandman comes to say nighty-night in this world with all the subtlety of Krakatau. It's not uncommon when chasing an animal to be running full-bore after some prize piece of game only to suddenly and stiffly face-plant yourself to sleep because you haven't been resting enough in your travels. Do this close to your prey and the animal will have no qualms about mauling you, the sleeping bozo, while you doze. Do this on the steep terrain of a mountain and you will slide down the slope, snoring and spewing Zs all the way to the bottom.

There is unquestionably some gameplay here, but it's hard not to feel a little shucked-and-jived by Tail of the Sun's prehistoric schtick, which seems like an excuse for its often lackluster presentation. The music is labeled as 'tribal,' which is fair enough, and the simple graphics, doubtless thought of by their creators as atmospheric, are indeed 'primitive,' but probably not in the intended sense. The best part of Tail of the Sun is freely (if awkwardly) exploring your widely-terrained world and slowly gathering the physical and mental wherewithal to take down a mammoth - an activity which I guarantee you will mess up, and mess up badly, on your first attempt. Perseverance and stubbornness will eventually lead to a tribe of up to 100 people and the eventual construction of the Tower to the sun, but there just isn't enough variety here to keep the attention of the upright-walking. --Chris Hudak
--Copyright ©1999 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of GameSpot is prohibited. GameSpot and the GameSpot logo are trademarks of GameSpot Inc.

Manufacturer Description

An immersive game in prehistoric times placing you at the beginnings of humankind on the brink of survival. Hunt and explore mountains tundras and deserts. Discover mystic ruins and caves. Experience real-time weather conditions as you roam eat sleep age and die. Endure attacks from saber-toothed tigers and other wildlife. Evolve a unique tribe of over 100 members and control its development with your achievements. Move up the food chain as weapons and skills develop. Plan ahead across many generations to reach your goal and catch the Tail of the Sun.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For the Love of All That's Weird and Quirky, June 24, 2008

By 

Erik H. Reppen (Chicago) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tail of the Sun (Video Game)

I used to write for Game Informer and this goofy little game has had a lasting impression on me. If the words "best game ever" cause your brain to lean more towards a Halo or a Final Fantasy than a Katamari Damacy, this one's not really for you. It's weird. It's kind of... bad. Yet it's delightful. You're a cave man. You run around and hit various animals with a stick to get food. You fall asleep for a good 20 seconds at a time (often sliding down mountains in the process). The only real goal of the game involves running back and forth and repeating a task. It's inexplicably awesome to some of us. If you have or want Pepsi Man in your gaming library, this one's definitely worth grabbing.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The BEST video game ever, August 2, 2002

By 

"rev_walrus" (Antarctica) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tail of the Sun (Video Game)

What can i say about Tail of the sun? It is the most original game I have ever played. The object of the game is to kill mammoths and collect their tusks to build a tower to the sun. You dont have to do this though, actually, it is alotmore fun to just run around from island to island killing, eating, sleeping and exploring. I cant really explain this game in words too easily. If you like original games, this game is a MUST!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible Exploration Game, May 1, 2011

By 

Eric J. Draves (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Tail of the Sun (Video Game)

I bought this when it first came out. I knew it wasn't going to be a standard action or strategy game. Anyway, it was by ArtDink, which was enough for me to buy it.

What I got was astounding. This is one of a tiny number of games to have a vast world to walk around in! (We need more vast worlds in games. Preferably procedural ones, to cut down on the disk space.) Shame there's no way to look southward, or have longer lives. Also, there is an ultimate limit to the tribe which you cannot exceed, meaning everything is limited if you're trying to collect tusks. Fortunately, you can usually get enough in time.

There is also a vast cave system if you know where to look. In the south continent is the largest entrance, but if you go all the way there your tribesman will die of old age, lost in the enormous cave.

The worst problem with this game today is there is no way to make a map of the game since everything is in 3D. The manual had a crude map but it just wasn't accurate.

I've seen all the different endings to this game-- a bunch of strange CG sequences which sort of show the tribe's possible futures.

This is an exquisite and beautiful, and very misunderstood game. It's too bad most people can't see past the primitive 32-bit graphics and interface. It's just the game's STYLE.