Customer Reviews

Tribes Vengeance

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I started playing tribes with "starseige: tribes". Tribes 2 was an awesome upgrade. However, graphics, sounds, and vehicles aside, I think "tribes: vengeance" is an inferior game to tribes 2.

I have conquered the single player missions and I have played several days worth of multiplayer. Things I like are the new vehicles and the updated graphics and sounds. Things I don't like are the lack of a targetting laser, all of the packs only last a few seconds after activation, and once you activate a pack you can't "unactivate" the pack until it runs out of juice. Furthermore, you can't activate a pack until it reaches full energy.

They changed the plasma rifle into a burner rifle. The burner rifle runs off the armor energy instead of being ammo driven, which is cool except that you can't use the burner while jetting around.

You can't seem to mount turrets on walls or ceiling. There are no pulse sensor packs or motion sensor packs or cameras. There is no health kit you can use anymore. There is a repair pack which passively repairs you over time, but it doesn't really help you recover from an "oops, that was stupid of me" kind of mistake unless you run and hide for a long time. The new repair pack is cool in that it repairs all equipment and players nearby instead of just one object at a time.

Another thing I dislike is the new voice hot key list. I can no longer say I am going to defend the generator. Now, I can only say I am going to defend the base. Less specific and I think that hurts team work. Additionally, you have to hold the shift key while you are keying in the letter to say what you want to say, which takes two fingers. Before, I could key in a message while still moving with two fingers, now I can't move because the shift key has to be held, which disrupts game play and makes me a sitting duck while trying to communicate with my team. As a result, I rarely use the voice keys, which once again detracts from team play.

I don't like the fact that I can only carry three weapons even in heavy armor versus the 5 weapon slots in tribes 2. Also, the new missile launcher now requires you to guide the missiles to your target instead of being able to lock on to a target and then fire and forget. Oh yeah, there are no flare grenades either. In fact, for tribes: vengeance there seems to be only one grenade type.

The end result is that I like tribes 2 better. Tribes: vengeance is less complex than tribes 2 as far as strategy goes. I think it might be a good idea for VU to distribute tribes 2 as a bonus disk along with tribes: vengeance, since they were giving it away anyway. Maybe that will generate more sales, and if people like tribes 2 better they won't feel like they were ripped off as much. Better yet, maybe VU can add the missing components so that tribes: vengeance is actually an upgrade to tribes 2 instead of being, in my opinion, a down grade.

Great vehicles, graphics, and sounds, but in my opinion VU has wrecked the mechanics of this game.

The game is fun, and I held off writing a review until I had had a few days to play it. However, I am going to wait for a few of the mods to come out and see if they can get back in some of the missing things.

One, is the missing beacons and targeting laser, as well as the indirect fire weapons. This is what made the difference in Tribes, to me, with the other first person shooters. The ability to coordinate as a team and attack with greater accuracy with larger weapons was invaluable when I played.

The second problem is the newbie-factor. In trying to make the game more newbie-friendly they made the feel too much like UT. Or, maybe I should say didn't differentiate it enough. Wearing a heavy armor is only slightly inconvenient, as opposed to the differences in Tribes 2. Ragdoll effects, as mentioned before, do seem somewhat... exaggerated. Also, the ability to get clamp turrets to ceilings, around corners, etc is missing.

On the plus side, I DO like the grappler, and the new additions and variations of the weapons. Also, the inventory system is quicker once you get used to it. Having the turrets come out of pods on the wall for pickup is nice, as well as the new pack system makes things a bit more strategic. The graphics ARE beautiful, and sound is great. I'll continue to play, most likely, but hopefully Vivendi will release an official patch to us "old timers" that enjoyed the strategy of Tribes, not just the "blowing things up" part. And don't get me wrong, I play UT as well - But if I wanted that, I'd just buy UT.

First off, best to warn you, the reader, that Vivendi Universal has no plans to patch the bugs that are apparent in the Multiplayer... They cancelled the patch they had been working on, and no patches or fixes are planned/expected.

Having gotten that out of the way...

Regarding the multiplayer: the game takes the fast, jetpack attack action of the first game, and the vehicle combat of the second game, and manages somehow to make neither aspect appealing. The gameplay is perhaps TOO fast, and can become very one-sided in the first few seconds of gameplay (frustration with the controls/inventory stations/vehicles will taunt you from the very get-go). If you have played any of the previous franchise titles (Tribes 1 or 2) you'll immediately notice that the projectiles move slowly (It is entirely possible to outrun your shots), the accuracy is mediocre at best, and while the new skiing ability is nice, it also feels completely random and therefore wont be used by 90% of the people who play it. The vehicles, a staple of the franchise, have been dumbed down to the point of being either totally overpowered (ie. the tank) or completely useless (ie. the rover). The rover and both air vehicles are fragile, only needing one or two shots before being destroyed. This is "balanced" (if you can call it thus) by the vehicles' ability to rapid-fire missles/bombs/etc at ground targets (this gets downright boring after a while).

Game/weapon/vehicle balance issues aside, the game interface is clunky at best, requiring "modding" to make it even remotely functional to the average gamer (or even the Tribes veteran). The ability to switch armors and weapons has been "streamlined" (again a misnomer) to require you to set up several "loadouts" which can be accessed through a complicated "hold" pattern as you step onto an inventory station.

Included maps are an insult to the franchise, often feeling very "cramped". Tribes has historically emphasised an "open air" feel, which is TOTALLY lacking in this iteration.

The choice of the Unreal engine as the foundation for the game has proven to be disastrous, as the game basically had a built in cheater base. Sadly though there will always be those who deny it, aimbots and other hacks are rampant in game.

There is plenty more wrong with this title, and it makes for a very unenjoyable multiplayer experience, but continuing in this vein would only be flailing the proverbial dead horse.

The only saving grace of the game is that the Single Player campaign has its moments, and that despite the somewhat wooden facial expressions, the characters and writing ARE better than your standard crop of FPS games. If you choose to get this game, understand that the campaign is somewhat short, but I DID enjoy the story and it was nice to have a glimpse into the Tribes Universe (even if it doesnt synch with the canon of the game world). I give the SP campaign 3 stars...

But with VU games pulling any support, I cannot recommend ANYONE buy this game save for the brief SP enjoyment.

Compared to Tribes 1. This game absolutely is horrible. This should have stayed in beta and never released. It was a waste of the 25 dollars i spent on it. Sickening. Horrifying on how bad this game was turned upside down from the original. Little server modding capabilities. Only some of the things good about this game are the Ski Mode, Vehicles, Packs duel capabilities, that were implemented.

Just an awesome game. Similar physics as tribes 2 and tribes. Skiing, jetpacks, some of the same weapons, the laser rifle, spinfusor, and mortar then you have your new weapons like the grappler, rocket pod, and blaster (which is like a shotgun now). It's a great FPS and like was said before the learning curve is steeper than most FPS. You actually have to strategize for this game. Using different modes of communication and the command console (a map of the battlegrounds showing enemy installments and the enemy) make teamwork essetial for this game. Not to mention the ability to fully mod the game!
On the bad side:
The base gameplay is slow, the inventory organization screen is just a mess and very ineffecient unlike the one in tribes 2 which I must say kicked some major BUTT! The the weapons are dorky. The mods will mostlikely change all of this! Can't wait for the full version of the game to be released!
The game play is slow

Hello Folks

I first purchased Tribes Vengeance (T.V.) when it was first released a few years ago and I really enjoyed it but sadly I never completed it. Now a few years later (and after I loss the original disks), I've purchased it again to have a chance to finally complete it on a far better computer then the one I had.

I have been a fan of the Tribes series ever since the first one was released. However I was always a little upset that the first two were solely multiplayer games. Multiplayer games are fun but sometimes I like to see a storyline and T.V. has a rather interesting one. I would rather it not bounce around so much, but the action at the points in the present and past it bounces to are fast and furious. Controls are rather standard for this type of game and because its "Tribes" I once again get to use a Jetpack (my all time favorite sci-fi toy) and that just makes it even better. For you "weapons" folks out there T.V. delivers on your personal favorites (the chain gun and the disk thrower) while at the same time giving some that are to me flat out useless (rocket pod and energy blade). I wish this universe had a need for good solid sniper rifle, but all in all what you get isn't that bad. Finally Graphics. Well this isn't "Crysis" or "Call of Duty 4" but its still good eye candy even though by those two games it's a bit dated.

Finally if you haven't got a computer that would stand up to today's modern software, then give this one a try. It's not perfect (that's why I only gave it 4 stars) but what game is. All I can tell you is I'm having fun, I'm being challenged and with any game I put my hard earned money into that's what I want.

D.K.Barnes

I pre ordered this game and have enjoyed it on and off since getting it(playing the single player). The problem is there are a lot of bugs that need to be worked out and Tournament mode not working removes a big part of the game.

The fact that Vivendi Universal is choosing not to support this game any more makes it nothing more than a coaster on my desk. As soon as the announcement came out any one who was working on maps or mods for it left it for a more worth while project. The servers are slowly emptying and its now very hard to find a good server to play on where the match isn't entirly one sided.

I highly reccomend not purchasing this product and saving your money for something better down the road. Even burning your money would be a better way of using it then buying this game.

I recently received the beta of this game and have been playing it very often over the past few weeks. This game has great potential to anyone who loves first person shooters. The game does not play completely like any of the past tribes games, but there are similar elements. The gameplay is reminiscent of a unreal style shooter except now there is the added bonus of a jetpack. Instead of a ground warfare you can now shoot and attack in the skies. The most defining quality of this game is that it is absolutly stunning. The trees look lifelike and the weapons realistic. There is an added single player campaign for those who do not completely enjoy the multiplayer mode, which is what the tribes series is about. Take a look at this game, because it has serious potential to get any first person shooter fan addicted.

As far as a shooter game goes this was not bad. Loaded easy and has a pretty straight foward play. Could use some puzzles to make it a little more difficult but the choices on difficulty level made up for it.

It is a great mulitplayer game with some cool weaponry. Love the jet packs.
Not to many games give you an jet pack option. Single player mode offers some good challenges also.