Out: Now
Reviewer: Mr. Templeton

The Plot
The single player game drops the player into the sizeable space boots of the decidedly non-PC Jake Logan, a respected mercenary fighter pilot who's been framed for a crime he didn't commit and banished to the fringe of colonised space. As he attempts to salvage his reputation and his fortune in his new home, Jake meets up with the Bora, the rebels who colonised the Fringe and are locked in a bitter war with the Galactic Spanning Corporation, Galspan, a galactic mega-corporation bent on controlling the region's resources. The player decides which jobs Jake will take on (and who to side with) and how he'll spend his pay on fighters, wingmen, plenty of weapons and system upgrades.
The multi-player scenario focuses on Base Wars, a team-oriented game. This divides players -- more than 100 per game -- into Bora and Galspan factions and challenges them to build and defend their home starbase by destroying enemy pilots and gathering crystals. Kills and crystals translate into credits, which can be cashed in to increase the base's technology level. Higher technology brings new base defences online and enables provision of new weapons and systems to pilots. Your combined aim is to reach Level 10 to gain access to the Helios Rockets, the only weapons which can destroy the enemy base, then make the (yes, you guessed it) final, death-defying assault to win the game.

The verdict
Space combat games fall in and out of fashion like everything else, but titles such as Tachyon: The Fringe do more to maintain interest in the genre, offering fast-paced combat action with adventure game elements. While there are similarities between Tachyon and other simulations, those who enjoy this type of gaming shouldn't be disappointed, though hard-core space sim players may find it isn't as demanding of them as they might like. This reservation aside, Tachyon is an enjoyable, frenetic and action-packed space combat game for both single (which is excellent fun, though it’s a shame you can’t freelance outside the missions given) and multiplayers (the latter worthy of being a stand alone product), with the added bonuses of an enjoyable storyline. That Bruce Campbell, star of Xena and Hercules, plays lead character Jake Logan is icing on the cake!
The games graphics are a mixed bag: the ship designs are pretty familiar territory and though some of the set pieces look great -- the explosions in particular! -- some are a little dull. However this is made up for the busy backgrounds created for the game, including space junkyards, planetside stations, etc.

Say! Doesn’t that you remind you of…
Freespace, X-Wing