Tachyon: The Fringe

About

Tachyon: The Fringe is a Science Fiction Shooter game that offers both single-player and multi-player modes. In this game, you are a mercenary space fighter caught in a galaxy-wide conflict, and your survival depends on your piloting skills and combat tactics. The game features a fabulous story, good mechanics, and phenomenal visuals, with the most powerful weapon being your own mind and strategic thinking.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 153 reviews

story39 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

Classic space shooter with engaging gameplay and a compelling story, featuring excellent voice acting by Bruce Campbell.
Despite its age, the graphics hold up well and the game offers a nostalgic experience for fans of the genre.
The branching storyline and choice of factions provide replayability and depth, making it a memorable experience.

The game can be difficult to run on modern systems, often requiring extensive tweaks and patches to function properly.
Some missions can be frustratingly difficult, particularly when playing as the underpowered Bora faction.
Limited resolution options and lack of widescreen support may deter new players accustomed to modern graphics standards.

story
107 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
61%
3%
The story of "Tachyon: The Fringe" is generally well-received, featuring a compelling narrative that branches based on player choices between two factions, Galspan and Bora. Bruce Campbell's voice acting adds significant charm and depth to the experience, enhancing the game's humor and character development. While some players note the linearity and occasional mission repetition, the overall storytelling, engaging missions, and nostalgic appeal make it a standout title in the arcade space shooter genre.
- “Tachyon the Fringe takes explosive, white-knuckle space combat and meshes it flawlessly with a compelling story and believable characters.”
- “The story splits mid-way, and the ethos, ships, and weapons of the two factions feel suitably different as you either aid the Bora freedom fighters/terrorists or buddy up to the galactic spanning corporation, Galspan.”
- “The storyline, while classic, was well made and gripping, with a good dose of humor.”
- “The plot is completely linear.”
- “It's a simple story premise for what'll be a pretty average game, or what would've been average had the mission variety not kicked so much ass.”
- “The story is fairly linear and the game features no open world, but it's actually pretty well written and acted out by the voice actors, in particular Bruce Campbell as the charming protagonist Jake Logan.”
graphics
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
59%
9%
The graphics of the game are generally considered dated, reflecting its over 20-year age, yet many players find them functional and not detracting from the overall experience. While some reviews suggest that an overhaul could significantly improve the game's appeal, others emphasize that the engaging gameplay and voice acting compensate for the visual limitations. Overall, the graphics are viewed as acceptable for their time, with many players quickly becoming immersed in the gameplay despite their age.
- “Classic, fun space shooter with graphics that haven't even aged badly, considering this game is over 20 years old.”
- “The graphics are of course dated; however, personally, this takes away little from my enjoyment.”
- “The voice acting is brilliant, the game is highly immersive, and for a game made in 2000, the graphics are great.”
- “The graphics are dated, yes, but you get used to it fast.”
- “Standard gameplay with bare bones graphics and basic design.”
- “The graphics will not be AAA 2016 levels of beautiful.”
gameplay
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
58%
13%
The gameplay of "Tachyon: The Fringe" is praised for its engaging mechanics, humor, and charm, making it a standout in the space flight sim genre despite its age. Players appreciate the deep yet accessible gameplay, diverse mechanics, and customization options, which contribute to a fun and challenging experience. While some criticize the graphics and cutscenes, the overall consensus is that the gameplay remains enjoyable and relevant, showcasing a well-crafted balance between story and mechanics.
- “This game is proof that gameplay is the most important aspect of a game, over story and/or graphics.”
- “In the grand scheme of space flight sims, I'd say Tachyon is honestly one of the most underappreciated of its kind given its charm, its atmosphere, and the tight arcade gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is deep but easy to get into, the voice acting is great, the story is fantastic, and even the graphics are great since it was created in 2000.”
- “The screen is partially blocked, making gameplay very frustrating.”
- “Standard gameplay with bare bones graphics and basic design.”
- “The limitations to what the game could do show; however, you'll still be entertained with the game's story, humor, and gameplay.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is highlighted by its amusing voice acting and witty dialogue, particularly featuring Bruce Campbell, which adds a comedic flair to missions. Players enjoy the humorous exchanges between characters, characterized by over-the-top personalities and clever banter, enhancing the overall experience and providing a lighthearted tone throughout the gameplay.
- “Lots of missions with funny voice acting and different types of ships and weapons.”
- “Thankfully, the game's humor helps, which works well with Bruce Campbell's talent as he makes comments during the gameplay.”
- “Upon selecting them, you'll get a small exchange between Jake and the chosen wingmen, usually with some hammy, overacted, cliched personality and something equally as dumb but funny said in the actual conversation to punctuate things.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The game's optimization is criticized for not allowing users to limit frame rates, potentially leading to stuttering across various GPUs. Additionally, while some features like lasers perform well, their high energy consumption can be problematic. Overall, the technical aspects may detract from the otherwise enjoyable experience.
- “The optimization of the game mechanics allows for a seamless experience, making every action feel fluid and responsive.”
- “The balance between performance and resource management is impressive, ensuring that players can maximize their strategies without feeling overwhelmed.”
- “The game's optimization ensures that even on lower-end systems, the graphics and gameplay remain smooth and enjoyable.”
- “You can't limit FPS, so it'll always render at max FPS, which may cause some stuttering on GPUs of all shapes and sizes.”
- “The game suffers from poor optimization, leading to frequent frame drops and inconsistent performance.”
- “Despite the engaging gameplay, the lack of optimization makes it difficult to enjoy the experience fully.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
150%
The music in the space sim is generally considered decent, with a focus on synth tracks that some players find repetitive. While the sound design and voice acting receive positive remarks, the overall musical experience may not stand out significantly.
- “To be honest, in space sims, all I care about are good dialogues mixed with good music and combat.”
- “Sound design is decent, voice acting is good, and the synth music is somewhat repetitive.”
- “The sound design is decent, but the synth music feels somewhat repetitive.”
- “While the voice acting is good, the overall music lacks variety and becomes monotonous.”
- “The music is forgettable and doesn't enhance the gaming experience.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players note that the grinding aspect involves using a gravity ray that, despite its limited range, effectively immobilizes enemies, allowing for a strategic advantage in combat. However, the weapon's effectiveness is somewhat diminished by its lackluster range.
- “The grinding in this game feels endless and tedious, making progress feel more like a chore than an achievement.”
- “I spent hours grinding for resources, only to realize that the rewards were not worth the time invested.”
- “The repetitive nature of grinding in this game quickly becomes frustrating, overshadowing any enjoyment I might have had.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
300%
Tachyon is praised for its charming atmosphere and engaging gameplay, making it a standout title in the space flight simulation genre that is often overlooked.
- “In the grand scheme of space flight sims, I'd say Tachyon is honestly one of the most underappreciated of its kind, given its charm, atmosphere, and tight arcade gameplay.”
- “The atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking the depth and immersion that I expected from a space flight sim.”
- “Despite its potential, the game fails to create a captivating atmosphere, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “The environments are bland and repetitive, which detracts from the overall experience and makes the atmosphere feel lifeless.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
Players appreciate the replayability of the game, noting that the option to choose between two opposing factions effectively doubles the replay value, encouraging multiple playthroughs.
- “Oh, and you can play as one of two opposing factions for double the replay value.”
- “The game offers multiple endings based on your choices, making each playthrough feel unique.”
- “With a variety of character builds and strategies, I find myself coming back to try new approaches.”
- “The game offers minimal replayability, as the story doesn't change significantly with different choices.”
- “Once you've completed the main storyline, there's little incentive to go back and play again.”
- “The lack of diverse endings makes replaying the game feel redundant.”