Tahira: Echoes of the Astral Empire

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Tahira: Echoes of the Astral Empire is a single player tactical role playing game with fantasy, warfare, historical and science fiction themes. It was developed by Whale Hammer Games and was released on February 11, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

Tahira: Echoes of the Astral Empire is a turn-based strategy RPG set in a post-apocalyptic world. Lead a ragtag group of survivors, including the eponymous heroine Tahira, against the oppressive Astral Empire. Engage in tactical combat, manage resources, and make difficult decisions that will impact the story's outcome in this emotionally charged game.

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Single-Player

Tahira: Echoes of the Astral Empire screenshot

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79%

Audience ScoreBased on 100 reviews

story51 positive mentions

grinding5 negative mentions

The game features a compelling story with well-developed characters and an immersive atmosphere, drawing players into its narrative.
The tactical combat system is engaging and offers a variety of strategies, with large-scale battles that require careful planning and positioning.
The hand-drawn art style and soundtrack are beautifully crafted, enhancing the overall experience and setting a unique tone for the game.

The game is relatively short, with a runtime of around 10 hours, and ends on a cliffhanger, leaving players wanting more closure.
The non-combat sequences can feel empty and lack depth, with dialogue that sometimes falls flat or feels out of place.
There are issues with the combat mechanics, such as a lack of unit diversity and unclear objectives, which can lead to repetitive gameplay.

story
126 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
58%
2%
The story of the game is generally praised for its immersive atmosphere, engaging characters, and unique setting, drawing comparisons to titles like "The Banner Saga." However, many reviewers note that it suffers from a lack of resolution, ending abruptly with a cliffhanger and leaving players wanting more. While the writing quality is inconsistent, particularly in humor, the overall narrative is compelling and well-integrated with the gameplay, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of story-driven games.
- “The story is well written and mainly presented within dialog boxes.”
- “The story unfolds, hinting at distant histories and lore, which almost leaves you wanting to switch the difficulty to easy to sweep through the narrative.”
- “This game has clearly been made with a lot of love and thought, and has been presented with a compelling story accompanying interesting battle sequences.”
- “The real problem is the game set up for a three-act story, and then just ends after act 1.”
- “The story ends very abruptly.”
- “The game abruptly ends, right as the game feels like it's hitting its stride with little epilogue or story wrap-up.”
gameplay
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
61%
8%
The gameplay of Tahira is characterized by its turn-based mechanics that are straightforward yet allow for deep tactical options, including a unique ambush mechanic. While the combat may feel repetitive due to the autosave feature and the need to restart stages after a game over, it encourages experimentation with different strategies. Overall, players appreciate the engaging story and immersive atmosphere, though some find the combat mechanics lacking in complexity and variety.
- “Tahira is an indie turn-based RPG with large battles, very enjoyable combat mechanics, and an entertaining story.”
- “The gameplay is not complex by any stretch, but there is variety in the battles, strategies, and settings, for sure, and what works as a strategy in one you'll find does not work in later ones.”
- “Tahira has an immersive soundtrack and simple-to-learn gameplay that has deep tactical options, with a really cool ambush mechanic.”
- “If you are here for the gameplay, you will probably not like it very much.”
- “This lack of ranged combat is the main weakness in the combat mechanics, and must be addressed if the developers release a sequel.”
- “While the game leaves a bit to be desired from its technical prowess with various weird movement and gameplay issues I've encountered, from options that seemingly do nothing (fast dialogue?) to options that break the game (turning off v-sync).”
graphics
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
39%
11%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique art style, reminiscent of classic 2D visuals and rotoscoped animation, which create a beautiful and immersive atmosphere. Many reviewers noted the game's stunning hand-drawn artwork and atmospheric music, drawing comparisons to titles like The Banner Saga. Overall, the visuals are described as both nostalgic and engaging, contributing significantly to the game's storytelling and emotional impact.
- “The rotoscoped animation is well done, as is the soundtrack and story; visuals are old-school 2D and I encountered no bugs.”
- “Graphically, it is almost indistinguishable from The Banner Saga during combat, and if you told me they were part of the same series, just covering different locations, I'd believe you.”
- “The graphics/animation are hand-crafted and look wonderful; similarly, the sound effects and music quality are well chosen.”
- “A tactical strategy game with the story of an RPG and a unique art style; it's a game that clearly aimed a little bit higher than it could deliver.”
- “Graphically, it is almost indistinguishable from The Banner Saga during combat, and if you told me they were part of the same series, just covering different locations or something along those lines, I'd believe you.”
- “The graphics are very reminiscent of Avatar; I love that hit of nostalgia.”
music
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
24%
5%
The music in the game is widely praised for its quality and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers highlighting the epic orchestral soundtrack and haunting melodies that complement the visuals and storytelling. The combination of beautiful artwork and immersive sound design creates a captivating experience, although some players noted that the music can feel repetitive during quieter moments. Overall, the soundtrack is considered one of the standout features, contributing significantly to the game's artistic appeal.
- “The music and artwork are both very good, and the Middle Eastern inspired setting is a fun and refreshing viewpoint that we don't see in enough games and could certainly do with some more of.”
- “The story works perfectly with the haunting musical score as well as with the gorgeous artwork and beautiful animations.”
- “The rich artwork is only further complemented by a stunning soundtrack and deep storyline that add to the immersion.”
- “The music is solid throughout; however, it becomes rather stale when there is no other sound throughout much of the narration.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The game's atmosphere is praised for its beautiful graphics and exceptional soundtrack, which contribute to an engaging and eerie experience. While some humor feels out of place, the overall ambiance is described as excellent, with whimsical elements providing a contrast to darker themes. The tutorials and visual style further enhance the immersive quality of the game.
- “As a relative newcomer to this genre, I felt gently encouraged and supported by the tutorials available in the easiest level, and the atmospheric music and often whimsical graphics were engaging from the very start.”
- “The music and artwork are fantastic and have created a really eerie but beautiful atmosphere.”
- “Beautiful graphics and atmospheric music.”
- “The scattered humor provides a welcome diversion to the often dark atmosphere.”
- “The best soundtrack of any game that I have played, which is integral to the game's atmosphere.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews highlight that the grinding aspect of the game is characterized by repetitive and tedious combat encounters, which can detract from the overall experience. While some players appreciate the option to speed up or skip battles, many find the linear nature of the gameplay and lengthy combat sequences to be a significant drawback. Overall, the grinding element is seen as a major flaw, overshadowing the game's unique narrative and setting.
- “On the other hand, it's not much else than a linear string of combat encounters, some of which are quite long and can be tedious.”
- “The combat is functional and has good moments, but I found it too repetitive and tedious for my tastes. Luckily, there are options to both speed up and skip combat, and I found myself skipping most of the larger battles.”
- “However, I found the story tedious.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
Overall, the game has limited replayability due to its linear plot and minimal character development, making it less appealing for players focused solely on combat. While some players may find value in challenging themselves on higher difficulty settings, the general consensus suggests that once completed, the game offers little incentive to replay.
- “I still haven't made it all the way through the story yet (as I'm playing on the hardest difficulty setting and... um... yeah, I may or may not have taken a beating on more than one occasion, but we don't need to talk about that) so I'll have to come back and update this later to comment on replay value and similar - but even without that, it's easy for me to recommend this.”
- “Players only interested in the combat will get a single playthrough of the game, but I can’t see a lot of replayability for them.”
- “No replay value: character statistical development is basically nonexistent (only standardized level ups for rank and file soldiers), and the plot is linear.”
- “Even without completing the story, it's easy for me to recommend this, but I have concerns about the replay value.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's humor is a mixed bag, featuring a dark comedic tone that some players appreciate, but it is often undermined by cringeworthy jokes that feel out of place within the story's atmosphere.
- “While still holding on to its dark humor.”
- “The story has a nice atmosphere and premise but is held back by cringey attempts at humor that feel out of place.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game effectively balances its high-concept sci-fi narrative with intimate emotional moments, creating a rich and engaging experience. The fantastic score enhances the emotional depth, drawing players into the story's poignant developments.
- “The plot and world feel are cool, although the overall focus is on small, emotional moments in contrast with the high-concept sci-fi scope of the story.”
- “Furthermore, the score is fantastic and really sets the Indian/Persian tone and makes for some deep and emotional story movements.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
100%
The game has been criticized for its limited character development regarding skills, abilities, and stats, though players note that there are opportunities for deeper character exploration through branching dialogue. Overall, while some aspects of character interaction are present, the overall development feels lacking.
- “I have played through a few times to get the most out of the battles and to make sure I didn't miss any of the small details or additional character development you can get through some of the branching dialogue.”
- “I should mention that the game lacks character development in terms of skills, abilities, and stats.”
- “I have played through a few times to get the most out of the battles and to ensure I didn't miss any of the small details or additional character development you can get through some of the branching dialogue.”

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65%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews

Review: Tahira: Echoes of the Astral Empire
Slightly above average or simply inoffensive. Fans of the genre should enjoy them a bit, but a fair few will be left unfulfilled.
Destructoid.com
65%

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11h Median play time

11h Average play time

11-11h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Tahira: Echoes of the Astral Empire is a tactical role playing game with fantasy, warfare, historical and science fiction themes.

Tahira: Echoes of the Astral Empire is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows and Linux.

On average players spend around 11 hours playing Tahira: Echoes of the Astral Empire.

Tahira: Echoes of the Astral Empire was released on February 11, 2017.

Tahira: Echoes of the Astral Empire was developed by Whale Hammer Games.

Tahira: Echoes of the Astral Empire has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Tahira: Echoes of the Astral Empire is a single player game.

Similar games include The Banner Saga 2, The Banner Saga, The Banner Saga 3, Expeditions: Rome, Tower of Time and others.

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