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Tempest 4000

A hallmark of excellence. There may be flaws, but they are negligible and won't cause massive damage.
71%Game Brain Score
music, graphics
stability, monetization
65% User Score Based on 302 reviews
Critic Score 82%Based on 18 reviews

Platforms

NSNintendo SwitchPCPCP4Playstation 4P5Playstation 5SDSteam DeckWinWindowsXOXbox OneXSXXbox Series X|SPlaPlayStationXboxXbox
Buy Nowfrom $3.64
Buy NowGet on Steam$19.99Buy NowGet on Xbox Games Store

About

Tempest 4000 is a fast-paced, arcade-style shooter game where you control a claw-like ship blasting enemies as they approach through a geometric tunnel. With up to 100 levels, the game features improved graphics and audio over its predecessors, as well as an unlockable classic mode for a nostalgic experience. Your mission is to survive wave after wave of enemies while navigating through challenging, geometric environments.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Tempest 4000 screenshot
Tempest 4000 screenshot
Tempest 4000 screenshot
Tempest 4000 screenshot
Tempest 4000 screenshot
Tempest 4000 screenshot
Tempest 4000 screenshot
Tempest 4000 screenshot
Tempest 4000 screenshot

65%
Audience ScoreBased on 320 reviews
music43 positive mentions
stability6 negative mentions
  • Visually stunning with vibrant graphics and a psychedelic aesthetic that captures the essence of the original Tempest.
  • Gameplay is addictive and retains the classic feel of Tempest 2000, providing a fun and challenging experience.
  • Includes multiple soundtracks, allowing players to choose between the original Tempest 2000 music and newer tracks.
  • Lacks mouse and spinner support, making it difficult to play for those accustomed to the original controls.
  • Controls feel floaty and imprecise, leading to frustration during gameplay, especially with keyboard and mouse options.
  • Technical issues such as graphical glitches and limited resolution options detract from the overall experience.
  • music
    129 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising the inclusion of multiple soundtracks, including the original Tempest 2000 and TXK, which evoke nostalgic feelings of arcade gaming. While some players appreciate the energetic and immersive soundtracks that enhance the gameplay experience, others feel that the music can become repetitive and detracts from the overall enjoyment. Overall, the soundtracks are generally considered a highlight, contributing to the game's vibrant atmosphere.

    • “Overall I highly recommend it; on a decent rig it runs at 60 fps, the visuals are fun, the music is fantastic as always, and it's fun to play overall.”
    • “The pounding, pulsing soundtrack!”
    • “Not a hardcore Tempest fan by any means, but I loved Tempest X3 on the PS1, and this really recaptures the feel of that game for me with colorful, trippy visuals, a great soundtrack, and a ton of skill required.”
    • “Controls and music ruin it.”
    • “But I'm not personally a fan of where they went with the music.”
    • “The sound/music is about the same, meaning it gets old and annoying quickly.”
  • graphics
    110 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are characterized by a vibrant, psychedelic aesthetic that pays homage to its retro roots while incorporating modern effects, resulting in a visually stimulating experience. However, some players have reported graphical glitches and a lack of customization options, which can detract from the overall enjoyment. Despite these issues, the visuals are generally praised for their colorful explosions and engaging design, making the gameplay feel dynamic and immersive.

    • “The visuals are stunning, with colors flying everywhere in all the glorious pixel explosions!”
    • “The funky mind-blowing graphics!”
    • “Overall I highly recommend it; on a decent rig it runs at 60 fps, the visuals are fun, the music is fantastic as always, and it's fun to play overall.”
    • “The graphics, although pretty, could all probably have been done in 1999.”
    • “I wanted to love it, but the lack of mouse support, config options, timing/clocking bugs, and overdone graphics make it a definitive 'no' for me.”
    • “The graphics options are heavily limited, and furthermore, the game logic is designed to run at 60Hz, and nothing higher.”
  • gameplay
    80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of Tempest 4000 is generally praised for its smoothness, timelessness, and adherence to classic arcade mechanics, offering a fun and engaging experience with a blend of modern upgrades and nostalgic elements. However, some players express frustration with control issues and a lack of polish, which can detract from the overall enjoyment. While the core gameplay remains true to its roots, there are calls for additional modes and tighter controls to enhance the experience further.

    • “If I consider nothing but the gameplay, then Tempest 4000 is a fantastic game with solid gameplay and great music.”
    • “The gameplay loop is shooting enemies, but the real challenge of this game is getting the patterns down to be able to bob and weave in between enemy waves to collect the power-ups.”
    • “The visuals are stimulating, the sounds intense, the gameplay thrilling, and it is a lot of fun.”
    • “Seeing the Atari branding feels right, even knowing they have no relationship to the original company, but aside from a few minor gameplay tweaks, this isn't an enhanced and expanded version of TXK so much as a straightforward port.”
    • “Since the gameplay is what I play for mainly, rather than the awesomely sexy graphics and still super funky soundtrack, this is a disappointment.”
    • “The visuals are popping, the soundtracks rocking, but the gameplay is stodgy crap that really shows up how basic it all is and now feels pedestrian.”
  • stability
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game performs well on most systems, but some users report experiencing graphical glitches that can negatively impact gameplay, such as invisible power-ups. Additionally, there are mentions of specific bugs related to the superzapper feature. Stability appears to vary depending on the user's PC configuration.

    • “Plays great, runs great”
    • “Now, there are some graphical glitches on my end, but this doesn't affect all PCs.”
    • “Also, the superzapper is either buggy or glitchy.”
    • “(edit: I wrote this review before realizing I was affected by graphics glitches that directly negatively impact gameplay - i.e., invisible power-ups. If/when they are fixed, I will rewrite this to reflect that.)”
  • replayability
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game boasts high replayability with numerous levels filled with hidden secrets and power-ups, ensuring players are continually surprised. The well-designed difficulty curve enhances the experience, drawing comparisons to the replay value of TXK. Overall, players find the game engaging enough to return to multiple times.

    • “Tons of levels with immense replayability, and many hidden secrets in between levels, power-ups, etc. Just when you think you've seen it all, it surprises you.”
    • “What I like about this game is that it's very replayable.”
    • “I love the difficulty curve - it feels really well designed - my opinion now is that it will have the replayability that TXK had.”
  • monetization
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization strategy of the game is widely criticized as a blatant cash grab, reflecting a decline in the Atari brand's reputation as it relies on exploiting old intellectual properties for quick profits.

    • “For the love of god, this must be just a cash grab.”
    • “Yet another example of how the Atari name has fallen from greatness as old IPs are exploited for quick cash grabs.”
  • optimization
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with users reporting that it remains a disastrous port even after the latest patch, struggling to maintain smooth performance at 60 Hz and experiencing key mapping crashes on startup.

  • humor
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is characterized by the classic comedic elements typical of Llamasoft titles, providing a nostalgic and amusing experience for players.

    • “It has the funny classic touches you'd expect in a Llamasoft game.”

82%Critics’ scoreBased on 22 critic reviews

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