Tempest 4000

62%
Game Brain Score Based on 251 reviews
  • music
  • graphics
  • gameplay
Tempest 4000 Game Cover
A hallmark of excellence. There may be flaws, but they are negligible and won't cause massive damage.
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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.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

62%
Audience ScoreBased on 251 reviews
music38 positive mentions
stability6 negative mentions
  • Captures the feeling of the original Tempest 2000 with beautiful visuals and great music.
  • Gameplay is fun and challenging, providing a nostalgic experience for fans of the series.
  • Runs well on various platforms, including Steam Deck, and offers a psychedelic visual experience.
  • Controls are unresponsive and lack precision, especially with keyboard and mouse support.
  • No support for spinner or mouse controls, making it difficult for players accustomed to the original arcade experience.
  • Technical issues such as graphical glitches and limited resolution options detract from the overall experience.
  • music108 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising the inclusion of classic soundtracks from Tempest 2000 and TXK, which evoke nostalgia and enhance the gameplay experience. However, some players feel that the music can become repetitive and detracts from the overall enjoyment, especially when compared to the original titles. Overall, while the soundtracks are generally well-received, opinions vary on their impact on the game's quality.

    • “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.”
    • “It's a blast to play so far, and it's great to finally listen to the soundtrack from TXK while playing this.”
    • “The pounding, pulsing soundtrack!”
    • “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.”
  • graphics90 mentions

    The graphics in the game are generally praised for their vibrant, psychedelic visuals and smooth performance, often described as stunning and reminiscent of classic titles. However, some players noted that while the visuals are impressive, they could have been achieved in earlier gaming eras, and there are occasional graphical glitches that can detract from the experience. Overall, the visuals are a highlight, providing an exhilarating and immersive experience, though they may overwhelm some players.

    • “The visuals are stunning, with colors flying everywhere in all the glorious pixel explosions!”
    • “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 funky mind-blowing graphics!”
    • “The graphics also, although pretty, could all probably have been done in 1999.”
    • “Graphical problems.”
    • “No graphics settings at all so if your PC is marginal there's not much you can do.”
  • gameplay64 mentions

    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 responsive controls and a vibrant audiovisual presentation. However, some players express frustration with control difficulties and occasional glitches that can detract from the overall experience. While the core gameplay remains largely unchanged from its predecessor, there are calls for additional modes and polish to enhance the interface and gameplay flow.

    • “If I consider nothing but the gameplay, then Tempest 4000 is a fantastic game with solid gameplay and great music.”
    • “The gameplay loop involves shooting enemies, but the real challenge of this game is getting the patterns down to bob and weave between enemy waves to collect the power-ups.”
    • “Great gameplay, dialed-in controls, and splendid audio/visuals.”
    • “Why do designers think that making control difficult or weird is a 'game mechanic'? It's not a game mechanic if I'm fighting the controls to play the game.”
    • “The gameplay is stodgy crap that really shows up how basic it all is and now feels pedestrian.”
    • “There's no longer the synergy between sight, sound, and gameplay.”
  • stability8 mentions

    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. Stability appears to vary depending on the user's PC configuration.

    • “Plays great, runs great”
    • “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.)”
  • replayability6 mentions

    The game boasts immense replayability with a plethora of levels and hidden secrets, ensuring players are continually surprised. The well-designed difficulty curve enhances the experience, drawing comparisons to the replayability of TXK. Overall, players find the game engaging enough to revisit 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.”
    • “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.”
    • “I love the difficulty curve - it feels really well designed - my opinion now is that it will have the replayability that TXK had.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game is widely perceived as exploitative, with many users labeling it a blatant cash grab.

    • “For the love of god, this must be just a cash grab.”
  • optimization2 mentions

    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.

  • humor2 mentions

    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.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

67% average critic score

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