Tryst

BlueGiant Interactive have created a game which, while primarily a Real-Time Strategy title, introduces small elements of the RPG genre into the blend with its ARM unit skill tree. The campaign is obviously aimed at getting newcomers to the genre familiar with the basic commands and tactics required to participate in the online games at a competent level. Those people like myself, with even a basic level of experience with RTS games, can blow through the story in under two hours.

I've been playing this game since the beta, the game is hard to learn but if you know the game it's pretty easy to win matches. The graphic style is unique, it's dark and evil, The graphics are great, the music is amazing! It really fits the game. The game does have high replay value, which really is good. The gameplay is like warhammer. Worth full price!

BlueGiant Interactive have created a game which, while primarily a Real-Time Strategy title, introduces small elements of the RPG genre into the blend with its ARM unit skill tree. The campaign is obviously aimed at getting newcomers to the genre familiar with the basic commands and tactics required to participate in the online games at a competent level. Those people like myself, with even a basic level of experience with RTS games, can blow through the story in under two hours.

Tryst follows the conflict between the Humans and the Zali, a race of bio-mechanical aliens. Differing from the usual Earth-invasion plot in name only, the conflict takes place in 2900AD and on the planet Ishtonia IV. Over the years prior to the events of the game the humans divided into two groups and civil war ensued, lasting until the events of the game where they combine to meet the threat of the Zali. The story is rather run of the mill, as nothing really stands out. BlueGiant do attempt to get you interested in the world by offering a number of videos before you start the campaign, giving you details of the history, people and current events. The issue with this is that it relies too much on the willingness sit through a video, no matter how short it may be, by choice. Something I imagine most people aren't happy to do when they want to get in on the action. The campaign is divided into five missions. Each mission opens with some exposition, showing the map and dialogue between the characters. It's all an attempt to show your objectives while advancing the story. Depending on your aptitude the campaign should take you around five hours to complete. However, length of the campaign isn't too important so long as it is good and fun to play. The gameplay is that of any standard RTS but with the speed turned up a few notches. You build bases, manage resources, churn out troops and complete your objectives. Unusual to RTS games, resources, ore and electricity, are gathered automatically at a fixed rate. More can be gathered by capturing other generators and refineries, none can be built. The main difference between standard RTS' and Tryst is the aforementioned speed. A mission can seem to go by in a flash and feel like it has taken less time than it actually has, making it feel rushed. On the other hand a few interesting ideas are featured and do show thought that has been put into the game. One of the major ideas is that of the A.R.M system - I don't remember what it stands for - which allows for three tiers of upgrades to be equipped to each type of unit, and some buildings. The choices offered are limited, two or three for each rank, but still vary enough that a choice can significantly improve one aspect yet leave another still vulnerable. Another of the ideas put forward is the use of choice in missions. In some you are offered a selection of paths to take: will you move to secure a location for resources or will you head to rescue some soldiers behind enemy lines? Some of these are a direct choice between one or the other. Other times you are given a set time limit, making it difficult, but not impossible, to achieve multiple objectives. Sadly, the paths have no effect on the long-term story, only offering short term bonuses and achievements. The only direct impact is the units you have available for the rest of that mission meaning your tactics will have to change and adapt. This isn't the only reason you'll find yourself changing your tactics. The difficulty fluctuates an insane amount so you will likely find yourself failing, or stuck in a protracted battle of attrition, needing a change of tactics for success. Thankfully the game offers a reasonable amount of tactical fluidity, featuring a variety of units and buildings. The downside here is there is little in the form of a tutorial. If you aren't familiar with RTS games then you're going to find yourself quickly in over your head. If you are, it's all much of the same, just at a faster pace and the units are indistinguishable from each other. For the most part the graphics are fairly dated, giving the game an older look. The game looks at its best when 'toon shader', found in graphics options, is turned on. Toon shader makes the game look more colourful, giving it a cel-shaded effect, improving the overall look and giving the game some personality that the standard visuals lack. The major issue with the visuals is that the soldiers are incredibly difficult to tell apart due to the camera distance. Zooming in is also not recommended due to how fast the game is, making it all too likely to miss an enemy attack. The worst part of the game is the audio. The music is pain and unremarkable and the effects lack weight, making the whole thing forgettable. As bad as the effects are, they're nothing compared to the voice acting. While one or two of the actors are passable, most of them are wooden in their delivery and bad with their accents. At times the poor voice acting can make the whole thing fairly comical. The units are also very irritating to listen to as they repeat the same one or two lines all the time. While not a bad game, having a few interesting ideas, Tryst is certainly lacking. It's rough around the edges, though BlueGiant do promise more patches and DLC. Tryst is a decent budget RTS, worth trying out at a low price, and it could certainly get a following for the multiplayer if it features in a decent sale and people take the plunge.

Graphics Ummmm,,, it's okay. More or less similiar to Starcraft in terms of quality and style. Actually, the game keeps reminding me of Starcraft. Gameplay The most important component in a review. I do not know how to put it. But it's like the game is copying from Warhammer and Starcraft. You feel familiar with it. As an RTS game, it does offer a wide of range of units for you to build, and there's enough different types of unit to make you study through it. Style To be honest, the background is set in the future world, which I believe is no longer a big selling point, as it is taken up by quite a lot of RTS game already. If i wanna play a RTS game, I just wouldn't choose this game. As I want to see more originality from it