So what's new? Tribes 2 lets you cobble together your own loadout and combine armor types with special weapons and attacks. (Note to the bandwidth-impaired: turning off the mic feature can result in big-time lag reduction.) Tribes 2 also includes microphone support for broadband gamers, allowing you to strap on a headset and dole out the chatter. A selection of character voices is included so you can vary the harshness. Capturing the flag is a Herculean accomplishment, requiring you to communicate with teammates in a combined effort to knock down turrets, disable enemy sensors, and escort flag-carriers.įortunately, giving orders and accepting computer-assigned tasks is pretty easy-the traditional Tribes voice chat menu is back in full effect, and you can bark out various phrases (and insults, such as the infamous “Shazbot!”) with a few simple keystrokes. While games like TeamFortress Classic and Counter-Strike can be played independently, with each player doing his or her own thing, Tribes 2 requires you to work as a team if you want to succeed, and indeed to get any real sense of purpose in the chaotic, sprawling environments. If you haven't played the original Tribes before, there's a good chance that Tribes 2 is going to kick you in the ass for a few weeks-at least until you grow accustomed to the ungodly number of strategies that drive the game. And mines and sniper rifles and long-range sensors.

After announcing that Tribes 2 would feature a single-player training mode designed specifically to make the Tribes universe accessible to newbies, Sierra's delivery of the sequel may be the biggest “quiet” event of the gaming year.Īt its core, Tribes is just Capture the Flag. While other games locked you into stinky dungeons and claustrophobic nuclear-weapons facilities, Tribes took deathmatching outside, with its sprawling mountain ranges and miles of rocky terrain.Īfter two years of semi-underground status as a beloved online shooter, the game has finally stepped aside to welcome its long-awaited successor. There's a damn good reason why the original Tribes has a cult following: branching off from Sierra's quasi-obscure Starsiege universe, Tribes offered the perfect blend of team-based gameplay and first-person-shooter thrills.īut the big kicker was the game environment.

We recommend: PIII 600/Athlon, 128MB RAM, 32MB GeForce2, broadband Required: PII 300, 64MB RAM, 12MB 3D card

Tribes 2 yubyub