Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

20 to 40 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Innovative"

Tribes Ascend is a new online free to play first person shooter developed by Hi-Rez Studios .

The Tribes series takes place in the future , where humanity is divided into different tribes after the war with the Cybrids. The most powerful tribes are The Blood Eagles and The Children of Phoenix. This are also the factions playable in the game.

The game has adopted the business model that League of Legends features , meaning that you can get everything that influences gameplay with in-game currency and at the same time you can buy them with real money. Even though you have to play the game a lot to unlock everything I still consider that this is a smart way to launch a game. Also the first time you spend some money on the game you get VIP status for life , which gives you bonus experience in every match.

The gameplay is fast and unique . You can make use of a "skiing" mechanism or a jet-pack to battle with your foes , features hard to master but , once you understand them you will have a blast playing the game.

The huge maps also make the combat a lot more satisfying. Also this is a game that makes the Call of Duty and Medal of Honor combat seem slow and in which the player uses heavy but powerful weapons , forcing him to predict the movement of his enemies and rewarding skill over luck.

The graphics are superb for a free to play game and the battles between the 2 factions of the game look like a sophisticated dance. Also the gorgeous environment and the striking explosions look awesome , showing the player the huge amount of work put into this game.

The game also features different classes , each offering a different experience. For example the soldier is used for closed combat while the Juggernaut is a mobile long-range heavy artillery specialist.

You can also purchase upgrades for your base , vehicles and call strikes with points you get by assisting your team. While the upgrades for the base and the strikes you can call are useful the vehicles aren't that good. You are way more agile as a soldier and you can easily destroy slow-moving vehicles.

The soundtrack of the game is rather ok. It is not something out of the ordinary like the gameplay , but it is not bad either. It is just right.

Closing Statements

Even though the game has some minor flaws , it offers an unique experience that every FPS fan should check out. Even those who are not fans should give this game a chance since it is free-to-play. The unique combat , the gorgeous graphics and the stability and speed of the servers make Tribes : Ascend one of the best Free To Play game out there.

9 / 10

+unique and fast combat

+gorgeous graphics

+class variation

+stable servers

-weak vehicles