A while back, I received Tryst, a new real-time strategy title from the creators of Apox. Frankly, at first it felt like it was going to be Apox all over again, but slowly and surely I got more of another vibe from the game. Now, due to ongoing complications with the game interfering with my packed work schedule, I’ve prematurely departed from what I’d call a Starcraft clone, if I were to lazily label it. It’s not, let us be clear on that, but it might as well be. Given my view is much too limited to actually review it, I’ll just leave you with the general impression the game made in the time I spent with it.

First, let’s go over why the branding got done in the previous paragraph. Tryst is an isometric strategy game in extraterrestrial setting, with men in space suits wielding futuristic laser guns and weird aliens. Players build a base, upgrade a few quarters to build more advanced buildings, poop out units according to population and availability of separate resources and march those blips to war in murky maps shrouded by fog. The visual aspect of tiny men in this desolate places is nothing new, neither is the mechanic known all too well. Same goes for repetitive audio prompts, tedious effects and so on. Judging solely from the esthetic outlook of the game, Tryst may as well have come out ten years ago and still only struggle to keep up.

Gameplay isn’t too far behind on that notion. Units can be packed together and hauled off against other groups of enemies. Firing happens automatically and advanced options are limited. Yes, different unit types act differently and there’s an ammo count and all, but it has little impact on the game as a whole. Quite quickly, Tryst gets bogged down to the same old churning and attack wave dynamics we’ve known since the first Command & Conquer. Does that mean that this game is destined to lose? Perhaps, though it did have a few distinct redeemable aspects.

The first evoking element in Tryst is a double-edged sword. Its pace is set fairly high and at first this will definitely be an issue. There isn’t as much of a learning curve as there’s just a steeple present that prevents the game from flourishing. Starting off, the game won’t allow for any introduction and will rumble on through like a thunderstorm, but only in severity. Opposing forces keep popping up constantly, which takes away from any preparation needed. This continues later on to never fully allow to exploit the strategy aspect in the game. More so, it’s an action title that requires an additional few movements to deploy. Encounter rates do help to keep the attention directly in the game without slumping to routine, but it is too hectic to truly appreciate any structure.

More importantly, units can be more than meets the eye. Several advanced units have their own sets of skills that can help them in battle. While it can be a bit troublesome to cope with, using these special abilities on the fly does add another layer to an otherwise boring game. For instance, a unit can launch grenades, which in itself isn’t wowing, but Tryst allows the player to choose the exact location of the blast. Another unit can activate an aura that buffs nearby units. This element weaves a third person game dynamic into the mix of faceless hordes. In advanced matches, it could help save the game from itself.

Tryst might not seem glamorous and even leaves a shoddy first impression, as far as I’m concerned, but it luckily isn’t a tragedy. Some clever newer mechanics add a hint of freshness to the classic real-time strategy tropes of yore. Perhaps diehard fans will be best served with the game.



Daav Valentaten, NoobFeed. (@Daavpuke)