Tryst is a sci-fi themed RTS that returrns the genre back to its roots. There were some rough patches during the alpha and beta phases, but these issues were quickly resolved as was expected.
Tryst plays like a combination of Command and Conquer and Starcraft with a fast-paced ‘in your face’ combat system that wold make any RTS fan excited. But unlike the games previously mentioned, the battles don’t take you hours to complete.
Don’t get me wrong — I enjoy participating in lengthy RTS battles as much as the next guy, but Tryst is an entirely different gaming experience. Faster combat means less downtime for the gamers involved.
Like in other RTS games, you have to build a base and units to protect it. Here you can build your home base (headquarters) with barracks and other facilities that will provide different abilities, units, and technology. If there happens to be no resources nearby, you will have to visit your headquarters to resupply your units. Even though Tryst eliminates a big chunk of the downtime experienced in RTS games, there are some things that still require the player’s attention like supplying your units with ammo.
When you’re engaging the enemy in combat, it’s important to conserve your ammo and take cover behind anything that can shield your units (i.e. barricades). Being overzealous with your ammo can lead to a quick defeat.
In the world of Tryst, there is a constant power struggle between the Zali and the Human race as they harvest as much Lohum as possible. Lohum is a rare compound that both factions need desperately. Neither side trusts the other; this lack of trust fuels the war between the two races.
Both the Humans and the Zali are playable during multiplayer, but be forewarned — neither side plays the same. It’s easier to learn the game as the Humans; the Zali race is more difficult to play and has a steeper learning curve. Both races have their own structures, facilities, and units that are unique to them.
The single-player campaign is a great way to learn the game before going online. But as a whole, Tryst shines the most as a multiplayer experience.
Playing Tryst online can be an exhilarating experience. Games can be as small as 2-players and as big as five versus five. Large scale battles happen fast, so it’s important to dabble with the single-player experience before going online. The single-player campaign is far more forgiving than the opponents you will meet in multiplayer.
The online multiplayer feature comes with a Friends List manger so you can keep track of your friends. The Friends List is part of the online lobby. I really like this feature; it feels more streamlined than constantly checking/swapping your friends list on Steam. The controls are typical by RTS standards. Aside from a handful of keyboard shortcuts, ninety percent of your controls will be issued with the mouse.
It’s refreshing to see a new RTS game when most of the releases this year have been Tower Defense games (which isn’t a bad thing really). Tryst is a great game that has beautiful environments and enormous maps to explore. The voice dubbing is also impressive and adds to the overall experience.
As an RTS game, Tryst proves that you don’t need a multimillion dollar budget to produce a high quality product. RTS gamers owe it to themselves to check it out.
James ‘Daripp3r’ Pittarp
Platform: PC
Developer: BlueGiant Interactive
Publisher: BlueGiant Interactive
ESRB: N/A
Price: $24.99
BlueGiant Interactive’s Website
| Review Score | |
|---|---|
| Graphics |   |
| Well designed character models and enormous maps. | |
| Sound | |
| The dialog and narration are both impressive. | |
| Gameplay | |
| Tryst plays like an old-school RTS. The fast-action also eliminates the downtime experienced in most RTS games. | |
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| Tryst is a high-quality RTS game that is even better online. | |
