Tribes: Ascend beta gameplay video

Developer Hi-Rez Studios released a new trailer, showing off beta footage of the jetpack-infused gameplay of Tribes: Ascend.

13

Yesterday's reveal of Tribes: Ascend's free-to-play status predictably evoked mixed emotions. "This free-to-play stuff ruined it for me," one Shacker said. "Every time I see that a game is going to be powered by microtransactions my excitement and anticipation level goes to zero and I automatically write it off," another responded.

But before you plug your ears at the mention of Tribes, perhaps you'll want to take a look at gameplay footage? Developer Hi-Rez Studios released this trailer, showing off its jetpack-infused gameplay.

Does it live up to the Tribes legacy? Will you be giving it a try when it launches later this year? (Obviously, the cost of entry isn't very high...)

Andrew Yoon was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

Filed Under
From The Chatty
  • reply
    June 28, 2011 12:15 PM

    Andrew Yoon posted a new article, Tribes: Ascend beta gameplay video.

    Developer Hi-Rez Studios released a new trailer, showing off beta footage of the jetpack-infused gameplay of Tribes: Ascend.

    • reply
      June 28, 2011 12:20 PM

      Tribes was the first game I played online. I'll give it a try, since it's free.

    • reply
      June 28, 2011 12:25 PM

      Andrew, has High-Rez Studios commented at all if this is still coming to 360? They listed it as a platform when they announced the game and I'm curious if we'll see it as Free-to-Play there as well or if they're going to change the payment model at all.

      • reply
        June 28, 2011 12:45 PM

        It's on hold until Microsoft has a method to allow developers to patch games easily/quickly/often

        • reply
          June 28, 2011 12:53 PM

          I wonder if Microsoft is ever going to take this problem seriously?

        • reply
          June 28, 2011 1:02 PM

          I thought Title Managed Storage already did this for devs. Isn't that what MK9 uses for on the fly balance tweaks?

          • reply
            June 28, 2011 1:04 PM

            Oh I guess TMS is just for XBLA titles.

      • reply
        June 28, 2011 10:17 PM

        I will def. be following up on the XBLA version. Stay tuned!

    • reply
      June 28, 2011 12:26 PM

      Looks like fun. Defo worth a couple of hours test run when it comes out.

    • reply
      June 28, 2011 12:32 PM

      Looks like they're using the vengeance/legions-style smooth skiing. Honestly I prefer this over the jumping to gain momentum in tribes 1/2

      • reply
        June 28, 2011 12:54 PM

        Oh damnit Vengeance style skiing is so lame.

        • reply
          June 28, 2011 2:58 PM

          Agreed, whats the point of the freaking vehicles when you can skillessly ski across the air.
          Also deminishes the effectiveness of explosive weapons too if everyone is in the air flying so fast.

          • reply
            June 28, 2011 3:04 PM

            two snipers on opposite sides of the map marking targets, and 1-2 shotting them in the air !

          • reply
            June 28, 2011 3:46 PM

            If skiing is anything like Tribes 1 or 2 physics wise (not as familiar with T:V) then it actually requires quite a bit of skill.

          • reply
            June 28, 2011 5:26 PM

            Last time I played you still needed to touch the ground to ski, and I had no problem hitting them with explosives at that point.

            And didn't Tribes 2 let you hold down space to jump whenever you touched the ground anyway?

      • reply
        June 28, 2011 1:05 PM

        [deleted]

      • reply
        June 28, 2011 3:44 PM

        I think you pretty much just held jump down in tribes 1/2...right?

        • reply
          June 28, 2011 7:07 PM

          no, you actually had to time your jumps to ski. if you just tried to run down a mountain, friction would eventually stop you. vengeance introduced those skiboots where you could hold down spacebar and friction would just stop.

          T1 skiing was way better because you had to figure out when the right time and places to jump were, which made skiing more of an art on the aesthetic side, and very dangerous on the combat side.

          • reply
            June 29, 2011 5:30 PM

            But didn't most people use skiing scripts. I know Tribes 2 modeled its skiing (where you held down the jump button) after T1's scripts (which most people used I believe).

    • reply
      June 28, 2011 12:49 PM

      Still can't understand any of these complaints when it's free. Put your hand in your pocket if you want the full works in games like this, you stingy tossers! As for the game, it looks pretty fun and I'll definitely give it a shot.

      • reply
        June 28, 2011 2:49 PM

        What many people are afraid of is that the game wont be about skill or knowing how to play. They worried that just to play they may be forced to buy things though microtransactions just to compete with people who spent a small fortune on upgrade and bonuses. So, in short the game isn't about skill it's about how much money your wiling to spend to kill other players.

        For free I'm going to try why not.

    • reply
      June 28, 2011 1:31 PM

      It looks pretty much like Tribes in the trailer. I just want to know about base building stuff now. Can we use cameras and sensors again? Is there a commander view? Max players above 24?

    • reply
      June 28, 2011 2:05 PM

      I miss the old Tribes weapon models. I want my 3 barreled chaingun instead of this assault rifle thing. Tribes always had a really great minimalist style to it's weapons and vehicles.

      These look like they are suffering from Unrealitis.

    • reply
      June 28, 2011 2:53 PM

      sounds awesome. i never played tribes much.

    • reply
      June 28, 2011 4:08 PM

      For those that don't know, you can download the full game of Tribes 2 for free from here:
      http://www.tribesnext.com/downloads
      Get the patch there so you can play MP.

    • reply
      June 28, 2011 4:57 PM

      "This free-to-play stuff ruined it for me," one Shacker said.

      Andrew had to stretch for this article. JP would be so proud :)

    • reply
      June 28, 2011 6:56 PM

      Goddamnit. Now I'm going to have to try it. My old Tribes 2 clan buddies actually called to bitch me out, so I can't back down now. I hope they still have bombers :)

    • reply
      June 28, 2011 10:02 PM

      TRIBES IS BACK, Tribes is back baby!! I just wish this free 2 play would go away. Please go away. Maybie if I wish hard enough and then go to sleep, when I wake up it will be gone.

    • reply
      June 29, 2011 6:52 AM

      looks bad tbh. I bet it feels like a clunky UT3 mod. Why fuck it up by making it micro-transaction based. Somewhere I am still hopeful, but it looks like UT3 with jetpacks more than anything. Base building is where its at.

    • reply
      June 29, 2011 9:16 AM

      I intend to play a fuckload of this.

Hello, Meet Lola