Space, the final frontier … no, wait, that is the intro to another show … how about – in space, no one can hear you scream … oops, another movie franchise.

The Tarr Chronicles is not the most original of ideas, either, but that does not preclude the CDV title from being an action-packed romp through the space of distant galaxies. This is a game that emulates a great old title, Wing Commander: Prophecy, in tempo and general feel. Throw in a bit of the space combat from Star Wars Galaxies and you begin to get the idea of how the game plays out.

It is a story-driven affair, with three difficulty settings to suit most players. Not that the story really matters – it is more of a device to propel you into a reason for the combat. In fact, you may find that you are given one mission and then are intercepted by enemies and have to alter plans in the early stages of one of the shorter missions. And yes, they do fly by quickly.

The game consists of nine total missions, each of which has a host of smaller, quicker forays that include repelling enemy fighters, escort missions and search and recovery-style missions. The enemy is the Mirk, an ‘anti-element’ creature that destroys races, planets and galaxies. Players dive in as humans onboard a battle cruiser trying to escape the spread of the Mirk. Of course, the Mirk are after your convoy of vessels, and as a fighter pilot on board, your goal is to stop their onslaught and remain alive.

Tarr Chronicles plays out in a very linear fashion. You have to proceed in a certain order. You may not be able to engage that destroyer until you take out all the fighters, and only then does the destroyer seem to start taking significant damage. And taking out those enemy fighters will prove a bit of a challenge. The game incorporates (by default) the mouse and keyboard for flight controls. You can bank using the A and D keys, have a short acceleration burst using the W or slow with the D keys. The mouse wheel will also control speed, while the buttons are used to fire primary and secondary weapons. Locking onto a target is a simple matter of pressing the R key. But while the control scheme is somewhat easy to learn, there are some minor annoyances with it. You may be pursuing an enemy and it is flying toward you. You know it is going to bank off so rather than maintain your speed, you opt to focus on the targeting reticule, and hit the D key to decelerate while maintaining your weapon fire on the targeting cursor. Unfortunately, slowing (or accelerating) will cause your ship to veer either upwards or downwards and what you thought would be a viable tactic turns into a scramble to re-target.

The Tarr Chronicles also has a bit of an RPG element to it. As you advance through the missions, you will gain more power and that means better ships. However, while you get stronger, your enemies will not upgrade and you will get progressively stronger than they are. That is not to mean that their flight skills emulate the proverbial shooting fish in a barrel. Quite the contrary – the enemy can fly well, and you will be breathing a bit easier when you are capable of putting them down faster. But as you advance through the major mission threads, you will hit a break point and it is then that you can customize and upgrade. The game’s features are very solid in this regard.

Do not think this is a case where you can just slap on the biggest, baddest gun and launch into space with Death Star-like power. There is a balance that must be reached in regards to weight and power availability. The game basically refers to the customization as modding. You collect parts and then put them all together in a way to optimize performance. Think of it more like crafting than modding – you collect parts and then use those to create.  

The sounds of Tarr Chronicles are familiar – the crackle of radio transmissions, mission briefings, and the firing of weapons. You will even hear the occasional sound of ships scraping during a collision. The music, while not overbearing in any stretch of the imagination, is fine.

Graphically, though, Tarr Chronicles is very good. There is depth in space and that is impressed even more by the flight speeds that mean you can just go from point A to point B in 10 seconds. Everything seems to be in motion, but all the information you need is readily displayed. The interface is very easy to navigate.

Tarr Chronicles is not the most original of ideas, but this is a challenging space flight-combat title that is entertaining and a visual treat.

Gameplay: 7.8
There are nine main missions and a host of quick battles along the way with fast briefings. The gameplay is linear in nature with virtually no deviation allowed.  

Graphics: 8.7
This is a visual treat. Some clipping does occur and the pacing is more relaxed, but the effects are very well done.

Sound: 7.0
Nothing here that you would not expect.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 7.0
This is a game that, while the story varies a bit, is very familiar to those who have played other space combat games like Wing Commander.

Overall: 7.4
There may not be much replayability in this title – save for the proverbial ‘try it again at a harder difficulty setting’ – but what Tarr Chronicles delivers is fun and visually pleasing. There is a challenge in this game, but make sure you have a bit of time to play when you start a session. The mini-quests inside each of the overarching missions come fast and furious and you are left for little time to breathe.