Tahira: Echoes of the Astral Empire

Seemingly full of promise... In reality full of repetitive boredom. EVERY battle feels identical, most of your units are generic and randomly seem to carry on to the next battle or completely disappear, every battle begins with a massive enemy army facing your tiny but powerful army and quickly turns into a chaotic melee where your hero units (except the main character) are completely overpowered but never seem to get stronger, in the end it just feels like "how many ways can you defeat the same monotonous massive army" even the characters are rather lackluster, the main character's horse feels like the most developed character. *shocked whinny*. I thought this game seemed neat at the beginning but by battle 4 was horribly bored. Continuing onward just rewards me with more identical battles, more generic units, and more beating the same generic enemy with a stick, 50 times a battle. Frankly this game could have been salvageable with some actual battle rewards, there currently seems to ...

[h1]Overall Game[/h1] Pros: -Fantastic soundtrack -Eye-candy artwork -Interesting take on post-apocalyptic world Cons: -Cringe-worthy dialogue throughout. It doesn't get better. -Story falls flat, even with its planet-wide scope. [h1]Combat[/h1] Pros: -Fun, very similar to Banner Saga's STR/ARM sytem (my favorite turn-based combat game) -Elements of DnD combat (AOO, Flanking) Cons: -Your army has hero units which make the other units just mooks -Overpowered heroes carry the day, which makes sense thematically, but gets dull after combat #12 -No tangible rewards for winning combat I'd give it a 5/10, not good enough to buy at full price. Find it on sale and give it a go.

Tahira was a fun, but brief, adventure that in the end, felt like the first hour of a really good movie. It ended when the character and story development was JUST starting to get rolling, JUST starting to hook you in--and then abruptly, it's over---clearly paving the way to a sequel or two. Which, incidentally I'll be buying--because Tahira seems to have nailed a lot of the fundamental aspects of gaming, correctly. Most of your time, and I mean 90%, will be fighting. And the fights are large-scale, multi-staged, arenas which make for some pretty triumphant moments if you use the battle mechanics correctly to your advantage. The battles are fairly long, with scripted events, and virtually every battle is a fight against overwhelming odds, which at first glance look impossible--but it's pretty gratifying to 'hulk smash' their superior forces. I've been a strategy and turn/based strategy fan since the term came into existence, and in Tahira, was content with the level of balance an...

In a nutshell: +Very friendly and responsive developer +immersive story +beautiful art +engaging (albeit repetitive at times) turn-based combat system And yes, the game draws clear inspiration from The Banner Saga, but I can't see how that would be a bad thing considering how good a game TBS is. Overall I'd recommend a purchase if you enjoy turn-based strategy, story-driven gameplay and/or are a fan of beautifully executed game art.

A very impressive little game that ticks pretty much all the boxes for me. Great tactical battles, compelling story, intelligent dialog, nice art, and a UI that doesn't get in the way. I heartily recommend it to anyone who enjoys turn based tactics. If you know Banner Saga's combat system, you'll be right at home. This is a good thing, very good even - it's an excellent system which deserves to be reinterpreted and iterated upon. There are interesting differences, but most importantly the battles you have to fight are open-ended, large scale, and challenging. The is no strategical layer to speak of. I prefer that to Banner Saga's trainwreck of one, to be honest. There are very few choices and branches in the story, which would have been welcome, but it's not a terrible omission either. The setting for the story is original, believable and interesting; the characters, while not developed that much, are likable. The story line itself is enjoyable and engaging. I typically don't plac...

I dont play many turn based games, only played xcom and wasteland 2, this game has great aniimations and a cool art style with some awesome music, although 8 hours in my save was chewed up but i have no problem playing it over again :). The story is good and some very cool characters aswell, for 15$ its worth buying although id price it a bit higher. 10/10

Really enjoying this game so far. The music and art work are fantastic and have created a really eerie but beautiful atmosphere. Normally I'm not into games with a huge focus on the story, but in this case it has me hooked. This is pretty impressive debut. Highly recommended.

Tahira: Echoes of the Astral Empire is a good, little game. While I enjoyed it, I've seen some reviews here absolutely gushing with praise and I can't quite understand them. It's a good game. Is it incredible? No, not really. The story is good though nothing particularly amazing and it desperately needs a sequel to tie up some loose ends and to resolve the cliffhanger ending. Most of the reviews compare Tahira to The Banner Saga and for good reason, since the combat is nearly identical with only a handful of small differences. Graphically, it is almost disintguishable from the Banner Saga during combat and if you told me they were part of the same series, just covering different locations or something along those lines I'd believe you. Where the Banner Saga let you choose between targeting the opponent's health or guard, Tahira forces you to work through the guard stat before you can whittle down the health and dispatch the enemy. You only have three different classes to work with (f...

There's just so much to relish in this mouth watering debut from Whale Hammer Games. The empathetic and engrossing story centres on a young woman growing up and finding herself as she leads her people against the Astral Empire over one epic night. Unusually, the game is heavily imbued with a Middle Eastern flavour. So refreshing on both counts. The story works perfectly with the haunting musical score as well as with the gorgeous artwork and beautiful animations. The overall effect is one of simplicity and richness simultaneously. The combat (4 difficulty levels, excellent tutorials) ramps up to become deeply complex and tactical. Lovers of turn based tactics games will be in their element. But the devs are to be commended on their inclusive approach as people who prefer less combat or who focus mostly on story are able to turn the combat off. There are obvious but not overtly stated parallels with current political events and the game does not shy away from the dark and the an...

Turn-based fans will find a treat in this RPG hybrid. Graphics, while static mostly, are beautiful. The story, in a choose-your-own-adventure way, is absorbing. Recommended for turn-based players especially.