Tribes: Ascend

 PC
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 596 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 421 out of 596
  2. Mixed: 100 out of 596
  3. Negative: 75 out of 596

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  1. PR9Gaming
    Aug 12, 2023
    10
    Literally too good to succeed. Hi-Rez has been on my **** ever since they screwed this game up and moved on to Smite, which is at best third place in its genre XD
  2. Pardoow
    Sep 8, 2019
    8
    Fun and free, what else do you want? For what it is, a halo-ish futuristic shooter, it delivers enough fun to keep you entertained
  3. Wildleon
    Aug 1, 2016
    10
    good game. I am new to the Tribes franchise and enjoyed the challenge of skiing and trying to aim. I really enjoyed the beta and I'm excited that it's finally out!
  4. Captain_Chaos
    Jun 22, 2016
    8
    In 2011 I stood in line for PAX East and saw a trailer for a game I never thought I'd see. The original Starsiege: Tribes was the first game I ever played online, and I was enthralled by it from my first flag grab. Ascend is very much the inheritor of this classic series' legacy, and though it has modern trappings like regen health and an experience system, these do not greatly detractIn 2011 I stood in line for PAX East and saw a trailer for a game I never thought I'd see. The original Starsiege: Tribes was the first game I ever played online, and I was enthralled by it from my first flag grab. Ascend is very much the inheritor of this classic series' legacy, and though it has modern trappings like regen health and an experience system, these do not greatly detract from the core gameplay. Ascend is easy to start playing, but is just as skill-intensive as it' forebears. You can't just "press button, win game." You have to play hard or go home. Ascend's sprawling levels, varied weapons, blinding speeds, and high-flying acrobatics set it in a class above other shooters, and has a variety of PC-friendly features such as support for custom servers.

    However, the game was seemingly abandoned by Hi-Rez studios in the face of their beloved e-sports baby, Smite. Then, from the blue, came a massive quality of life update that retooled Ascend to be more like its predecessors, removing classes in favor of a simpler armor-based loadout system. These changes were all that old-school Tribes players ever wanted, and that's exactly what we got. The game might not have much of a future from here... but what we have is good.    … Expand
  5. ugura
    Apr 13, 2016
    10
    great game, and not a bit pay to win, like most free games where ripping a, go and try this awesome game good gameplay, have skill and more and looks okay
  6. Plasmaneedle
    Jun 8, 2014
    9
    Tribes Ascend is an excellent FPS. The emphasis on mobility makes it faster paced and makes it stand out among other online FPS games. The maps are well designed for this and the graphics are beautiful. Considering it's free to play you'd be doing yourself a disservice to not at least try Tribes Ascend.
  7. SanicFire2000
    Apr 7, 2014
    9
    Well... I'm going to say that this game is great... if you have a powerful engine to run it on.
    The game runs on Unreal Engine, so it will be a pain in the ass to handle if your computer is a slow as **** computer, but with the right one, it is going to be a blast.

    I...I...I...I'm going to go play Tribes:Ascend some more. I'll just leave it at here.
  8. TSB
    Feb 6, 2014
    10
    I'm writing this fast review after playing the game more than 200 hours .

    + Competitve game you can easily tell the difference between good and noob player . + fast / smooth and balanced gameplay specially the fly and Ski. + more than 8 class . + very good map designing . + require highly team work . + very good voice chat command . + dedicated servers . + almost no lucky kills    I'm writing this fast review after playing the game more than 200 hours .

    + Competitve game you can easily tell the difference between good and noob player .
    + fast / smooth and balanced gameplay specially the fly and Ski.
    + more than 8 class .
    + very good map designing .
    + require highly team work .
    + very good voice chat command .
    + dedicated servers .
    + almost no lucky kills in the game you better be good or die .
    + no camping behind doors or corners or cheap kills you will have to go out and face your opponent .
    - only 3 active game modes .

    My personal rating

    9.5/10

    The best MultiPlayer Game of the generation .    … Expand
  9. notyourbuddy
    Dec 23, 2013
    8
    Fast paced shooter with a unique airborne combat/movement ski system. If you like going fast and flying high Tribes is the place to be.

    Has some of the most satisfying skill-shots you'll experience in a first person shooter. Comes with a great Capture the Flag game mode (highly recommend) and a wide range of classes to play/weapons to unlock. Plus its Free-To-Play. Some Minor Issues:    Fast paced shooter with a unique airborne combat/movement ski system. If you like going fast and flying high Tribes is the place to be.

    Has some of the most satisfying skill-shots you'll experience in a first person shooter. Comes with a great Capture the Flag game mode (highly recommend) and a wide range of classes to play/weapons to unlock. Plus its Free-To-Play.

    Some Minor Issues:
    - Pro Snipers can really bog down CTF matches.
    - Late game can see quite a bit of skilless Orbital Strike spam.
    - There are some weapon/loadout balance issues here and there.
    - Minor pay-to-win elements regarding the Engineer and Spy class (must unlock explosive weapons to be effective indoors.)
    - Some classes are not as well defined as they probably should be. Example, Juggernauts are a long-range bombardment specialists yet these very same weapon loadouts can be godly indoors.
    - Vehicles, while fun, have very limited effective use due to the airborne nature of combat (vehicle effectiveness is often restricted to a few maps in a few select areas).
    - Base defenses are pretty easily dealt with which might bother some dedicated Engineer players.
    - Unlocking weapons/gear without paying cash is a long long long grind (F2P so not all that unexpected).

    These issues don't stop the game from being fun/addicting, but I they are worth noting.    … Expand
  10. TheMightyClark
    Nov 15, 2013
    9
    Fun fast paced game! Great graphics and addictive gameplay! It's great if you're looking for a free but phenomenal game! Totally recommended. I will definitely be playing this game more!
  11. Animoticons
    Jul 19, 2013
    10
    BEST Shooter ever.
    A revolutionary game mechanic. It makes so damn much fun. And: I't IS skill based and NOT Pay to Win. But it's really sad that Hi-Rez abadons Tribes: Ascend. They just said, the community shall do the rest and look for the game. :-/
    And the community is not big.
  12. opaillya
    Jul 13, 2013
    10
    Really hard and frustrating at first, even previous FPS experience doesn't help much. Once you get the gist of it though, it becomes the best shooter ever.
  13. nurman
    Apr 18, 2013
    9
    A unique game that, to me, feels like a mix of a first person shooter, a driving game and a flying simulator, though it is mostly a FPS

    Free to play, with a weapon system that is composed of unlockables and experience points. Though the game has been criticized for having gold and seasonal "more xp" passes, I do not find that so bad considering the game is free to play. A "GOTY"    A unique game that, to me, feels like a mix of a first person shooter, a driving game and a flying simulator, though it is mostly a FPS

    Free to play, with a weapon system that is composed of unlockables and experience points.
    Though the game has been criticized for having gold and seasonal "more xp" passes, I do not find that so bad considering the game is free to play. A "GOTY" version of the game has also been released where you get all the items unlocked from the get-go. The game has also been released on steam, which makes it even easier to play.

    The game is very solid, multiple different roles and an absolutely MAGNIFICENT physics engine.
    A bit hard to learn but when you get to it, it is tons of fun.

    The only reason I did not give it a 10 is because some of the maps flawed, though this will most likely be fixed with time.

    Time to go fast folks!    … Expand
  14. Xenon2034
    Apr 3, 2013
    10
    I was a big fan of the original franchise and played it a lot. This version is super hardcore, but extremely well done. Hi-Rez deserves a lot of credit in this remake.
  15. viciousglowworm
    Mar 2, 2013
    9
    I would have given this game a perfect score 6 months ago. Since then, however a couple of things have changed. Many of the new weapon "balances" will take away a key element of the game, such as the decision to nerf the self-knockback on one of the grenades in the game. That being said, it is still a wonderful multiplayer fps experience, and I would recommend buying the newly releasedI would have given this game a perfect score 6 months ago. Since then, however a couple of things have changed. Many of the new weapon "balances" will take away a key element of the game, such as the decision to nerf the self-knockback on one of the grenades in the game. That being said, it is still a wonderful multiplayer fps experience, and I would recommend buying the newly released Game of the Year edition to instantly unlock all weapons and perks. You fly through the air using your jetpack and quickly slide along the ground while skiing. It brings a new light on the fps genre in a Call of Duty dominated world and rewards skill-not purchases. The one thing this game needs is voice communication. I understand that many users have been complaining about the difficulty to capture flags. The point is, if a coordinated team is able to specifically time well-organized flag caps, then it is not that hard. To do this, we need voice communication.… Expand
  16. AlanComek
    Jan 8, 2013
    10
    This is the coolest game in the world. Everything you do boils down to skill and skill alone, and even if you suck at the game, you can still have tons of fun. The game is incredibly well designed, even to the tiny things. All in all, if you don't like this game, you should go back to playing Halo 3 or whatever it is your get spoonfed for breakfast.
  17. Priami
    Dec 19, 2012
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Easily the best free-to-play shooter ever made, and best multiplayer FPS of 2012 This game is really something really unique after the endless semi-realistic modern military shooters.… Expand
  18. Ordish
    Nov 7, 2012
    9
    As an old fan of the original Tribes and all of the sequels, I was anticipating good things from this game. I am not disappointed. They captured the feel of the original game play and the mechanics and controls are extremely responsive. Could they improve the game? Sure, but I have no idea how. Sometimes a classic is good enough. Anyone for a blue plate special?
  19. Aukerai
    Nov 6, 2012
    9
    After 510 hours of gameplay, I believe that it's time for me to review this game in it's entirety. For a quick review: Great Graphics, fresh, original gameplay, free, but the freemium model, while not P2W, does aggressively encourage you to purchase premium currency.

    So, to those of you who aren't aware of *what* Tribes Ascend is, it's a free to play, multiplayer first person shooter    After 510 hours of gameplay, I believe that it's time for me to review this game in it's entirety. For a quick review: Great Graphics, fresh, original gameplay, free, but the freemium model, while not P2W, does aggressively encourage you to purchase premium currency.

    So, to those of you who aren't aware of *what* Tribes Ascend is, it's a free to play, multiplayer first person shooter with 32 player dedicated servers. Describing Tribes isn't hard, but it sure as hell isn't easy either. Let's focus on the graphical side first, as it's the easiest to explain. Tribes Ascend is an impressive looking game, with models that are painstakingly detailed. However, some of this detail disappears in the terrain textures, as from certain angles it's obvious that the textures tessellates. Animations are smooth, fluid and damn pretty to look at, with your character even angling his body to match rotation of strafing whilst he jets. But this is where we start to run into more serious graphical issues. Tribes is poorly optimised, on account of the Unreal Engine not handling large open environments well without map stitching. As a result, the framerate tanks when observing the vast open maps. Even 2 570s drop to ~45FPS in some areas. Not a problem, but interesting to see.

    Now let's look at gameplay. The core mechanic of Tribes is that of skiing. The ability to remove friction between you and the ground, and use gravity and jetpacks to attain ridiculous speeds is an absolute blast, and while easy to pick up, extremely difficult to master. Tribes:Ascend is a fairly well balanced (Keyword, FAIRLY) game, with each of the game's 9 classes featuring distinct strengths and weaknesses. Take the Soldier for example. He can cap, but not as fast as a Pathfinder. He can defend the stand, but not as well as a Doombringer or Brute. He can duel, but not as well as a Raider. When you first play, be prepared to die. alot. This is because very few weapons are hitscan, meaning the projectile takes a good deal of time to reach your target. While this isn't an issue on say Battlefield, when other players are whipping about at 200 + kph, it becomes a good bit more difficult. In addition, explosive weapons inherit some of your movement speed when you fire them. If your fire a basic spinfusor, for example, it will fire at ~280kph. But if your moving at 200 when you fire, it will inherit 50% of your momentum, and instead travel at ~380kph. This further raises the skill ceiling for the game, which was already quite high.

    Finally, let's look at the business model for this game. Here's where most of the game's problems reside for the average gamer. Weapons and equipment are quite expensive, requiring 4800 (not much) to 88000 (much better than closed beta, but still quite high) xp. You can get all FUNCTIONAL items in the game for free, so this game is far from pay to win, and one of the fairest f2p shooter models to date, but unlocking weapons is a long time consuming process (as should be expected of a f2p). You can purchase gold in order to unlock skins, weapons, classes or even voice packs, and the pricing, while a little expensive, isn't draconian. Overall, the business model could do with a little work, but it's by no means pay to win or insultingly expensive. If you want everything unlocked fairly quickly, drop $50 on the game, buy a year of boosted xp, and relish in the xp.

    As a conclusion, Tribes:Ascend does alot of things right. While it does have several flaws, most of these are minor complaints in comparison. This is by no means a perfect game, but it's the easily the best f2p FPS to date, and easily competes with today's AAA titles for graphic fidelity and gameplay mechanics. Metacritic doesn't allow for x.5 scores, but I'm giving Tribes the benefit of rounding, because of it's original concept, and solid core mechanics.    … Expand
  20. Zucheto
    Oct 29, 2012
    9
    I just started playing this a couple days ago, and it has been the most fun I've had gaming in a long time. So much different than every other shooter. Extremely fast paced and just downright fun. It is also free to play which is amazing for a game of this caliber. People whining that this game is pay to win are stupid. Yes, you can pay to buy upgrades that help you out but you can alsoI just started playing this a couple days ago, and it has been the most fun I've had gaming in a long time. So much different than every other shooter. Extremely fast paced and just downright fun. It is also free to play which is amazing for a game of this caliber. People whining that this game is pay to win are stupid. Yes, you can pay to buy upgrades that help you out but you can also get them by just playing the game.. Yes, it takes a long time to get them without playing, but its FREE. This game could easily retail for $60. Besides, for $20-$30 you can pretty much unlock everything that would be relevant to your play style. For being a free game, this is definitely a must to check out and will be the most refreshing shooter you've played.… Expand
  21. Limbo9
    Oct 24, 2012
    10
    Having played Tribes Ascend for 50+ hours now, i can honestly say that this game is, second to Unreal Tournament Classic, THE best FPS Multiplayer ever concieved.. and its f2p.. but boy how i do not care giving the Hi-Rez Studios all of my money. If you have some time, and wish to learn a truly skillful teamplayer FPS, try it!
  22. murtle52
    Oct 9, 2012
    10
    I played this for at least 50 hours in the beta, and have put another hundred in since its been on Steam.....this is a simply amazing game.
    The first FPS I have every played that focused more on movement than shooting.
    I know of no better feeling then skiing up the enemies base ramp at 180km an hour, snatching their flag, and turning around on the ski out to spinfuse some retard that    I played this for at least 50 hours in the beta, and have put another hundred in since its been on Steam.....this is a simply amazing game.
    The first FPS I have every played that focused more on movement than shooting.
    I know of no better feeling then skiing up the enemies base ramp at 180km an hour, snatching their flag, and turning around on the ski out to spinfuse some retard that thinks he's playing Call of Duty in space suits. Also this is truly free to play and not "pay-to-win"    … Expand
  23. ErichSturmovik
    Oct 4, 2012
    10
    This game is hands down the best Free2Play game currently available (and it will stay that way until Survarium comes out, look it up!). There is no way I could give it less than 10- everything about it is superb. The gameplay style is unique and thrilling. No more hours wasted slogging across large maps by foot- fly across them at speeds in excess of 250 km/h! Now, imagine trying toThis game is hands down the best Free2Play game currently available (and it will stay that way until Survarium comes out, look it up!). There is no way I could give it less than 10- everything about it is superb. The gameplay style is unique and thrilling. No more hours wasted slogging across large maps by foot- fly across them at speeds in excess of 250 km/h! Now, imagine trying to shoot someone as they fly by you at that same speed and you can begin to comprehend how amazing this game really is. There is something for everyone here: straight up 5 on 5 deathmatches, huge 16 vs 16 deathmatches, on man army style fights, capture and hold style gameplay, and of course it's most in depth and well done mode, capture the flag. In capture the flag, there is a huge variety of roles to be played. A flag defender (typically Doombringer) will stand on the flag and has to be knocked off before the flag can be captured- they can also lay down mines and force fields to prevent capture as well. However, their forcefields won't work without the help of generator defenders (typically Technician), who have to set up shop in their teams generator room and protect it. If the generator goes down, so does the whole defense system- turrets, forcefields, radar sensors, vehicle stations, and more. But a good defense is nothing without a good offense, and thus the most integral role of flag cappers (typically Pathfinders) comes into play. Perhaps the most difficult task, they have to make their way through the enemy defenses and escape with the flag. But then the hard part comes of escaping your numerous pursuers- the flag hunters (also typically Pathfinders), whose job is to chase after anyone who manages to steal the flag and retrieve it. However, the flag capper will never get the flag from the flag defenders without the help of the two other roles. The generator attacker role (typically Infiltrators and Raiders) are specially equipped to sneak past enemy defenses and destroy the enemy generator. However this task is one of the most difficult as the generators are often in enclosed spaces and have a lot of health. Should they fail in their task, it remains up to the defense harassers (typically Sentinel and Juggernaut) to soften up enemy defenses around the actually flag itself to allow the flag capper access. This is just one example of the huge amount of team play, tactics, and depth that make this game so good. With just one of those roles not being properly filled, your team's entire strategy can collapse, and there are a lot of roles so each player needs to be contributing in order to win. The games other features are too countless to name them all, but a important one to mention is the huge amount of character customization, including armor, voice packs, skins, weapons, perks, packs, deployables, thrown weapons, and more. You make your character unique and you play it how you want to. I will lastly mention the best part of the game. Quite simply, this is a Free2Play game done right. Every single game-changing item can be obtained without paying a cent. Some of the weapons have quite a grind and can take a week or two to get, but if you want variety fast, there are a bunch of arguably better weapons you can earn in just a day or two. You can have a ton of fun without pulling out your wallet. If you choose to put money into the game, though, the advantages are great. You can get custom skins, voice packs, and of course that weapon you always wanted. Not only that, but every day a new item goes on sale that you can get for anywhere between 25% and 75% off, so if you want to wait and only buy when what you want goes on sale, you can easily get double the value of whatever you paid. In addition, your account becomes VIP as soon as you spend any amount of money on the game (anywhere from 10-50 USD). VIP status gives you +50% exp permanently, so for just a little money you can get a whole lot of value. If you want to get a very high quality game completely free, this is the game for you. If you want to get that same game, but don't mind shelling out a few bucks to make it even awesomer, this is still the game for you. Download this game as soon as you finish reading this, if you haven't already. What are you waiting for?… Expand
  24. leondaniel21
    Oct 3, 2012
    10
    gran juego online me gusto mucho entretenido y lo mejor de todo free, si bien la mecánica de shooter es bastante clásica pero con una variación de armas mas que considerable. graficamente es muy bien logrado, entornos ricos y bien detallados, los sonidos esta bastante bien.. en resumen un juego recomendado para aquellos que quieran pasar un rato jugando online grafis..
  25. ScreamingWargod
    Sep 18, 2012
    9
    Hi-Rez has succeeded with an amazing game that is faithful to the original tribes franchise. Graphically, things are average. Gameplay, and overall user emjoyment is where the game thrives. Hitscan was phased out during the later beta period, and now this is one of the few shooter games that has no hacks available. Pure skill game with E-sports affiliation.
  26. Elsako
    Sep 14, 2012
    9
    This game is to the closest to the original I've played. It really is a polished game. It's was polished when I started playing in Beta. If you like FPS and flying this game is awesome. It's certainly on a level with TF2.
  27. 5P33DY70M
    Sep 7, 2012
    10
    Tribes is fun, fast paced and free. What more can you ask for. The movement mechanics free up the need to have free run, jump or sprint in place for that shooter lone wolf chase feel. The guns i'll admit are in need of some battlefield beefiness but are more than made up for by the visuals and the effects of the guns. Overall Tribes: Ascend is what halo or COD never were and will hold itsTribes is fun, fast paced and free. What more can you ask for. The movement mechanics free up the need to have free run, jump or sprint in place for that shooter lone wolf chase feel. The guns i'll admit are in need of some battlefield beefiness but are more than made up for by the visuals and the effects of the guns. Overall Tribes: Ascend is what halo or COD never were and will hold its own in the game community for years to come.… Expand
  28. hwarming
    Aug 29, 2012
    9
    A very fun and addicting multiplayer FPS, with very fast paced combat, different classes, and it's free! The reward system is similar to League of Legends, after every match you play you get EXP, which you can use to buy new weapons, you get more EXP for winning a match, and doing well. Or you could buy Gold with real money and use that to unlock things. As you use weapons they level up,A very fun and addicting multiplayer FPS, with very fast paced combat, different classes, and it's free! The reward system is similar to League of Legends, after every match you play you get EXP, which you can use to buy new weapons, you get more EXP for winning a match, and doing well. Or you could buy Gold with real money and use that to unlock things. As you use weapons they level up, providing new bonuses, like more damage, better fire rate, accuracy, ect. It's very similar to Quake. This is a game worth playing if you're sick of FPS games like "Battlefield: Generic Modern Warfare 6"… Expand
  29. downphoenix
    Aug 12, 2012
    10
    Ladies and Gentlemen, this is how Free 2 Play should be done! Tribes Ascend has such a fine tuned and well crafted experience that it is a real treat to play, and is quite addictive. This isn't anything new with a lot of Free 2 Play games, a lot of them are addictive and a treat to play INITIALLY. That's what the model is about, its designed to sucker you in to pay. However, Tribes AscendLadies and Gentlemen, this is how Free 2 Play should be done! Tribes Ascend has such a fine tuned and well crafted experience that it is a real treat to play, and is quite addictive. This isn't anything new with a lot of Free 2 Play games, a lot of them are addictive and a treat to play INITIALLY. That's what the model is about, its designed to sucker you in to pay. However, Tribes Ascend does not do that. The game doesn't force a brick wall on you to prevent advancement without constant grinding or your credit card. It certainly does take a lot longer to advance in this game without paying than with, but paying doesn't really give you a quantifiable advantage. What paying does is it will give you quick access to some great classes, weapons, and gear that can be very helpful, but does not make you play better. This game still requires skill and dedication over anything else to master. The game is 100% playable without paying a cent. Every thing in the game that is unlockable can be done with the experience points, you dont have to buy the gold for ANYTHING. However, because of how good the game is, the sheer quality of the gameplay, graphics, controls, and variety of content, you will still want to pay for some gold (if you can afford it), not necessarily to level up faster, but because you just ended up playing a game that's so damn good, it would morally feel like piracy if you didn't pay. Now THAT'S how to do a Free 2 Play game!… Expand
  30. Heresy25
    Aug 12, 2012
    8
    Pure multiplayer goodness. Fast gameplay, beautiful graphics, great controls. Only problem I got was taht some stuff are expensive as hell but you don't really need them, it's all about the skill.
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Awards & Rankings

18
#18 Best PC Game of 2012
35
#35 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
86

Generally favorable reviews - based on 30 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 30
  3. Negative: 0 out of 30
  1. PC Master (Greece)
    Aug 31, 2012
    89
    Contrary to the classic gameplay of an FPS that requires constant cover, slow advances, crouching and prone positioning, the battles of Ascend happen on the ground, as well as in the air and in tremendous speeds- thus changing drastically the classic tactical approaches of the genre. It's a breath of fresh air in the online FPS world. [September 2012]
  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Aug 10, 2012
    70
    Arcade online shooter surprises with fresh and fast paced playability and is a very good alternative to paid services with its free-to-play model. [Issue#220]
  3. Telegraph
    Jun 12, 2012
    80
    Tribes: Ascend is a worthy successor to its forebears, bringing the same inimitable, hectic play style married to graphics that will stretch even the most capable machine.
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