Initial release date 30 November 1997 Mode Multiplayer video game | ||
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Designer(s) John Smedley and Kevin McCann Developers Daybreak Game Company, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Verant Interactive Publishers Daybreak Game Company, 989 Studios, Sony Interactive Entertainment Similar Daybreak Game Company games, First-person shooter games | ||
Tanarus was a free 3D multiplayer online tank first-person shooter that was commercially released on November 30, 1997. It was developed under the direction of John Smedley at Verant Interactive and published by Sony Interactive Studios America. Originally titled Armorgeddon, Verant was forced to change the name when another game with that name was discovered. It was released in late 1997. The game was included in Sony Online Entertainment's Station Exchange program in 2007, and shut down in June 2010.
Contents
Gameplay
Game arenas (also known as "maps") allowed up to four teams to play at the same time. Each team could contain up to five players. Most of the arenas were created by the player community, although the maps had to be hosted by Sony Online, who would rotate the maps on a monthly basis.
Upon joining the arena, each player selected a tank to operate from the five models available. The tank would then be customized through the utilization of various weapons and support modules. Numerous combinations could be used, contingent on what the player wished to do (capture other teams' flags or fight, for example). The player may have then switched tank models during the game by using one of their base's recon stations. Players saw the Tanarus world through the tank’s gun turret.
There was no set objective in Tanarus, though the game presented various goals of team-based combat: Generally, to destroy the other colors' tanks, capture recon stations to provide a tactical or strategic advantage, and, finally, to capture another team's flag, bringing it back to your own base, thus destroying everyone on that team.
Reception
The game garnered few but positive reviews. GameSpot's Chris Gregson concluded "Some might think $9.95 per month is a little pricey for a single game - that's what Kesmai charges for all of its sundry online-only games on GameStorm, for example - but they need to remember that there's really no other game online like this one. And if it gets its hooks in you, you'll probably consider the price a bargain.", awarding Tanarus a score of 8/10.