Tanarus (video game)
Encyclopedia
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 Online Entertainment
(SOE). 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.
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.
Tanarus scored an aggregate score 7/10 on GameStats, based on two additional reviews.
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
first-person shooter
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
that was commercially released on November 30, 1997. It was developed
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
under the direction of John Smedley
John Smedley (developer)
John Smedley was a computer game programmer, Product Development Director and is now President of Sony Online Entertainment since 2002.Smedley was involved with the creation and development of the original EverQuest and was co-founder of Verant Interactive, Inc., which became Sony Online...
at Verant Interactive and published
Video game publisher
A video game publisher is a company that publishes video games that they have either developed internally or have had developed by a video game developer....
by Sony Online Entertainment
Sony Online Entertainment
Sony Online Entertainment is a game development and game publishing division of Sony that is best known for creating massively multiplayer online games, including EverQuest, EverQuest II, The Matrix Online, PlanetSide, Star Wars Galaxies, Free Realms, and Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, DC Universe...
(SOE). 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.
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.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
Gun turret
A gun turret is a weapon mount that protects the crew or mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon and at the same time lets the weapon be aimed and fired in many directions.The turret is also a rotating weapon platform...
.
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.Tanarus scored an aggregate score 7/10 on GameStats, based on two additional reviews.