Tigershark

Overview

It is the future (isn't it always?) and nearly 60 percent of the Japanese population has been killed in a series of earthquakes. Also lost were all defenses and armed forces. This has allowed the bad old Russians to take advantage of the situation and take over Japan. Well, word has started spreading that these earthquakes may not have been forces of nature, but were caused by Russian machinery destabilizing the earth's crust.

This is where you step in (insert hero music here). You are to command the Tigershark experimental subfoil through a series of missions to stabilize the situation. The Tigershark is a secret attack vehicle that is heavily armed and armored. The Tigershark can maneuver on the surface of the sea or beneath it. It is up to you to stop those evil Russians and save the Japanese.

Gameplay

Tigershark is a combination underwater and above-water shooter. The premise is quite unique, and I can't think of another game where I could compare the play mechanics. To summarize the idea, you will find yourself piloting a craft that allows you to skim the surface of the sea or dive down below and take on the underwater enemies. The above-water enemies range from high-speed attack boats to huge battleships. The underwater enemies include full-size submarines and heavily guarded sonar stations. The object is simple. Destroy all of the objective points and move on.

Tigershark is not an easy game. Actually, it is downright hard. Even with the difficulty setting on easy, it is still a challenge to make it through the first mission. When I say challenge, I mean challenge. I tried two different tactics to see if I was just overthinking. The first tactic I tried was to clear the area and move on. I would find a fairly safe area, kill all the enemies and slowly move toward the objective point. Each time I encountered an enemy, which usually happened in bunches, I would clear the area before continuing forward. This was working fine, but I seemed to take a lot of damage securing areas and always ended up on the ocean floor. So I went for tactic two: go for broke. I figured I would bust ass to the various objective points, knock them out and go on to the next level. Needless to say, I didn't last very long at all.

To go with the difficulty of the game is a complex set of weapons and controls. For anyone not versed in the various classes of missiles and torpedoes, you'd better start studying or you will find yourself shark bait. It is essential to learn the individual weapons and the best situation in which to use them. You will not last long firing one type of missile until it is gone, switching to the next, firing, and so on. You will come across 14 different surface and subsurface missiles. Get to know them well.

The different enemies thrown at you are a bright spot in the game. You name it and it is likely to be found here. This is also why it is important to get to know your weapons. For example, you will come up against helicopters. Only certain missiles are effective against helicopters. If you don't save them for the right situation, you will find yourself in a world of hurt. Most of the ships can be taken out with your standard rapid-fire guns so it is best to try to save your missiles until they are absolutely necessary to use.

Graphics

The graphics in Tigershark are pretty good. All the enemy ships looked real, and the game environment definitely drew me in. When I was underwater, I really felt like I was below the surface. Also, the different landscapes added to the overall look of the game. When I got too close to something, it did get a bit difficult to tell what I was looking at or where I was, but overall the graphics were good.

Bottom Line

I really wanted to like this game more. I kept trying and trying to get a better handle on it. I tried everything to survive, but just kept getting pulverized. I thought that it was just me, so I let some friends borrow the game to get their opinions. They had the same results. This led me to believe that the difficulty of this game was just too high. Don't get me wrong -- there is nothing wrong with a good, tough, game -- but I would like to see some progression. Let me work into the difficulty, especially in a game that is unique like this. You don't really get a chance to figure out the controls and get a feel for the handling of the craft before you get blasted from 20 directions. This is a great idea for a game, but it just falls short.

With a story like Crimson Tide with a twist, Tiger Shark for the PlayStation puts you up against a renegade sub commander with one thing on his mind: destruction. The gamer controls a new, highly maneuverable, heavily-armored sub that's capable of going above and below the surface to get the job done. This way nothing can get away from you-ships and submarines alike.

It features several weapon types as well. According to GT Interactive, Tiger Shark's fast-action sequences, coupled with smooth graphics give gamers an exciting trip. From what we've seen Tiger Shark looks pretty good as long as the control stays up to our standards.

What is it with Russian madmen lately? First gamers read about Soviet Strike where terrorists are trying to seize control of the world. Now they have Tigershark where a madman is trying to take over the world by use of earthquakes.

Gamers have read info in our past issues on Tigershark and have seen pictures of the game that i has players controlling an advanced, futuristic sub that will hopefully be enough to take out the Russian army and ultimately Admiral Dimitri Konstantin, the mastermind of the operation.

The story behind Tigershark is the need for new means of energy, land, food and raw materials for the world. It's the future, and many land resources are no longer available or are not sufficient. Countries turn to the world's oceans for help, but the technology isn't simple. The U.S. falls behind as the Russians and Japanese make major advancements in the water technology. There is a problem though. Because of Japan's growing population, a new, radical form of energy harnessing is approved but it goes terribly wrong. When a gigantic earthquake swallows much of Japan, killing 60 percent of the population in a number of minutes, something needs to be done. At first thought to be a flaw in Japan's technology, the real cause of the devastation is the evil Russian admiral.

So, many gamers have read this and are asking, "What about the game?" The version we received is a pre-alpha so It is FAR from completion. Tigershark features polygonal graphics with texture maps. The landscapes are the same and are both above and below water.

A gamers goal is to stop the admiral from destroying the world by earthquakes; the same type that practically destroyed Japan. By destroying certain "taps" and reprogramming others, the earthquakes will stop. Then players can control Tigershark and take out the big Boss with the same missiles that they took out the taps with.

The Tigershark sub has a variety of weapons to choose from. Gamers can pick three different types of missiles and machine guns. As the Tigershark goes below water, the machine guns change to a gun that sounds like a laser.

The game features a massive amount of enemies. The carriers and gun boats are above water while the subs and subfighters are found underwater.

Keep an eye out for updates as more info comes through on Tigershark.

TigerShark could be a PlayStation submariner's dream. The naval shoot-em-up action takes place both above and below the water. You pilot an attack submarine that can submerge and surface at will. Controlling the sub took a bit of practice with the prelim version, but eventually you should be able to sneak up on the massive enemy fleet (especially when you're submerged), and blow ships out of the water.

The graphics and sounds rocked and rolled in the prelim. The audio resounded with snazzy sound effects, mostly machine-gun and missile fire. The graphics were very detailed, highlighted by a great-looking sub. However, the explosions needed some fine-tuning.

TigerShark isn't due until next year, but it already has the makings of a topnotch action/shooter.

Gorgeous, detailed polygonal graphics and intricate gameplay in a 3D world position Tigershark as a potential Warhawk killer.

Gameplay

The Tigershark is a fast-paced, heavily armored Subfoil attack vehicle. Throughout the nine missions, you maneuver both above and below the surface of the ocean, destroying key installations before advancing to the next level. Tiger-shark's weapon system is a mixture of surface and subsurface weapons that will change as the player progresses.

Controls

The vehicle jets along the water with smooth, tight accuracy. Even underwater, the action is solid. Players can easily explore, attack, dive, and surface while interacting with the environment.

Graphics

Tigershark's loaded with realistic graphics, such as battles where constant attacks cause a massive battleship's hull to break in two and slowly sink. Even the environment seems true to life: Mountains break though the dense fog as you skim along the water, and an underwater city packed with enemies is truly spectacular.

Tigershark splashes down on the PlayStation with some engaging twists on the combat-at-sea tale. Piloting a slick craft that both plunges below the waves like a sub and rockets across them like a speedboat, you set out to prevent an eruption in an underwater geothermal installation. You're well-armed with bullets, a vast array of missiles, and defensive countermeasures.

The missions pose predictable tasks like destroying sonar sites and defending friendly subs, but enemy hordes hound you all the way. The need for stealth against such superior numbers makes for enjoyable strategy, but the action's more about finishing missions than bustin'chops.

Tigershark's gameplay isn't quite as riveting as that in Black Dawn, itsMbsest com-petitor.Jut the thrill of piloting such a cool craft, the steep challenge level, and the fairly gripping combat make Tiger-shark a fight that shouldn't be passed up.

Graphics

Tigershark's visuals shine with sleek, detailed vehicles and excellent visual effects like the screen-rocking whirlpools. But the static water and problems with breakup and redraw mar the show.

Sound

The sounds make a solid but uneventful showing. Cool weapon sounds and realistic underwater noises arc matched with bland music and annoying warning klaxons.

Control

Getting up to speed on the basics of this sweet ship is no trouble. Navigating in the fully 3D undersea areas is tricky, but it gets easier the more you play.

Fun Factor

Zipping around above and below the waves is exhilarating! The action too much on completing es, but there's still plenty se combat. Tigershark's ihooter.