When a powerful civilization collapses, a vacuum of power and influence is left behind. What does that do to the civilizations that come next? What happens when all that is left are echoes of what came before? Whale Hammer Games’ Tahira: Echoes of an Astral Empire attempts to answer these questions. You are able to experience in (near) real-time the struggle of the Princess Tahira to protect her kingdom thousands of years after the fall of a powerful and advanced civilization. The Astral Empire was a space-faring civilization that fell thousands of years before the events of the game. Now the remnants of that empire have returned to reclaim what is theirs and only Tahira can stop them.
In Tahira: Echoes of an Astral Empire, you play as Tahira, the Princess of Avestan. The game is a turn-based tactics RPG, and thus you not only play as Tahira but eventually up to 20 characters who join her in protecting Avestan from the Astral Empire that seeks to take over and destroy everything. While taking on the Astral Empire, you will also be exploring the world, taking in the history of a world now in the Dark Ages after the fall of technological civilization. This exploration also allows you to get to know your companions, each with their own personalities and backstory. As you travel along Tahira’s journey, you will encounter many allies. Along the way, you will also learn about your enemies and those that came before the current kingdom and world.
Combat plays out on a grid, but there are unique innovations to the standard Tactical RPG. One example of this is ambush points, which allow you to hide units and ambush enemies whenever you wish. Sadly there is no equipment management in this game, which makes it seem slightly watered down and simplified. Despite this, the variety of missions, character classes, and gameplay make up for it.
Battles in Tahira: Echoes of an Astral Empire usually have multiple phases, but also have significance to the story as a whole. There are no filler fights; each fight has its own role in the story. From rescuing townspeople, to defending the town itself, every encounter is different. There are four difficulty levels in Tahira, each specifically designed for differing play-styles or skill levels. The easiest is for those who are beginners and wish to enjoy the story, while the hardest is for seasoned veterans who want brutal, intense battles.
During fights, you not only need to attack the enemy head on, but also utilize things like cover and environmental hazards to succeed. Using the environment to your advantage is an important part of Tahira. If you are used to Tactical RPGs then you should feel right at home here. Some battles (as previously mentioned) have multiple phases and have an added layer of strategy to them. In multi-phase battles, you will need to minimize damage so you can minimize casualties and make it through to the end.
The story of Tahira: Echoes of an Astral Empire takes place (mostly) over a single night, and is designed to convey the intensity of the most challenging night of Tahira’s life. The story takes place behind a backdrop of music inspired by the Middle East and Central Asia, featuring instruments, sounds, and textures from those regions. Parallels can be drawn with The Banner Saga, as every conversation and every choice you make has measurable consequences. Even the way you choose to answer an ally in conversation can also determine whether they are friendly or not.
In that same vein, the gameplay and combat are constantly evolving. The developers made sure that as you play the game grows and evolves with Princess Tahira, following through with the theme of the rise of a girl from princess to a strong ruler. Combat can even be skipped if you wish to experience the story without having to fight long battles.
I found myself easily losing hours of time in the world and story of Tahira. There are so many bits of lore and information to be found within the game. It has the sense of scale that belongs in an epic feature film or novel. To see that sense of scale in a video game setting (especially from an independent developer like Whale Hammer Games) is incredibly refreshing. The visuals are hand drawn and are uniquely crafted. Normally I wouldn’t be impressed by an art style like this one, but it surprisingly works with the setting.
Tahira: Echoes of an Astral Empire isn’t flawless. There are long loading screens, a lack of controller/gamepad support, and the occasional bit of frame-rate stuttering. However, none of these issues are big enough to overshadow the fantastic gameplay that Tahira offers. If you like games such as The Banner Saga, then this is a game you have to experience for yourself.
A PC Review Code for Tahira: Echoes of an Astral Empire was provided by Whale Hammer Games for the purpose of this review