Tachyon's graphics aren't great, the missions are nothing special, and it offers only a minimal challenge. So why do I like this space combat sim from Novalogic so much? Because it's got personality. Consider Microsoft's recent Starlancer, a slick new space combat sim that's so streamlined, it's featureless. Tachyon, on the other hand, is full of memorable moments, locations, ships, and characters. When it comes to the cold clinical science of building a game, Starlancer is a tight heartless package. But when it comes to the art of creating experiences, Tachyon is a brash hoot and a half.

What does Tachyon have that other recent space combat sims don't have? It's most valuable asset is its setting. Perhaps second only to the Totally Games' X-Wing series, Tachyon exists in a vividly realized science fiction milieu. Your character is a pilot who's been banished to the Fringe, a collection of remote regions populated by corporations, terrorists, barons, pirates, mercenaries, and mad scientists. Tachyon successfully creates the illusion of a non-linear game by letting you jump back and forth among different regions, picking and choosing from a list of missions unique to each region. One moment, you're working for the flamboyant slave merchant, Baron Hajod. The next minute you're helping a team of scientists track down a missing research ship lost in a nebula. After that, you might be choosing sides in a war between two corporations, competing in an arena combat, or clearing the frontier of lawless scoundrels.