Classic video game Tempest will return to consoles and PC this holiday season as Tempest 4000. The game is being developed by Llamasoft, led by influential game creator Jeff Minter.
Tempest 4000, like the original, will see players control the Claw. This spaceship comes equipped with powerful blasters to shoot anything that gets in its way. Tempest 4000 will come with three different game modes and 100 levels to fight to the top of the leaderboards. The three modes, Standard, Pure and Endurance, will all be slight variations on the classic Tempest gameplay we all know and love.
“The original Tempest is a beloved arcade classic with a unique style and intense, edge-of-your-seat gameplay,” said Chief Operating Officer of Atari Todd Shallbetter in a press statement. “We’re thrilled to be able to work with Jeff Minter again, someone who is a legend in the industry and has made a huge impact on the history of video games, to develop this highly-anticipated next installment of the Tempest franchise, updated with today’s technology.”
Minter has been working in the games industry since the early 80s. Some of his biggest games include Gridrunner, Xbox 360 music game Neon and Tempest 2000. His latest game, Polybius, can be played on the PSVR.
“At the end of the day, video gamers always win,” said Minter said in the statement. “I am very happy to work with Atari again to bring a long-awaited sequel of Tempest to our legion of fans and a new generation of gamers worldwide.”
Along with the three game modes and leaderboards, Tempest 4000 will feature 4K graphics, a soundtrack inspired by 90s techno and all the classic shooting gameplay you could want.
No specific release date was given for Tempest 4000 outside of a holiday 2017 release. No specific consoles were confirmed either, but it sounds likely that the game will release for PS4 and Xbox One. It would be cool to see a Switch release as well, but publisher Atari has yet to confirm any of these details.
So what do you think? Are you excited to see Tempest reborn as Tempest 4000? What other classic game should be remade with today’s gaming sensibilities in mind? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
