InstantAction.com is the name of a browser-based gaming service set to launch some time in 2008. Initial impressions seemed to point to a mostly casual gamer site that tries to combined services like Steam with sites like Youtube. Not particularly interesting for the ‘hardcore’ PC gamer.

That all changed yesterday with a newspost up over at Shacknews, which features a video and snapshots demonstrating a Tribes-like game, in development at GarageGames, for the browser-based InstantAction service. According to comments from one of the developers on the project this is leaked footage featuring their current alpha build, which has only been in production for a mere 3 months. In fact, it only hit alpha status last Thursday!

More inside.

A mere glance at any of the screenshots over at Shacknews is enough to distinguish this as a new Tribes game. While the project is unnamed, and unlikely to carry on the Tribes name, the visual setting and style, as well as the gameplay mechanics all scream Tribes. It features jetpacks, brightly colored environments, bulky characters and speedy, half-aerial, gameplay! Awesome!

For a 3-month old project which is intended to run in a browser-based environment on just about any system, this game looks stunning. The graphics are reminiscent of the last entry in the franchise; Tribes: Vengeance; and show a lot of promise for this game, which is likely to go live in late 2008. There do appear to be some deviations from Tribes going on right now, such as massively increased airtime with jetpacks, although this is a very early alpha build so everything is still subject to change. 

Even thought this alpha leak was unintended, the developers seem to be taking it in stride and have taken the opportunity to talk about the project for a bit, with Firingsquad. Their talk with Tim Aste from GarageGames seems indicative of a very excited development team, eager to bring a new hardcore shooter to the market and taking gamers back to fun, skill-based gameplay!

Let’s hope they succeed.

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