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A dynamic reticule guides your aim against foes, showing how far to lead shots while in pursuit. Though the crosshair is an expected addition to Tarr's attractive HUD, we're concerned that the overlay could get cluttered, as it tracks everything from current objectives and ship damage to your kill count, wingmates' health, current target type and velocity. It's a lot of information to digest on the fly, and reading the subtitled Russian dialogue (CDV says to expect an English translation in the final release) during flight was a distraction at intervals.

Still, Quazar's in-house engine flows nicely, rendering foreground and background alike in sharp detail as warring vessels buzz about. Visually absent from the demo, however, was a genuine sense of weight to weapon impacts. Lasers let out a glow when they reach foes, but there aren't enough cues that you've crippled someone (like a fragmented wing or a flashy explosion) when you score a direct hit. Control-wise, Tarr felt clean; playing one-handed even behaved well -- with the throttle mapped to the mouse wheel and each hardpoint type to a mouse button. Other functions were found on the keyboard, like matching your target's acceleration with 'M', performing a speed boost with the tab key, or identifying escort ships (always a helpful addition) with 'I'.

In combat and controls, Tarr should bring enough accessibility to tractor beam in casual cosmonauts and the hardcore alike. Additions like a cockpit view cater to purists, and dense between-mission customization makes room for pilots to moonlight as mechanics. We'll wait on a fully-translated release to pass judgment on Tarr's storytelling, but if she can deliver enough battle variety to justify a single-player only experience, we'll have the motherland to thank for shipping a solid flight sim come September.