| Review : |
The game opens with the classic 'Star Trek' intro and players are treated to thinking that you are really building the Star Trek universe from scratch. The game play is very similar to any 'Civ' type games where you are building up colonies and solar systems to achieve one main goal: domination of the galaxy. The diplomacy element and how you go about your conquest is directly related to the race you choose and how you play out their strengths and weaknesses. Want to make the Federation into a war hungry race? Go right ahead. Want to try and out duel the Cardassian Empire when it comes to intel and espionage? It's your choice. Feel like taking the Klingons on in an unfair fight? Start building those battleships. For all of the pluses this game gets (for concepts, ships, game play, discovery and sticking to some pretty good Star Trek cannon) the part some play this game for: the battles, is lacking. Often one salvo and the battle is over. Anyone that has had to face the Borg knows what I mean. A little more in the way of control and length of the battles would have definitely bumped this game up in it's rating. However for the time this game came out and its approach I cannot fault it. If you want a good Star Trek based game and actually have the feel of being in control of the galaxy, then this game is for you. |
| Review : |
There's something about having the ability to heel around a Galaxy class starship and unload a full torpedo spread and letting loose with all phasers. That being said, this game from it's flight sim and combat perspective is second to none. I never had the where with all to mod this game however I was satisfied with the product. In flight, the game feels like you are piloting a million tonne space vessel with the characteristics of motion, inertia and momentum. A welcome change to games where, turning on a dime and flying around like you're an F-14 all of the time seemed to be the norm. From the get go, to the final outcome you get a very Star Trek story line complete with the 'specialists', mystery and the 'AH HA!' revelations that Star Trek is known for! (Something isn't working...COMPENSATE!) It's when you don't try to act like a Starfleet officer is when the game starts to fall flat. Firstly, you are stuck on the bridge...all of the time. It would be nice to get some interaction around the ship as part of what's going on. Go down to Engineering. Visit sickbay. Maybe transport off of the ship. Second, the save game state. One place to save often per mission and if you fail, you need to restart. Third, the rather linear game play. A to B. B to C. C to D. There really isn't a way you can go A to G, etc etc. This would have been nice to have. Lastly...the horrible character sprites and lip syncing. For all the beautiful work on damage to the models, halo effects, weapons, sounds, movement and the models themselves...to not have good lip syncing is just an inexcusable matter. I want to stress that the game is not all negatives. The ship sprites, damage, corresponding actions and consequences to the ship, not to mention the ability to perform a 'full axis rotation to port' to help an ailing dorsal shield is a damn good feeling. There's nothing more satisfying then taking out an impulse engine or 3 from an enemy ship and pick them apart, subsystem by subsystem until they meet the silence of space, where no one can hear you scream as a salvo of quantum torpedo's slam their way home. |
