| Review : |
Bethesda has done a spectacular job of putting a fighting game into a stragegy format. The controls are simple and easy to pick up with a little practice. The playable races are not too bad, you can play as the Federation, the Breen, the Romulans, the Klingons, and as the Dominion for starters. You are able to unlock more races playable in the skirmish mode as you play the campaigns (SPOILER WARNING) including, but not limited to a second set of federation ships (which has the dreadnought ship as the Soverign class!!!) and the Xindi. You can also unlock more maps as you go. Downsides: First, the obvious: you cannot play as the Borg in the campain mode, which makes a little sense...but it still sucks! Second, the lack of storyline makes for a nearly thoughtless game. (Plot: Alliances have been broken, and everybody is out to dominate the galaxy. Period.) Third, there is a small flaw in the Federation ships... they have the Defiant calss ship as your scout, the Intrepid class as your cruiser, and the GALAXY class as your dreadnought! If we're following the timeline, the Soverign class should be the dreadnought... Also, the fact that you cannot repair things can take a big chunk out of your funds. When you replace something, you don't even get credit for what you're replacing, either. There are also a few minor inconsistencies in the special weapons. One of the biggest drawbacks: no tutorial. At all. If you want to master the controls, read the manual and use the skirmish mode to stack the odds in your favor and get a handle on the controls. Also, there is no 2-player mode... Upsides: The simulated battle and instant battle features are great for the lazy, but if you really want to win, you need to learn the arcade fighting. (TIP: When fighting, use the defensive stance to keep all your ships close to you. This way, you can gang up on other ships one at a time, instead of the opposite.) Once you get a lot of planets and resources, you're able to win a lot faster, and maybe even have some fun with the enemy. The history behind each planet is also fun to read. Conclusion: Pretty good game, despite it's many flaws. The gameplay makes up for the lack of storyline and the initial cluelessness you get from not having a tutorial. If you're going to get this game, make sure it has a manual! If you want the interactivity (which makes it a lot of fun) then get it for the Wii. Do not get this game if you are not a patient person! |
