Bridging the gap between Star Trek and the upcoming Star Trek: Into the Darkness, a new video game will be appearing next month to tie up some narrative uncertainties . Technically, it doesn’t follow the plot of the film, but it’s set in the modern Star Trek Universe.
However, we all know the difficulties movie-tie in games have. Will this attempt fare better than previous efforts?
At its core, Star Trek: The Video Game feels pretty much like a standard third person adventure title. It lets the player experience the modern take on the Star Trek universe, allowing them to assume the role of either Spock or Kirk. Interestingly, though, playing as either character makes the gameplay experience entirely different. This is due to the different roles both Kirk and Spock play throughout the course of the story.
One of the more interesting game mechanics is the use of cover. On a technical level, the mechanic feels somewhat basic. Players simply press a button to get into cover, but they are regularly ejected due to how sensitive the system is. This makes it trickier to get used to than titles with similar gameplay. That said, it may just be a case that the game’s instructions aren’t especially clear. At least, in the demo I played.
What matters, however, is how the cover system is utilised. A section set outside the artificial satellite station puts both characters at risk. The station is nearing a red giant that releases waves of solar flares. On this occassion, both characters have to work together and move quickly, else they risk getting a deadly tan.I genuinely felt the thrill of moving between cover points before the next solar flare wave hit. It was a lot of fun.
But it gets even better in later sections. At one point, the player must hit air vents to create covers. This time, however, there’s an unexpected twist. Not all air vents provide cover. It’s up to the player to work out and hit the right air vents to create a path to the next section. This is a very unusual idea that makes the concept of cover much more interesting, and surprisingly helps make up for the rather rudimentary system in place.
There are also plenty of opportunities for Spock and Kirk to show off their athletic abilities. These consist of platform sections where the player must guide them to safety. This comes in handy as there are plenty of holes to jump over and higher platforms to climb. Perhaps the only downside is that the character has a limited jump range. Fortunately, its more often the case that characters automatically hang on to platforms or ledges if they slip and fall off the side. There are also frequent checkpoints to ensure not a lot of progress is lost.
It’s not all about escaping deadly suntans or exploring the worn down satellite, though. If you’re a Trekkie, you’re probably eagerly anticipating the use of the Tricorder. This handy gadget had various uses throughout the course of the demonstration. Its mainly used as a tool to assist players with the various puzzles. These puzzles felt somewhat simple, but nonetheless, enjoyable.
One, in particular, involved finding two identical wave length patterns. These simple puzzles provide a healthy distraction from the platform jumping and roadie-running, and are wholly reminiscent of the more logical aspect of the films and TV shows. The tricorder is also used to find a path or analyse a player’s surroundings. At one point, it was used as a way to find a way to turn on some sprinklers in order to save some crew members from a raging fire.
The Tricorder is also used to great effect when it comes to the cooperative system. One puzzle section saw both players working together to open up a path. One player used the Tricorder to make an opening for the other player to shoot a specific section of a ring. It felt great to work together with someone else. Communication will definitely be key to your survival.
If you don’t have the opportunity to play with a buddy, the AI does a decent job of keeping up, but the cooperative aspect of Star Trek truly works better with another player.
This is particularly true in a section where one player must disable some lasers so the other player can climb to safety. It’s clear the developers have spent a lot of time attempting to make both characters work together. This emphasis on team work is what sets is apart from similar video-games.
Unfortunately, I did notice one or two occasions where the AI struggled to keep up. At times, this was especially noticeable as I was unable to progress through particular points due to both characters needing to be present in a certain section, whether it’s prying open a damaged door, or triggering off a cut-scene.
Still, the game does a brilliant job of making the most of the Star Trek Universe. Part of the demonstration was set on board the artificial satellite and another section saw it being destroyed. All throughout, it offered some truly inspiring backdrops, such as the mighty red giant in the distance. The levels may not offer a lot of room to explore, but the attention to detail shows that the development team have definitely done their homework. The character models are very similar to their on-screen counterparts, and it seems almost everyone from the films has been recorded and their voices used in the game. This is made even better thanks to the superb dialogue that feels wholly appropriate in the Star Trek Universe, and maintains the brilliant banter between Kirk, Spock and the whole crew of the Enterprise.
Another major feature in Star Trek: The Video Game is, of course, setting phasers to PEW PEW PEW. As Spock would say, this is logical given how the modern Star Trek films focus largely on action scenes. However, it’s not just starfleet issued weaponary usuable by Kirk or Spock. There are various weapons the player can pick up.
From an expansive point of view, there is definitely potential to include more weapons(perhaps even from the Star Trek TV universe) as pre-order or purchasable downloadable content. Not an original idea, but fans would surely appreciate the chance to get some hands-on time with series favourites. Obviously, the focus is on the films though.
The shooting mechanics are well embedded, and surprisingly, very easy to get to grips with. Even if you’re wanting to set those phasers to stun. From my hands-on time, however, it was more about killing Gorn that seem to be running amok in the latter half of the demonstration. These enemies aren’t particularly strong, but make up for it by being very agile. Fortunately, the AI partner is much better at shooting than you probably ever will be.
Star Trek: The Video Game really exceeded my expectations. The inclusion of the cooperative aspect is most welcome, especially since it actually involves both players effectively working together to progress further into a level. There are some minor setbacks, but it certainly seems like a video-game worthy of being named after such as well known TV series, and indeed, film franchise.
The amount of time I spent with Star Trek: The Video-game left me with the impression that is is attempting to be more than just another film tie in. In fact, it has the potential to be a video-game that both fans of the franchise and gamers of all-types will enjoy.
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