Geekscape Games Reviews Star Trek: The Video Game

With Star Trek Into Darkness  hitting theaters later this summer, it’s easy to get aboard the Star Trek hype train. If you’ve seen the advertisements for this game, you’ll know the idea of a co-op adventure with Spock and Kirk in the spotlight sounds great, only, it’s not so great when you boot it up. And don’t worry, this is a non-spoliery review.

Don’t get me wrong, this game has a lot of things going for it. To start off, the game features voices the original (2009) cast including Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, John Cho, Simon Pegg, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, and Anton Yelchin. This, coupled with the the story makes the game feel immersive.

The game’s story is solid. Players will get to delve deeper into the universe and find out what’s become of Vulcans post world destruction. Without giving too much away, I think any trekkies who are fine with the way the universe is going now will like this game’s story.

It’s important to note that this game was built from the ground up with cooperative gameplay as its focal point. This game should only be played with a friend. Trust me, I decided to play a chapter by myself and AI Spock just isn’t that fun. Still, if you don’t have any friends, you are able to order Spock or Kirk, depending on who you’re playing as, to attack enemies or move to a position. There are also parts of the game that relies heavily on teamwork. It can be frustrating because of what the game demands, but if you and your partner are in the same room and have had a relatively good day so far, you should be able to get through it.

The game’s mechanics and gameplay aren’t to the caliber most of us would desire  The game is a 3rd person shooter which utilizes a cover system. Players have the option to run and gun or point in shoot. The game will also present various obstacles that involve jumping, climbing, and hacking.

Hacking appears in three different forms throughout the games, two of which can be done by just one player. The hacking in the game is little more than a mini-game, just as it should be. There are parts of the game which requires both players to match a pair of sine waves.

Players have health and shields. If one of you gets downed, the other can come over and help you back up. There are parts of each mission that allows players to heal and refill on ammunition Both Spock and Kirk have their own attributes that allow players to have specialties. For example, Spock has an ability that allows him to hack things automatically rather than solve a puzzle. Kirk can help Spock up with this tricorder without actually having to stand over him. Players can level up their attributes by killing baddies or scanning various glowing objects with their tricorders.

Another plus can be found within the weapon options presented to players. Both Spock and Kirk have different starting weapons that are similar. Both also have the option to augment when leveling up. This starting weapon will always be in your arsenal and never runs out of ammo. Players are also treated to the variations of basic weapons such as a rifle, SMG, and shotgun. Each weapon has a secondary fire mode that provides strategic values depending on what weapon you’re equipped with.

The level design is linear but does suffer form instances where gamers may have absolutely no idea where to go. This instances are brief and made short thanks to the handy dandy tricorder.

Star Trek: The Video Game leaves a lot to be desired. This is partly due to the amount of potential the game had with the story’s award-winning writer, Marianne Krawczyk, and the cast of actors who lent their voices. There are still numerous bugs that, while not game-ending, cause a nuisance. If you’re solely interested in picking up a co-op oriented game, I’d wait till this drops down in price significantly. If you’re a trekkie looking for a good video game adaptation, have a lot of patience and forgiveness in your heart, still wait for a price drop. If you MUST play this game, please, grab a human partner who’s willing to complete the game with you. I personally found this game to be better with a partner in the same room.

Star Trek: The Video Game is available now on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.

Publishers: Paramount Pictures & Namco Bandai Games

Developer: Digital Extremes

Thanks for reading!