I loved this game to bits, even though I'm only playing it some nine years after it's release. I brought this from a bargain bin just to see what it was like. I guess I never got this on release because I was probably playing strategy and RPG titles at the time! Being a trekkie however and seeing it for a pound, I thought I'd give it a go.
It really is a blast. Very old-skool, in this day and age. Lets face it the graphics are really dated. The gameplay limited. The actual combat is abysmal. I had to play it with my CPU slowed to 30% to actually get a challenge from the game. It should really score at max a 5 productwise. However, the chance to become immersed in the ST:V which is priceless in my opion warrants another 2 points. To be fair the story could have been ripped from a good TV episode. The dialogue is cheesy at best. Voice acting is good in parts, but corny in other parts. OVerall though it does a good job of bringing the story to life. Moreover, it is the script that really builds a sense of cameraderie between you and the AI controlled members of the hazard team. The disparate races that join you on the sequence of levels combine well, and each has a uniqueness that adds to the ambiance.
Level are well designed. Short compared to some better games today, but that is to be expected. The combat though is rather poor, most of which descends in a strafe-a-thon to avoid being hit, while the hapless AI bots do an incredibly poor job of helping you out in a most of the tight spots.
The ending is.... well I wont spoil it. I dare say though its accurate to label it as the best part of the game, though I really did enjoy the puzzle solving aspect in most of the levels. While the chance to battle borg with Seven-of-Nine is one of those gaming experiences that rank up there with finishing all Half-Life games and expansion from both the original and sequences.
Just don't expect too much from this game now. If you can get it to run and you are a trekkie at heart, this game is still worth a whirl. And for a change you get to play a real square jawed hero, in the original American sense of what a hero is. Or of course play as a female if you want.
Ill be looking out for the sequel, if I can get my hands on it.
3.5 stars