During the 2012 E3 conference in Los Angeles we got a chance to look at the pending Star Trek game that is in the works from Digital Extremes. The game is set in J.J. Abrams alternate/re-imagined Star Trek universe that he estabished in his highly successful film.
Taking place after the events of the previous film but before the events of the new film due in 2013, Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, and the crew of the Enterprise have responded to a call from the New Vulcan colony and have arrived to discover the colony silent and several dead or dying Vulcans scattered throughout the compound.
Playing as either Kirk or Spock, the game offeres drop in/out co-op and differeny styles of play. Spock is able to use his Tricorder to scan objects to gain access or discover weak points and can use the Vulcan Neck Pinch. Kirk on the other hand is a more aggressive fighter and can use a series of dynamic acrobatic rolls.
Our preview was presented in 3D and the images popped from the screen in spectacular fashion. The interior and exterior of the ship showed that it is a vital character to the story and in our interview, it was promised that there was far more to come in this manner.
The enemy was a vicious Gorn attack squad and a highlight between the firefight was watching Spock have to tap an action button in order to avoid being crushed by the massive Gorn foot.
Co-op is key as the development team showed how the game works best when players work with one another. This can be as simple as helping each other climb, or by covering a player while the paint a target to call in a weapons strike, or access technology.
Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto have been confirmed as providing voices in the game and other cast members may appear soon, as it was learned that J.J. Abrams worked with the team in order to have continuity with the next film.
Graphically the game shined as it was a dazzling mix of action and graphics. It seems that players will be able to select their weapons loadout to find a style of combat that best suits them and as Scotty likes to say, have the “right tool for the right job”.
One thing is for certain, based on our demo, the game is ambitious and looks to put the unpleasant memories of past Trek game failures to rest.
