Super Star Trek meets 25th Anniversary
- Original Release: 2023
- Developer: Emabolo
- Publisher: Self-Published
- Platform: PC/Browser
This version of Mayfield’s 1971 Star Trek game recreates the Super Star Trek version and combines it with elements of the 25th Anniversary.
The core workings behind the game are very faithful to the original Super Star Trek. In the game, you have to hunt down Klingons within a certain amount of time. Instead of a text interface, you have a point and click interface that uses the bridge from 25th Anniversary (although you can use entirely keyboard shortcuts if you want).
Navigation and firing torpedoes are the biggest changes, as these can be done by clicking where you need to go. For firing torpedoes, you have a little aim reticule that you move around the Enterprise to aim – which means you can still misjudge and miss your target, or hit stars – it takes the hassle out of it without completely removing the skill.
This is a really nice version of Super Star Trek, and even has some voice lines. It also has a few nice touch it, such as it reminds you if you enter combat with shields down.
The Roddenberry Archive
- Original Release: 2023
- Developer: The Roddenberry Estate, OTOY
- Publisher: The Roddenberry Estate
- Platform: Browser
The ultimate bridge explorer is finally here. The Roddenberry Archives brings up digital recreations of a ton of Enterprise bridges, including concept bridges brought to life. The website provides a lot of information about the various different version of the Enterprise, and what the digital recreation of the bridge is based on.
All of these bridges can be explored in full 3D. It uses cloud technology so that you get the full detail no matter what PC you’re running (although it does have to be a desktop with Chromium browser) and can walk around, interact with some objects, sit down in chairs or turn on a fly camera. With the vast amount of detail, it’s a phenomenal experience and it’s amazing to look at the bridges in detail.
It starts off with a concept bridge: the XCV-330, the ring ship Enterprise seen in pictures in films and in Enterprise. It uses an early concept for the original Enterprise, with a round holographic table and a science room above it before moving on to the NX-01, which I loved seeing in closer detail, even finding doors I never knew were there.
Then onto the NCC-1701, which gets by far the most love. It has versions of the bridge starting with a concept bridge from early production then showing us the set from The Cage, Discovery, Strange New Worlds, the TOS pilot, TOS Season 1, TOS Season 2, Mirror Universe, TOS Season 3, a live action version of the bridge from The Animated Series, the bridge from the cancelled Phase II show, The Motion Picture, Wrath of Khan and two versions of the Kelvin version bridge, each one showing different versions of the bridge.
Then we get a look at a recreation of a wild concept for a cancelled film called Planet of the Titans, which featured a redesigned Enterprise from Ralph McQuarrie, which ended up inspiring the USS Discovery. It’s a lovely bridge, but not very practical.
From there we see the Enterprise A, B, C, D and E (with the D having multiple extra rooms), all looking absolutely stunning, but it doesn’t end there. It’s fully up to date with the bridges of the Enterprise F and brand new Enterprise G, which looks absolutely glorious. It ends the Enterprises with a new version of the Enterprise J featuring a see-through hull with visible cities, parks and water inside.
But it doesn’t end there, there’s a bonus Voyager bridge, with more to come in the future – hopefully we see the rest of the hero ships as well as other locations on ships, and some non-hero ships as well as alien bridges.
I look forward to the future updates of this software.
Star Trek: Resurgence
- Original Release: 2023
- Developer: Dramatic Labs
- Publisher: Burner House
- Platform: Xbox One/Series, PS4/PS5, PC
Star Trek: Resurgence is a story-based “choose your own adventure” type game from Dramatic Labs, a developer made out of some ex-Telltale staff, who have been doing this kind of game for a while.
While a few known characters do show up, this game is focused on a unique cast of characters on the science ship, the USS Resolute. You play as two members of the crew: Jara Rydek, the ships new first officer, and Carter Diaz, a lower decks engineering crewman. They’re both very likable, and the dialogue options let you have some sway over their personalities – for example, Jara can choose to fully trust her captain, or can fight to do what she thinks is right.
The rest of the crew range from likable to immediate dislike but grows on you (or you end up feeling sorry for them). Most of them are well written (the only exception is the the tactical officer, who goes psycho later on), with their characters flaws serving the story and your choices in some manner. the ship suffered a disaster before Jara was brought back on board, so you have to deal with the comradery that came out of that experience.
Due to an intense ion storm, the Resolute was picked to transport an Ambassador to the Hotari system, where previously peaceful races, the brutish Hotari and the militaristic Alydians, both species with great designs that look like something that could still be achieved in live action. The Alydians have provided technology to the Hotari, while also using them as a labour face to mine the dilithium rich moon of Hotari Prime. However, this is interrupted by the emergence of an ancient and powerful civilization. I’ll leave it there for details of the story, but it was one that I loved the entire way through the game, with lots of stunning locations that you get to visit.
As for the gameplay, it changes a lot throughout the course of the game to meet the scene’s requirements. Most of it is spent on foot, walking around then pressing dialogue options and quick time events when prompted. Sometimes you’ll have to use your tricorder to scan, swapping between different modes to further analyse components, or a phaser, which is used for non-combat reasons during the walking sections.
There are some shooting sections, but in those you’re behind cover (and can occasionally swap cover), popping out to take shots. Other action sequences include piloting a shuttle and stealth sections. Some parts I absolutely loved was interacting with consoles, including a brilliant segment where you get to use the transporter, having to counter interference. It’s a really great depiction of what a transporter chief actually does during difficult transports.
While the gameplay itself is simple, it all helps the game feel immersive and works really well with the world. I’ve always disliked Telltale’s story games due to a “stiffness” about them that Resurgence manages to avoid. It’s a joy to experience the Star Trek Universe in this way and there are some meaningful references to a few episodes – even using a very disliked episode of The Next Generation in a great way.
I absolutely loved my first playthrough of Resurgence. The characters and story are extremely enjoyable, with lots of great different moments. The characters definitely make the game and I think it helps that this isn’t the “best” ship in the fleet – it gives a wonderful insight into Starfleet. You’ll also be given insight into how each character reacts to your choices, showing approval, disapproval or indifference, and I do like that it mentions that the character is a bit confused if you do flip-flop.
I did play again immediately after and the flaws of the game do show up – although it’s more the flaws of the genre. As the main story beats have to be consistent, some of the choices don’t matter. Plenty of them make smaller changes, including which characters you interact with, some character deaths or injuries and how some of them treat the main two. If you did your second playthrough after a break, it would be a better experience. Although I do think that the game should be better at punishing you – some of the actions you take can be pretty bad, but the consequences are very mild.
Resurgence is a brilliant game that captures Star Trek extremely well. It has engaging story and characters, and the gameplay, while simple, helps to compliment it all. It’s a wonderful way to experience a slice of the Star Trek universe.
Star Trek Cryptic
- Original Release: 2023
- Developer: Funko
- Publisher: Funko
- Platform: Board Game
From the makers of the worst merchandise in existence comes an escape room-like Star Trek board game where you work through three missions of puzzles.
From the few components you can see when you open the box (most parts are sealed inside envelopes), you can tell a lot of effort has gone into it. The tricorder looks great – with an ominous slot to plug in different kinds of filters – and the isolinear chips have texture to them. Also included is a big book with all the puzzles, a pen, a clear plastic sheet and merit points, which you get awarded as you complete puzzles. If you pull the insert out, you’ll also discover that the reverse is an engineering panel.
While this game is similar to escape room games, there are a few major differences. The puzzles are very linear, you go through the book a page at a time completing each one. Each puzzle also lists out which components are needed for the puzzle, which does take away one element of the puzzles as there’s no noticing that a mark on the box is important, it just tells you to use that part of the box. Another change is that many escape room games have a way to show that the answer is wrong without giving you the correct answer, while in this, you just proceed without collecting any merit points. Finally, there’s no timer to judge how well you do, so you can take your time to think.
While the methods of the puzzles are varied, they boil down to two types. One is more of a drawing challenge than a brain teaser. You use the clear sheet and place it over an image, drawing a couple of key locations. You then have to move the sheet away from the image (one market length apart) and then draw the path, comparing it against the scoring side of the artwork and losing merit points if you mess up, They’re nice to begin with, but are very repetitive.
The other kind involve working out a word. These are much more varied as the puzzles themselves are completely different, using lots of different components, figuring out mazes and lots more. Unfortunately, the first one was a colour one, which was very difficult due to being colourblind. Each one of these also has a hint you can look up. Lots of these involve discovering letters, with you having to solve an anagram at the end – you just have to keep in mind that some of these words can be technobabble.
Stringing the puzzles together is a well written storyline following your journey across three ships. It helps to tie things together and makes it feel more like a journey than just a series of unrelated puzzles. It’s a very interesting game, but I feel like it could be better with an optional app where you can input answers and be told that you are wrong instead of just being given the answer – it’s no fun working hard on a puzzle, making a small mistake and not getting a second chance.
Star Trek: Away Missions
- Original Release: 2023
- Developer: Andrew Haught, Mike Haught, Phil Yates
- Publisher: Gale Force Nine
- Platform: Board Game
- Not played: Only had a brief go at a convention, haven’t bought the game yet.
Star Trek: Away Missions is a 1v1 miniatures skirmish game. The base game is Federation Vs Borg, but you can get expansions for Romulans and Klingons. The miniatures have a nice style to them and are coloured based on faction, so the are easy to identify and avoid the “sea of grey” issue that some miniatures games have (unless you have the skill and time to paint them yourself).
While almost every game on this type – including previous Star Trek games – are focused entirely on combat, this one is much more objective based. Combat is still important, especially as damage can disable specific abilities to hinder your opponent’s plans for their objectives – but a lot of scenarios are done in a way that combat isn’t very helpful, and some games may have no combat at all, which fits in with Star Trek really well.
It sounds like a well made Star Trek game with nice components and a “collectable card game” style deck system.
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And that's me up to date...for a few weeks. The board game Star Trek Discovery: Black Alert and video game Star Trek Infinite come out soon. Beyond that....we currently have no idea.
