Star Trek: Shattered Universe

Few science fiction canons have as many adherents and detractors as the Star Trek universe. Ever since Kirk and Spock traveled the cosmos going where no man had gone before, books, movies, TV series and video games have been written to take us back into that universe. With the games, until recently, they have always been pretty bad. One of the first video games I ever played was a Star Trek simulator where my ship was an asterisk and the Klingons were 0's and X's. They have come light years from that point and recent years have seen the release of Elite Force 1 and 2, Bridge Commander, Starfleet Command, and now Shattered Universe. Each of these games presents a different aspect of the Trek universe, but Shattered Universe has succeeded in creating a new part of the canon.

Normally, Trek spaceflight has been done by large starships, with combat most closely resembling large naval encounters between massive battleships. This game rips you from the normal universe and thrusts you into an alternative universe where everything is reversed. The Federation is now the enemy, Captain Chehov is out to kill you, and your benign ship's shuttles are transformed into slick, heavily-armed fighters. Your missions range from protecting the Excelsior, your mother ship, to searching out rare minerals and blasting waves of fighters and capital ships. While the 19 missions are varied and difficult enough to keep you playing, they are not especially unique in the space combat area.

The entire game has been developed with as much cinematic aura as possible. Dramatic fly-bys, cut shots of major capital ships warping into the system, etc add to the overall cinematic feel to the game. An important point, especially for those players trying to beat the bonus times, is that the cinematic shots are done in real-time, which means your ship is still responsive to your commands. A neat tip is to point towards your objective and accelerate towards it BEFORE the cinematic shot kicks in, which will give you a jump on the action.

It seems that most people either love this game or hate it. Fan boards are fairly evenly split, with many so-called experts coming out and panning the game, but the important criteria to me is whether the game is fun. I believe more people will enjoy this game for its production values and approachable gameplay. Since this is set in the Trek universe, there are thousands of fans out there ready to pore over every detail of the game, the accuracy of the voiceovers, etc. As a casual fan, I can tell you that the game is enjoyable and difficult enough to keep most gamers occupied for hours. If you are a space combat ace, you may find the combat to be a bit too repetitive and easy, but I consider it to be a fun way to spend a few hours.

Graphics: 8.1
This game looks very good, with stunning space visuals of nebulae, planets, meteors, etc. Try dipping into the gravity well of a planet and see the streams of heated gasses flowing around the meteors and other ships. Very cool.

Sound: 8.0
Walter Koenig and George Takei reprise their famous roles and the soundtrack adds to the atmosphere, with audible hints when your fighter is in trouble.

Difficulty: Easy
If you have played any space combat game in the last five years, you know what to expect here. Shattered Universe doesn't break any new ground, but it is fun for the casual player.

Concept: 7.5
Again, no new ground here, but they have a believable reason for introducing small single-seater fighters to the universe and for that, they should be commended.

Overall: 7.4
Star Trek: Shattered Universe looks good and is easy to play, but may not have enough substance to please the more advanced gamer.