The original odd couple.
by Cam Shea JUNE 6, 2012
Digital Extremes’ presentation at this year’s show gave another great glimpse into how Star Trek is playing to the strengths of its two leads: Kirk and Spock. The team describes its co-op gameplay (which it demonstrated via two large screens) as ‘asynchronous’, meaning each player is often trying to accomplish his or her own goals within the same space. Spock, for instance, is able to scan things in the environment, be it a dead body to try and establish cause of death, or a boss to try and ascertain its weak point.
The relationship between these two characters is just as central to J.J. Abram’s series reboot – upon which the game is based – as it was to the original Star Trek, and it should help keep the gameplay fresh and provide more than a few amusing exchanges between the mismatched pair.
That’s what friends are for.
As we stated earlier this week, the big news out of E3 2012 is that the enterprisingheroes will be going head to head with the gorn, that classic enemy from the original series. In the E3 demo, this is revealed when Kirk and Spock are beamed down to the arid, rocky landscape of New Vulcan. Something has gone awry in the city, and vulcans infected by a mysterious illness attack on sight. (“It’s not the first time I’ve been attacked by a vulcan, Mr Spock” quips Kirk.)
Putting the ‘pal’ back in ‘this is principally a game about two dudes shooting stuff.’
The gorn soon reveal themselves to be behind the corrupted vulcans. The first such lizard beast is a fun encounter, charging about, flinging detritus and at one point picking up Spock before pinning him on the ground. Other gorn soon show up too; smaller and more agile, looking a little like raptors. From space.
To be honest, the cover-based gameplay shown in the demo doesn’t do anything particularly interesting – it looks pretty standard issue. Cover can be destroyed, and the many exotic weapons promise to be fun to use, but there’s little new here. The visuals, similarly, aren’t outstanding. Some of the vistas are nice, and the character models are solid, but the animations are a little on the wooden side, and the visual design of the gorn aren’t exactly interesting.
The truth is that Star Trek: The Game is going to live or die based on how well executed the relationship between Kirk and Spock is, and whether the dev team can ensure that working together is surprising and rewarding.
Thankfully, it’s on the right path. One sequence in the demo has Kirk daringly leaping across a gap in a bridge, only for the ledge he grips onto to come apart in his hands. He’s almost sent to a grisly death and must be rescued by Spock. It’s an amusing moment, and is mirrored later on, when Kirk leaps across to a gorn ship a moment too late, sending his phaser spinning onto the deck and leaving him – again – clutching for dear life. Only this time, Spock is grabbed by a gorn. He just manages to kick the phaser across to Kirk, who, dangling off the edge, must take the shot and rescue his vulcan BFF. It’s entertaining stuff, and if the team at Digital Extremes can keep the set-pieces and asynchronous co-op at this level throughout, Star Trek fans might just have to set their faces to stunned.
