One of the delights for any Star Trek fan is the breadth of the franchise, allowing for books, comics and games that can go where no Star Trek series or film has gone before.
Such is the case with Activision's latest addition to its increasingly impressive library of Star Trek games. "Star Trek: Away Team," taking place in the TNG era, takes a premise from the show- Holotechnology, and gives it a logical twist.
The opening "movie" (short animated sequence) of "Away Team" shows a Klingon Bird-of-Prey about to finished off by a Romulan Warbird when a second Warbird decloaks. The new arrival orders the first Warbird out of the sector, by the orders of the feared Tal Shiar. The first vessel departs and the "Tal Shiar Warbird" drops it holographic disguise and reveals itself as a new Federation ship - the U.S.S. Incursion.
The Incursion, a secret, covert-ops Starfleet vessel that uses holographic technology to change its appearance, is designed for missions deep in unfriendly territory (hence the ship's name). Getting there undetected is only the beginning, however, and gameplay revolves around the ship's specially trained Away Team personnel.
Taking teams of four into dangerous areas to achieve specific objectives, as part of a longer narrative is what "Away Team" is all about. The single player game tells the story of a mysterious conspiracy within Starfleet itself, where the highest corridors of power are infiltrated and the Incursion is on its own to decipher the nature of the conspiracy and ultimately rescue the Federation.
Gameplay itself entails a roughly three-dimensional aerial display of a groundplan, where the team must accomplish its mission under a variety of circumstances. The first mission, for example, requires the team to rescue a pair of Klingon scientists from attacking Romulans on a Klingon research station. The Away Team includes specialists who can accomplish different objectives.
For example, an Engineer or Science Officer is required to hack into computer system panels to shut down security camera and force fields, a Medical Officer is responsible for keeping the team healthy, often under heavy fire, and a Security Officer can handle special objectives, such as taking out a guard tower using a sniper rifle.
The game moves slowly at first, giving players a chance to orient themselves to the controls and pace of the game. The team can move at different speeds, it can split up if need be, or one member can infiltrate an area alone or cloaked (using personal cloaks stolen from the Romulans in the first mission).
The game doesn't neglect its characters, either. Team members have their own characteristics and personality traits. Before each mission, players assemble the team based on the mission's objectives and the Officers' skills. For example, human Medical Officer Dr. Sheila Thatcher's healing abilities vastly outweigh her offensive skills (with a phaser or neural disruptor), while Andorian Medical Officer Sirta D'Qua is far more dangerous as an offensive force.
After several introductory levels, the missions become more and more difficult, with various Away Teams finding themselves in hostile territory under increasingly harsher and harsher fire.
There are some familiar faces (and voices) also appearing in "Away Team," including Brent Spiner as Data and Michael Dorn as Worf, plus a number of Star Trek guest stars. The score lends to the cinematic atmosphere, with Music Composition credited to Danny Pelfrey or Earmark Productions.
All in all, with it's stellar graphics, imaginative storyline and faithful depiction of the Star Trek universe, "Star Trek: Away Team" is a must for any serious Star Trek gamer. It's easy to learn but difficult to master, but that's the whole fun of games, isn't it?
Review by Paul Plunkett
