Star Trek: First Contact
Preview by Al Giovetti, 09/16/96
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Publisher: Microprose (Spectrum Holobyte
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Website: http://www.microprose.com
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History: Gene Roddenbury’s dream has grown like a weed beyond the expectations and visions of its own creator. From the humble beginnings as a 1960’s television show that barely made it through three seasons before being canceled for low ratings to the spawning of seven feature films, a cartoon adventure, three other series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager, and perhaps even the Paramount Channel and Paramount studios owe their very existence to the once thought mediocre weekly series. Now over 50% of the people on the planet count themselves as Trekkers or Trekkies, and while they often cannot agree on what costumes to wear to fan cons, what was the best series of episode, or even their favorite race, they all agree that they like Star Trek.

Star Trek has been presented in some rather excellent animated graphic adventures. Interplay’s Star Trek the 25th Anniversary and Star Trek: Judgement Rites recreated the atmosphere and mystique of the original series. A plethora of games released ranged from the mediocre or very bad to the quite excellent. So it is quite understandable that Trek fans approach new Trek games with no small amount of trepidation. Spectrum Holobyte have worked on Star Trek: Generations which we covered at E3 with a televison interview of game Producer, Simon Finch.

Plot: The plot is basically the same as the movie of the same name. At the start of the game the Borg have already started their takeover of the Enterprise E. The player must work through the decks and systems of the Enterprise to the location of the evil Borg Queen, who must be confronted and perhaps destroyed in order to completely incapacitate the Borg on the ship.

Game play: Star Trek: First Contact’s play mode is designed to immerse players in the look, feel, suspense, and action of both the Star Trek: First Contact film and the Star Trek: The Next Generation series. Players must struggle for control of the Enterprise-E’s individual crew and systems and develop new weapons and other technological advancements to thwart the Borg’s attempt to control the ship. As an enhancement to the gaming experience, players can assume the role of crew members from Star Trek: The Next Generation cast and challenge the Borg head-on for control of the Enterprise-E.

Graphics: The Star Trek: First Contact Enterprise-E will be recreated in a real-time three-dimensional (3D) environment.

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Voice actors: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, and Brent Spiner reprise their roles as Captatin Jean-Luc Picard, Commander William Riker, and Lieutenant Commander Data, respectively.

Music score: The music sound track from the movie will be the same music used for the game.

Sound effects: All the authentic Star Trek sound effects created for the movie and the television series will be used in the game. The beep of the communicator pin, the blast of the phaser will all sound just like the ones from the movie.

Multi-player: No multiplayer features are as yet planned. But wouldn’t it be nice If I could play Data, you play Riker, that guy from the internet could play Picard, and I know someone who would be just great as Jordi LaForge.

References:
http://www.microprose.com/press_releases/E3_ST_Gen_WinPSX.html
http://www.microprose.com/stunity.html
Press release of September 5, 1996