Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force

Author: Shawn Hawkins
Editor: Howard Ha
Publish Date: Monday, October 9th, 2000
Originally Published on Neoseeker (http://www.neoseeker.com)
Article Link: http://www.neoseeker.com/Articles/Games/Reviews/stvoyager_eliteforce/
Copyright Neo Era Media, Inc. - please do not redistribute or use for commercial purposes.

First Impressions

Once again there is an attempt to capitalize on the Star Trek series. Activision and Raven Software have released a new first person shooter: Star Trek Voyager-Elite Force. Elite Force begins much like the Voyager television series with one stipulation; you are playing the main character from the first person's point of view. In this episode, Voyager has been transported to an uncharted region of space by an unknown alien intelligence. Voyager is left helpless amongst a deluge of other drifting ships. It is up to you to aid in Voyager’s recovery and to protect the ship and its crew should any threatening life forms present themselves. As a member of the Hazard Team, under the command of Lt.Commander Tuvok, you must battle races of Star Trek greats such as Klingons, Malons, Hirogens, and the Borg. The action takes you to a variety of fighting environments such as a Klingon war ship and a standard Federation ship identical to the U.S.S.Enterprise Class A starship. For the "Treky" or even Star Trek enthusiast, this game provides an opportunity to indulge in joyous nostalgia. Sadly, for the first person shooter fan that wants to see some new ideas, disappointment is inevitable. Raven Software and Activision have succeeded in churning out ideas we have already seen on television along with a game engine that already exists in Quake 3. The aim of this game is not to push the first person shooter genre to new heights but rather to regurgitate Quake 3 with Star Trek Voyager characters and skins. Although Elite Force does show some achievement in programming and is in general an extremely professional product, it is not a breakthrough in first person shooter gaming, and is rather limited in its contributions to the genre.

The game's length is short in comparison to other games of this genre. It should take only a couple of days to finish even for the casual first person shooter hobbyist. This is truly disappointing. The thrust of the game itself is its close relation to the television series, giving it enormous possibility. For some reason, Raven Software kept it short and easy. This leaves the Star Trek enthusiast rather shortchanged and insulted. I pity the "Treky" who buys this product only to be teased with less than two full days of playing time in single player mode.

The general feel of the game is what creates a sense of being a character in the television series. It immerses the player into the perceptual world of a Star Trek Voyager crewmember. For instance, the single player main menu is in the style of a computer console aboard the ship. It even makes the "bleep" sounds adding to its credibility. (Raven Software and Activision were as thoughtful enough to allow key configuration to be accessed through the main menu, which can be accessed at any time during the game.) There is also a certain amount of depth within the behavior of the crewmembers. The player can initiate conversation with other crewmembers allowing for interesting dramatic monologues.

The gaming environments aboard alien ships are excellent in their graphic design and detail. There are countless examples of 3-dimensional looking textures, complete with moving background and foreground sections, as well as effects that aid in creating a sense of realism. There are a number of effects that look quite realistic such as firefly like creatures that fix broken equipment and moving liquid substances that mimic fluid dynamics with accuracy.

Both alien and crew characters have great facial expression complete with moving eyebrows and blinking eyes. Characters also take on a natural looking manner in that when standing still their bodies’ move slightly to imitate movement in the natural world. When characters speak, their lips move in perfect time with the words. These effects definitely add to the overall gaming experience. Although crewmembers look real, they certainly don't act like it. The AI controlling the crew would often leave them staring at walls or running aimlessly in circles when engaged in a gun battle. At times, a fellow crewmember would run directly) into the player's crossfire. It is these kinds of events that take away from the gaming experience.

Sound, Weapons, and Final Thoughts

One saving grace in this game is its use of top-notch graphic sequences and animation. Graphic sequences used to propel the plot between levels are of amazing professional quality. The sequences involving starships moving through the cosmos are nothing short of inspiring.

Sound design, in all its facets throughout the game, serves to set a new standard. Environmental sounds throughout the levels are creative and detailed. The sounds on the Voyager's bridge are a perfect imitation of those on the show and create a sense of being "in the show". Small organisms, which the player must destroy, sound perfectly disgusting. In large rooms, the sounds are processed in such a manner as to create a sense of the 3-dimensional space and are very effective in doing so. The musical score is consistent with that of the television series but is used quite subtly within the missions. This helps to set a tone that is austere and haunting when necessary.

Weapons are something that Elite Force does bring to the table. The weapons in general are spectacular in their graphic and sound effects. The player starts off with a Federation issue phaser. The phaser is not the most powerful weapon but is the only weapon that recharges itself automatically when fired. The scavenger rifle can shoot energy rounds with rapid automatic fire or can shoot one huge projectile of energy that acts much like a grenade but explodes on contact. This is done using the secondary fire button. The I-Mod, short for the infinity modulator, is the only weapon the Borg cannot adapt to, spews out a bright purple flare depending on how the weapon is fired. The arc welder leaves its victim to burn up in a cloud of bright purple static charge. This gun makes an electronic sizzling sound to compliment the spectacle of your victim’s demise. The photon burst provides a magnificent burst power. It is delightfully explosive and must be used with great caution. When fired, the sound emitted by the photon burst cannon is an accurate reproduction of a photon torpedo being fired as in the show. Each weapon has its own unique qualities and must be incorporated into the player's strategy. Elite Force has some of the best and most interesting weapons that the first person shooter genre has seen to date, setting the stage for gratifying and exciting gunplay.

Elite Force comes with two executables: single player and holo-match. Holo-match is Elite Force's multiplayer version. There are two main game types: solo match and multi match. Solo match allows the player to chose a game scenario and battle "intelligent" holographic characters. Multi match allows the player to play over the Internet against other human opponents. Elite Force's multi match ranks among the best first person shooter multiplayer games on the market. Elite force multiplayer even has some additions that Quake3 does not. For instance, there is a "red shirt" award for the best victim. It also has individual power ups for each weapon creating a strategic component not yet seen before. Online multiplayer also comes equipped with an in-game browser to locate other online games. This is great for the player who wants to get the action going quickly.

Elite Force is a standard first person shooter with little more to add than the novelty of Star Trek Voyager. It is a commercial attempt to capitalize on a popular television show while implementing technology that is already in use. Although it lacks ingenuity, it is a very professional product made by masters of the trade. Star Trek enthusiasts may want to add this to their collection. The single player game is so short, however, that they are likely to end up feeling cheated out of their money. The multi match online multiplayer game, on the other hand, ranks among the best first person shooter multiplayer ever produced to date and, therefore, promises not to disappoint.