Every fan of Star Trek has certainly dreamed of commanding their own ship and crew. In a new game presented at the FYNG show, that is exactly your task, but your decisions have consequences.
What kind of game is this? Star Trek Voyager: Across the Unknown was presented at the FYNG show at gamescom. The game takes you into space and is based on the series of the same name. You are basically the captain of the ship, managing not only your crew but also the development and resources of your ship.
You attempt to escape from the unknown region of space, but you will face various situations. You must make decisions that can have significant consequences.
The game was showcased at the FYNG show (Find your next Game) by GameStar, GamePro, and MeinMMO at gamescom.
Your decisions affect how your journey unfolds
How does Star Trek Voyager: Across the Unknown work? As in the series, your spaceship is transported to the Delta Quadrant, and your goal is to find your way back to Earth. This is essentially your main quest. On an overview map, you can see where your ship is currently located and which planets you can visit in the current area. Traveling costs fuel, which you should definitely keep an eye on. If it runs out, you will be stranded, and it’s game over.
You can consider the story as a kind of What If
scenario to the series. Characters and stories from the series appear, but your decisions change the course of events. A character from the series that only appears briefly might accompany you longer or vice versa.
At various locations, you can make decisions that lead to side quests and can provide you with advantages. However, completing these incurs costs in resources.
You also have to make decisions on your ship. These also have consequences, as your crew members react to them. Some agree, while others disapprove. This can change which members follow you or who might leave your ship.
Your moral shall be put to the test, showcasing difficult situations from the series. The morale of your crew members is also an important resource in the game.
Ship and crew gameplay
How does gameplay proceed outside of the decisions? Aside from the decisions within and outside the ship, there are missions for your crew members. In these missions, you must send people out to explore or complete other tasks. Crew members have various attributes and resources.
Depending on the member, the chance of completing a specific task in the mission increases. However, your crew will be exhausted after completing missions.
You can upgrade your ship with various resources to build new areas or improve existing ones. This gives you more options. Additionally, there is a tech tree that you cannot fully develop in a single run. You must decide which direction you want to take.
Your constructed and leveled ship areas determine which decisions you can make within the game. When you zoom into your ship, you can examine the various rooms that change through upgrades.
Additionally, there are ship battles with enemies. Your crew members also influence these. They can affect your combat abilities, for example. In a combat interface, you essentially face off against other ships in real-time and control various functions of your ship via a menu. The combat focuses solely on ship battles; there are no battles inside ships.
Once you fulfill your objective on a map, the next map with new planets follows. If you have fuel left, you can also explore a complete
map. However, you should be careful not to misjudge.
Should not only be exciting for fans
Is the game only for Star Trek fans? Although fans of the series will rediscover elements, characters, and plot points, the game is also intended to be accessible for newcomers to Star Trek. The game has elements from games such as FTL-Faster Than Light and aims to be engaging in terms of gameplay.
Those who enjoy making tough decisions will find themselves well accommodated here. In a preview presentation, 15 hours were mentioned as the targeted playtime for a run, and with side quests, it could be even more. Additionally, multiple playthroughs should be worthwhile, as the circumstances of the crew and your choices will create new scenarios that you must react to. This is intended to provide a certain degree of replay value.
Star Trek Voyager: Across the Unknown promises to be an interesting game, primarily for fans of the series who want to experience adventures with beloved characters again. Newcomers should also keep an eye on it: I always thought Star Trek was the cheap Star Wars, but a specific episode convinced me otherwise
