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Platform: PC Genre: Shooter Publisher: Activision Developer: Ritual Entertainment ETA: Winter 2003
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Star Trek Elite Force II
In the flood of E3 information not much was reported of Star Trek: Elite Force II (EFII). It got a mention here and there, but nothing too overt – like Doom III ("Hey, it's a shooter!) or Link’s outing on the GameCube. I for one, can’t understand why. Star Trek Voyage Elite Force was a solid shooter in its own right; although it was on the short side it had some great scripted scenes, good graphics, and an extremely good use of the Star Trek license. EFII is aiming to outdo its predecessor in every respect.
If you stay up on all things Trek, you’ll already know that the Voyager crew has found its way home to the Alpha quadrant. But what happened to the Voyager’s SWAT-like critical response team? Well, some took up with the crew of the Enterprise NCC 1701-E, captained by legendary Captain Jean Luc Picard. That’s where you find yourself and once again (presumably) in the boots of Munro. |
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One big complaint that nearly everyone had was that the original was short – still fulfilling, but short. EFII will sport 11 missions spread across a number of different environments, and feature multiple ways to complete some mission objectives. In aid of this is the latest QIII: Team Arena engine, which will allow for “even better graphics than its predecessor” and “larger outdoor environments” and “massive alien landscapes.” We’ll have to wait and see about those last two points but the first looks to be well founded if the screenshots are anything to go by.
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But what kind of mischief can the Enterprise E possibly get into? Something tells me the crew won’t have to go looking for trouble. The Borg make another showing but there looks to be a plethora of new bad guys to waste. And since you’ll be based on the Enterprise E, it’s more than likely you’ll get to interact and/or fight alongside characters such as Data, Commander “No. 1” Riker, and Capt. Picard. (Captain Picard is confirmed and, with Activision’s current position, it’s a given that Patrick Stewart will do the voice over work.
One of the stronger parts of the original was the expansion of the available “Trek” weapons with an arsenal that included a personal photon torpedo launcher. EFII will add a few more into the mix including a tetryon gattling gun and the Klingon Bat’leth (so far only available in multiplayer). The tricorder also appears and hopefully the developers embrace its use. Already they’re indicating that it “will be available for scanning and interacting with environments.” Any fan of the show knows the first thing any crewmember reaches for when encountering any kind of obstacle is to reach for the tricorder. (“Captain, the tunnel extends 30 meters, then drops off. Captain? Captain!” Later: “Okay the Captain’s body is at the bottom of this shaft…”) Hopefully it’s used for more than just opening doors and mapping areas.
Multiplayer also returns with the old stand-bys: Holomatch, Capture The Flag and Team Holomatch. We’ve all seen these match types before, but with the inclusion of zero-g environments there could be a few interesting twists. As alluded to, there will be exclusive multiplayer weapons and equipment such as the Bat’leth. Of course, at this stage further details are sketchy.
Star Trek Elite Force II is pegged at a Winter 2002/2003 release. If it goes beyond that date for fine-tuning, so be it. Right now, on paper and from what I’ve seen, it will outshine its predecessor while continuing a series that could turn into a franchise itself.
- Omni (June 25, 2002) |
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