Sarasota PC Monitor
Star Trek - Bridge Commander
A Software Review
byVinny La Bash
Member of the Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc.This is not a game for those who can't make up their minds. If you're going to command a star ship, you must be decisive. You can be wrong, but never unsure of yourself. As Captain of the Enterprise, you must tell the crew where to go next, how to conduct diplomatic relations, whether to advance or retreat, fight or run, and even how to perform ship's maintenance.
If that sounds like a lot to master, it is. There is a strong learning curve, but the results are worthwhile. You're commanding a star ship, not driving a truck. You have a crew and an entire galaxy to keep track of, and you may need some time to get things right. Riding along as a passenger is Picard, who will give you his professional opinion if you ask for it, and in starting, it's wise to seek his counsel and follow it.
The game follows the Star Trek Next Generation style visually and in its storyline. There is an automatic save game function at points between missions, and the only things missing are the commercials. You direct crew members to perform functions, like setting course for the next immediate destination and performing long and short range scans. You can't send an away team out to explore, but that seems minor considering the range and scope of the total game experience.
Combat is an integral part of the game, and your strategic decisions ultimately determine if you win or lose. Your ability to control vital ship functions, weapons systems, and navigation is the ultimate Trekkie dream come true. You take the helm to replace the previous captain, who was killed in an accidental explosion, or was it? As you move from mission to mission, a story unfolds that seems as grand in scope as the galaxy itself. What you discover goes to the very heart of the Federation in a direction you would not expect, and reveals a foul internal corruption which threatens everything you believe in.
Along the way are many of the usual suspects. Cardassians, the Breen, the Gorn, and one new race all bring their own distinct qualities to the game play. It's your responsibility to figure out the alliances and relationships. Making your way through the game reveals pieces of information. Gradually, you figure out what's really going on, and the game comes together in the best Star Trek tradition.
You're a Star Ship Captain, and that means you are bound by the Prime Directive. Never fail to respond to a distress call or you will be relieved of command, and the game will end with you in disgrace. Dock at Starbase 12 when you run low on essentials or need repairs. Your crew will perform their duties automatically, but it's more fun to execute commands manually. If you go down in flames, you can always reload a saved game and start over. (Hey, it's a fantasy!)
The game is very enjoyable. It's not the first game based on the Star Trek genre, but it is one of the best. Have fun! Star Trek: Bridge Commander, by Activision, MSLP: $49.99. Shop around. You can do better. :
Copyright 2002. This article is from the May 2002 issue of the Sarasota PC Monitor, the official monthly publication of the Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc., P.O. Box 15889, Sarasota, FL 34277-1889. Permission to reprint is granted only to other non-profit computer user groups, provided proper credit is given to the author and our publication. We would appreciate receiving a copy of the publication the reprint appears in, please send to above address, Attn: Editor. For further information about our group, email: admin@spcug.org/ Web: http://www.spcug.org/
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