...but worst game in the series does not mean a bad game by any stretch. Quite the opposite. It's an outstanding game. Hell, it's still a great Deus Ex game. Just not as great as others in the series. The story, writing and world building are just as good as Deus Ex. And there are just as many ways to get to your objective, like stealth, combat, hacking, conversation and exploration. The first game was an RPG through and through, this one is an Immersive Sim. The upshot is that many elements were streamlined and refined. This lead to tighter gunplay and better stealth, but more limited RPG elements. For everything it gained, it seemed like it lost something else, kind of like comparing Morrowind to Oblivion. If you like Deus Ex, you'll love this. If you like Immersive Sims, you'll love this. If you like intelligent storytelling and writing, you'll love this. Buy it.
From the description of the game, it meshes together several types of game that I'm not a huge fan of; roguelite, platformer, arcade shooter, narrative horror... but blender together? Oh my word. It's a cliché to say the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, but in this case, it's absolutely spot-on. Every game element is polished to an absolute gleaming shine. If, like me, you're put off by a few of the keywords in the game's description, I implore you to give it a try. It's an utter masterclass in design and is genuinely entertaining and an easy 5-star recommendation with no reservation at all. The only other game I've played recently that's been this good is Hedon: Bloodrite. It's a lso worth noting that I wouldn't have tried this game at all if it wasn't for Ruby Ranger's spoiler-free review video on YouTube. If you want more details on why this game is so damn good, he sums it up nicely. Go check it out and see if this game could be for you, too.
This game got a lot of negative press at the time, some of it quite deservedly so: -Annoying bugs (both gameplay and literal robot mosquitoes), -Companion characters that bounced unpredictably between pretty good and brain-dead, -The script was so cheesy that vegans couldn't play this game without catching fire, Some aspects that were criticised have either since been improved or simply aren't relevant any more: -The graphics were intended to be cutting edge for 1998, but by the time it released, games looked better. Nowadays, a consistent retro-looking aesthetic isn't a problem, and viewed through a modern lens, the game looks pretty damn nice, -The limited saves and some of the companion AI issues have been improved by patches, -In a world of games that take themselves incredibly seriously, a cheesy B-movie jaunt through time is quite refreshing, The game is still not great by any means, but it's fun. -It strikes a good balance between action, exploration and puzzles, -The weapons are satisfying to use and there's loads of neat little touches to some of the gameplay mechanics, -The huge levels are structured really well and the paths through them flow impressively well. It's a solid 3.5 Star game, easily. Since I'm feeling generous, I'll round up to 4.
I can't think of enough good things to say about this game. The combat is damn solid, there are no weak starter weapons and the enemies gib in a wonderfully responsive way. The world building is superb and the attention to detail with the lore and history make the setting feel believable. The story is good enough to carry the action, but it's the way the story is told that really makes it shine. The sound design and, in particular the music are absolutely top notch and really help to make the environments drip with atmosphere. All the previous points are enough to carry the game, but they all pale in comparison with the level design. I've never seen a game world linked together this well and so thoughtfully and meticulously crafted as this. The developer has really outdone themselves. It's absolutely sublime. All three chapters took me a shade over 24 hours to 100% the enemies and secrets, and can be a little exhausting playing too much at once. I played for maybe an hour or two a day and by the time the credits rolled, I was still wanting more. The puzzles are sometimes a tad tricky, but never punishingly so, and the combat can get extremely challenging in places. Exploration is definitely rewarded here. If you're even slightly interested in the FPS genre or even immersive sims, you will find an incredibly rewarding and challenging experience.
Bullet point review: Pros- Good voice acting, Good story, Fantastic music, RPG elements are well implemented, A very open world to explore, Nice art style, Parkour is well implemented, Combat feels weighty, Stealth is simple and effective. Cons- Some very minor bugs, Slow start to the game, A little repetitive in the early game. Customisation limited to equipment and the occasional ability. OK, I love this game. The way the story unfolds, the way you uncover the lore of the world, the little bits of genuinely funny humour injected into some details... it's all really good. Combat is heavily discouraged, but if you do get in a scrap, it isn't so punishing that you can't survive. Gavin "Miracle Of Sound" Dunne provided a lot of work on the soundtrack, and some tracks are superb. The stealth/exploration/traversal is very well implemented. If you can see something, there's a good chance you can find a way to get there. There are LOADS of secret areas to find and treasures to uncover. It's the first in-game crafting system I've genuinely enjoyed, too. I bought this game at full price when it was released and it was worth every penny.
Activision Star Trek games were known for two things: good voice acting and being child's play to mod and edit. I played a skirmish in a Galaxy class starship and had a very long and very difficult battle with two Imperial class Star Destroyers. The main campaign is pretty good, and referenced the events of Star Trek Armada and Star Trek Away Team, which I really loved when I was a kid. It's VERY streamlined compared to the earlier Command games (like the stupendous Empires At War) and it does suffer a little because of it, but it's still a fun one. If you like Star Trek, give this game a try.
...but a good one. Insurrection is my favourite Trek film (yes, really) and I enjoyed the parts of this game that tied into it. The story calls back to a few different TNG episodes, It can get a bit tricky in places (especially the combat) but the story is still pretty good and the acting is on point (which was a common praise levelled at the early Activision Star Trek games.) Not a long game (took me about 5 hours when I was a kid) which is probably for the best, any longer and the mechanics would have definitely started to outstay their welcome, any shorter and it would have been too rushed. As a fan of the characters and the source material in general, I had lots of fun playing this. Definitely worth checking out if you're a Trekkie.
Widely regarded as being one of the best Trek games ever made, Elite Force really lives up to its reputation, even now. The graphics aren't mind blowing, but they have a certain charm that seems to defy the age of the visuals. I was always impressed by the variety of the levels and how wildly different they all feel to play, even though they're all just different space ships and stations. The gunplay is really good (because id Tech 3) but my favourite parts were the already where no combat took place; exploring a giant alien gunship, looking for ways past obstacles, or dashing through Voyager, shutting down damaged conduits and rescuing trapped crewmen along the way. Between missions, you interact with your crewmates as they shoot the breeze before heading to their briefings or grabbing something to eat from the mess hall. It made this starship in the future seem like a real place, like walking into the TV show. It was nice to get the perspective on a Star Trek episode from one of the crewmembers who usually just wandered around in the background of shots, kind of like the Lower Decks crew. It's a pretty short game, maybe 10 hours all in, but there are still little choices sprinkled throughout that can effect who lives and who dies, the more you keep alive, the more help you have in the endgame areas. I adore this game, I played it through 3 times the first weekend I bought it 2 decades ago. If you're a Star Trek fan, you've probably already played it, but if you're a fan of clever, engaging, well paced and well acted first person shooters, you will definitely enjoy this.
