I remember playing both of the Elite Force games way way back. I must have beaten them, and probably beat this one twice to see both endings, but oddly I rememer almost nothing about the story and most of the levels. The fact is this game aged worse than the EF1. On paper it has more weapons, and better graphics, and a story where choices sort of kind of matter, but its worse in every way. The two things I hate the most about this game is how awkward it feels to move around, and the story. The story doesn't feel coherent, its just a list of things happening culminating in you fighting two villains who had barely any set up. The Enterprise was a really bad choice for a setting, too, because Patrick Stewart's presence just makes you wonder where the rest of the crew is. If it was like the first game where you barely ever got brought into meetings with the top brass, it might have worked, but PS is in almost every story scene on the Enterprise. I kind of wish it was just the Hazard Team and Tuvok on some new vessel with a new crew. Yeah, I just didn't like it that much this time through.
I remember loving the Elite Force games back in the day, even though I barely watched Voyager (more of a TNG fan myself). Playing it again after all these years, the things I like most are the things I remember - and therefore must have been impressed by - back then. It's fun to explore the Voyager - even in a limited capacity - and see what for example the actual layout of Sickbay is meant to be. It's also cool the way the game adapts concepts from the show to the shooter format - so your huge collection of guns and equipment is stored in a portable transporter buffer device. But the game is generally not great. Its incredibly easy, and for the most part just involves following a linear path through an alien vessel blasting enemies that teleport in, with almost no puzzles, exploration or decision making on the way. It's shockingly simple a shooter, especially given its based on a franchise where thinking not violence solves the problem at hand. That said, I can't recall what the standards of the time were. If I'm being fair, it does have a stealth mission (not great, but not frustrating as you might imagine, and you have a lean ability). The only thing I straight up don't like about it is with dialogue. Even cranked up to max volume, it can be hard to hear, and most dialogue is not subtitled for whatever reason. If I optimize the various volume sliders to be able to hear dialogue, this leaves the issue of the pre-rendered cutscenes being blaringly loud by comparison, and pressing the volume control buttons on my keyboard count as a keypress in the game's mind, so it will skip them! I haven't beaten the game yet, will update this review once I have if there's anything to add. I wish they revisited this concept later with a more rogelike game design, like Void B*stards. Honestly, that would be a good format for a Voyager shooter.
