Written 12/12/2000
Continuing their Star Trek license, Simon & Schuster has published their latest game based on the Deep Space 9 series, The Fallen. Developed by The Collective, this game uses the Unreal Tournament engine to produce an engrossing 3D game that fits in perfectly with events from the series.
The plot takes place roughly near the end of the sixth season of the Deep Space 9 television show. Star Trek fans will find that this game is geared towards them, since many of the story elements almost require knowledge of the complex religious overtones that were part of that series. The Pah Wraiths are the focus of this storyline and their orbs are being sought after by many factions for different reasons. As Sisko, Kira, or Worf, you will play the Federation side of the story and uncover the mysteries of the Pah Wraith orbs of power.
Based upon the Unreal Tournament engine, the game looks fabulous. The engine has been altered to be played from the third person perspective, and it works very well. The characters look very realistic, which is no mean feat considering they must be based on actual actors appearing in the series. Mouths move in synch with the voice acting, and are represented by polygons rather than simply animating mouth movements on the 3D models. The tricks available in the Unreal Tournament engine are in full force, including colored lighting and expansive outdoor environments. Settings look great, and even include the DS9 station itself. Special effects made specifically for this game like phaser fire and transporter effects look just like those from the show.
Sound effects are also excellent. Fans of the show will recognize many of the sounds instantly. Some of the voice acting is done by actors from the show, and even those not performed by the original actors sound quite good. The musical score is epic in scale, and quite representative of the incidental music that Star Trek fans are familiar with.
The game is played from the third person perspective, which works well for this game. Much of the game is puzzle-oriented, making this more of an action/adventure title than straight action. The most useful tool available in-game is the tricorder, which has been represented excellently. It may be configured to work in 2D top-down and 3D modes. It shows the direction and identity of objects appearing in range, and detail may be accessed for further information. In fact, you need to get used to this quickly, as one of the first enemies you meet in the Sisko missions is an alien species that has shielding that you must match your phaser fire with in order to penetrate. The tricorder tells you the shield frequency, and you can configure your phaser to match this frequency. My only complaint here is that you may not have a tricorder in one hand and a hand phaser in another. You must constantly switch objects in order to fight effectively.
Game controls are simplified and easily configurable for ease of use. The game is very simple to maneuver with one exception. I did find it a bit troublesome to get through particularly entryways. Characters tend to stick to edges of doorways if they are not moved through them perfectly. On the plus side, I did see characters automatically duck when trying to move under obstacles. In general, movement is easily accomplished and controls react with good response.
Perhaps the only downside to this game is that there is no multiplayer component. It might be difficult to imagine a game based on the Unreal Tournament engine lacking this feature, but this game is designed specifically for single player mode. The environments do not lend themselves to fragfests, since adventure elements make up a good part of the game. While I do not see this as a huge disappointment in the game, it should be mentioned so that consumers are aware that this is a single player only game.
Not many Star Trek games live up to fans' expectations, but The Fallen is a very good game. The storyline fits in perfectly with events noted in the series and contains many familiar characters and races. Star Trek fans should not be disappointed with this title.
