This weekend, when I wasn’t watching football-related things, I was getting to grips with Star Trek: Voyager – Across the Unknown, the Gamexcite-developed sci-fi adventure game set in the Delta Quadrant and based on the classic TV series, Star Trek: Voyager.
I watched a fair few episodes of Voyager back in the day, and so my interest was firmly piqued when I first heard of the game. Now I’ve finally managed to take a proper look at it, admittedly several months after launch, and so it’s time to dig in and find out what’s going on.
What is Star Trek: Voyager – Across the Unknown?
If you were to ask me to list potentially cool roguelike adaptations of classic sci-fi franchises, it wouldn’t take long for me to pitch you an FTL-like game set in the Star Trek universe.
Across the Unknown is based on Voyager, which is about a ship stranded on the other side of the galaxy. Under the command of the enigmatic Kathryn Janeway, the ship and her ragtag crew must get home at all costs. I loved watching it on TV, all those years ago.
This narrative setup makes it the perfect Star Trek spin-off for a roguelike, FTL-inspired journey across the galaxy. Don’t you think?
Except Across the Unknown isn’t really that, it turns out. In fact, I was quite surprised by the various flavours that have been baked into this particular cake, and I don’t mean that in a bad way.
For example, a big part of the gameplay is focused on base building in the style of Fallout Shelter and the Firaxis-made XCOM games. Not what I would have imagined going in, but not a bad thing either. Both are very cool games, after all.
Then there is the narrative element, which integrates elements from the TV show into your various adventures as you try to take your oddball crew back home after being transported to the other side of the galaxy. This manifests in dialogue options in various parts of the ship, plus you get to guide your crew on away missions.
Cause and Effect
Choice is heralded as a big part of the game, and yes, there are consequences to your actions, but so far, these don’t seem to be as far-reaching as I had hoped for. Still, I quite like the choose-your-own-adventure style as a means of letting you experience the TV show in an entirely new way, even if I did want a bit more freedom.
As you bring your ship back online, repair damage, and upgrade your systems, you’ll also recruit new crewmembers from the show. If you watched it back in the day, you’ll know who to expect. If you’re a massive Star Trek nerd, I daresay you’ll look forward to meeting all your favourite characters – the fan service seems really good.
It’s not fully voiced. I can certainly see why they didn’t do that from a logistical point of view, because keeping that part of the game light allows for much more content and greater flexibility when developing the various missions. That said, it feels like there have been chances missed when it comes to generating atmosphere and immersion.
I don’t want to end this bit on a downer, though, so here’s a big thumbs-up for the UI, which really captures the style of the show. I also really enjoyed the gentle approach to exploration, which had me fondly recalling the hours I spent scanning the galaxy in Stellaris, as I nudged my ship around different sectors in search of resources.
The Journey Ahead
Gamexcite and publisher Daedalic Entertainment dropped the next major update for the game late last week, and it coincided with the release of the first entry in a four-part season pass.
The free update includes seven new ship quests, and the usual spread of balance fixes and tweaks. We’re also promised more free content on the way, including more ship quests and a new game mode. On that front, the developer had this to share:
The Delta Quadrant may soon become even stranger than before, adding many more hours of gameplay, challenging even seasoned Captains!
As for the paid-for content, the first of four DLC drops is called Delta Chronicles, and it brings several new side-quests directly based on episodes from the show. The expansion also includes four ships, six technologies, and two characters, including holographic Reg Barclay!
After that, as explained in the promo materials included, there is a new ship coming in the second DLC, and that will be playable in the aforementioned new game mode (which they’re not talking about right now – stay tuned for more on that in due course).
Later on, the third DLC drop will add fresh story content, and the final DLC is due to beam down before the end of the year, and that one will include a whole new sector for players to explore.
It should be noted that when the full price of the DLC season pass is considered, it almost doubles the cost of the game. I’m not sure you could argue that it adds outrageous value, although it’s going to be a nice-to-have for Star Trek fans looking for the complete experience.
Ultimately, that’s who Star Trek: Voyager – Across the Unknown is for: the fans, and on those terms, I think it’s a success. Just don’t go in expecting Star Trek Voyager: FTL Edition, and I think you’ll have a good time (but if you’re not really a Star Trek fan, maybe sit this one out).
