Voyager Elite Force: Full Game

Voyager: Elite Force Screenshot Gallery

Just over a month ago, this column was filled with praise for the demo of Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force, Raven Software’s latest action game.  Now, after sitting down with a late beta of the game, I’m happy to report that the full experience lives up to and exceeds the quality of the demo.  In other words, Elite Force is the best action game since Half-Life.

Elite Force succeeds as a game because all the elements collectively build into a rich interactive experience.  The graphics and sound are right up there with what you’d expect from a Raven game (read: excellent production value), but what sets this game apart from Raven’s previous efforts is the great verisimilitude to the Star Trek universe and an excellent story that gives the game a holistic feel.  Halfway through the game you no longer feel like you are playing through a number of disparate levels -- There’s a sense of structure; you feel compelled to keep playing and move the story forward.   Most importantly, the in-game cinematics don’t feel campy or out of place, as if often the case in action game.  No doubt the use of the real Voyager actors adds needed authenticity to this area.

Elite Force Screenshot Gallery

While there aren’t any quantum leaps in action gameplay here – all the puzzles and interactive sequences are similar to what we’ve seen in titles like Half-Life and Thief – that’s not a bad thing, as Raven has concentrated on polishing the game and creating a tight play experience.  With this refined gameplay wrapped in a tight story and augmented by compelling visuals, the result is an experience that rises about the rest.   This game will do for Star Trek what Dark Forces and Jedi Knight did for Star Wars.

All this being said, the game is still not finalized, and therefore the play balance and enemy artificial intelligence are both subject to tweaking.  Nevertheless, Raven would have to work very hard to screw up this game during the final few weeks of development.  As it stands, I expect most action gamers to immensely enjoy this title, which is admittedly a bit on the short side.  However, I hope gamers realize they’d much rather have compelling 15-hour gameplay experiences as opposed to mundane 50-hour ones. 

Elite Force Screenshot Gallery

Elite Force is due for release in September, and if you’d like a sneak preview of what lies beyond the demo levels, check out our screenshot archive of eight new in-games, to the right.