Few franchises are so well suited for the Tell Tale style of game as Star Trek. A game is more about the interpersonal conflicts in a group of people and the struggle they need to work through to better themselves and humanity. This suits Star Trek incredibly well. While there are action moments, they are not the focus here.
That’s the thing Star Trek Resurgence nails. Over the course of roughly ten hours, we will take charge of two characters on the science ship Resolute. First Officer Commander Jara Rydek and Petty Officer Carter Diaz. After recovering from a recent mission gone wrong, where many lives were lost, the commanding officer Zachary Solano is hoping to restore his name.
There are nice ebbs and flows in the story progression, with each character signalling different aspects of the story. Jara Rydek takes the commander’s chair leading the galactic exploration, uncovering secrets, gathering trust from the crew, and generally being the driving force for the game. In contrast, Carter Diaz is the more personal side of the story having to worry about keeping the ship going and keeping a burning relationship alive.
While we bounce between these characters in the game, it gives us a view of Star Trek we haven’t really seen in games past, and that is the working relationship the bridge has with the crews working the rest of the ship. They rely heavily on each other, and based on the decisions you make during the story, that dynamic will shift.
“Most choices in Star Trek Resurgence tend to be more towards a gray area, there is no clear right and wrong.”
These narrative-driven, dialogue choice-heavy games that give weight to how you handle each problem thrown your way are a big hurdle. But Star Trek Resurgence handles it very well, and there was always some form of an internal dilemma when choices presented themselves. But to make things a bit more stressful, your choices are all on a timer, so you better decide fast. It’s also nice to see a game where when you make your choices, you can really see the outcome change based on your decision.
The adventure our crew goes on over the course of its ten-hour campaign is a strong and compelling one. There were points where I was so torn between the moral dilemmas presented to me, and I just wanted everyone to be happy. But that is not the name of the game here.
In fact, most choices in Star Trek Resurgence tend to be more towards a gray area, there is no clear right and wrong, and at the end of the day, someone somewhere will always lose out. But that makes for a compelling story that had me hooked all the way until the end. Even though I’m not the biggest Star Trek fan, Resurgence did a great job of getting me interested in the world and lore.
“The voice acting, soundscape and soundtrack in Star Trek Resurgence are all outstanding.”
What makes Star Trek Resurgence a challenging game to recommend is all the middle work it has you do. Every time we have to do work as Diaz, it always comes across as a chore, more than a fun way to interact with the world.
There are a lot of these weird QTEs all over Resurgence, and it tends to bring everything to a halt. The action bits themselves are fun enough. Nothing to write home about, and not game-changing. But competent enough that I the moment they are fluent enough to add to the tension.
The voice acting, soundscape and soundtrack in Star Trek Resurgence are all outstanding. It’s a shame the late great Leonard Nimoy wasn’t still around to voice Spock, but Piotr Michael does an outstanding job nailing his voice. With the sounds of phasers and blasters bringing their signature sound, it helps immerse you into the world. What helps even more in the immersion is the incredible soundtrack that hit incredible highs when the action was popping off to being a more toned-down calm when we were dealing with interplanetary politics.
“While we bounce between these characters in the game, it gives us a view of Star Trek we haven’t really seen in games past.”
Overall, Star Trek Resurgence was a pretty good time and one that got me to search out and engage with the franchise in a way I haven’t in years. Besides some technical flaws and QTE-heavy scenes, Star Trek Resurgence is not only for fans of the franchise but also a good jumping-in point for newcomers.
