By Amer Ajami
03/30/00
Design by Brian Mullin
Page 1 of 5
Developer:
The Collective
Publisher:
Simon & Schuster Interactive
Target Release Date:
Late summer 2000
Genre:
Action
|
Southern California-based developer The Collective Studios is currently tackling a dilemma that faces every team that has ever worked on a Star Trek computer game. How do you design a game that appeals to hard-core gamers while still appeasing the general Star Trek fan base? The Collective seems to have discovered that secret with its current work-in-progress, Deep Space Nine: The Fallen. Founded by brothers Doug and Richard Hare and their friend Gary Priest in January of 1997, The Collective doesn't have a long line of published games under its belt, and it lacks the experience typically associated with a successful developer. In the past, the company has done PC-to-PlayStation conversions of Men in Black and the Game | This preview was published as part of GameSpot's Star Trek Week. To see that entire feature, click here. |
of Life, but not much beyond that. In fact, The Fallen is The Collective's first stand-alone game it has ever worked on as a team. And yet, with this seemingly insurmountable lack of experience, Deep Space Nine: The Fallen is shaping up to be one of this year's most feature-rich and well-executed Star Trek games.
Click to enlarge |
When it releases this summer, The Fallen will be the first Star Trek game to follow the Deep Space Nine TV series. While not as popular as the classic-Star Trek or The Next Generation licenses, Deep Space Nine still has a niche following, and with characters like Worf and O'Brien, it arguably has (or had) the most loyal Star Trek fan base of all the different TV shows. The Fallen will also be the first Star Trek game to be played from a third-person perspective. Unlike its prime 
Click to enlarge |
competition, Raven Software's upcoming Voyager Elite Force, this game adds a healthy dose of exploration and adventure to its otherwise largely action-oriented style of gameplay, making it more appealing to a larger slice of gamers. But The Collective hasn't forgotten that this is a Star Trek game after all, and the designers have taken painstaking steps to ensure that The Fallen will be a true representation of the show it emulates, regardless of the relatively unorthodox way it plays in the scope of other Star Trek games.
We recently had a chance to visit The Collective to take an early look at The Fallen.
Next: Let's take a look
|
