Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Fallen Updated Preview
Our update examines the weapons, items, and control of this Star Trek game.
Earlier this year, GameSpot ran a weeklong feature that showcased a number of upcoming Star Trek games for the PC. While most of the games highlighted that week fell into traditional Star Trek genres like space combat simulations and first-person shooters, one game, Deep Space Nine: The Fallen, stood apart from the rest. Currently in development at The Collective in Laguna Beach, Calif., the game is played from a third-person perspective, and although it might resemble the typical suite of third-person shooters like Heavy Metal F.A.K.K.2 and Hexen II, The Fallen's gameplay includes a good deal of puzzle-solving and exploration elements, which makes it more akin to the Tomb Raider series than any Star Trek game. Although we originally previewed The Fallen last March, we recently received an updated build of the game and have uncovered some new features that were not discussed before. If you're unfamiliar with Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Fallen, be sure to read our original preview of the game, which details the technology behind the game, as well as The Fallen's characters and plot.
The first thing we noticed while playing the latest build of The Fallen is how refined the character control is when you use any of the three playable characters: Major Kira Nerys, Captain Benjamin Sisko, or Lt. Commander Worf. Most third-person shooters have been less successful in this department due to bad camera control and an unintuitive interface. But even in this alpha build, mouse control is accurate, and there isn't any of that distorted perspective that makes you second-guess your characters' proximity to walls or objects, which makes The Fallen's control feel just like a first-person shooter. However, The Fallen has benefits that are simply not possible to implement in a first-person game, such as visual cues like characters who track enemies in a room or items on the ground with their head, regardless of the direction you're facing or the angle at which your camera is pointing. This makes it a lot easier to find objects you'd otherwise miss and makes the chance of your character getting surprised by a flanking enemy a lot slimmer. Likewise, even though you have full control of your character's perspective while using the mouse, your reticle will automatically lock onto an enemy or object near the center of the screen, which makes targeting a breeze.
When you near a ledge, the characters will automatically kneel down, grab the edge of the platform, and swing themselves over the side. Climbing ladders is just as easy, as Kira, Worf, and Sisko will automatically hold on to the correct side of ladder as you approach it, which avoids the frustration of finding yourself underneath the platform or ledge that you were supposed to climb. All three characters will also go into a fighting stance whenever they're weaponless and in close proximity to an enemy. While this feature might seem insignificant, it's just one example of the extent that The Collective has taken to ensure that the characters in the Fallen not only control with ease but behave realistically onscreen as well.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Fallen Quick Links
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- Simon & Schuster
- Double Helix Games
- Sci-Fi Shooter
- Release: Nov 15, 2000
- ESRB: Teen
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