Who would've thought Trek games could still be good?
Encounters experiences none of these problems. The gameplay, though at times stressing or prolonged, is quite varied as you progress, and the story (or perhaps stories) is original and interesting. The controls are simple and intuitive, with the analog sticks being purely for maneuvering and scanning, while the D-pad adjusts the power output to Weapons, Engines, Sensors, and Shields. The left shoulder buttons either raise and lower the elevation of your ship, while the right shoulder buttons are used to either fire the selected weapon or lock weapons. You get a fairly decent arsenal of weapons, from phasers to photon torpedoes to gravitic mines, and each has its own plusses and minuses. You'll run through each of the Trek franchises, starting with Enterprises, then moving on into Star Trek itself, then on to The Next Generation. Once completed, you'll unlock Deep Space Nine and Voyager, and once you've polished those off you'll unlock Star Trek: Sovereign. Each section has its own primary enemy, as well as story (obviously). You'll be given the chance to collect crew cards for viewing in the Vault, as well as to experience the upgrades they cast onto your ship. As you progress you'll unlock new arenas and enemy ships to play against in Skirmish mode, and for the die-hard Trek fans there's a ship viewer to view the (surprisingly stunning) ship models in full 3D.
The graphics and sound are gorgeous for the PS2, with bright, glowing textures and effects, and deep Trek-based sounds. Phasers and torpedos sound just like you'd want them to, and the transporter effects are seamless and easy on the eyes. The graphics maintain fairly uniform and are evenly beautiful, and at times the sight of a sun sliding from behind a planetoid can almost take your breath away at the mere prospect that in a game that only costs $14.99 USD someone took the time to fit a lot of good stuff into such a game that got so little publicity. The only complaints that I can think of are that, though the game is fairly long, it could have been longer, and the camera could have used a little more work. It works, though. Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't have minded a few more universes to explore, like the areas explored by Armada or Invasion, and I would've enjoyed a few more appearances of some of the other Captains or other main characters.
At a bargain price and with a great gameplay scheme, I'd definately recommend Encounters to any Trek fans, or those who are truly interested in experiencing the better side of Trek gaming.
Two-thumbs up. Go get it. Recommended.