Star Trek: Bridge Crew – Review

Star Trek: Bridge Crew lets your experience being part of the crew in the USS Enterprise or at least something that looks like it. Being able to take command in 1 of 4 crew positions is an experience that is out of this world. Star Trek: Bridge Crew takes you to places where no man has ever gone before. And the journey is a wonderful experience.

Platform Reviewed: PlayStation VR (PS4)
Platforms Available: PlayStation VR (PS4, PS4 Pro), PC
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Red Storm Entertainment
Release Date: May 30, 2017
MSRP: $49.99 (Steam, PS Store)

Star Trek: Bridge Crew is a virtual reality game where you gain control of 1 of 4 crew positions in the USS Enterprise. This is my first review on a PSVR which I was a little hesitant about because I get seasick when playing in VR. Fortunately, my experience with this game was not that bad. Especially since most of the time you are just sitting in a chair in this game.

You have the option to play the game using a move controller or the normal Dual Shock 4 controller. I haven’t tried playing it with the move controller but I had no problems playing it with the DS4. The controls are very responsive and reaction time is very quick. This definitely makes the experience playing the game much better.

Each crew position has a distinct role. All of which are crucial in ensuring the success of a mission. Probably the most important role of all is the Captain. As a captain you oversee everything that’s going on in the ship. You answer distress signals and incoming communication from other people. You’re also the one who gets to see the objectives of your mission.

As Captain, you’re also in charge in delegating commands to the other crew members. This involves travelling to warp speed, impulse travelling and scanning targets. When you’re playing in single player mode, or if you have members on the mission that are AI, you have the option to take control of their station. It really makes the Captain an all-around player since you have to know the tasks of each of the other crew members. As they say, there is no ship if there’s no captain. So if you’re a control freak and want to make sure that everything is in order, this role is definitely for you.

The next role I’d like to mention is the Helm Officer. This person take control of the ship’s navigation. It is his task to align the ship during warp and impulse travels. He is basically the pilot of the ship and ensures that the ship is on the correct path. It is also your duty as the Helm Officer to ensure that the ship is able to dodge any attacks from other ships or from space debris.

The third person takes  who takes charge of ammunition and shield is called the Tactical Officer. This person is basically the soldier of the group and is responsible to take out the threats. This person has access to the ship’s weapons and also the ship’s shields. I think this is one of the most ineffective roles as it’s really hard to fire at other ships in space. Especially when they can move quickly than your clunky ship. It would probably take the help of the Helm Officer to ensure that the Tactical Officer can take out the targets. So these two really need to cooperate.

The last position is the Engineer. The engineer ensures that the power is distributed properly to the ship.  They allocate and prepare the energy necessary for warp or impulse drive. It is also their duty to ensure that the ship is in perfect condition. They take care of repairs for the ship and for its weapons.

There are two modes of gameplay for this game. One of which is the single-player mode. In single-player mode, you can take on missions and random missions as well. You can only take the role of a captain while the other positions will be filled by AI characters. The other mode is online and this is where you can team up with random people online to take on the campaign missions and random missions. Don’t be fooled with the game’s single-player mode though. Even though you’re playing alone, you still need to be connected online to play the game. I’m not really sure why this has to be an always online game but I think that will put off those players who wants to play the game but have no internet. So if you’re planning on playing this game, make sure you have a stable internet.

Star Trek: Bridge Crew is a fun simulator game. It lets you experience manning a spaceship in outer space. It’s a nice little escape if you’ve ever dreamed of going beyond the space frontier. I really loved staring at its visuals. The vast expanse of space was just breath-taking. I just wish that we could have played this game without having to be always online. But if you have the means to do so, then I would recommend that you play this game. I’ll see you guys in the space frontier. Long live and prosper!


7.0

GOOD

A recommended game, it’s missing a few things but it’s a fun experience for players.
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