Star Trek: Shattered Universe Review

6.8

Format PlayStation 2

Developer Starsphere Interactive

Publisher TDK

Genre Action

You'd think given the potential of the Star Trek licence that any new game would give you the chance to play as a cool character. Kirk, Picard, Janeway - heck, we'd even settle for Wesley Crusher. But Shattered Universe gives you Sulu and Chekov. Huh?

Still, the scenario's actually pretty cool. Captain Sulu is zapped into a mirror universe with an evil Empire instead of the Federation, and pitched against the evil twin of his former compadre Chekov. The game is split into 20 space-battling missions, with asteroid-sized chunks of story thrown in.

Objectives are often simple, like destroying waves of fighters while protecting Sulu's ship, but the fast pace and satisfying shooting makes up for the often repetitive nature of the missions. Mastering the thrust and reverse controls to hunt down the enemy is more satisfying than applying nipple electrodes to The Games' Jodie Marsh, and you're rewarded with sexy new ships to pilot as the story progresses.

It's fun then, but next to the visual magnificence of Cube's Rogue Squadron series, this looks like a clumsy kid's drawing. Flat textures, static backdrops and bog standard explosions spoil a lot of the game's atmospheric potential too.

CVG Staff