Star Trek Online uses Cryptic’s own engine which was first designed in the early days of the company and has since received a massive overhaul to support newer titles such as STO. One of the main aspects of the engine which could assist in making the game a long term success is the fact it features procedural content generation for a massive number of planets and star systems to explore over the lifetime of the game. The game also allows all players to play on the same “shard” with no localisation, if our friends play in another part of the world it will be possible to meet up regardless of the location we log in from.
In terms of graphics the game has two distinct areas, away missions/space stations and space flight/combat. There are many aspects of the ground based sections which look good, planets always look different and have some nice lighting in places but we did feel that it looked a little dated in places, even with maximum detail. Space based action is a different story though, it looks fantastic with some great backgrounds and a wide selection of enemy ships which have been rendered very well.
The game also scales well, we played much of our time on a Radeon 5770 at maximum detail and 1920x1080 without issue, the experience was just as good on a laptop based GeForce GT 335M at 1280x720. This is also a game which benefits from a multi-core CPU with 2-3 core processors receiving a good performance boost and 4 core models a little more on top of that. The renderer is designed to use one additional core where as some tasks such as the animation system will use any core available to them, a rarity in the world of MMORPG’s.
Audio
In terms of audio Cryptic have remained true to the style of Star Trek with a grand, orchestral theme tune for the game. A section of this is available in the video above and as game soundtracks go it is pretty great. Care has also been taken to ensure that the score fits in with action on screen, as an example if our craft is being attacked by a Klingon the style of music is more savage, tribal music.
For the in-game sound effects Paramount/CBS provided Cryptic with a library of content which has helped to give the game an authentic feel when mixed with their own original work. For example there is nothing quite like firing your first photon torpedo and hearing that well known sound... experiencing the warp effect for the first time, or that great transporter noise.
Voice acting is also important to ensuring fans of the franchise feel at home; so with Leonard Nimoy voicing the introduction and Zachary Quinto adding his voice during the game as an Emergency Medical Hologram Cryptic should cater for fans old and new.
Summary
Considering Cryptic picked up this title a little more than 2 years ago it comes as quite a surprise that the game has been released in such a polished state. Throughout our time testing, especially since the retail code became available, the game has been very stable and we have yet to experience a bug with final code.
Gameplay itself is balanced very well between away missions and space combat/exploration. The ground based action flows well and is often challenging and action packed. While there is a certain element of repetitive point and click firing in early missions, as the game progresses and additional skills are added the action becomes more varied and enjoyable. Space based action also evolves well as the game progresses, offering some quick thrills in the early stages before requiring a lot of thought later on. Essentially offering the best space combat mechanic we have seen for some time.
Star Trek Online also caters well for casual players and those who want to throw themselves into the universe. It is possible to progress slowly through the game, doing the bare minimum required to enjoy the missions or delve right in and get involved in more advanced aspects such as trading and teaming up with a group of likeminded players.
Cryptic have also provided us with a great engine for this title, it scales well and takes advantage of multiple cores which we love to see. Although we would have liked to see some more detailed characters and textures when in space stations or ships the ground based graphics do enough to draw the player into the game but pale in comparison to some excellent rendering in the space sections. Overall the visual side combines well with the use of classic Star Trek effects and a good original score to create a fun and immersive gaming experience.
In a way it is somewhat impossible to rate an MMORPG this early into its existence as so much rests on the community who play and the content/changes the developer makes available in the future. What we can say for now is that in the short term at least Star Trek Online is a lot of fun to play and well worth the initial purchase price and at least a few months’ worth of subscription. It has certainly been a hit around our offices, more so that any MMORPG outside WOW.
| Gameplay |
90/100 |
A good mix of action and tactics which can be as simple or in-depth as the player wishes. Space combat is excellent. |
| Graphics |
85/100 |
A game of two halves with space combat being noticeably more impressive. |
| Sound |
88/100 |
Some great music mixed with classic Trek effects. |
| Value |
90/100 |
Provided it is managed well by Cryptic there is huge scope for long term gaming. Monthly cost is reasonable. |
Overall
(Not an Average) |
89/100 |
A promising start to this MMORPG, lots of fun to play on your own or as part of a group. |
