Star Trek: Invasion for PlayStation 2

Star Trek: Invasion

While Star Trek: Invasion never quite reaches the lofty heights of the Colony Wars games, it's still worth a look even if you're not a green-blooded trekker. Set in the time line of the Next Generation TV and film series, Invasion has you cast in the role of a fighter pilot destined for a big part in the upcoming war against the Earth-bound Borg. The Borg is not the only Trek race to show up in here; the Cardassians, Klingons, and Bajorans are all along, too. Speaking of the Trek gang, actors Michael Dorn as Worf and Patrick Stewart as Captain Picard contribute good voice acting to an all-around solid production. The visuals in Invasion are uniformly sharp and show an attention to detail that almost makes the old PlayStation beg for mercy. The planets, the ships, the explosions (especially the explosions!) are topnotch. The music, however, is painfully repetitive. Disturbingly, the controls in Invasion are way too sensitive for all but the most die-hard space jockeys. The Valkyrie space fighters often make too wide a turn, resulting in constant misfires and untimely deaths. Perhaps because it is set in the more politically correct universe of Star Trek, Invasion does lack the Colony Wars games' level of intense, gritty combat, and its story isn't nearly as engaging. Yet, for a laser blast-filled journey into the final frontier, it's still a fun ride. --Mark Brooks Pros: Lovely graphics push the PlayStation to its limits Excellent voice acting all around Easy to get into Cons: Awkward controls Light story line doesn't compete with standout games in this genre Too few missions