Star Trek Deep Space Nine: The Fallen Review

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Star Trek Deep Space Nine: The Fallen

Review by Mike PhillipsNovember 2000

Are you a fellow frustrated adventurer? Do you find yourself spending your spare time doing mundane things like cleaning the attic and rotating the tires on your car, all while waiting for the next adventure game to be released? Fear not, there’s no need to be productive, tune up your ‘puter instead and play an action game! Yes, an action game, those wretched games that for some reason many adventure lovers equate with testosterone-filled teenage males. I hope no one actually believes that stigma, and for those who haven’t played one since Doom, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how far they’ve evolved.  Many of these games have “borrowed” the best aspects of the adventure genre and improved upon them in exponential proportions. 

Here’s a rundown of the latest release dealing with the Star Trek universe from Simon & Schuster Interactive and Collective Studios, obviously a talented bunch of folks: Deep Space Nine—The Fallen.

The first thing that will impress you are the graphics. Watching as the camera pans around the station in the beginning is nothing short of breathtaking. The game is built on the Unreal Tournament engine, and rather than going into geeky stats, suffice it to say that it simply looks great. Reflections, shadowing, and all of the other great effects are thrown into the mix. The minimum system requirements are fairly low; a PII 233 is listed. I tried it on a PII 300 and it played decently, so for once the minimum requirements may be accurate. Of course, on a high-end system the game absolutely rocks! There is an abundance of customizable options for game controls, so getting things to run the way you desire is only a few clicks away. Two patches are available for the game; the recommended one is a whopping 33+ MB deal, although kudos should go to the developers as the game is incredibly stable once you snag the larger patch. 

DS9 aficionados may be disappointed that Avery Brooks doesn’t do the voice acting for Sisko, but fear not, Kevin Richardson does a fine job filling in. The same goes for O’Brien—Colm Meany is absent for whatever reason—but again Michael Gough does a convincing job and sounds very similar to Mr. Meany. Aside from that, the other voices will be familiar—Nana Visitor, Michael Dorn, Rene Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, etc., are all there to accompany you through the journey. So it goes without saying that the voice acting is top-notch and a joy to listen to.

There’s a training mission that will get you used to the game before you delve into it. It’s a good idea to try it first in order to get the controls set up to your liking and to become familiar with jumping, shooting, crouching, and the variety of other actions that are a prerequisite for the game.

Ah, the game proper, yes, a brief synopsis of the plot, so as not to give too much away. The intro begins with Prefect Terell, a Cardassian (or a Cardie as those wild and wacky Trekkies call them) working with a top-secret project in a research lab on Terok Nor. The project degrades quickly; a subspace rupture ensues and an unstable wormhole is created, which is obviously a bad thing. You then fast-forward to “present” day, the twenty-fourth century. Terok Nor is now referred to as Deep Space Nine. Your mission is to look further into the mystery begun by the Cardassians. During your trek (pardon the pun), you’ll learn much about the Pah-wraiths, the mysterious orbs Terell was so intrigued by, and an alien race known as the Grigari. Sound complex? It is—this isn’t an overdone stroll into Atlantis, and you have to pay close attention to the cutscenes to keep pace with everything.

Here’s where this title really gets unique. You have a choice to play as Major Kira Nerys, Captain Benjamin Sisko, or Lieutenant Commander Worf. Depending on which character you choose, the first mission is entirely different. It really happens in different settings, yet the story is tied into the same overall theme, a very neat trick.  The available weapons vary slightly depending on your chosen character, and a few mission objectives change, so there is some replay value to this game. Think of it as a difficulty setting, Worf being the most difficult (at least for me) as you have to get in the face of an enemy when using his Bat’Leth. Suffice it to say that a Bat’Leth is a nasty-looking sword weapon. I’m sure seasoned action gamers would love to play as Worf, although for me it was a nightmare.

The game is played from a third-person perspective, which can be changed using a code to the ubiquitous first-person for die-hard shooter fans. I did encounter several problems when using that particular code, however, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that the code isn’t supported or recommended by the developers.

There are many aspects in this game that would interest an adventurous adventure gamer. Still feeling hesitant about it? Well, S&S has thoughtfully set up a forum dedicated to the game, and the posts are very friendly even if you’re a newbie. That should further deflate the myth about action gamers being rude and crude. There are also plenty of cheats available for the action-impaired. So fear not, you will be able to finish the game despite your skill level with these types of games.

The million-dollar question … is this game for you? If you’re a steadfast-conservative adventure gamer, well, then, no. If you like to try new things, then the answer is a resounding yes! Take a trip to the action side of things and enjoy yourself. You may never want to go back. It’s a great game, but the emphasis leans more toward the shooter aspect. Although there’s no multi-player option, the replay value with different characters makes this title special.

One final note, there is a game in development based on the Farscape series that, from first reports, will play much the same as DS9. I can’t wait—bring it on! The End

The Verdict

The Lowdown

Developer: Collective Studios Publisher: Simon & Schuster Interactive Release Date: September 2000

Available for: Macintosh Windows

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Screenshots

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System Requirements

PC: 233 MHz Pentium II 64 MB RAM 100 MB free hard drive space Windows 95/98/NT CD-ROM drive PCI local bus video card Windows 95-compatible sound card

Mac: 200 MHz PowerPC 604 64 MB RAM 100 MB free hard drive space Mac OS 8 or higher CD-ROM drive

      Copyright © Electric Eye Productions.  All rights reserved.  No reproduction in whole or in part without express written permission.

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14 Responses to Fear Factor

  • Fear Factor | Tap-Repeatedly.com | Reality Topics Blog

    […] nobody@flickr.com (graftedno1) wrote a very interesting post today.   Here’s a quick excerpt:My greatest fear is to be trapped alone in a confined space with a blind human, in total darkness. They have a heightened sense of smell and hearing, and. […]

  • Matt "Steerpike" Sakey

    Lewis, you made me think of the scariest moments I’ve experienced in gaming, and we’re very similar people.

    Bioshock had two moments – the dentist and the flooded room filled with mannequins.

    Thief had Return to the Cathedral, which was terrifying to me. Thief 3 had Shalebridge Cradle, which is so scary it ought to be fined.

    System Shock 2 kept me on the edge of my seat, but it was more lonely panic than true fear.

    Korsakovia was so scary that I uninstalled it.

    And STALKER. Oh, god, the haunted labs in STALKER. The latter two games don’t have scares like that. Few games do.

    It’s especially rare for a game to have more than mere “moments” – for a game to be scary from beginning to end, that’s a triumph.

    Wonderful article. As if Gregg’s review wasn’t enough to convince me that Penumbra is not something I have the courage to play!

  • DPenn

    I’m with you Lewis … I’m a bit of a puss. I just have a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of dread as entertainment.

    Still, I’m drawn to dark stories when they have something interesting to say, whether it’s a game like Thief or a film like, say, Gaspar Noe’s Irreversible. So I’ll push through, sometimes peering through my fingers.

    The trouble with games, though, is that if you look through your fingers, you’re probably just going to have to play through the scenario again. :~)

  • Mike "Scout" Gust

    I wanted to play this game. I downloaded the demo but the controls were just too wonky for me to get my head around. I liked the atmospheric vibe a lot. I think I’m a bit desensitized from an overdose of horror movies in my youth so I don’t so much get the dread thing from these games as a nice creepy vibration. If only the controls were better…

  • Lewis B

    @ Mike, what’s wrong with the controls bud? As someone who despises poor control schemes, Penumbra’s is just like any other FPS, except to examine things you right click on them.  To use things you left click.  I’m not sure that can be considered difficult 🙂

  • Gregg B

    @Steerpike: Yeah my greatest shit-scared moments were with those games too. A few spoilers below people, so beware.

    Bioshock – Haha, I remember the dentist. I didn’t really find the game that scary overall but the bit where you go into the wine cellar and notice a mannequin facing the wall and after upgrading your weapon it’s stood directly behind you motionless and quiet just for a moment before attacking you. I shat a brick. I also missed that bit originally until Lew told me about it.

    System Shock 2 – same as you really, more unremitting tension all the way through rather than specific terrifying moments. Oh actually, theres a bit where you call a lift and it breaks then you realise a service droid is coming to fix it… I do remember having sleep issues after my first encounter with the cyborg ninjas though.

    Thief: The Dark Project – The Sword and Return to the Cathedral and Down in the Bonehoard and well, loads of them. The Sword made me break out into goosebumps though because there was a bit where you could hear this creepy giggling which seemed like it was following me about then it suddenly changed to this horrible throaty noise. What made matters worse was that the EAX (bless you Creative) made my foot steps sound like somebody else was there with me. That level was incredible, a bit too incredible as it seems I missed great chunks of it because I was so eager to leave.

    Thief II: The Metal Age – Trail of Blood where you end up in that opening with those damn tree beasts. God the first time I saw one of those hurtling towards me I actually died shortly afterward. Do you remember that Mechanist child walking around on one of the levels? That was a little creepy.

    Then there’s Penumbra: Overture – quite a few bits but I’m not mentioning them here.

    Oh and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. – The brain scorcher lab just because it was so damn quiet. My imagination seriously got the better of me there. Those stuffed animals and heads I’d seen in various buildings led me to believe that those creatures were lurking somewhere in the Zone, specifically that lab.

    @Mike: My control setup was perfect after some tweaking (as well as the simple weapon swing fix). If you ever fancy giving it another go, give me a shout and I’ll let you know my setup.

  • Lewis B

    I’m not sure why guys, but one of my starting paragraphs had gone missing, even though I copied it straight from the original source, and It was fine earlier. 

    Incase you missed it due to some technical issue you might want to re-read just after “Well no she wouldn’t in truth, but in Penumbra: Overture you don’t want to move anyway.” at the very start for those who’ve already read the article. Apologies 🙂

  • Mike "Scout" Gust

    Lewis, it was the weapon swing. It had this terrible, unresponsive feel to it, like trying to hit through molasses. I couldn’t stand using it. I tried the .ini fix as mentioned in the review but it didn’t seem to help. Of course this was the demo…but that shouldn’t have made any difference. I might try the second game instead as I guess they did away with the weapons thing.

    I’m see your first paragraph just fine. It’s the dialogue, right?

  • jdeuel

    I like the argument that weapons can remove fear, but even loaded to the teeth with ammo in AVP’99 the Marine missions were frightful because the enemy was anywhere at any time.

    As for Penumbra Overture, if the controls are anything like the original Penumbra they need to hack in some Wii-Remote 3d controls. I did not like using my mouse for 3d movements.

  • Gregg B

    @Mike: I’ve read that many people avoided conflict altogether in Overture which incidentally is something forced upon you in Black Plague. As somebody who has been renovating a house over the last 6 months with no DIY experience I can safely say that swinging a hammer is significantly easier in real life than it is in Overture without the fix. The fix balanced that for me.

    I’d highly recommend completing the first Penumbra because it’s one big build up to Black Plague which spoils the ending to Overture in the intro. And it’s a great ending too. Just so you know!

  • Lewis B

    @ Steerpike, those moments you mention are all my worst too!!  Do you remember the Robot labs in SS2? Absolutely terrifying, waiting for robots to burst out on you! 🙁 oh and have you ever player Condemned?

    @ Mike, The use of weapons in Penumbra is different to say HL2, where the player is physically holding the weapon, as in Penumbra it floats slightly infront of you.  However, if you change the control method to normal weapon swing, it’s no different!  Speak to Greggi and he’ll tell you what to do 🙂

    @ jdeuel, AVP the original and its sequal were scary however what type of fear do you think it is? I don’t think it’s anything more than sheer tension.  Having a Smart Gun makes you feel incredibly powerful.  I can honestly say in Penumbra the fear is sheer unrivalled terror, where you actually have to force yourself to play on.  It genuinly is that scary! 🙂

  • Jason Dobry

    It’s so true, an arsenal of weapons and ammo rapidly deflates any sense of horror or uneasiness in any game for reasons you already mentioned. Sakey, I thought Bioshock was more “lonely panic,” while I was pretty much always terrified in System Shock 2. I really, really, REALLY did not want to enter The Many’s nursery, and my weapons were so unreliable and ammo so scarce that I never felt safe.

    Silent Hill was terrifying for the same reasons. Ammo was rare and I frequently had to rely on my pipe for self-defense.  Even when I had ammo, the game mechanics prevented my character from being anything other than marginal with any firearm.

    Fear had one moment for me: I was climbing up a ladder, and as I reached the upper platform, my guy briefly looked down as he climbed off. As my perspective looked up again, that Ring-esque little girl was RIGHT THERE, reaching for me. I screamed and she was gone.

    What else…the original Aliens vs. Predator sent me into a locker room and I could only hear the facehuggers scurrying about somewhere within. I had to go in there. I advanced about three steps before the damn thing screamed and filled up my screen with its repulsive underside as it implanted me with its spawn. My roommate made fun of me for weeks for screaming like a girl child.

    Korsakovia–meh.  I was too annoyed and frustrated by the box rearrangement/jumping puzzles to be scared. I uninstalled it after an hour of play, I think. Maybe the scary parts were later, but I doubt it.

    As for Penumbra, I did play through about half of it before other games distracted me. I remember unease and creepiness, but no sweaty fear. I think I’m to blame here, or, more precisely, my daughter, who was still an infant at the time and generally allowed me only to play during the day for 45 minutes at a time. I was denied total immersion and the fear effect suffered. Maybe I should give it another go after I finish Call of Pripyat since she sleeps through the night now. With any luck, Penumbra will keep me from doing the same.

  • Gregg B

    I played the demo of F.E.A.R. but that ladder scare is the only bit I remember. Christ, that made me jump. I’m not too good with cat scares.

    Also I felt exactly the same about Korsakovia. It was creepy at first but then it began to irritate me far too much and it just soured the experience. I stopped playing as a result. Not to mention, when I realised I could bash those smoke-things with my crowbar they didn’t bother me nearly as much.

  • Online Up

    Great article. I look forward to reading more in the future.

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