|
 - Response to the game not loading...To all those people having problems of the game not loading with the "disc read error": It is your PS2, not the game! The "blue" discs are in regular CD-ROM format; The "silver" discs are in DVD-ROM format. The Playstation 2 has a known fault of not reading a certain format over extended use of the system or improper shut down procedures. For instance, do not switch off the main power before holding the reset button to go into standby mode: It is the most common cause of the system not reading certain formats if it is not shut down properly. Since "blue" discs are rarely made anymore, most consumers choose to ignore the problem. It can be fixed, however, with a few tweaks of the laser or a laser replacement, but it can be costly (and probably not practical because you can buy a new PS2 for the price of the repair). Trust me, I used to repair these same problems for a living. It was one of the PS2's major faults that was never resolved because of SONY's greediness. They want you to give them money for the repair to make up for the losses made during manufacturing of the PS2 and now the PS3. Anyway, I've gone on long enough. Before returning the game to the store, try it in someone else's PS2 to see if it works. If it doesn't, then that other PS2 is bad too. Like I said, very common problem! Hope this answers some concerns. Oh, the game is pretty cool. Rating:  - Bethesda Design company big let downI've played alot of Star Trek Games. Going back to the original Star Trek game for the Nintendo 1! This is by far the stupidest game ever designed. The training course alone is enough to drive you insane. The visuals are not stunning. The game play is pretty lame. And you can't even skip the cut scenes! Almost 90% of PS2 games allow you to skip cut scenes if you want to go on with the game. Plus it takes like two minutes to load the Main menu! Its billed as shoot em up, but you view it from a semi bird's eye view. My purchase was an impulse buy. If you are reading this stay the hell away from this game. I think that the design company went extremely cheap with this game as if though it was designed by 15 year old high school students or something. This has given me serious second thoughts about Bethesda's other game for the PC Legacy. Rating:  - Clunky Shooter At Best With Star Trek TrappingsI've always enjoyed the STAR TREK shows, and I own all the original series on DVD (only now they're releasing enhanced versions and I have to think about upgrading -- but it probably won't be long before they're on HD DVD or Blu-ray), so I really looked forward to STAR TREK ENCOUNTERS on PS2. The cover looked cool. The game description sounded cool. But that wasn't exactly what was delivered. Instead of getting a game that would put me squarely in the middle of a Star Trek setting, I ended up with a shooter that really didn't do service to shooter games in general. The controls were clunky, the camera shifts too hard, and I had no real feeling of command at any given point. The timed ring event at the very start of the game took hours to pass, and it had to do more with memorization than with skill -- which isn't how I think a game should be designed. I got so frustrated my wife and I had to take turns running the rings (yes, she beat me!) so I didn't put the game in the circular file. In addition to the impossible gameplay and the clunky controls, there really wasn't a FEELING of being in Star Trek. The episodes are all about character interaction, of two or more characters involved in doing something that means everything, but following different (not always incorrect) paths to achieve a goal. You get none of that here. STAR TREK ENCOUNTERS is simply a shooter dressed up in Star Trek clothes like the Klingons at Star Trek conventions. It's all wannabe and no real thrill. On the plus side, some of the graphics look really good, especially the explosions (but there's no sound in space!), you do get to fly all the ships (once you succeed in unlocking them), and the price is about right. I really think you can wait awhile and pick it up at the bargain bin in six months for a lot less. My advice is, unless you're a diehard fan, to rent or borrow the game to see if you like it. Rating: - Horrible gameplay mechanicsI love the concept of flying around a starship shooting at enemy ships in the trek universes. Problem is, the game control mechanics are the absolute worse I've ever seen in any 3D space game. X-Wing in the mid 90's had vastly superior gameplay mechanics. Which the basic concept of the game is a good one, the implementation is just so poor that it isn't even worth $15. You're locked in to playing just the "Enterprise" series ships until you complete some totally obtuse objectives that mainly exist to teach you the horrible gameplay mechanics. Avoid it. Rating: - Best Bang for the Buck I've bought in agesYes, I hate the rings, I hate the races. But it's only really intolerable in one level, "The Chase" in the Voyager section. It's also slow to load. But other than that, this was a huge bargain for $15! I felt it really captured the spirit of Trek, and I found most of the missions very enjoyable. I've put a lot of hours into the regular "story" levels, and there's still so much replay value with the different types of skirmishes. It's MORE than enough for this 41 year old Trek fan and casual gamer. That said, if it wasn't Trek, if they weren't Trek ships, I probably would not have enjoyed it nearly as much, and I'm sure I would have walked away after 2 hours of trying to beat "The Chase". Life is short. But I really want to play the Next Gen Movies "Sovereign" class levels, so I kept at it. If there's a sequel (unlikely), I'll buy it. It's certainly NOT "Starfleet Command", but it just about captures that feeling for me from the comfort of my couch rather than my PC. One star off of "Fun" for.... "THE CHASE"!!! ugh!
|
