Star Trek: Encounters PS2 $14.99 at Best Buy (B&M and .com)

I rented it, didnt not finish it

+ great graphics for a PS2 game
+ great sound
+ all ST included, DS9, TNG etc...
+ budget price

- unique controls take a while to get used to
- manual aiming is skittish
- horrible mission design . for instance flying through rings ALA Superman 64 on a timer
- forced to start out inST enterprise era other content is locked
- try and die style gameplay
- no 480p no 16x9
- no online
- skimpy save system
- difficulty unbalanced, some missions are absurdly easy others have people throwing their controllers out the window in digust
- odd interpretation of 3D space. Imagine you have a plastic submarine in the tub. Using the trigger buttons either sinks or surfaces, the R triggers are lock on and fire weapons. That is exactly how the levels play out, you move around on a flat plane and sink or surface depending on the altitude of objects/rings/targets etc... I've never played a 3D space shooter like that in my life

I returned it after 1 day and then decided to rent it again just to see how the defiant is. there have been some workarounds posted togamefaqs for some of the more annoying missions

This is clearly a game for die hard ST fans and even then you might be let down as the presentation is really bare bones
 
I was looking at this the other night at Blockbuster, but was disappointed that there seemed to be no Xbox version available.

If the rest of you disliked this, there WAS one other space shooter with the Star Trek name on it this generation. It was on BOTH Xbox and PS2.

I think it was called Shattered Universe.

I kept wishing that my cousin who I was going to car auctions with went back to Syracuse, so I could've seen if the COMPUsa there had their closing sale %'s go up yet or not. They had a copy or three of it in stock for Xbox.

However, the last time I saw it there, it was still $19.99 or over and I'm such a cheapass anymore, I didn't feel like paying THAT much for it.
 
I saw this for $14.99 new at Game Crazy as well. I might grab it at that price since I've been waiting for more Star Trek games to come out.

Shattered Universe was okay, but some of the later missions are nearly impossible.
 
I picked it up earlier this week -- for a budget title it is a good game -- comparable to any of the $20 space opera games on PCs, or the PC "casual game" market offerings.

Just as it says on the box, it is a "arcade style" game, with a decent amount of try-fail-try again gameplay. It is not truely 3-D space, does not pretend to be, and in fact that makes its more true to the Star Trek tradition of the shows and the games.

The ships are just as responsive as any large battleship would be in the show -- this is not supposed to be Star Wars.

Some of the missions are frustrating, like the 2nd "pilot thru rings level," flying against a timer, but by and large if u dig Trek, u will dig the game. Don't expect Ace Combat -- this game was not released as a $49.99 title for a reason -- but it is still a good, competant game, especially for fans of Trek, and especially those looking for a cheap gaming thrill.
 
[quote name='GunstarRed']I saw this for $14.99 new at Game Crazy as well. I might grab it at that price since I've been waiting for more Star Trek games to come out.

Shattered Universe was okay, but some of the later missions are nearly impossible.[/QUOTE]

Ah, so search *does* work - I was about to post that I saw the $14.99 price at GC today (yeah, kind of late compared to you guys). I keep waiting for reviews on this game and there is still NOTHING on metacritic or gamerankings. Very strange, as the game has been out for a few weeks now, right? I know I saw it at EB a while back (at $19.99).

Thanks for the summaries guys, I don't like the "controller throwing" difficulty aspect, that's for sure.

Ok, no sooner do I write this than there are some reviews up now - a 40 and a 49 on Metacritic, ugh... One from IGN (the 49/100):

http://ps2.ign.com/articles/741/741340p1.html

Looks like IGN finally posted it on the 24th (I looked yesterday and it weren't there).
 
According to IGN, if it is not a sandbox game with cocaine and hookers, it must suck.

It's a budget game, with budget quality. That is not necessarily a bad thing.
 
[quote name='donssword']According to IGN, if it is not a sandbox game with cocaine and hookers, it must suck.

It's a budget game, with budget quality. That is not necessarily a bad thing.[/QUOTE]

Hehe, well, I certainly don't take the word of IGN as the Gospel, but it was a pretty harsh review. The other one on metacritic was even worse. So, what this indicates to me is that this game is a "fiver". In other words, I'll wait till I can get it for $5 or less... That's not putting it down TOO much, as I wait till many $50 games are that price before getting them too ;).
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']I was looking at this the other night at Blockbuster, but was disappointed that there seemed to be no Xbox version available.

If the rest of you disliked this, there WAS one other space shooter with the Star Trek name on it this generation. It was on BOTH Xbox and PS2.

I think it was called Shattered Universe.

I kept wishing that my cousin who I was going to car auctions with went back to Syracuse, so I could've seen if the COMPUsa there had their closing sale %'s go up yet or not. They had a copy or three of it in stock for Xbox.

However, the last time I saw it there, it was still $19.99 or over and I'm such a cheapass anymore, I didn't feel like paying THAT much for it.[/quote]

This weekend is the last weekend of the CompUSA closing sale, and they are at 40%-70%
 
[quote name='csidegamer']Star Trek: Encounters

Found this earlier today.

New PS2 game out and is $14.99 at Best Buy.

Don't let the cheap price fool you, it is a decent title.[/QUOTE]

it's $14.98 at my local WalMart too.. oh and the game isn't that great IMO - awful controls ruin it.
 
Yeah, if they have to cut the price of a budget title from $19.99 to $14.99 less than one month after release, it is *not* a good sign.
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']I was looking at this the other night at Blockbuster, but was disappointed that there seemed to be no Xbox version available.

.[/QUOTE]

fyi there is gonna be an xbox 360 ST game called Star Trek Legacy. Which let's hope is a better made title.
 
[quote name='azeledge']fyi there is gonna be an xbox 360 ST game called Star Trek Legacy. Which let's hope is a better made title.[/QUOTE]

There's also Tactical Assault for the PSP and DS. I'm holding out the most hope for those (previews have been positive so far, but then they almost always are ;).
 
Believe it or not, but I bought this game, and it's actually decent. I'd give it a 7.8-8.0. It's fast paced and fun, but at times, the manual targeting scheme is difficult to use, and switching weapons is a little clunky. The space battles are fun though. I wasn't expecting much, but for arcade like Star trek combat it's fun. I'm a huge trekkie, and the battles aren't accurate, but it's pretty fun regardless. Graphics aren't spectacular, but it is a fun game.
 
There is a really strong casual game series (before "casual game" was defined) called "Strange Adventures in Infinite Space," and the new "Weird Worlds: Return to SAIS."

At their core, these are lighthearted executions of classic Trek gaming -- fly ships around to planets, pick up stuff, trade it, and fight aliens in a top-down 2-D mode.

For me at least, ST:E emulates the SAIS universe in a fun way -- specifically the fight modes of game play, and let's u immerse in the ST universe. A definite buy for $5-8, or even $10.
 
[quote name='io']One from IGN (the 49/100):

http://ps2.ign.com/articles/741/741340p1.html

Looks like IGN finally posted it on the 24th (I looked yesterday and it weren't there).[/QUOTE]
Thanks for the link, io. I had been waiting to hear something about the game for about two weeks now, after first seeing it in a BBGR for 14.99. I haven't been able to dredge up anything other than previews from months ago which had no real relevence to the finished product.

[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']If the rest of you disliked this, there WAS one other space shooter with the Star Trek name on it this generation. It was on BOTH Xbox and PS2.

I think it was called Shattered Universe.[/QUOTE]Eh... SU wasn't that great of a game, I found. In truth, other than StarFleet Command (III especially), most of the Star Trek licensed are pretty poor.

[quote name='io']There's also Tactical Assault for the PSP and DS. I'm holding out the most hope for those [/QUOTE]Ditto that.
 
[quote name='guinaevere']Thanks for the link, io. I had been waiting to hear something about the game for about two weeks now, after first seeing it in a BBGR for 14.99. I haven't been able to dredge up anything other than previews from months ago which had no real relevence to the finished product.
[/QUOTE]

Man, your GR has it in?? I saw it at Gamecrazy for that price (where I have a VERY small, yet valuable, amount of credit that I don't want to waste on this). But my GR credit is more expendable. I'd pick it up for $10 at GR.

I don't really get the game review sites - they push out reviews for hot titles before or on day of release, which, while on the one hand I understand, on the other hand, though, makes no sense. For example, everyone knew Okami would be good - it really didn't need reviews (or at least so many on the first day). THIS game, however (and things like Mage Knight for the DS), absolutely *require* reviews for us to make some kind of decision, and it took weeks in both cases for a single damn review to show up.
 
[quote name='io']Man, your GR has it in?? I saw it at Gamecrazy for that price (where I have a VERY small, yet valuable, amount of credit that I don't want to waste on this). But my GR credit is more expendable. I'd pick it up for $10 at GR.[/quote]Yes indeedy. The first GR I located it within was Douglasville, and as I say it was $14.99 new. I called m bro to ask if he had heard any reviews for it, and he hadn't either, so I left it. The GR closer to me also has it, though their sticker price is $19.99. As the GameRush's are pretty even across the board in their prices, I feel that one of them has it mis-marked.

THIS game, however (and things like Mage Knight for the DS), absolutely *require* reviews for us to make some kind of decision, and it took weeks in both cases for a single damn review to show up.
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I know Sugar, I know. A few friends of mine who are in the VG magazine bidness, have explained the reason to me after my incessant whining... A big part of their focus is to ensure that the games which will harvest the majority of traffic (high-profile titles) are covered regularly from rumors/announcement to reviews. Reason? Traffic traffic traffic! Keep the numbers high, in order to be able charge high rates to their advertisers.

It's always money, io. Even in our games.
grumps.gif



And this complaint comes to you from a confirmed supporter of the capitalist system. What can I say? It's the model that works for them. The downside is that we don't always get the unbiased information we want, or any information at all.

I'm glad to see smaller companies still turning out these games, like ST: E. I'm glad E3 is restructuring to help these smaller companies promote and get some attention to their product. But we still have a while to go before we get everything we want.
 
[quote name='guinaevere']The first GR I located it within was Douglasville, and as I say it was $14.99 new. [/QUOTE]

Hey, I went to that store back in May. That's the fucking (pardon my language) store that sold me a shrinkwrapped display copy as a new game, then would do nothing about it when my local store called them on it. I didn't notice there was no game until I got it home - there was no "disc rattle" like there should have been, so I took it into my local BB to open it - sure enough, empty inside. But the dipsticks at that GR had resealed it, stickered it with a new price tag, and put it out on the floor. Fortunately my local store refunded me the price, but I lost out on the tax (since they don't know about that here), so you Georgians are living off my stolen money :D.

Anyway, agree completely about the game reviews - I figured as much. I could also go on a rant about how every "hands-on preview" is glowingly positive, then when the game come out the same rag will give it a 5/10. The reason for that is painfully obvious, yet annoying nonetheless.
 
[quote name='io']Hey, I went to that store back in May.[/quote]
You're kidding. I thought you were in Ohio or Oregon ... I don't know, but I didn't think you were local. Why aren't you in the atl thread?

sold me a shrinkwrapped display copy as a new game, then would do nothing about it when my local store called them on it. I didn't notice there was no game until I got it home - there was no "disc rattle" like there should have been, so I took it into my local BB to open it - sure enough, empty inside. But the dipsticks at that GR had resealed it, stickered it with a new price tag, and put it out on the floor. Fortunately my local store refunded me the price
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Unreal. From what I understand that's the main store in the area, so it's crazy that you weren't able to take it up with a DM. But I'm glad to hear you got your money back.

, but I lost out on the tax (since they don't know about that here), so you Georgians are living off my stolen money :D.
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AH, so you were just visiting. Now I get it. No tax? Gotta be NH or Oregon.
 
[quote name='guinaevere']


AH, so you were just visiting. Now I get it. No tax? Gotta be NH or Oregon.[/QUOTE]

Yes, I live in OR. I was on a business trip to the north Atlanta area. Will probably be back there again, though I usually travel to DC. No GR up there, unfortunately. The trip to Atlanta was my first chance to see another GR - they are better stocked than mine, but much more cramped and dirty :D. I had one free night and ran around and hit up about 4 of them. I didn't find much of interest (this was when the clearance sale was at 50%).

Anyway, we are WAY off topic, except for the fact that I can't believe your GR got this game in stock - still none at mine. Oh well... I'm waiting on $5 for it anyway :D.
 
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