We will be the first to admit that there were times we thought this day would never come, but now it is the time for rejoicing -- at long last, Star Trek Deep Space Nine: The Fallen has shipped for Mac OS. This Unreal-powered action/adventure is sure to thrill both Trek fans and those who enjoy the increasingly-popular genre of the third-person shooter. With three complete (and unique) solo adventures and an engrossing plot inspired directly by the events and characters of the television series, this game is Trekkie heaven.
Simon & Schuster Interactive announced today
that its highly anticipated CD-ROM game, "STAR TREK DEEP SPACE NINE (R): THE
FALLEN," has shipped to retail for the Macintosh(R). THE FALLEN, which has
been in development for two years, utilizes a heavily modified version of
the Unreal(TM) Tournament gaming engine to produce a gaming experience that
will take gamers into both the next chapter of Deep Space Nine and the
future of interactive gaming (Rated "T" by the ESRB).
THE FALLEN marks the first opportunity for fans of the Deep Space Nine
series to see and hear their favorite characters in an original story since
the show ended its run in 1999. Developed by Collective Studios of Laguna
Beach, California, THE FALLEN stars the following cast members from the
acclaimed TV show who have lent their voices to the game:
* Michael Dorn…."Worf"
* Nana Visitor…"Kira"
* Alexander Siddig… "Bashir"
* Rene Auberjonois…"Odo"
* Armin Shimerman…"Quark"
* Andrew Robinson…"Garak"
* Terry Farrell…"Jadzia Dax"
With the scope of a motion picture, this unprecedented game, featuring
next-generation graphics and special effects, immerses fans in the world of
Deep Space Nine like they've never seen before. Gamers explore areas of the
space station that were never shown on the show and travel to incredibly
detailed and atmospheric locations to complete this rich game.
"The Fallen represents another accomplishment in our vision of combining our
expertise in digital entertainment with a cornerstone Paramount Pictures'
property," said Gilles Dana, senior vice president and publisher of Simon &
Schuster Interactive. "In this case, this effort has produced the
equivalent of a totally immersive, interactive episode of Deep Space Nine
that will appeal to Star Trek fans and hard core gamers."
THE FALLEN also brings to gamers a sophisticated camera system that takes
third-person perspective gaming to a higher plane, whether in close quarters
or wide-open expanses. For example when a gamer is in a corner, the camera
will switch to a first person perspective allowing the player to actually
see through the character to get a clear view of the action.
Utilizing a revolutionary multiple camera system and pushing game design to
the next level, THE FALLEN gives the player three unique and equally
compelling single player experiences allowing the player to be Sisko, Worf
or Kira in an intertwining and simultaneous storyline.
Additional Features
- A custom-designed inverse kinematics and bones animation system provides
fluid
character movements and ambulatory dexterity.
- Highly detailed architecture and intricate lighting techniques that
provide cinematic ambiance and mood. Each of the three character-paths
features over 10 levels of gameplay across 40 unique, detailed maps,
transporting the player through rich, photo-realistic environments never
before seen in any Star Trek episode or motion picture.
- More than 10 new weapons, Federation issue and beyond, most with multiple
firing modes.
- Opposition comes from more than 20 alien species, all with well tuned
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and an all-new race of bio-analogous creatures
known as the Grigari.
For more information on the plot and setting of the game, be sure and visit the official Deep Space Nine web site or browse our archive of news stories on this long-awaited title. Pre-orders of the game should begin shipping late this week, if all goes well. There will be no demo released for this game, unfortunately, but watch IMG for a detailed review in the near future.
