At this past E3, I saw a demo of Star Trek: Legacy, and when it was done, I wept for joy. I hugged the developer who presented the demo, for I recognized him as a fellow Trek nerd like myself. The attention to detail, the care, the sheer love that was being put into the game made me happy to the very core of my soul, and I anxiously awaited the game's release. When I finally got to play the full version of Legacy, I wept yet again, but this time, it was for what might've been. What was delivered is a disappointing, frustrating, and altogether empty Star Trek experience. This review is covered in tears.

Shields up! Battlestations!
In Legacy, you'll adopt the role of your favorite Star Trek captain, no matter who he or she may be. In much-appreciated recognition that there are other characters besides Kirk and Picard, Legacy takes you through the entire Trek chronology, from Enterprise all the way through Deep Space Nine. In an even nicer touch, the captains actually do their own voicework, not that Scott Bakula or Kate Mulgrew had much else going on. The timeline is followed in loving detail, and longtime fans of the show will find themselves nodding with satisfaction at how seriously the game adheres to show canon. Unfortunately, that's just about the only thing that will earn such nods of appreciation.

For one thing, though you'll hear your favorite ship leaders, you'll never actually see them, or anyone else, for that matter. The entire story is told via voiceover and ship-to-ship communication, so that it looks like ships are talking to each other in the vastness of space. Listening to plot unfold while watching alternating shots of ships floating in space creates an odd sort of disconnect for the player; sure, you're issuing commands as the captain, but you very much feel pushed out of the action once the shooting stops.

Set Phasers to Unremarkable
Legacy's action is all about ship-to-ship combat, and it does that fairly well. The control interface takes a bit of getting used to, which is bad enough, but it doesn't feel remotely Trek-like, which is unforgiveable. Still, once you find your peace with the sometimes-frustrating camera, targeting, and weapon arrays, you'll find the combat can be quite satisfying. You can have up to four ships total under your command, and they can either act in unison, or be given specific (though simple) orders. Ships are acquired either by scenario, such as rescue, or by flat-out purchasing them with points earned in combat. The variety of combat missions you face with your fleet is fun, and commanding them is easy enough, though certain missions definitely favor certain ships, which might prove annoying if you've spent all your points on the wrong vessel.

What's most disappointing about the combat is how lackluster the graphics are. These are last-gen graphics, folks, which is bad enough in any game, but when all you're showing me are nebula, stars, and spaceships, there's just no good reason for me not to be wowed. You don't want to try and render Sisko's bald head or Ferengi ears, ok, I'm fine with that, but all you had to do was copy the damn ships and we'd have been happy. Players will definitely be able to recognize Voyager and her sisters, but all the ships in Legacy lack the type of intricate, see-the-plasma-particles detail that you'd be justified in hoping for from a next-gen title.

Thankfully, none of that matters much once you take Legacy online. Nobody cares about missing character models when they're blowing the crap out of their friends in a no-holds-barred skirmish. You can choose from an assortment of Trek icons, including Starfleet (of course), the Klingons, the Romulans, or the Borg. Whether or not you choose to stay in character throughout the match is up to you, but really, when else are you going to get the chance to say "Resistance is futile" or "It's a good day to die" and not sound like a complete nerd? Ok, you'll still sound like a nerd, but you'll be appreciated for it.

Make it So-So
It's really sad when the portable version of a game outclasses the bigger, supposedly ballsier version. Star Trek: Tactical Assault for the PSP has essentially the same gameplay as Star Trek: Legacy, but does a far better job of making the player actually feel like the captain of the ship. The space combat in Legacy is solid and satisfying, but lacks the thrill that commanding your own mini Starfleet should have. Trek fans will appreciate the adherence to the show's long history, but they'll be disappointed at how un-Treklike it feels in virtually every other respect. The online play almost makes up for the single-player campaign's shortcomings, but even the finest Romulan ale isn't quite enough to wash the bitter taste of disappointment away.

-Maj1013