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Star Trek is certainly on everyone’s mind at the moment. With the movie getting the crowds to pour into the theatres, it’s only natural that some movie tie-in products would appear to feed the cravings of the Trek enthusiast. Star Trek D-A-C (Deathmatch, Assault, and Conquest) is the Xbox Live Arcade game that allows gamers to pilot Federation and Romulan ships and wage war against one another. Whether you’re a hardcore fan of Star Trek or not, Star Trek D-A-C is probably not be the game you were expecting. It does offer some fun, but is lacking in too many areas to keep it from being a must buy.
D-A-C is strictly about skirmishes against bots, online opponents or co-op against bots. Gamers can choose from one of three different game modes, which are given in the title of the game. Deathmatch is, of course as its sounds, a deathmatch game. Assault has two rounds where you attack and defend a starbase. And lastly is Conquest, where you try to capture specific rings on the map and hold them for as long as possible. Each side has three different ship classes, with each class having their own individual speeds, durability and firepower. They all control the same and you will use all three of them since you’re will likely die in the first 40 seconds of action.
The only complaints occur in two areas, AI and content. The AI in the bot battles is brutal and relentless. They know how to shoot and how to gang up on you quick. Dying will be something you will need to get use to. But all is not lost, upgraded weapons and shields are scattered throughout the map to aid you. Before your ship is destroyed you also have the option to deploy an escape pod and if you survive for 5 seconds you will respawn immediately with some of your goodies still intact. All this will help a bit with the harsh AI, but not much. The other annoyance is the lack of content within the game. It would have been nice to have more ships to command. While this isn’t a huge complaint, you’d think that more than just a set of 3 ships for each team would be present since there are tons to choose from.
D-A-C is a fun title that would have faired better at a lower price point due to the lack of content and overall mediocre feel. Longevity is what makes an arcade title sell well and since there is no story mode to support it and the multiplayer has so many holes; Star Trek D-A-C falls to the wayside and just doesn’t cut it in.
Pros: Nice details, makes you want to see the movie again, music is from the film
Cons: AI can be brutal; lack of content makes it feel bare bones
Sound: 3.5
Control: 4.0
Graphics: 3.75
Fun Factor: 3.5
Info:Platform: XBLA Publisher: Paramount Digital Entertainment, Developer: Naked Sky Entertainment, ESRB: E, Players: 1-12, Price: 800 MS Points or $10
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