Star Trek: The Video Game Will Explore The Plight Of The Vulcans
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J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek movie made many changes to the original timeline, but perhaps none more drastic than the destruction of the planet Vulcan, leaving Spock and his people an endangered species. While the movie may have angered some Trekkers, it’s one of the elements I respected the most, simply because it stood behind the thesis that there was no point in redoing Trek if you were going to do the same things all over again. (We’ll see if Star Trek Into Darkness stays true to that, namely in whether Benedict Cumberbatch proves to be playing Khan or not). Now it’s been revealed that the upcoming, in-canon Trek video game will be further exploring the plight of the surviving Vulcan people.
The game stars Kirk and Spock, allowing gamers to play co-coperatively as the two, or letting a single player switch back and forth. We’ve also known for a while that the game is set between the two movies, and that the lizard-like Gorn are involved as primary antagonists, but other story details have been few. Now Coming Soon has landed some new details about the game, including that some of the surviving Vulcans will play a role.
Warning: Spoilers Ahead!
Paramount Senior Vice President and Executive Producer Brian Miller has revealed that the game will open with Kirk and Spock called to the rescue of a mysterious space station. Once aboard, they cross paths with a childhood friend of Spock’s, a female scientist named T’Mar. She’s the commanding officer of the station and, wouldn’t you know it, it doesn’t take long for her to catch the eye of Kirk. Miller says, “Her blend of incredible intelligence and unexpected beauty prove intriguing to Kirk.” (That rascal.) Later in the game, Kirk and Spock visit New Vulcan, a world colonized by the survivors of Nemo’s planetary genocide. They’ll also meet Surok, a notable Vulcan leader, and learn that New Vulcan has been attacked by the Gorn.
Miller continues:
When we crafted this story we wanted to make sure the player realizes that the usually logical, Spock can have very emotional connections to the ones he cares about. Surok was one of Spock’s childhood mentors and is also T’Mar’s father. Together, they are helping to lead the colonization of New Vulcan.
Star Trek: The Video Game will release on April 23rd for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. After the crushing disappointment of Aliens: Colonial Marines, I’m hoping this licensed game fares better.
