Star Trek: 25th Anniversary (computer Game) - Background and Gameplay

Background and Gameplay

Star Trek: 25th Anniversary (a combination of flight simulator and adventure game) was the first critical and popular hit in the Star Trek computer gaming franchise.

Game play is broken down into several "episodes" reminiscent of the Star Trek television series (the game is portrayed as "the lost fourth season").

Much like the away parties of the series, the game puts the player in control of as many as four characters at once. The adventure team consists of the series' main characters, Captain James T. Kirk, Mr. Spock, and Dr. McCoy, and an occasional "red-shirted" security officer, who is the first to be killed should the player make a fatal misstep. Sulu, Scotty, Uhura, and Chekov would have to wait for the sequel, Star Trek: Judgment Rites, to appear on the away missions.

Space combat involves maneuvering the Enterprise and firing her weapons at enemy starships. In Star Trek: 25th Anniversary the player can assign Scotty to repair the ship's systems (e.g., prop up the shields, restore weapon functionality, or repair the scanners to remove static from the main screen). Throughout the game, there are only a few instances, such as the final battle, where the player must engage in combat.

Destroying the Enterprise or killing one of the main characters ends the game, requiring the player to restart from the last saved game. This was mandated by Paramount, which had final approval rights on the game's contents. Getting a "red shirt" killed may be accomplished in almost every episode and will not end the game, but will lower the mission score.

At the end of each mission, players received a message from Starfleet Command on how well they have done (100% being perfect and less than 50% is considered a botched mission). It is possible to complete missions while failing at every objective, giving an unsatisfying ending. At the end of the game, the player receives a final evaluation from Starfleet Command. A "Very High" score results in the crew being granted shore leave, while a sufficiently low score results in Captain Kirk's demotion, removal from command of the Enterprise, or a similarly undesirable ending.

The original cast of Star Trek, including William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, and Walter Koenig, provided their voices for the CD version of the game. The minor character, con man Harry Mudd, also makes a guest appearance in one of the game's episodes (though the original actor, Roger C. Carmel, did not voice the role, as he had died in 1986).

The game contains a copy-protection system that asks the player to consult the game's manual to find out what star system to warp to on the navigation map. Warping to the wrong system sends the player into either Klingon or Romulan neutral zones, and initiates an extremely difficult battle that often ends in the destruction of the Enterprise.