Release date and details emerge for Star Trek: The Video Game

As a devout Star Trek fan and avid gamer it is a sad fact to admit that for as popular as Gene Roddenberry’s ground-breaking science-fiction series has grown to become over the years, that the slew of Star Trek inspired video games released over the years have missed their mark more often than not in the eyes and hearts of fans and critics alike. Just when things were beginning to look gloomy for the Trek franchise’s future, director J.J. Abrams revitalized the seemingly non-ending drought of lackluster Trek installments with his 2009 reboot, Star Trek. Fortunately, for gamers that means a revitalized series of Star Trek games are headed our way.

Star Trek: The Video Game is a third-person action/adventure game where players will be able to take control of Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock in a co-op adventure that is set to take place after the 2009 film and will bridge the gap with events that lead up to the theatrical release of the sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness, due out in May. Teamwork is a big factor in Star Trek: The Video Game and its cooperative gameplay will enable you to partner up with a friend online to engage your enemies and boldly go where no one has gone before.

The new and original story is being penned by Marianne Krawczyk who’s most notable for her writing of PlayStation’s immensely popular God of War series. By creating an original story that doesn’t have to follow the upcoming film, the developers will have more freedom to create a solid game rather than be bogged down with the limitations of creating a “carbon copy” video game adaptation of the forthcoming film — a virtual death sentence in a licensed video game’s success.

Preorders for Star Trek: The Video Game are now available and fans who place them prior to the title’s launch will get access to an exclusive “Elite Officer Pack” which includes Stealth, Brawler, Kelvin, Academy and Kobayashi Maru Packs, all of which contain unique outfits and weapons you can utilize in the game.

The game’s cooperative gameplay and impressive visuals are sure to put the previous Trek games to shame as well as some contemporary third-person shooters, so if you’re a fan or not, this title may be worth checking out. Star Trek: The Video Game will hit shelves on April 23rd, 2013 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and via digital download for both the PC and PlayStation 3.