Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8689 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: ACTIVISION
• Released on: 2002-03-08
• Rating: Universal, suitable for all
• Platforms: Windows 98, Windows 95

Amazon.co.uk Review
Immerse yourself once again in the world of Star Trek with Star Trek Bridge Commander from Activision. While some of the Star Trek titles have really only appealed to a select few--i.e., die-hard Star Trek fans--this title brings a different slant on the world of tactical combat simulations.

Based around a first-person view, you are either the first officer, Captain or Admiral aboard a Galaxy-class ship called the Dauntless. But just because it is first-person doesn't mean that you will be gun's-a-blazing and running from deck to deck like Star Trek Voyager; as the title suggests you will have your bum firmly planted in the chair as you command others, in your spaceship's moment of need.

Based across 25 in-depth levels, you are slowly thrown into the melee, learning the systems--with the help of Jean Luc Picard--as you ferry him to another spaceport. Boredom or a quick completion are unlikely. The game also boasts a quick-battle arena where you can set a number of parameters and fight up to 16 other computer or human controlled craft across a LAN or the Internet.

If you've ever fancied taking control of the Enterprise, but up until now were afraid of all the tactical RTS-style games such as Star Trek Armada 2, this is a perfect opportunity to earn your wings.--Jason Denwood

Customer Reviews

WOW!!! WHAT A GAME!!!!!!!!
quite simply this is one of the best trekkie games you can buy the graphics are never before seen in a star trek game they are very impressive just like the game.
you take control of a galaxy class star ship and a soverign class star ship, you control virtually everything on your ship such as what state of alert your ship has to be on according to your judgement of the situation you are in whether it be red yellow or green alert, hell you can even take control of the ship itself with the keyboard.
the only grievence i have with the game is you have no control over the save function tha game saves automatically so if you balls up on one of the missions then you may have to go a long way back and start all over again but this is just a minor problem and shouldnt effect gameplay at all.
you must own this game if your a trekkie fan and if you arnt a trekkie fan, BECOME one so you can appreciate the sheer brilliance that activision have done with bridge commander well worth its five stars.

Very satisfying simulation
Star Trek Bridge Commander is a simulation of tactical starship combat set in the Star Trek universe, just after the dominion wars have finished. Assuming you are interested in buying this game, you probably fall into one of two camps. A casual gamer who plays fairly simple action-type games, or a harcore strategist who enjoys other complex tactical games like Starfleet Command (to continue the star trek theme). Bridge commander caters perfectly for both these tastes. Whilst not as complex as something like starfleet command, and thus easily picked up by even strategy novices (a full and comprehensive tutorial at the hands of none other than Captain Picard himself is also available), there is still enough tactical depth in the gameplay to ensure that the hardcore strat-heads will still be satisfied (the game is also played out in full 3D, rather than the faux-3D of SFC). The game itself is quite slow-paced, and rewards careful tactical thought over fast reflexes. Consequently, the starship combat is more akin to a naval battle, involving jockeying for position, and focussing your attack on your enemy's weak points (seperate subsystems can also be targeted, allowing for many different approaches) whilst simultaneously protecting your own weaker spots and ensuring that you bring your most powerful weapons to bear. Any fears you may have had about the game turning into a reflex-based shoot-em-up with Star Trek trappings are totally unfounded. The combat itself is satisfyingly like the TV programme, (just wait until you see and hear a starfleet phaser fire for the first time) and I think this is probably the closest any game has yet come to capturing the feel of actual starship command and ship-to-ship warfare in the star trek universe. Thankfully, the system specs are also fairly low, so as long as you have a fairly decent set-up (at least 600MHz CPU, 32MB 3D card) you can enjoy this game. Although people lucky enough to own a 1GHz+ monster maybe with a Geforce 3 attached will be blown away by the smooth, stylish visuals, and will probably have to check they haven't tuned into an episode of the show on their monitor by mistake!
You are also not limited to Starfleet vessels in the game. Although the main campaign is played out entirely from a federation perspective (with many exciting and diverse mission types) the quick battle and multiplayer modes allow you to set up conflicts involving Federation, Klingon, Romulan, Cardassian and Ferengi ships, allowing you to take the helm of whichever one you desire, ensuring massive replay value as you test your ability to command a diverse and very different range of warships, each requiring a different style of tactical play to ensure success. Taking out a technically superior Romulan warbird with a comparatively puny Klingon bird of prey is the ultimate test of skill.
In conclusion, I would probably say that Star Trek Bridge commander is one of the best Star trek games out on any system at the moment, and I highly recommend it to any fan of the series, no matter how casual. Hell, it's such a good game, even non-trekkers would probably enjoy it too!

Bridge Commander -
Bride Commander is a truly refreshing experience. The ability to "feel" the tension of a battle, seeing red light and smoke hiss from around you is most enjoyable. The ability to sneak up on a enemy ship, hold it with the tractor beam and let loose a volley of quantums is very satisfying.

But, alas, the game has a few - but ultimately annoying failings. First, you are stuck to the chair - and your crew to your posts. You can't walk around, go to the captain's ready room or quarters. You can't even be thrown from your seat by a shockwave. Second the game also gives (in single player at least) a feeling of no control, the captain seems to merely accept or denounce the orders of the first officer. Any sequel should allow the captain to speak at the viewscreen and have his tone of voice affect the outcome - diplomacy!

Despite its failings, Bridge Commander is now at the right price and should be played. At the higher levels the challenge is quite rewarding and there is great immersement when you are defeding a federation outpost with the Enterprise. The Multiplayer options allows playing with Romulan Warbirds - a new challenge for the Captain!