Star Trek: Resurgence Review

Star Trek and a Telltale-style adventure game seem like a perfect match. Star Trek is known for its dialogue-heavy stories about how people relate to each other and the world around them. Star Trek: Resurgence takes a conversation-heavy approach that captures the essence of what makes Star Trek, well, Star Trek. While the game’s approach doesn’t always work, it is still enjoyable and engaging, full of memorable characters.

Resurgence follows the crew of the USS Resolute a few years after the end of Star Trek: Nemesis. Players take control of two likable characters, Jara Rydeck and Carter Diaz. The story immediately establishes conflicts, such as the crew’s distrust of Jara and Captain Solano’s attempts to salvage his reputation. Despite the complexity of the plot, the decision to front-load information pays off as players become immediately invested in the lives of the characters and the various pressures they face.

In Resurgence, players control Jara and Carter in different situations, giving orders from the bridge, leading an away team or taking a spacewalk. The game’s approach gives players a better understanding of the stakes and makes scenarios more exciting. Decisions players make in the game affect not only the ship’s safety, but also how other characters see and interact with Jara and Carter.

The quality of Resurgence’s writing is remarkable, with characters feeling like real people with hopes, dreams, trauma, and pain. Piotr Michael excellently voices Spock, taking over the role from the late Leonard Nimoy. The game looks good, with character models beautifully animated and full of personality, and many of the late-game environments are stunning.

Resurgence does a great job of making its scenarios feel like there’s no right answer, with no morality meter or signposting to suggest a correct course of action. Instead, the decisions players make can have consequences and change relationships with other characters. The game’s approach allows for different playthroughs and decisions that can affect later moments in the story.