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First Star Trek VR game puts you on the bridge

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Ubisoft has lifted the lid on a virtual reality game set in the Star Trek universe, with a full reveal set to come during the company’s E3 conference later today. Bridge Crew casts players as the various Starfleet officers faced with the task of finding homes for those cast asunder by the destruction of the planet Vulcan.

Of course, hardcore fans of the franchise will recognize that plot point from J.J. Abram’s cinematic reboot from 2009. The new game is set in that version of the Star Trek timeline, albeit one that’s sufficiently separate from the adventures of Kirk, Spock and the crew of the Enterprise — set to continue in this summer’s Star Trek Beyond.

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Teamwork is at the heart of Bridge Crew, and it will take a cohesive unit to tackle the challenges at hand. Whether you’re playing as an engineer, taking control of weapon systems, or even acting as captain, you’ll need to understand your own responsibilities and have an awareness of your crewmates to find success.

That said, the path to victory changes considerably depending on the task at hand. The game’s missions are all story-based, but certain elements are randomized to promote replayability, according to a report from ABC News. Crucially, the game will aim to mimic the series’ balance of all-out action with adventure and exploration.

Bridge Crew will give players the experience of being on the bridge, activating warp drives and barking status updates to their crewmates. If developer Red Storm can deliver an experience that lives up to the potential of this concept, this could well be the most immersive Star Trek game ever released.

Star Trek: Bridge Crew will be compatible with Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR headsets when it launches this fall.

Brad Jones
Brad is an English-born writer currently splitting his time between Edinburgh and Pennsylvania. You can find him on Twitter…
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