Faisal Ghaffar 
When it comes to Star Trek, its most beloved and best stories are about dialogue. It is not just about two people having a conversation, but how people relate to each other and the world. It is about the lessons people learn from their mistakes, the choices they make when they have to make difficult decisions and the strength that comes from uniting different cultures and people. Accomplishing all of this in a video game can be tough, as they are more about firing torpedoes and phasers.
While the conversation-heavy approach taken in Star Trek: Resurgence does not work all the time, it still manages to retain the essence of Star Trek. The game comes with an engaging story and the characters are quite memorable.
The plot
Resurgence picks up a couple of years after the final Next Generation films, Star Trek: Nemesis. The story follows the crew of the USS Resolute and the two characters that you are in control of are highly likable. First, there is the new first officer of the ship, JaraRydeck, who is an accomplished yet humble graduate of the Academy.
The next is an adventure-hungry, charming and funny engineer, Carter Diaz, who has decided to skip the academy and wants to see the galaxy. A number of conflicts arise almost immediately. Jara is considered an outsider by the crew because they think she has not earned her job. Captain Solano, the commanding officer of the Resolute, wants to keep his legacy intact after an accident and wants Jara’s help in doing so, even if it involves breaking some rules.
As for Carter, he is part of an engineering team that is underworked and they need to get the Resolute functional, while also dealing with a difficult-to-please Vulcan boss. He also has to keep his own ambitions in mind and juggle his friendship with the crew.
The details
This is just the beginning, as things become even more interesting down the road. The good news is that you do not need to know a lot of Star Trek to keep up with the game, but you will be able to appreciate certain characters and things more if you do know the details. Depending on the situation, the perspective continues to switch between Carter and Jara.
Sometimes, this means that you are leading an away team, or issuing orders from the bridge. Other times, it means that you are taking a spacewalk for repairing the ship, or rerouting power to a vital system. This makes things exciting because it helps you understand the stakes for everyone onboard the Resolute.
There are decisions that have to be made quickly because there is a timer, which can be slow, or fast, depending on the situation. The decisions that you make do not just affect the safety of the ship and the other characters, but also how your character is viewed by the rest.
The Verdict
Resurgence has done a spectacular job when it comes to retaining the essence and spirit of Star Trek. The choices you have to make are not that easy, but they are quite well-written.
