Captures the spirit of the series perfectly
Like Star Wars, the Star Trek universe has proved popular ground with video game designers, but like those who have ventured into George Lucas' realm, the results have proved hit-and-miss, to say the least. Fortunately, Judgment Rites stands as a fairly solid entry into the franchise and even manages to improve on its predecessor, 25th Anniversary, providing plenty of enjoyable sci-fi adventure that keeps to the spirit of its inspiration. The original Enterprise crew get involved in a series of eight missions which together form a greater story arc and which see our heroes investigating strange worlds, uncovering mysterious time travel conundrums and facing off against their old enemies the Klingons. In gameplay terms, this one is similar to the earlier game, combining elements of point-and-click adventuring and spaceship sim, as players embark on the various missions, controlling the various characters, while solving puzzles and engaging in combat. Judgment Rites really does capture the space-faring thrills of the original series in great style and is perhaps the most accurate game in terms of the sheer spirit that it displayed. There is a great sense of venturing into the unknown here, while the way that puzzles make use of multiple characters and their abilities makes you remember that it was the characters that made the series so memorable. Visually too, the game is strong, with appropriately alien environments to explore and excellent recreations of the Enterprise and its interiors and which again make the game feel truly authentic. If you are a Star Trek fan, this is a must play but even if you're not, there is enough sci-fi fun to keep you interested and this stands as simply a fine game in its own right.
