Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Developer: Simon & Schuster
Year: 1996
Platform: Windows, Mac

This FMV Adventure by Simon & Schuster touts itself as an interactive movie, and that’s more or less what you get. With less than three hours of gameplay, the game works sufficiently with what it offers. Sadly, it offers very little.

The Federation is being attacked once again by the Borg in sector 001, and you, a cadet, would like to go with on the defense in order to revenge the death of your father at the hands of the Borg ten years before (depicted in the TNG episode, “Best Of Both Worlds“). Your request to join is rejected and you are ordered to flee. But the infamous “Q” appears in your quarters and offers you a chance to travel back in time to help save your father during the initial attack.

As in the television show, Q is magnificently portrayed by John De Lancie. If not for him, this game would be unplayable. He is consistently irritating and funny, and his facial expressions put Jim Carrey to shame. Also in accordance with the show, your character often fails, but through the trial and error that Q provides, you simply begin at the last point before you screwed up. There are a few times where Q won’t save you and will let your ship be destroyed, but you can save the game along the way.

The game consists of Q explaining situations to you (amidst mocking you), offering you advice, and allowing you to make one of three or four decisions at every crucial point. Sometimes the decision requires doing nothing, and it is often best not to take Q’s advice. You can stop the full motion video at any time to gather information with your tricorder on various people and objects, which is very poorly implemented and often confusing. Puzzles are quite simple, with only one or two that require deduction; regardless, the game helps you out continuously and you are prodded plenty to ensure that you feel like you are part of a movie rather than a game.

The story is average at best, and the production values are fine, with good cinematography and sets and sounds lifted straight from the show. But the acting (De Lancie notwithstanding) is some of the worst in FMV history. The dialogue is pretty inane in its own right, and the actors make it worse than that. Finally, the ending is lackluster, with little sense of tension or drama despite circumstances that would suggest otherwise.

Star Trek: Borg is worthy of an afternoon play to Trekkies, but certainly don’t cough up more than a few bucks for this title. Everyone else stay away.