Star Trek 25th Anniversary
Details
Release date: 1992
Format: PC
Developer: Interplay
Genre: Point 'n' Click Adventure
Review Score: 88%
Date added: June 2012
Format: PC
Developer: Interplay
Genre: Point 'n' Click Adventure
Review Score: 88%
Date added: June 2012
Review
A Star Trek game probably needs no introduction. However if you associate the Star Trek brand with some of the awful games published in the last decade you will be relieved to discover that this game surpasses them in every way with its high production and gameplay value. The game was published in the early 1990s at the start of what was perhaps to be the peak of the point 'n' click market. The game perhaps lacks some originality in that the Star Trek franchise was by this point clearly nothing new, similarly its point 'n' click formula had been tried and tested. Its graphics were superior for the time however and they faithfully reproduce the 1960s futurism themed settings from the original series including planets, space stations and ships. Admittedly it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish between Spock and Dr Mccoy (both wear blue) it is also easy at times to miss key items which blend into the backdrop or the floor although I believe this is an intentional part of the challenge of the game.
The game is difficult by modern standards, the puzzles really make you think and there's no self-defeating help button to tell you what to do next. I would urge anybody not to revert to Gamefaqs or other guides to solve the puzzles! Part of this games appeal is the challenge and the pride felt in accomplishing some of the more difficult ones as a hint however if you do get stuck remember that it is sometimes necessary to combine items in your inventory by trying to use them on each other, annoyingly they must be combined in the right order so combining 1 with 2 may not work but 2 with 1 does. If you speak to all members of the crew in a room they may give you a (very) subtle hint about what to do but don't expect any big giveaways!
The game is split into 7 'episodes' which each feature a self contained plot. The gameplay is split between piloting the U.S.S. Enterprise in space combat and point 'n' click away missions, most episodes begin with a space fight and all include an extensive away mission. Most have multiple endings and at the end of each you are given a report on the success of your mission from Starfleet. These scores at the end of the game add up to give you a 'high score', from memory I believe there are 3 possible endings to the game: a positive, neutral and negative. Play it through a few times and find out if I'm right! You achieve a high score for behaving like a Starfleet officer (respectful, thorough, etc) and a low score for the opposite (rude, killing things, blowing things up). This allows plenty of re playability to attain a different score and to finish episodes in a different way. The game does not use music but instead uses brilliant background ambiance noise and situation responsive sound effects which fit the situations perfectly. Overall I consider this one of the best examples of a point 'n' click game and it is an absolute must whether your a Star Trek fan or not.
Ratings
Originality Re-play Value Compatibility Visual Quality Sound Quality
7/10 10/10 9/10 8/10 10/10
Total Score
88%
The game is difficult by modern standards, the puzzles really make you think and there's no self-defeating help button to tell you what to do next. I would urge anybody not to revert to Gamefaqs or other guides to solve the puzzles! Part of this games appeal is the challenge and the pride felt in accomplishing some of the more difficult ones as a hint however if you do get stuck remember that it is sometimes necessary to combine items in your inventory by trying to use them on each other, annoyingly they must be combined in the right order so combining 1 with 2 may not work but 2 with 1 does. If you speak to all members of the crew in a room they may give you a (very) subtle hint about what to do but don't expect any big giveaways!
The game is split into 7 'episodes' which each feature a self contained plot. The gameplay is split between piloting the U.S.S. Enterprise in space combat and point 'n' click away missions, most episodes begin with a space fight and all include an extensive away mission. Most have multiple endings and at the end of each you are given a report on the success of your mission from Starfleet. These scores at the end of the game add up to give you a 'high score', from memory I believe there are 3 possible endings to the game: a positive, neutral and negative. Play it through a few times and find out if I'm right! You achieve a high score for behaving like a Starfleet officer (respectful, thorough, etc) and a low score for the opposite (rude, killing things, blowing things up). This allows plenty of re playability to attain a different score and to finish episodes in a different way. The game does not use music but instead uses brilliant background ambiance noise and situation responsive sound effects which fit the situations perfectly. Overall I consider this one of the best examples of a point 'n' click game and it is an absolute must whether your a Star Trek fan or not.
Ratings
Originality Re-play Value Compatibility Visual Quality Sound Quality
7/10 10/10 9/10 8/10 10/10
Total Score
88%
Where To Get It
There are 2 versions of the game available, a floppy disk and a CD version. The CD contains a longer last mission and voice acting, I would highly recommend the CD version.
Amazon Play.com Ebay
Amazon Play.com Ebay
Installation Instructions
The game runs using DOSBox: to install the game make sure you have first installed and setup DOSBox, including mounting a CD drive (or floppy for that version). My experience is that the default settings for DOSBox are capable of running the game so once youve completed initial setup there doesn't have to be too much more to do if using method 1. You can install the game using 1 of 2 methods:
Installation Method 1: From The Disc
The first method is the most straightforward, after mounting a CD drive in DOSBox insert the CD and change to the disc drive by typing D: then type install and press enter to begin setup, the graphic settings are VGA, input is mouse and keyboard and sound is Sound Blaster Pro for music and effects. The disadvantage of this method is that you must always have the CD with you to play, it can also result in some slow downs or speed ups during the game. The disc must be in the drive before DOSBox starts, if you are playing 25th anniversary after having played another game you must close DOSBox, change the disc and restart it.
Installation Method 2: Creating a Disc Image
The second method is to create an image file from the disc and then to install and load the game from this virtual disc, this saves you from carrying the disc around and removes any disc speed related gameplay issues but is a little more complicated to setup. First you must create an image from the disc so put it in your disc drive then download imgburn (or an alternative) from the internet. With imgburn the default installation settings are fine although you may want to be careful not to install the ask toolbar. After installation run imgburn and select create image file from disc check the right disc is selected and press the button to start. After completed find the new .img file, you may want to put it in a DOSBox images directory. Once you know the location of the .iso file open your DOSBox options file and scroll to the bottom and add a new line before the final C: line which should read imgmount E C:\location\TREKCD.iso -t iso if you have more than one image file mounted you can list several followed by -t iso once at the end. For example if you have just mounted 25th anniversary the line will look like:
imgmount E C:\filelocation\TREKCD.iso -t iso
If you also have other games mounted it may look like:
imgmount E C:\location\TREKCD.iso C:\location\JudgmentRItes.iso -t iso
After adding that save the file and close it then open DOSBox type E: and press enter, this will change to the new virtual CD you can now type install and press enter then follow the instructions as if from the actual CD in the above method 1 paragraph. To change between virtual CD's you have mounted in DOSBox press Ctrl and F4 at the same time.
Recommended Files
There are no patches or files available for this which I'm aware of.
Known Bugs & Issues
The extended last mission on the CD version is known to be particularly buggy. There are a couple of points in the game where it becomes impossible to continue, particularly in relation to using the transporter as Spock refuses to calibrate it when he should. The only solution to this is to make multiple saves as you progress through this level and if it becomes stuck in an obvious dead end go back to a previous one and try again completing actions in a different order. Don't mistake the difficult puzzles for a bug however! I believe most of the bugs relate to the transporter and auxiliary control rooms.
Installation Method 1: From The Disc
The first method is the most straightforward, after mounting a CD drive in DOSBox insert the CD and change to the disc drive by typing D: then type install and press enter to begin setup, the graphic settings are VGA, input is mouse and keyboard and sound is Sound Blaster Pro for music and effects. The disadvantage of this method is that you must always have the CD with you to play, it can also result in some slow downs or speed ups during the game. The disc must be in the drive before DOSBox starts, if you are playing 25th anniversary after having played another game you must close DOSBox, change the disc and restart it.
Installation Method 2: Creating a Disc Image
The second method is to create an image file from the disc and then to install and load the game from this virtual disc, this saves you from carrying the disc around and removes any disc speed related gameplay issues but is a little more complicated to setup. First you must create an image from the disc so put it in your disc drive then download imgburn (or an alternative) from the internet. With imgburn the default installation settings are fine although you may want to be careful not to install the ask toolbar. After installation run imgburn and select create image file from disc check the right disc is selected and press the button to start. After completed find the new .img file, you may want to put it in a DOSBox images directory. Once you know the location of the .iso file open your DOSBox options file and scroll to the bottom and add a new line before the final C: line which should read imgmount E C:\location\TREKCD.iso -t iso if you have more than one image file mounted you can list several followed by -t iso once at the end. For example if you have just mounted 25th anniversary the line will look like:
imgmount E C:\filelocation\TREKCD.iso -t iso
If you also have other games mounted it may look like:
imgmount E C:\location\TREKCD.iso C:\location\JudgmentRItes.iso -t iso
After adding that save the file and close it then open DOSBox type E: and press enter, this will change to the new virtual CD you can now type install and press enter then follow the instructions as if from the actual CD in the above method 1 paragraph. To change between virtual CD's you have mounted in DOSBox press Ctrl and F4 at the same time.
Recommended Files
There are no patches or files available for this which I'm aware of.
Known Bugs & Issues
The extended last mission on the CD version is known to be particularly buggy. There are a couple of points in the game where it becomes impossible to continue, particularly in relation to using the transporter as Spock refuses to calibrate it when he should. The only solution to this is to make multiple saves as you progress through this level and if it becomes stuck in an obvious dead end go back to a previous one and try again completing actions in a different order. Don't mistake the difficult puzzles for a bug however! I believe most of the bugs relate to the transporter and auxiliary control rooms.
Links to other sources
Memory Alpha - Star Trek wiki, spoiler warning: it eventually describes the whole plot