Captain's Log: Voyager Returns to the Delta Quadrant in 'Across the Unknown'

1 month ago by T'Nara Vex 3 min read

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A new story-driven survival strategy game finally gives the USS Voyager the video game treatment it always deserved. But is it worth your time?

Captain's Log, Stardate 103842.1.

For years, Star Trek fans have debated the ultimate potential of the USS Voyager. The premise—a lone Federation starship stranded 70,000 light-years from home, forced to scavenge for resources, forge uneasy alliances, and navigate uncharted space—was always tailor-made for a survival video game.

Now, with the release of Star Trek: Voyager - Across the Unknown (available on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and the Switch 2), we finally get to step into Captain Janeway's boots. And let me tell you, the Delta Quadrant has never been more unforgiving.

Resource Management is the True Final Frontier

Across the Unknown isn't just an action game wrapped in Starfleet colors. It's a rogue-lite survival strategy experience that forces you to make the kinds of impossible calls Janeway made every week. Replicator rations are low. The warp core needs dilithium. And a hostile Kazon sect is closing in. Do you risk an away mission to a volatile Class-Y demon planet to mine for raw materials, or do you divert emergency power to the shields and try to outrun them?

The brilliance of the game lies in its mechanics. Every decision feels heavy. The survival elements perfectly capture the desperation of the ship's early seasons, before the Borg encounters turned Voyager into a tactical dreadnought.

The Crew We Know and Love

What truly elevates the experience is the attention to detail regarding the crew. You aren't just managing generic redshirts (though you will lose a few of those). As you progress, you can unlock and recruit iconic characters: Kathryn Janeway, Chakotay, Tuvok, Seven of Nine, B'Elanna Torres, and even Kes. (Yes, there's a specific sequence in Sector 6 involving Species 8472 where you have to use Tuvok twice to save Kes—a nod that hardcore fans will appreciate.)

The narrative events are where the Trek philosophy shines. It's not always about firing phasers. Sometimes, the right choice involves diplomatic negotiations, upholding the Prime Directive at a massive tactical disadvantage, or finding a humanist solution to an alien conflict.

A Worthy Successor

While the rogue-lite structure means you will fail—often and brutally—each run teaches you something new about the sector and your ship's capabilities. It's an elegant loop that mirrors the scientific method Starfleet holds so dear.

Star Trek: Voyager - Across the Unknown proves that Trek gaming is at its best when it embraces the core themes of the series rather than just the aesthetic. It’s a challenging, thoughtful, and deeply engaging journey that honors the legacy of Voyager.

If you haven't fired up the game yet, make it so. The Delta Quadrant is waiting.

Live long and prosper.