When Star Trek Online was first announced by Cryptic Studios, the game was expected to hit the PC and consoles. Star Trek Online was available for the Microsoft Windows PC in 2010, and then later on the Apple Mac platform in 2014. But the console version of Star Trek Online never saw the light of day.
Today, everyone who held on to their seats for Star Trek Online‘s console version will have their wish to come true, and it seems it’s going to be better than expected.
Publisher Perfect World just announced that Star Trek Online is finally being remade for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. The announcement at Arc Games reads as follows.
“Star Trek Online is well into its sixth year and showing no signs of stopping. Over our storied history we’ve seen a new faction, two level cap increases, more episodes than any 5 seasons of any Star Trek series, the creation of over 100,000 player generated missions, and celebrity voice work from every era of Star Trek. With all of those accomplishments there is still another frontier yet to explore, the console space.”
“This fall, Star Trek Online will be launching simultaneously on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles. Our goal is to deliver the same high quality Star Trek experience to players on these consoles, with some additional upgrades to make the transition to the console space a smooth and natural experience.”
So, what’s going to be new about Star Trek Online on Xbox One and PlayStation 4? If we have been playing the series for years on our trusty PC, why even bother getting it on our Xbox One or PS4 consoles?
Star Trek Online for Xbox One and PS4, Perfect World reveals, will be a better version of the original Star Trek Online for PC and Mac. First is the better visuals that will accompany the Star Trek Online console edition. Stephen Ricossa, Executive Producer of Star Trek Online notes in the announcement that lighting will play a major transformation in the console edition of the game.
“We invested heavily in our engine and added several modern lighting technologies that significantly improved the visual quality of the game. Deferred lighting, light probes, and improvements to our High Dynamic Range lighting system combine to provide more realistic lighting that feels like a true refresh to the game. These technologies, and the skilled artists that bring them to bear, create an experience that is not only more immersive, but simply put, more beautiful.”
He also assures players of Star Trek Online on the PC should not fret, because these improvements will come to the PC version as well. So, if you have been left frustrated by the old graphics, this is Star Trek Online’s chance to redeem itself. 2010 graphics versus 2016 graphics? Surely there’s going to be a huge bump somewhere in there.
In addition to the improved graphics and lighting, we’re also looking forward to how Star Trek Online resolves the controller issue. Those who have been acquainted with the PC version of Star Trek Online will know that the game relies heavily on the keyboard and mouse, and Perfect World admitted that it has been a challenge translating the keys and commands to the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 controllers. But, since they are pretty confident and excited with the result of their experiment, fans are hopeful that they won’t be struggling too much with the commands when it comes to the Star Trek Online console version.
“We focused on getting the controls right before we began work in earnest on this project, because we knew the game had to be as tactical, fun, and accessible as the PC game that preceded it. A combination of radial menus and streamlining of some HUD elements created a game that is easily understood, instantly accessible, and incredibly fun to play.”
As of today, Star Trek Online is going to hit Xbox One and PlayStation 4 in Fall 2016, around October the earliest. Stay tuned for more updates and information. In the meantime, watch the official console announcement trailer of Star Trek Online below.
[Image via Perfect World Entertainment Inc.]