Affordable Virtual Reality has only recently become available to the average consumer via platforms like the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR. The burgeoning genre has paved the way for a number of unique experiences, among them Ubisoft's Star Trek: Bridge Crew game, which was announced at last year's E3. The game's goal is to put you and your friends behind the controls of the U.S.S. Aegis and takes place in the alternate timeline of the J.J. Abrams movie series. The crew's goal will be to find a new homeworld for the now homeless Vulcan race.
Bridge Crew has taken Ubisoft subsidiary Red Storm Entertainment a little longer to lock down than originally anticipated. When the game was first announced, it was scheduled for release in November of last year. It was then delayed to March of 2017 and now has been delayed yet again.
Today, via press release, Ubisoft announced that the project's new release date would be May 30th. Fortunately, this came with some accompanying good news. In addition to the Aegis, players will have the option to play as the crew of the original series' U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 bridge. David Votypka, Sr. Creative Director at Red Storm Entertainment discussed the reasoning behind the addition to the game:
"We felt it was important to include a part of classic Star Trek with this game, especially during Star Trek’s 50th anniversary. The original U.S.S. Enterprise is such an iconic part of the franchise - it’s the ship that started it all. The adventures and relationships that took place on the ship are a special part of Star Trek history, so we were determined to give players the opportunity to create their own adventures and stories on this classic ship. We’re very excited to see player reactions when they step onto the U.S.S. Enterprise original bridge for the first time, and experience Star Trek: Bridge Crew in a whole new way. We’re also appreciative of players’ patience as we finalize work on the game to bring the Star Trek experience we envisioned to life.”
While it's unlikely that the game was delayed solely for the addition of this feature, it's nice to know that Red Storm is using the additional time to give Star Trek fans more to look forward to when the game does launch. The extent to which this expansion will change the gameplay or story is unknown, though in-game avatars for original crewmembers Kirk and Spock are visible in the image that was released alongside the announcement (see above).
Are you more likely to pick up Bridge Crew upon release, now that it's set to boast a more expansive catalog of settings? Let us know in the comments section, and stay tuned to Screen Rant for updates and impressions on all things Star Trek as they hit.
Star Trek: Bridge Crew is set to launch May 30, 2017, for Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR.
Source: Ubisoft