It's been two years since Starfleet Command barked orders to the fleet on your PC monitors, but to tie in with the Star Trek Nemesis film release of late 2002, Activision has unleashed the interactive equivalent and successor to Starfleet Command 2- Starfleet Command 3.
The third instalment of the space-based RTS is fundamentally very similar to its predecessors, allowing players to assume the role of a number of infamous races, ranging from Klingon to Romulan, and of course, The Federation. Each of these single-player campaigns is then broken down into a series of missions in which you'll command entire fleets of starships, and lead them into battle. Successful missions are rewarded with 'points', which players can then spend on upgrading or purchasing more powerful ships. In many respects, it's a 24th century space race. There are some 25 familiar vessel designs based on past adventures of the Next Generation crew, including Warbirds, Battle Cruisers and the ever-efficient Borg Cube.
Avid Starfleet Command players now have the opportunity to optimise their ships and allocate power to vital systems for different types of strategies such as hit-and-run manoeuvres, ambushes or direct assaults. Additionally, Starfleet Command III simplifies this process by introducing a new interface for system management that reduces the micro-management of starship control, and allows players to focus on combat.
Starfleet Command III also pushes the boundaries of the genre by incorporating RPG elements into the experience. Over the course of the game, officers under the player's command will gain experience and acquire unique skills, which increase the ships' overall efficiency and enable the player to employ advanced attacks. Players can also choose to recruit new and more experienced officers to maximise the overall effectiveness of their ship.
In a series of all new multi-player modes, Star Trek groupies and RTS fans alike can play against each other as one of three races from the main campaign or as a member of the formidable Borg collective. Skirmish Mode is clearly the most prominent of these game modes, offering a team-based co-operative battle or a free-for-all. Lots of fun!
Starfleet Command 3 is by far the most comprehensive in the series, and it manages to incorporate new features without altering the classic gameplay that made the series so popular to begin with. Roll on Starfleet Command 4.