Well my fellow fleet members, we are now entering the home stretch of our second voyage through the galaxy and knowing that we are near the end is always a bittersweet venture indeed. Because nobody likes for the story to come to a close but alas, there are only so many places one can visit within the Milky Way Galaxy in Star Trek Online and well, we’ve just about done that. But while that sounds horrendously ominous in its own right, as though I’ll be closing out this Log in 2019, that is simply not the case. It just means that I need to look at new ways to play this game and write about it in 2020, because reinvention is never a bad thing and new challenges in creative writing are always welcome.
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But before I dive too deeply into the future, in the here and the now, there are still some lovely places we need to visit, and all of them are located within the Beta Quadrant. In fact, all that is left to explore are some of the core worlds of the United Federation of Planets. If anything, it’s a bit of a shame that we technically only have three worlds that we can beam down to in this part of the galaxy, but that’s okay. There’s not a storytelling need to travel to say, Babel, at this point in time, and quite frankly, the worlds that are left to explore are quite important and fascinating in their own right since they’re so incredibly diverse when all is said and done.

Take for example, today’s destination, Andoria. For this world which has brought about some colorful characters over the years, specifically the Shran clan from Star Trek: Enterprise, is also unique in its makeup as well. For starters this particular planet really isn’t a planet at all, it’s a moon that orbits a gas giant that resembles Uranus and to make matters more interesting, it’s also a hostile world, one where you don’t see a whole lot of sunlight. Which means this is a cold and barren place, one where snow rules over everything and everyone and honestly, I have to admit that I find this world quite beautiful. Mainly because, I am a huge fan of the snow, so the instant I transported down this mysterious world, I was instantly taken aback by this galactic winter wonderland.

Because in many ways, the glacial valley you arrive within, is peaceful and serene in its own right. For gentle snow falls all around you and there is that flawless silence that you’ll only discover mere moments after an actual snowfall in your own backyard. Yet while this is a lovely place to just glance at and soak up the atmosphere, there are activities and such to be found upon the surface. For the Andorians are an aggressive race that love to have their mettle tested and often. Which means if you so choose, you can get involved in a little scrum on this world and be challenged to a duel in either a safe environment or one where the stakes are a little higher. 

If anything, it is just different to see a Federation world like this, where beauty and brutality merge together in flawless fashion. And while there isn’t a heck of a whole lot to do down here, just taking the time to explore a founding world of the Federation is neat in its own right since there is so much history here. But while our visit was brief in its own right, it was definitely worth while since it leaves one nostalgic for Star Trek shows and stories of yesteryear and thankfully this journey toward home still has plenty of nostalgia and wonder to send our way since our next stop, brings to us the iconic home of the late and great Ambassador Spock and that’s where we will pick up, next time. Until then.       

​Over the course of its illustrious fifty-plus year run, the Star Trek franchise as a whole has presented its fan base with some fascinating ideas and concepts. But of the many notions that this saga and its various iterations have provided us with over the years, one that has always fascinated me on a personal level is the idea that religion and faith can survive in an era when science and technology rule the day. Which is why the planet of Bajor was always a fascinating prospect in Deep Space Nine, since the franchise more or less established that those two elements of our society had gone the wayside in the 24th Century, making this proud planet quite the anomaly.
 
For the Bajorans genuinely believe that there are Prophets to obey and their writings and teachings dictate a way of life, yet they still take the time to embrace every technological benefit that the future has to offer. And seeing a world where technology and faith peacefully coexist is just an incredible prospect to say the least, one that I honestly feel the franchise never quite explored in proper fashion. But while we may not know enough about this world and its people and their incredibly powerful and detailed beliefs in the Prophets, that still didn’t stop Star Trek Online from giving the fans an opportunity to interact with this planet, by making it an accessible place within the game and I am honestly glad they did.
 
Because beaming down to Bajor is an oddly peaceful experience, primarily because there’s no drama to be found in this part of the galaxy once you’ve completed your mission arcs in this place. Instead there’s just a thriving city, filled with people going about their day and they’re surrounded by gorgeous architecture that reminds the player of some of the beautiful cathedrals that populate our world and as an added bonus, there are some supremely serene places for the player to get lost within as well. For the city squares are peaceful and tranquil, since they allow for you to just sit back and soak up the atmosphere and honestly, I was a big fan of the reflecting pool, complete with waterfall, that is pictured above because it really does offer up a little in-game Zen.
 
Yet what I truly appreciated about my visit to this world, is how well the game hammers home the fact that technology only enhances life for a people who trust in the Prophets above anything else and that just adds to the mystique surrounding this place. Because everything about this world points to a shunning of technology, especially when you think about its appearance. But as you explore a world that holds to faith over anything else, you slowly come into contact with places filled with LCARS displays and holograms and replicators and transporter pads and it’s just supremely cool to visit a planet that embraces the best of both worlds and it stands in stark contrast to Earth where technology reigns supreme.
 
If anything, Bajor is quite the lovely little oasis when all is said and done. For there are few places where one can beam down in the Alpha Quadrant. In fact, I think it’s just here, the Dilthium mining facility nearby and another station somewhere near the edge of the known galaxy and it’s quite nice to swing by Bajor and wipe away the loneliness of the Alpha Quadrant, and I hope STO eventually offers up new missions involving this world. Because it would be quite cool to explore new areas on a planet that I personally feel didn’t get enough face time during DS9’s illustrious run, and now that we are done with a quick stop at Bajor, the time has come to return to the Beta Quadrant, to explore some of the core worlds of the United Federation of Planets, starting with one chilly planet. Until next time.

​Okay, so, I know what you’re thinking. I keep promising a particular visit to a particular place, only to quickly change course and visit someplace else and for that, I apologize. But dang it, sometimes Star Trek Online dangles something in front of you that is so shiny and magnificent that we just have to talk about it right then and there and well, that’s what happened in regard to today’s log. Because in my many years of playing this game and sharing my experiences about it with all of you, I keep forgetting to settle in and discuss the wonder the scary story that STO offers up to Trekkers/Trekkies everywhere. Because every Friday the 13th and every Halloween, something wicked comes to the galaxy.
 
For there is a horror themed mission present in this game, one entitled ‘Hearts and Minds’, and it is quite the unique mission to play when all is said and done, provided of course you can find it. Because even when you’re searching for it during the appropriate time frame, it’s not exactly broadcast within the game itself. Sure, you’ll find it on the Events calendar, and you’ll hear about it on social media. But if you want a 25th Century scare, you’ll need to dig into the Incoming Hails section of the menu, and in that place, if you look under your archived chats with Franklin Drake, you will see the title of this particular tale. And once you agree to take on the mission, you’re headed to the Donatu System in the Donatu Sector in order to check in on the now silent Doctor Sibak and that’s when the fun begins.
 
Because the good doctor’s research facility is a disturbing place filled with surprises untold. Granted, I don’t want to spoil the surprise before the next holiday launch of this spooky mission, so instead, I want to talk about what makes this mission sinister in its own right. For there are some genuinely creepy moments to be found here, most of them involving Sibak. For his ominous log entries and how they’re presented, and your encounter with him (that spoils nothing), are pretty chilling in their own right. In fact, it’s the log entries that bug me every single time since they’re just so unsettling and the mission gets serious credit for its atmosphere as well. For the lighting here is eerie in its own right and you never quite know what is waiting for you in the shadows.
 
But while creepy moments are cool in their own right, what really impresses me about this particular episode, is that it fits the mold for the franchise. For whenever any iteration of Star Trek tried to creep us out, it kept the stories grounded in science, giving us a tale that more or less showed us scientific missteps or beings from another dimension that swung by ours to do us harm. And for a fine example of this, check out The Next Generation episode, ‘Schicms’, and you’ll see what I mean. But back to this episode, it too is grounded in science, and everything you encounter here is never over the top or outlandish and it is nice to see the game pay homage to the scary Trek stories of yesteryear and offer up a unique experience for the player as well.
 
If anything, this is one that oddly is worth replaying, largely due to the fact that there’s a limited window to do so, and that’s why I broke away from our standard journey to talk about it today. Because Halloween was the perfect time to enjoy this adventure once again and I dunno, it would be weird to talk about it in the middle of the holiday season since there is a Friday the 13th in December. But now you’re prepared to tackle this mission if you’ve never had the chance to play it before, and hopefully you enjoy it as much as I do. And now that we are done with this twisted journey, it’s back to that all-important second journey through the galaxy, I promise, and I’ll see you in the Alpha Quadrant next week when we set foot on Bajor. Until then.   

Game: Until Dawn
Platform: PlayStation 4
HowLongToBeat: 8 Hours
 
Likes: choose your own adventure stories and beating some of my unplayed games.
Dislikes: being subjected to jump scares. Choosing Until Dawn as the first game from my backlog to play for my new series, then, put me in a tricky spot. But all of the jump scares were worth it for what was an enthralling, clever, and immersive experience that made for the perfect backdrop to Halloween. 

Until Dawn is a 2015 survival horror game released exclusively on the PS4. I’ve managed to avoid playing it for this long mainly because of the aforementioned jump scares, something I now regret doing because of how enjoyable it was. The game has captured my attention since its release because of its butterfly effect system, where the choices you make as a player impact the playthrough and outcome of the story. It just took some bravery to get to that aspect of it.
 
Joining the group of characters at a party in a mountain cabin, you’re hooked before the opening credits even roll as you’re faced with the illusion of choice in the survival of two of the characters during the prologue. Those two characters fall off of a cliff after being pursued by a mysterious individual, setting the stage for a tense tale ahead. 
 
The narrative is a fantastic bit of cheesy horror movie trope goodness. A year after the incident, the group of young adults (bad idea) decides to go back to the remote mountain lodge (don’t) where their friends disappeared (why?). The group plays with a Ouija board (idiots), breaks off into smaller groups to explore the property (did Scooby Doo teach you nothing?), and does all the other silly things horror movie characters do. Also, the mountain property is the ancestral home of a displaced Native American tribe (nope), sits near a haunted mine where a tragic accident took place (no thanks), and includes an abandoned sanatorium (I’m out). The use of these various settings and situations add variety to the game. 
 
The game makes use of camera angles and controls in a way that makes every decision feel intense and spooky. It uses a mix of low- and high-angle shots that create unique, eerie perspectives. The character movement with these vantage points can sometimes feel clunky. For instance, you may be walking away from the camera one moment, then walking towards it the next as the camera angle suddenly changes, requiring you to shift your direction and sometimes causing your character to backtrack a little. That being said, the occasional lack of smoothness is typically worth it, as it generates the feeling that a scare is just around every corner. The use of the “Don’t Move” quick-time event - where you have to hold the controller perfectly still to escape a threat - is a nerve-wracking touch to the game, too. 
 
Another fun aspect is the extremely talented crew of actors and actresses contributing voice and motion-capture for the game. Rami Malek and Hayden Panettiere play Josh and Sam, just one pair of notable pieces from the game’s fantastic voice-acting ensemble. Panettiere was pretty well established by the time Until Dawn released, but it’s a treat to go back and see Malek prior to his breakout roles in Mr. Robot and Bohemian Rhapsody.
 
My initial playthrough taught me a lot about how I would behave in a horror movie. All the years spent yelling at TV screens have apparently prepared me to be extremely cautious in navigating horror situations. When given the option to take a safe path or a quick but risky shortcut, I take the former (much to the dismay of the character I was trying to rescue, who I was too slow to save. My apologies. R.I.P.). When faced with doing something individually heroic or cautious as part of a duo, I choose the latter. But one of the great things about Until Dawn is that it makes you feel like you’re both inside of a scary movie and like you’re watching it in the theater; you can guide the protagonists away from bad decisions and protect them, but only so much. Even when you make the safest of decisions, horror and consequences are still imminent. 
 
Beginning my “Beating the Backlog” series with Until Dawn was a perfect fit for a few reasons. First, the game pays wonderful homage to movies like Scream, Saw, The Descent, The Shining, Friday the 13th, and more, so it pairs well with the horror movie watching that goes on in the month of October. Second, it’s a quick game with a re-playable story, which makes me reflect on all the un-played games that I’ve put off for a variety of reasons and how easy they would be to move off of my list in reality. Finally, the butterfly effect style gameplay has me motivated to play similar games in my collection, like The Last of Us: Remastered and Detroit: Become Human. One game down and many to go, but my attempt to dig into my backlog of games is off to a promising start!

​Over the past year or so, we’ve talked a lot about the beauty and the majesty that is found in Star Trek Online and there’s good reason for that. Because the galaxy in this game indeed features some breathtaking imagery, with planets so foreign and beautiful that you’re forced to stop and admire everything they have to offer and the same goes for deep space as well. Since there are some places you encounter while on patrol that are serene in nature and despite the fact that the patrol is over, all you can do is hover in the void and admire the wondrous sights that digital nature is offering up to you.
 
But despite the fact that this game consistently leaves one’s jaw dropped with the visuals it has to offer, this is a game that never forgets to offer up the flip side of existence. Which means that there are indeed places out there that aren’t exactly the prettiest thing you’ll find in the galaxy. In fact, they’re downright hideous and vicious and that’s where we are going to spend a little bit of our time today. Because while we all wait for Awakening’s next chapter to drop, it’s time to resume our journey through the galaxy and today I settled upon returning to a planet that is hostile and dangerous and desolate in its own right; Nukara Prime.
 
Now for those unfamiliar with this particular place, it’s nestled near the edge of the Galaxy in the Boreth Sector and this world is nothing short of a nightmare. Because it’s orbit around a pair of suns is akin to that of Mercury, which means the surface is baking to say the least and one cannot properly explore this planet without an Environmental Suit, outside of the rally point that is, and well, I know what you’re thinking, why on earth would one want to take the time to explore this place? And to that I answer, because it is there. For Nukara Prime is a wonderful example of how the universe/nature is sometimes unforgiving and angry in what offers up to us and it is fascinating to walk around a planet that is populated by heat and desolation.
 
But of course, there would be no point in a story based game to just let you beam down and only see threatening rock faces and pools of acid, so thankfully they added the twist of having the Tholians invade for their own nefarious purposes involving interspatial rifts and that allows for some serious combat to take place and I have to admit, that adds a new level of danger to this particular place. Because there is safety to be found in one’s EV suit when you start to explore, so seeing weapons fire burst over your head, or seeing three or four Tholian warriors surround you adds a little tension to the situation since you’re on your own when you beam down and well, kudos to the game for adding a little thrill to a world that should offer none.
 
Yet you’ll also notice that I referred to this place as the Arizona of the galaxy and I mean that. Because the rock formations here, are akin to many of the places I’ve visited in that state and in many ways this planet looks like a hybrid of both the Grand Canyon and the Superstition Mountains. And of course, the heat in this place also makes me think of that state, and what I wouldn’t give for an EV suit the next time I visit extended family out there. But all snark aside, this is a cool planet (no pun intended) to travel to since it serves as a sobering reminder that the galaxy is a dangerous place, and that a good Captain or Admiral should be prepared for anything and now that we are done with this angry world, I think it is high time we visit a planet filled with rich history and great beauty, one located in the heart of the Alpha Quadrant, and that is where we will pick up, next time. Until then. 

If there’s one universal truth about life, that applies to just about anything we do, it would have to be that sometimes… you just gotta change things up. Because sometimes routine gets a little boring and that’s why we do things a little differently in regard to our daily routine in the mornings or at work, or that’s why we surprise our significant others with a night out on the town, just so that we can keep things interesting. And I wasn’t kidding when I said this applies to just about everything in life since even in the creative world, things get shaken up from time to time in order to spice up a particular storytelling experience and for proof, look no further than Star Trek Online.
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Because this is a game that for that most part, has stuck to a pretty baseline formula in the near ten years that’s it has been around, and that’s not bad thing by any means. Because the story system in this game has brought forth some incredible tales, the kind that have taken our breath away. But clearly the powers that be wanted to try something new for Awakening and well, that’s quite the bold move to say the least. For we’ve grown used to traditional episodes playing out when we log into the game, but after finishing ‘Beneath the Skin’, I (and many others, I’m certain) came to quickly realize that this was going to be a vastly different type of story arc.

For everything that plays out after that season premiere takes place via a unique style of patrol mission, one where a story plays out from the bridge of your ship and while this is jarring at first, since you’re patiently waiting to beam down on an away mission and enjoy some quality cinematics, this ends up being quite the unique and exciting experience for so many reasons. First and foremost, it’s action packed for certain, since you quickly find yourself under fire from House Mo’Kai forces and you’re forced to think fast and employ everything you’ve learned about combat so far since J’Ula’s thugs are fierce and overwhelming at times, especially when waves of them just keep coming.

But what I truly appreciated about the wealth of patrols that I went on to further the story arc, was the sheer fact that this more or less allows for your imagination to run wild. Because while my Anti-Proton beams were tearing into my enemy, Lieutenant Commander Stamets and the rest of my bridge crew were chiming in to the move story along and I don’t know why, but it definitely made me feel like I was truly sitting in a captain’s chair, making calls on the fly while the Red Alert klaxon and lights blast around us and that makes these missions… just a true delight to play. But all nerdiness on my part aside, these missions really do deserve big credit for offering up a brand-new way to tell a story in STO.

Because this push to stop House Mo’Kai adds a genuine sense of urgency to the story, since it is clear that J’Ula is working hard and fast to perfect her Mycelial weapon, and having to move to multiple places in a hurry, adds to her mystique since she’s in essence launching a multi-pronged attack and really, you can never go wrong with subtlety in storytelling and that’s really where these missions succeed. If anything, it is quite cool to see a hybrid story arc present here, one that I’m certain will wrap up in cinematic fashion down the line. But while I wait for the next episode or patrol to drop in this arc, I may replay a few of these to see if there’s anything I’ve missed, and also to enjoy the thrill of being seated in the big chair, while the action unfolds in fast and furious fashion, one more time. 

Clutter is difficult to beat. People are tidying up along with Marie Kondo’s book and Netflix show. The internet is abound with memes referencing the urge to buy new books when plenty of unread tales line our shelves at home. Even beyond physical clutter, our lists of what to consume are growing longer and becoming more arduous as friends, family, and coworkers all recommend the latest shows, books, movies, restaurants, apps, and activities. There aren’t enough hours in the day to curtail our growing lists.
 
In addition to the movies, TV shows, books, and comics that I have yet to start and/or finish, I have enough unplayed video games to last me until the PlayStation 6 comes out. Yet that doesn’t seem to stop me from getting new ones. I still find myself pre-ordering the big releases that have caught my eye and downloading the two free PlayStation Plus games every month, all while my untouched games stare me down from the shelf.
 
A large stockpile of unplayed games takes both physical space and mental space. The physical problem is obvious. A stack of unopened cases is quick to crowd the bin, drawer, or shelf where you store your games. Even when going digital, a crowded hard drive or library can force you to make some tough decisions about what to delete and what to play. As for mental space, an untapped inventory of games can bring guilt to you and your wallet. When you drop $60 on a brand-new game, you wonder shamefully whether you should have held off until you finished the last one that took cash from your bank account.
 
I’m guilty of quite a few problems that contribute to a never-diminishing stockpile of games. First, as I mentioned before, I tend to take arguably too much advantage of the free games on PlayStation Plus each month. Every now and then the free game offered will be one I had been hoping to buy for a while, but more often than not I’m downloading games because they look interesting and because they’re free. Second, I’m a sucker for side quests in open-world games. I’m not a point A to point B type player when there’s so much to do. I’ll meander and take my time doing all the little things. Finally, I sink a considerable amount of time in games with no discernible end. Sports games are a good example. While some sports titles have implemented linear story modes, they are often short, and the main draw continues to be career or franchise modes that keep rolling on.
 
This problem of a video game backlog is not a rare one. You can find countless Tweets, articles, and YouTube videos where people vent about their backlog of games and provide tips to thinning those out. Chris Plante from Polygon suggested watching streams of the games in your backlog as one approach for cutting your list down. YouTuber and video game collector/historian The Immortal John Hancock posted a video in early 2018 detailing how he approaches his growing backlog: a collection of “thousands of games” which would allow him to “play a different game every day for decades.” Hancock’s video has over 27,000 views, so clearly the problem hits home for many people.  
 
Several websites are devoted solely to the effort of beating a backlog and provide tools to do so. HowLongToBeat (HLTB), a site I rely on to get a feel for how comprehensive a game’s story is and how much time I should expect to sink into it, has a backlog feature that allows users to track their progress. Users can sort games into “Backlog”, “Playing”, “Replay”, or “Completed”, leave reviews and ratings, and track how long it took them to beat a given game.

​All the shared guilt and useful resources brings us to the big plan: I’ve decided to finally do something about my backlog! Using HLTB as a tracker, I will log my unplayed games and track them as I try to beat them. So, what’s my goal? Is it to beat every game I own? Or just to play all of them? Do I go for 100% mastery and all of the trophies? Or is the main story the only goal? Here are some parameters:
 

• My list runs a spectrum of consoles, including games from the SNES, the N64, the Xbox 360, and the PS4. All are on the table. I’ve added around 40 games to my backlog to start.

 

• I’ll write a Beating the Backlog entry for each game I take on.

 

• I don’t want this to feel like a chore. After all, video games are supposed to be fun! For that reason, 100% completion is not my goal. I’ll try to beat the main story in most cases, but I’ll sometimes just play enough of a game to feel like I’ve gotten as much enjoyment as I can out of it. This will be especially true for games with a more nebulous conclusion or for games I’m not really enjoying.

 

• As much as I do love racking up trophies, I don’t necessarily plan to master every game, especially as doing so can sometimes double or even triple the playtime required. For example, HLTB lists Red Dead Redemption 2 as taking over 46.5 hours to beat the main story, 75 hours to beat the main story and extras (some side quests, unlockables, etc.), and a whopping ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-SEVEN HOURS to go full completion-ist. Call me a quitter if you will, but I’m passing on that most times.

 

• Will there be a reward? Yes, I’ll probably use beating games as an excuse to buy new games. That’s how it works, right?

 
With the plan laid out and the backlog built, I’m all set to dive in! I plan to take on Until Dawn, Red Dead Redemption 2, and God of War in the immediate future. Bully, Ratchet & Clank, the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past will all add some nostalgia to the list. Any of the other games in my HLTB backlog are sure to emerge on a whim. Please join me on this journey, either by following along or by jumping into a list of your own games that you’ve been hoping to play. It’ll be a fun ride. Together, we can beat the backlog!

​You know, I have to admit that it took me a long time to get started on this particular entry in The Admiral’s Log, simply because the number entry in said log gave me pause. Because this is Part 50, my nerdy friends, and seeing that number allowed for it to dawn on me that I’ve been writing these little vignettes for roughly a year now and that’s, pretty damn cool to say the least. Because I honestly never expected this series to last as long as it has, I thought I would recap my journey through Star Trek Online and find a nice stopping point and move along to another topic. But as we dove deeper into the various places and stories present in this game, I came to realize that I simply couldn’t walk away from this blog with any ease.
 
That’s because there’s still so much to see and do in this game since the folks who designed it gave us so much to explore and interact with and also because, this journey is now in my blood. That’s thanks in large part to your wonderful response to this blog, dear reader, but also because damnit, it is an outright joy to geek out about being able to traverse the stars that populate my favorite science fiction franchise, and because of that, I’m eager to keep going for as long as you’ll read this. But more importantly, the game also makes it supremely difficult to come to a conclusion because this adventure through the galaxy is always offering up new surprises and new stories and that’s really the point of today’s blog, new adventures.
 
Because Tuesday saw the launch of Awakening, the next chapter in the Discovery crossover. Which will finally bring the battle with J’Ula and her rogue forces to a conclusion and as is always the case when a new chapter in STO launches; I practically ran to my couch the instant it was live to fire it up and boy was that six gigabyte update worth the wait. For another Star Trek: Discovery alum is present in this particular arc since the story uses holographic technology to resurrect Lieutenant Commander Paul Stamets of the U.S.S. Discovery and his arrival in this arc adds some phenomenal depth to ‘Beneath the Skin’ since his experiences in the Mycelial Network are paramount to the story.
 
For we quickly come to learn that J’Ula is working to weaponize said network and use it to destroy the Federation one planet at a time and the reveal of those plans led to some quality storytelling for certain. Because it was a jaw dropping sight to drop out of warp at Andoria and see her forces attacking a Federation world, since that’s something that really never happens outside of wartime. But it speaks to her cunning nature and her ruthlessness since all bets are off with J’Ula, and the fact that we get to venture into the Mycelial Network because of her actions is quite the treat when all is said and done since this is a beautiful but dangerous place, and it was definitely full of surprises.
 
Because I wasn’t expecting the network to take the form of Amna Patel, who passed away in ‘Impossibility of Reason’ a little while back, but it did so, all in the hopes of creating a bridge between the 23rd and 25th centuries and this little twist worked well here. But outside of all of that, there’s one man that steals the show in this opening chapter and that’s actor Anthony Rapp. For his portrayal of a holographically resurrected Paul Stamets is an utter delight. Because he is able to add an unexpected depth to this hybrid character since Stamets is vastly different before getting his memories back and that’s just a lovely touch to throw into the game. Plus, the cinematics here are simply top notch, making the mission feel at times like an episode of the series is playing out right before your eyes.
 
So, when you take those elements, and throw in an epic space battle that involves the Enterprise, you’re left with one wonderful opening chapter to this new story arc and already I’m eager to see where it is headed since this ‘season premiere’ was pretty amazing in its own right and this is a story I’ve been quite excited to see come to its logical conclusion. Which means we will be spending quite some time talking about Awakening in the weeks to come and once again, I cannot thank you all enough for supporting this ultra-nerdy journey through the stars for this long and I am beyond excited to have you along for the ride as the voyages of the U.S.S. Galactica continue. Until next time. 

​It is always difficult for a fan to sit through the outright fall of their favorite franchise. Because no fan ever wants to see what they love, fail, and that’s why so many support their beloved sagas in such dedicated and defensive fashion. But sadly, nothing lasts forever in the entertainment world and the perfect storm of mitigating factors can bring a popular saga to its knees. For when quality dips, or the story gets too outlandish for its own good, people simply turn away and find something new to latch onto, and that exodus signals the end and oddly enough, both of those factors are key reasons as to why the Blair Witch gaming saga faded into oblivion.
 
Because Blair Witch Volume III: The Elly Kedward Tale basically goes off of the rails, and it effectively killed the video game arm of this franchise, and revisiting this one on YouTube was a painful experience. For I had truly forgotten all the of mistakes and missteps that this game brought forth when it was released back in the day and really, the first thing that caught me off guard and took me out of the story, was the acting. Because all of these games feature a great wealth of dialogue and every single line spoken in this particular game, is delivered in hammy and cheesy nature, with the over-the-top zest and zeal that plagued the early days of full motion video games and well, that acting is definitely something that removes you from the game immediately because it’s difficult to listen to this cheese-fest.
 
But the problems with the game don’t just end with the acting. Because the gameplay and overall plot are problematic as well. Case and point, the fact that you have to use every day religious items as energy weapons against the evil. Yeah you read that right, something as innocuous as a cross is a nasty weapon in this particular game since it ignites and burns the evil away and if that’s not odd enough, you can also use your Bible to zap the undead with electricity from heaven. And the fact that all of this is seen as ‘natural’ in game, makes it laughable to say the least and its only compounded further by the wannabe, Hammer Horror-esque soundtrack that plays over the events that unfold.
 
Yet while these issues could be forgotten and forgiven if they were supported by a quality story, that’s also missing from this game. Which is fascinating, because this is a portion of the Blair Witch mythos that was barely explored in the original film, meaning that the creative team at Ritual Entertainment could have gone wild and put together a powerfully terrifying story that provided us with the twisted origins of the Witch herself. But instead, we’re treated to a rushed tale that offers nothing new since it borrows more from Volume I than the source material, and that leads to a sloppy story that just goes from point A to point B without any rhyme or reason or explanation as to what makes the iconic ghost tick.
 
If anything, this really was the death knell of a unique idea, one that never quite reached its potential and that’s a shame. Because video games can sometimes go places that movies are simply unable to reach, and this trilogy could have been a horror masterpiece to say the least. But an obviously rushed production led to disaster and this more or less made developers afraid of games involving this character for years to come, since this is the first year, we’ve seen a new Blair Witch game hit the market. Yet while they failed to truly inspire their audience, they do deserve a little bit of credit for trying something new, because these stories were ambitious in their own right and there’s nothing wrong with being bold in telling a story, it’s just a shame that this trilogy lost its way. 

While a great many people deem Star Trek V: The Final Frontier to be one of the worst films in the Star Trek saga (and with good reason), it’s a movie that has a soft spot in my heart. Because for starters, it’s one of the few stories in the franchise to even remotely deal with religion and faith since all the shows made it clear that such matters are mostly non-existent in the 23rd and 24th Century. But I’m also a fan of this film, simply due to the fact that it takes the time to show us something we rarely see in this saga; failure for the United Federation of Planets.
 
Because when you take a moment to think about it, how often do we really see the Federation fail or stumble? For it is supposed to be made up of wise and intelligent people who see every angle before setting something into motion. But Final Frontier introduces us to Nimbus III, a planet that someone in the Federation believed could help engender a future full of peace and harmony by bringing together cultures from the three major powers in the galaxy, and well, it was clearly a total disaster. Sadly though, we don’t spend a ton of time exploring it in the film since Sha Ka Ree is our final destination, meaning that this is basically the first and last time we see and hear of this place within the framework of the franchise.
 
Enter Star Trek Online. Because as I’ve made mention of here and there, everything that has ever been featured in the fifty-plus year run of this glorious saga is somehow present within the framework of the game and that includes Nimbus III. In fact, there’s actually a story arc that features this planet, one that involves the Romulans, which is awesome in its own right. But since I spent/spend so much of my time focusing on the story over the location, I glossed over the wonder of this place my first time passing through here, and I’m honestly not sure what motivated me to come back to this place after enjoying the serenity of New Romulus, but it was a worthwhile voyage none the less.
 
For this is a fascinating world when all is said and done, one that has in essence been abandoned by the major governments of the Beta Quadrant and that is just… nuts. Because there’s peace in the galaxy now, and this was the Federation’s idea, so maybe, I dunno… get in there and fix what you done screwed up? But that’s a more philosophical question best left to fiction, so, allow me to digress since I’m getting off topic. Because what makes this world so fascinating, outside of its moral implications, is the sheer fact that it is in essence a lawless world. For the Orion Syndicate runs things here, and there’s some sneaky stuff happening on the side as well and it’s strange to walk on the surface of a world where chaos reigns supreme day and night, and where you are pretty much guaranteed to use your phaser.
 
Yet what’s equally more unique about this world, is that there is little to see here. It’s mostly desert, and a lot of busted structures that the pirates in this part of the galaxy call home and really, the only geek out moment you’ll find, is pictured above, since Paradise City is alive and well, and so is the cantina where Captain Kirk was attacked by that crazy cat lady. But while this isn’t exactly the most joyous place to explore, it’s still cool to set foot on another planet that is rich with Star Trek history, and it definitely gets your imagination going since it leaves you wonder what other failures the Federation has endured over the years that the saga has yet to bring up. But all of that aside, that brings our journey to ‘The Planet of Galactic Peace’ to a close and this voyage also signals a pause in our second journey through the galaxy. For when we reunite on the bridge of the Galactica next week, Awakening will have launched on console, and we will be diving into this new storyline’s first episode and I look forward to geeking out over this new story arc with all of you fine people in the weeks to come. Until next time.