Despite Stargate being one of the longest running Sci-Fi series on TV there hasn't been an official Stargate videogame; when compared to other TV shows that get their own videogames this seems quite perplexing. It isn't a format that has to be forced to fit a videogame mould. The show is full of action, drama, and space battles. In fact there are many games on the market that you could re-skin and call them Stargate.
Anyway the wait is finally over with the release of the new game Stargate Resistance; a 3rd person online team shooter for the PC. Developed by newcomers Cheyenne Mountain it sees the return of the Goa'uld System Lords as they attempt to regain control over the galaxy after the pounding they received from Anubis and SG-1. Naturally it is up to Stargate Command to stop them as apparently no one else in the Galaxy seems to care (Free Jaffa Nation, Tok'ra, Lucian Alliance, anyone?). This sets the backdrop for some fun team based action.
The player has a choice of playing as the System Lords, or the SGC with each faction having a choice of 3 unique classes: Soldier, Commando, and Scientist for the Humans, and Jaffa, Goa'uld, and Ashrak for the System Lords. This sets it apart from some of the other class based shooters on the market as it means it actually makes a difference which side you choose. In Team Fortress 2 it makes no difference if you are Red or Blu, but in SGR the two factions have different tactics open to them. The trouble with having different classes is always maintaining balance between them, and SGR manages to pull it off fairly well.
The Soldier and the Jaffa are the main combat classes. Soldiers carry a P90 (and Stargate staple since season 4) which fires bullets at an alarming rate shredding enemies at close range, but the 50 round magazine runs out faster than you would like, and so it pays to watch your ammo count. They also carry a grenade launcher that requires reloading after every shot (preventing Grenade spamming as MW2 players will be relieved to know), and smoke grenades. The Jaffa have their trademark Staff Weapon that has quite a punch, and is quite accurate at range unlike the P90 (which is strange as it is the other way round in the show) and does not require reloading so a steady barrage of fire can be maintained. Staff weapons' alternate fire is a powerful Melee attack which can be useful in close fire fights where its slow rate of fire can put you at a disadvantage. They also carry Tok'Kal grenades that blind an enemy making them invaluable for breaking through bottlenecks. Both classes are quite tough, and can take a fair bit of punishment before dying.
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The SGC's Commando is the sniper class with a powerful scoped rifle, a .50 calibre pistol, and Claymore mines. Deadly at range, but the pistol's limited Ammo makes close quarters fighting a risky business.
The Ashrak is a character you may remember from a few SG-1 episodes; a Goa'uld assassin who can turn invisible, and is deadly with a blade. One even managed to infiltrate the SGC in the Season 2 episode "In the Line of Duty". In SGR she is the stealth character and is armed with an A'Tar blade, and a stunner that disorients and drains the life of the target. Her main weapon is a cloaking device that allows her to sneak around to deliver a fatal backstab. The cloak is less effective when moving so skill is required to infiltrate. Ashrak are very effective against commandos who like to stay still and look down their scopes. If you play Spy in TF2 then you'll feel right at home here.
The Scientist is the SGC's support character. She is fairly weak in combat with a small pistol to defend herself, but is still a foe you don't want to cross. Sporting a healing gun she can restore the health of nearby comrades as well as poisoning enemies with its secondary fire (a weapon useful against Ashraks). As well as this she can also build automated turrets and dispensers to bolster defences. The Scientist means that the SGC is a more effective defensive force than the System Lords, but the turrets can be used in a pinch to bolster offensive lines.
The Goa'uld is the System Lords' answer to the Scientist. He can heal injured teammates with his healing device as well as himself. As in the show he sports an energy field that can protect him from damage for 8 seconds before needing to recharge. It is extremely useful as the Goa'uld have a distinct lack of ranged weapons. When near an enemy he can drain its life with his Ribbon device. This not only damages the target, but makes his screen go all weird making retaliation difficult. The other weapon is the classic deflection pulse that sends nearby enemies flying; however the range is limited so you have to be right next to your victim for it to be effective.
So you have your characters, now what do you do with them? There are 3 maps to choose from; each with different Goals. There is Team Deathmatch in a ruined Egyptian style temple, Capture the Flag on an ice world, and Territory Control at the SGC on Earth. The maps are fairly well designed with open areas for sniping, bottlenecks, multiple levels, and different paths to the objective. There are also some nice touches that give it a Stargate feel; a Sarcophagus behind a fallen down wall, a weather control device (that can cause a snow storm to cover your approach), and of course Stargates. They are only used in the SGC level where the System Lords player spawns on a different planet and travels through the Stargate to the SGC. The textures and lighting look great on a high end system, and there is nothing like the feeling of standing guard in the Gateroom, blasting Jaffa as they step through.
It is, however not all good news. While the game plays well, and the maps are fun it feels as if you?re not getting all the game. As I have said there are only 3 maps, and while they're fun to play it means that scenarios start to repeat themselves. Games tend to devolve into the same 3 or 4 choke points, and so things can get samey. I do hope that more maps are released down the line. It is not for lack of inspiration as there are plenty of locations that would be perfect. Where's the forest that seems to be on every planet in the galaxy that isn't a desert? In fact where's the desert? I would love to see the reverse of the SGC level where the Humans invade a Goa'uld Mothership, or a skirmish set in an Ancient outpost, or medieval village. In its defence it is a $20 game, and the levels you do get are fun to play. Hopefully more content will be released soon.
The lack of maps isn't the only issue. There are features that are common in online PC shooters that really should be present. Firstly there is no friend system, or the ability to set up your own match for people to join. You are presented with a list of 5 or 6 different matches for each map, but there is no way of seeing who's playing. This makes organising a match with friends extremely difficult. I do hope this is something that will be addressed as creating a good community around your game is what keeps online shooters going. The other omission is integrated voice chat. There is a text chat feature, but unless you have a friend to work the keyboard, or are some sort of Octopus man there is no hope of being able to type a coherent message in the middle of a firefight. If you could set up a private match with friends then you could use a VoIP service like Skype, but you have no hope here. This means that it is difficult to put together an organised team effort.
So I've talked about the game, but does it do justice to the Stargate licence? Is it the game Stargate fans been waiting for? Well... Not really. The game is good, but it doesn't really make full use of the licence. That is not the fault of lazy developers who are simply stamping a logo onto a generic game. I mean the developers are named after the Stargate Command HQ, and are working on the MMO Stargate Worlds. The trouble is the genre. Online shooters aren't story driven, there is no need for backstory or motivation beyond "These are your team, these are the other team. Kill them". The characters, setting, interface, voice emotes (press V), and music are all very Stargate focused, but there is no real story to speak of. That's ok. It means that fans will appreciate the subtle references, and newcomers won't lose out on anything. The series has a lot of backstory, and an evolved universe that ties in with ancient history. These are elements that are going to be explored in the Stargate MMO, and don't really need to be in a shooter. That said I would have liked to see an intro video explaining at least some of it.
Final Verdict : Is it the definitive Stargate game? No. It's a fun, action packed shooter that uses the Stargate Universe as well as it could given the genre. It has room to grow, and I hope that more content will be added on as time progresses; particularly a friend system and private matches.
That said it is only $20, and you could do a whole lot worse than Stargate Resistance. If you like Stargate and shooting things then buy it.
-thenumberthirteen
Stargate Resistance is a PC exclusive, and is available from Direct2Drive
Cross posted from the <url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/groups/view/Stargate-Fan-Club>Stargate Fan Club and <url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/groups/view/Stargate-Resistance-Group>Stargate Resistance Group
