If VR truly is the final frontier for gaming then it seems fitting that Star Trek Bridge Crew will be there to boldly go on that journey. During the Ubisoft E3 presentation there was a clip showing alumni from the Star Trek franchise playing this co-op deck simulator with each other. Lavar Burton (ST:TNG), Jeri Ryan (ST:VOY), and Karl Urban (ST reboot movies) all took on the various roles of Starfleet officers by wearing the Oculus Right and using Oculus Touch. Much like the name implies, all the action takes place on the deck of the Enterprise. This is surprisingly well suited for VR since you stay seated for the entirety of the experience while tapping on your command console. The actors seemed pretty content as they sat in their comfy chairs and looked through their virtual goggles.
The gameplay of Star Trek Bridge Crew looked quite unique with each person taking on the role of either tactical officer, helmsperson, engineer, or the captain. All the action could be seen via the viewscreen which included space explosions, decloaking Klingons, and escaping into warp. But there were also quieter moments of admiring the view of the stars which makes me wonder there will be more than just starship battles. And while the graphics look a bit stiff at the moment the potential to being able to yell orders at your friends while the bridge is being nailed by phaser blasts seems to making everything else insignificant.
Star Trek Bridge Crew is coming to the Oculus Rift in fall 2016 which gives me a little time to finally save up to get me some VR gear.
