Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – The Fallen offers a third-person action experience built on the familiar Unreal Tournament engine. Players can choose to control Worf, Kira Nerys, or Benjamin Sisko, each with unique abilities and personal playstyles. Worf excels in heavy combat with higher health and stronger melee attacks, while Kira moves swiftly and can hack terminals. Sisko’s diplomatic background provides balanced stats and special dialogue options that unlock hidden pathways.

The level design spans both iconic Deep Space Nine interiors and exotic alien worlds, divided into distinct missions that weave together through the overarching quest for the three Red Orbs of Jalbador. Objectives range from straightforward firefights against Jem’Hadar and rogue Klingons to stealth infiltration segments aboard Cardassian installations. Time-travel sequences transport you to pivotal moments in DS9’s history, adding puzzle elements that break up the combat and force you to consider non-lethal solutions.

Controls feel responsive for a late-’90s engine adaptation, though occasional camera shifts can hamper precision in narrow corridors or Zero-G sections. Weapon variety—phasers, disruptors, and even Bajoran rifles—keeps encounters fresh, and each character’s signature skills unlock new strategies. Multiplayer skirmishes are supported but feel tacked on; the real draw is the single-player campaign, where the interlocking narratives of Worf, Kira, and Sisko create a mosaic of perspectives on the unfolding crisis.

Alongside standard combat, several missions incorporate environmental hazards and timed events, such as rerouting power on a starship under attack or navigating a crumbling wormhole conduit. These sequences heighten tension and reward quick thinking. While seasoned action fans may find some firefights repetitive, the character-specific challenges and branching mission outcomes give The Fallen a surprisingly addictive replay value.

Graphics

Leveraging the Unreal Tournament engine, The Fallen presents a mixed bag of graphical achievements and nostalgic quirks. Character models are recognizable, capturing the likenesses of Avery Brooks, Michael Dorn, and Nana Visitor reasonably well for the era, though facial animations can feel stiff during dialogue. Texture work on walls and starship hulls is crisp, with detailed decals that reinforce the Starfleet and Cardassian aesthetics.

Environments range from the bustling Promenade on Deep Space Nine to the wind-swept deserts of Jalbador, each with a distinct color palette and atmospheric effects. Particle systems for phaser blasts and explosions are satisfying, though overuse can slow frame rates on lower-end systems. Dynamic lighting in dimly lit corridors adds to the tension, casting dramatic shadows that heighten the game’s sci-fi ambiance.

Cinematic cutscenes bridge key story beats, combining in-engine footage with static artwork and text overlays. Voice acting by the original series cast elevates these moments, even if lip-syncing lags behind the spoken lines. While polygon counts are modest by modern standards, nostalgic fans will appreciate the faithful recreation of DS9’s warp core, ops center, and Bajoran temples.

Minor graphical hiccups—such as pop-in textures or occasional frame dips—are forgivable given the game’s ambition to deliver large, explorable environments on late-’90s hardware. For its time, The Fallen stands out as one of the more visually impressive Star Trek titles, marrying practical set design references with the Unreal engine’s flexibility.

Story

The Fallen’s narrative is loosely based on the “Millennium” trilogy of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine novels, adapting the hunt for the enigmatic Red Orbs of Jalbador into an interstellar adventure. You begin as Worf on DS9, investigating a mysterious power surge that hints at a greater threat. As the plot unfolds, Kira and Sisko step into the spotlight, each driven by personal stakes and moral quandaries tied to the orbs’ reality-warping potential.

Time-travel sequences serve as pivotal chapters, sending your heroes to past DS9 missions and even to battles on the Klingon homeworld. These detours deepen the narrative by revisiting familiar villains—such as Gul Dukat—and by exploring “what-if” scenarios that never appeared on the TV screen. Each character’s storyline interlocks at key moments, culminating in a finalesque confrontation that requires coordination and quick thinking.

Dialogue is rich with series lore, from discussions of Bajoran prophecy to Klingon honor codes. Minor characters—Odo, Quark, and Dax among them—make cameo appearances, grounding the story in DS9’s established continuity. Puzzles involving Bajoran glyphs and Cardassian encryption feel authentic, offering fans a chance to flex their knowledge of the series while advancing the plot.

Although some narrative threads feel rushed to accommodate the game’s action focus, the overall storyline maintains a satisfying build-up. Multiplayer aside, the single-player campaign is structured like a three-act play, with each hero’s perspective shedding light on the consequences of tampering with powerful relics. This novel-inspired plot makes The Fallen stand out among licensed games, rewarding players who appreciate both Star Trek lore and time-bending twists.

Overall Experience

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – The Fallen succeeds in delivering a fan-service-heavy adventure that balances combat, exploration, and storytelling. While some modern players may bristle at dated controls or graphical quirks, the game’s strengths lie in its faithfulness to DS9’s spirit and its creative expansion of the show’s universe. The interlocking missions of Worf, Kira, and Sisko foster engagement and encourage multiple playthroughs.

For longtime Trekkies, hearing the original cast breathe life into largely unseen chapters of Deep Space Nine is a major draw. Casual action gamers will find enough variety in level objectives and character abilities to stay invested, even if the difficulty spikes can be steep. The Fallen’s standout moments—like a zero-gravity firefight in the wormhole or a tense showdown on the Refineries’ catwalks—linger long after the final credits roll.

Technical hiccups have a nostalgic charm rather than a detriment: clunky camera angles become familiar old friends, and polygonal faces recall the dawn of cinematic gaming. The Unreal Tournament engine’s robust framework ensures that, despite its age, The Fallen remains playable on modern hardware with minimal fuss.

Overall, The Fallen is a noteworthy entry in Star Trek’s gaming catalog. Its ambitious narrative, varied gameplay, and commitment to series authenticity make it an engaging experience for fans and genre enthusiasts alike. If you’ve ever wanted to swing Worf’s battle-axe through Cardassian corridors or solve Bajoran puzzles in a race against time, Deep Space Nine – The Fallen delivers a memorable journey through space and time.

Retro Replay Score

7.7/10