Star Trek: The Next Generation: A Final Unity

As TOS had its greatest gaming success via point-n-click adventures, so, too, did The Next Generation. While there were quite a few Picard-led outings, it was A Final Unity that proved the most successful, again released during the heyday of the genre, this one in 1995. While 25th Anniversary and Judgment Rites came from Interplay, this TNG adventure was the work of Spectrum HoloByte, in the final throes of the once sim-focused developer that saw most of its success in the ‘80s.

A far better use of the then-new CD-ROM, I remember A Final Unity blowing my mind as footage of the Enterprise played out in a postage stamp window on my CRT monitor, then getting even more thrilled that the surprisingly well-rendered characters spoke with the real voices of the stars of the show. And for once in a game, Patrick Stewart didn’t sound like he was reading out lines in a hostage video.

Things are split between rather stilted conversations aboard the Enterprise, as Picard chats with the crew about their current mission, and the away missions, which play more like classic LucasArts adventures, letting you switch control between multiple stars of the show, exploring locations and solving puzzles.

What was so much fun about A Final Unity was just how Trek it felt. You got to use proper Star Trek computers and scan things with tricorders, all while hearing the original cast voicing their own characters.

Where to buy: Somehow, nowhere. But it’s on this abandonware site