Star Trek: Armada II is a real-time strategy video game published by Activision in 2001, based upon the Star Trek universe.[4] The game was developed by Mad Doc Software. It is the sequel to Star Trek: Armada. Star Trek: Armada II was released by Activision a year after they acquired the full rights to all the franchise holding of the video game's franchise from Viacom.[citation needed] It was the first of the three major Star Trek video game sequel titles[citation needed] that were released by Activision from 2001 until their departure from the franchise in 2003.[5] On December 13, 2021, both Armada and Armada II were re-released on GoG.com, which had also released several other older Star Trek titles earlier that year.[6]

Star Trek: Armada II
North American boxart
Developer(s)Mad Doc Software
Publisher(s)Activision
Director(s)Ian Lane Davis
Producer(s)Ken Davis
Designer(s)Steve Nadeau
Brian Mysliwy
Michael Ryan
Composer(s)Danny Pelfrey
EngineStorm3D[2][3]
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Release
  • NA: November 19, 2001[1]
  • EU: December 1, 2001
Genre(s)Real-time strategy
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Like its predecessor, Armada II is set in the Star Trek: The Next Generation era of the Star Trek universe.[7] The game showcases events in the Alpha Quadrant between the United Federation of Planets, the Klingon Empire, the Romulan Star Empire, the Cardassian Union, Species 8472, and the Borg.

Plot edit

Set just six months after the events of Star Trek: Armada, the Borg once again threaten the Alpha Quadrant. They have created a new ship capable of assimilating entire worlds in just a few seconds. After routing the attempted foothold, Captain Picard discovers a new type of nebula: a tachyon nebula. Intrigued, Picard discovers a new type of transwarp gate called a Transwarp Portal, capable of sending fleets of starships from one quadrant to another almost instantly, explaining how the Borg managed to get so deep into the Alpha Quadrant undetected. Starfleet Command then orders Picard to seize control of it and launch a counteroffensive into the heart of Borg space in the Delta Quadrant, into the Borg staging grounds. Though successful, some of the Federation forces, Picard included, are left stranded when the Transwarp Portal collapses due to a destabilization of the inter-spatial transwarp manifolds.

Meanwhile, the Cardassians use the sudden absence of Federation forces to begin their own offensive. The Cardassians proceed to destroy the Federation's reserve fleet. Klingon Chancellor Martok discovers that Gul Kentar, leader of the Cardassian uprising, is in league with the Romulans. Kentar is developing a "Quantum Singularity Ship" that allows the Cardassians to summon Species 8472 ships at will. Martok leads an attempt to thwart Kentar's grab for power and destroy the project. The Klingons stop the Cardassian rebellion and occupy their homeworld, Cardassia Prime. In the final battle, Martok tracks down and kills Gul Kentar, taking out the Quantum Singularity Project along the way.

The Borg Queen, stranded in the Alpha Quadrant by the same twist of fate that trapped Picard on her side of the galaxy, discovers that Species 8472 has found a way into the Alpha Quadrant. She attempts to mass an armada to suppress this threat by assimilating native species planets, ships and technologies, but its growth is stunted by the constant attacks from the Federation. She then realizes that only by working with the Federation they can defeat Species 8472. The Federation and the Borg Collective create an alliance and venture into Species 8472's fluidic space to destroy their staging grounds by destroying the Rift Maker, thus ending the threat to the Alpha Quadrant by closing all the rifts.

Reception edit

The game received more "mixed" reviews than the original Star Trek: Armada, according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[8]

References edit

  1. ^ I. G. N. Staff (2001-11-20). "Armada II Out of Dry Dock". IGN. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  2. ^ Davis, Ian Lane (February 15, 2000). "The Mad Doctor's Designer's Diary". TrekCore. CBS Interactive. Retrieved March 11, 2010.
  3. ^ "Storm3D Viewer Utility by Mad Doc Software". Armada Files. June 11, 2002. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  4. ^ "The Next Generation Lives On With The Release Of Activisons's Star Trek: Armada II". Mad Doc Software. November 19, 2001. Retrieved March 11, 2010. Hosted by RockstarWatch.net as backup
  5. ^ "Activision Files Breach Of Contract Lawsuit Against Viacom". Activision. July 1, 2003. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  6. ^ "GOG Winter Sale kicks off in style with Star Trek: Armada". Tom's Guide. 14 December 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  7. ^ "Star Trek Armada II Announced". Game Monkeys. February 14, 2001. Retrieved March 16, 2010.
  8. ^ a b "Star Trek: Armada II for PC Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  9. ^ Woods, Nick. "Star Trek: Armada II - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  10. ^ Bub, Andrew S. (April 4, 2002). "Star Trek Armada II". Computer Games Magazine. theGlobe.com. Archived from the original on April 24, 2002. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  11. ^ Chick, Tom (March 2002). "Star Trek: Armada II" (PDF). Computer Gaming World. No. 212. Ziff Davis. p. 83. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  12. ^ Kasavin, Greg (November 26, 2001). "Star Trek: Armada II Review". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  13. ^ McConnaughy, Tim (November 27, 2001). "Star Trek: Armada II". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on September 21, 2004. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  14. ^ Gerbino, Robert (December 27, 2001). "Star Trek: Armada II Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on February 8, 2008. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
  15. ^ Sulic, Ivan (December 3, 2001). "Star Trek: Armada II". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  16. ^ "Star Trek: Armada 2". PC Gamer UK. Future plc. 2002.
  17. ^ Kuo, Li C. (February 2002). "Star Trek: Armada II". PC Gamer. Vol. 9, no. 2. Future US. p. 74. Archived from the original on March 15, 2006. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  18. ^ Hill, Mark (February 21, 2002). "PC Review: Star Trek: Armada II". PC Zone. Future plc. Archived from the original on July 4, 2007.

External links edit