WHAT IS IT?

A low-budget digital reimagining of beloved 90s Star Trek series Voyager, and, incidentally, Voyager‘s second quasi-sequel this year (after Starfleet Academy, of course).

IS IT GOOD?

Surprisingly, yes, though its complex systems – and deep love for obscure Trek lore – make this one only for the diehards.

WHO SHOULD PLAY IT?

Annika Hansen. Icheb’s Ghost. Mirror Harry.

FLASHBACK

It’s an interesting time for Trekkies.

The dreadful Star Trek Discovery is finally behind us, even as its pseudo-sequel, the Toronto-shot (and occasionally Toronto-set!) Strange New Worlds, has shown it’s still possible to deliver some good old-fashioned Trek.

Meanwhile, Disco’s other sequel, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, has offered up a weird hybrid of the two, doling out fan service – hello, Voyager’s The Doctor! – alongside occasionally excruciating YA melodrama. The jury’s still out on Starfleet Academy, though there’s no denying the power of its DS9/Benjamin Sisko tribute episode last month.

Into the fray enters a legacyquel of its own, Star Trek: Voyager – Across the Unknown, which essentially functions as a “what if” scenario for fans of the TV series, which ran seven seasons during the era of Peak Trek. While never as popular as fellow 90s Treks The Next Generation or Deep Space Nine, Voyager remains a beloved entry in the canon, no doubt bolstered by the enduring popularity of its two female leads, Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan), both of whom have popped up in recent projects like Star Trek: Prodigy and the Next Generation “coda” Star Trek: Picard.

Those projects, supported by a Hollywood budget and investment in returning characters, can’t really be compared to Across the Unknown, an avowedly budget title from an unknown studio, with relatively simplistic graphics, iterative design, and mostly lacking voicework (though both Robert Duncan McNeill and Tim Russ are on hand to provide voiceover readings of their characters’ “personal logs”).

Just to give an idea of how budget this game is: until release, it wasn’t even clear if it had cleared the rights to Voyager’s wonderful theme music. (Spoilers: it’s here, even if the rest of the soundtrack is fairly bland.)

Colour me surprised, then, that after some admittedly confused opening hours, I’ve found Across the Unknown to be an overall enjoyable experience, revisiting key moments from the series in the guise of an engaging (if hopelessly complicated) spaceship-management sim.

YEAR OF HELL

Star Trek: Voyager, which ran from 1995-2001 as the flagship series of the UPN network (rip), follows the crew of the USS Voyager (callsign NCC-7465, but then you knew that already), stranded halfway across the Milky Way galaxy in what Trek lore refers to as the “Delta Quadrant”.

A relatively unknown area of space – and home to the horrifying Borg, villains of the best Star Trek movie – Voyager’s unique setting allowed its writers to explore (at least in theory) new species, new conflicts, and new tensions, with the stranded ship having to balance the desire to return home against the responsibility to uphold Starfleet values. (Early on, the show also tried to make a big deal of the fact Voyager “absorbed” a crew of anti-Starfleet Maquis revolutionaries into the ship’s ranks, though the Maquis folks honestly settled into their Starfleet uniforms a little too well, and too quickly.)

Across the Unknown, which draws on such popular sci-fi video game series as XCOM and FTL, is a game about exploration, and about decision-making, in line with the challenges a starship captain might face while stranded 70,000 lightyears from home. Play alternates between management sim – explore systems, collect resources, upgrade systems – and a relatively simplistic choose-your-own adventure campaign, which mixes up new storylines with those remembered (or, in some cases, only half-remembered) from the TV series.

Much of the tension in Across the Unknown comes not from the life-or-death decisions found in the story – sorry, Seven/Chakotay stans – but in your ability to manage the crew’s ever dwindling morale. While it may be tempting, for example, to invest all your resources into weapons and shields, turning Voyager into a bullying warship (abandoning your Federation principles along the way!), you’ll still to ensure Neelix’s mess is up and running, and there are enough quarters to house your demoralized crew. It is, in other words, a balancing act, one that you’ll constantly be managing throughout its approximately twelve-hour runtime. (Or, if you prefer, half a 90s Trek season.)

COURSE: OBLIVION

Even with – or possibly because of – its surfeit of tutorial-style assists, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by Across the Unknown, with its confusing array of rapidly dwindling ship resources, systems to manage, research trees to unlock, “work teams” to deploy. This is probably the worst thing about the game, the persistent feeling that you’re overlooking something, that some system you’re not even aware of is about to fail. Even after far too many hours with the game, there are still times when “my” Voyager will suddenly collapse into “Grey Mode”, life support systems offline, because I’ve overlooked some obscure system or gameplay mechanic.

That said, there’s an undeniably appealing rhythm to Across the Unknown, one in which you learn to always have a research project on the go (pro tip: develop the plasma torch early), always have a new room under construction (another pro tip: Engineering Offices are the main way to increase your “work teams”), always have a pending trade deal (last tip: pay close attention to what’s going on in the Aeroshuttle Hangar), even as you pursue the immediate mission lines to progress the story.

About that: one of the best things about Across the Unknown is its ability to unfold stories quite organically. The game does a lot of work to make you feel like you’re merely stumbling into scenarios, instead of ticking check-marks from an episode guide.

You might, for instance, come across a wormhole, only to discover it’s a teeny-tiny wormhole, only to also discover that on the other side… well, Voyager fans know already what’s there, but let’s refrain from spoilers for now. You might also, to give one more example, be out on a seemingly random away mission, only to encounter an organ-harvesting operation, which then unfolds into a larger mystery (and throughline from the early seasons of Voyager).

What’s also lovely about these scenarios is that they’re a chance to depart from Trek canon, gleefully disregarding the show in order to cultivate your own Voyager experience. To offer a prime example: on a lark, I disregarded Starfleet protocol and abandoned the Ocampa during the “series premiere” mission, using the Caretaker Array to blast home and short-circuit, well, the entirety of Voyager seasons 1-7. (Don’t worry: the game offered me the chance to “reconsider” my option and do the right thing.)

At other times, you might be tasked with ferreting out a traitor – the canonically wrong answer letting you embrace a certain “Bajoran” as a permanent member of your crew – or deciding how to resolve an infamous ethical conundrum (#justicefortuvix).

Even though many of these boil down to multiple-choice menu selections, it’s still fun, for a certain kind of dork, to fool around with the canon this way. Bear in mind that these choices are meaningful – you’ll gain and lose crew members in occasionally shocking ways, and there’s a good chance that the Voyager at the end of your story will little resemble the Voyager of “Endgame”. Personally, though I’ve largely played the “good guy”, there have definitely been moments when, plagued by dwindling resources and plummeting morale, I was awfully tempted to just go all Equinox on the Quadrant.

And that’s Across the Unknown in a nutshell. If any of those choices, those references, made you smile in recognition, you’re bound to have a fun time in this game. If you’re looking for a digestible, bite-sized experience – Across the Unknown is very Steam Deck-friendly, with its discrete and easily interruptible mission structure – you’ll appreciate this opportunity to experience yet another episodic Trek, whether at home or on the go.

And if the prospect of minutely managing a Federation starship’s complex interconnected systems unnerves you, rest assured there’s an easy mode. (Honestly, it’s a much better game on easy mode, where the fail conditions aren’t quite so harsh.)

Just please do me a favour: don’t activate that godawful “Fair Haven” holodeck program.

***
Final score: 7/10 operatic doctors.

Visit the official website for Star Trek: Voyager – Across the Unknown here.

The post Star Trek: Voyager – Across the Unknown (PS5) Review: Fun Will Now Commence appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

What is your business called and what does it do?

My business is Voyager, a Toronto start-up launching a pocket-sized electronic dispenser for liquid concentrates dubbed “the Keurig of cannabis” that guarantees simple, safe and precise cannabis dosing at the touch of a button.

The patent-pending Voyager Dispenser – now available for pre-orders – is personalized, affordable and easy to use, making the device the most innovative and health-oriented cannabis product on the market. The accompanying, specially-formulated Voyager Pods with pure Voyager Oil Drops or Voyager Beverage Drops deliver desired states of rest, relaxation, creativity or energy, anytime and anywhere.

What made you want to do this work?

Myself (Elad Barak) and the team of my fellow co-founders (Arjen A. Melis and Giovanni Gerbolini), started Voyager because we wanted to create a product that makes cannabis more accessible and in a format that is less intimidating. Many consumers are interested in cannabis for various health and wellness reasons but often there are barriers or concerns that prevent potential users from using cannabis. These barriers include wanting to avoid smoke inhalation, smelling like cannabis or fear of losing control because of improper dosing. We wanted to create a solution that would allow for personalization and customization so it would be easier for cannabis consumers to get an accurate dose.

What problem did you want to solve with the business?

The main problem found in the cannabis industry is that most products are consumed by smoking or vaping. For those who use cannabis for health and wellness reasons, smoking is not the best option. Research shows us that smoking and the smell of cannabis are a barrier to entry as was the fear of losing control related to dosing. We also learned about high levels of frustration with alternate non-flower formats such as cannabis oil concentrates which rely on messy syringes or droppers and expensive beverages. In other words, there was a huge opportunity for which no solution was available. Being entrepreneurs and having a solid tech and consumer background, we choose to solve this by creating our own solution.

Who are your clientele/demographics?

Voyager has a lot to offer for various demographics, similar to an iPhone, we are a product for everyone. Daily consumers of cannabis oils love Voyager because of the convenience and accuracy which they consider a huge value-added benefit. We have also received strong interest from new cannabis consumers who are still looking for their favourite format and experimenting with gummies and beverages. Specifically, they are looking for something that fits well with their daily routine at a potency that works for them and is affordable. We have also learned that there is a large group of consumers who reluctantly vape to avoid smoking but who are willing to look at better ways to consume cannabis.

How does your business make money? How does it work?

Voyager is a “Razor and Blades” model; consumers need to purchase our dispenser which has a one-time retail cost under $49.99. We are keeping this price low and do not intend to make a profit from the dispenser. Our business makes its money from the sale of compatible Voyager pods, either under the Voyager brand name or branded by other well-known cannabis brands. Since there is a strong interest by daily consumers, this will create a recurring revenue stream from monthly purchases. We expect to take our innovation globally and expand into Health & Wellness as well as Pharma.

Where in the city can we find your profession?

We are located in and going to make a big splash in Toronto but ultimately, you can expect to find me all over the world. Canada is the frontrunner in legalizing the cannabis market. Other countries are watching us and we expect Voyager’s innovation to be embraced as a safe and responsible consumption format. I have been travelling across North America and Europe to meet with partners who want to roll out their products with Voyager.

What is the best question a prospective customer could ask a member of your profession when comparing services? Give the answer as well.

Every time we present our product, consumers love it! They want to learn more about it and share how they would use it. The most common question a customer asks us is “how much does it cost?”.

Our dispensers which are a one-time purchase will be sold for under $49.99 and the pods which contain the cannabis (sold separately by our approved partners) will cost in line with the current oil concentrates available. We really surprise our prospects when we tell them they can infuse their own favourite beverage with cannabis for roughly $1.00, compared to $5.00, for a ready-to-drink beverage purchased in-store. You pick the beverage you love (your morning coffee or evening tea before bed) at the potency/dosing which works for you!

What is the best part about what you do? What is the worst part?

The best part about what we do is making cannabis available in a format that better meets consumer needs and that they feel more comfortable with. During in-store testing, I had a young woman wanting to buy Voyager for her Grandma, which made me feel really happy!

The worst part is needing to be patient; it takes time to make sure everything is perfect and to have investors on board to bring this to market. We have lots of room for more investors to make this Canadian innovation available across the world.

What is your favourite joke about your own profession?

There is something very ironic or funny if you will when you compare what I do today versus what I did in the past. I have two engineering degrees and used to operate (“pilot”) satellites in space. I am now putting all these skills that I have learned into giving consumers a better and safer way to improve their health and wellness with Cannabis.

Where can we follow you?

Personal LinkedIn | Voyager LinkedIn | Website

PAY IT FORWARD: What is another local business that you love?

I love the Spiritleaf store on College Street in Toronto. The team and owner of that store were really nice, letting us talk with their clients, and helping us fine-tune Voyager’s launch plans. The service was terrific and I would encourage anyone to check them out.

The post Homegrown Business: Elad Barak Co-Founder and CEO of Voyager appeared first on Toronto Guardian.