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Reviewed by Marty Dodge
All images in this review can be enlarged by clicking on them
If one wishes to be truthful I had my doubts about KHG before I played it for the first time. As Babylon 5 aficionado I have always felt STNG and its brethren to be a bit too "caring and sharing" for me. I am by no means a Trekkie. I happy to inform you that one does not need to be a Trekkie to enjoy this game, just a fan of brutal 3D action. I always thought the Klingon were the only interesting race in Star Trek. Now I know why, it is the Bat'leth that I love . This vicious, five bladed, two handed close combat weapon is more fun than any long range weapon in any other game. Cleaving an opponent with your backstroke is the most satisfying experience of any 3D shooter on the market. Unlike most games in the genre, KHG provides the ability to do fancy maneuvers with both the Bat'leth and the D'k Tahg (dagger.) The rest of the weapons in your arsenal are impressive as well and provide more variety and killing power than say Unreal (whose engine KHG uses.)
The gameplay and storyline in KHG is superior to
Unreal, making it seem as if one is truly involved in the
plot. The game is presented in a way, with extremely good
cutscenes, that makes you feel as though you are part of the
latest Star Trek movie. But unlike being in a ST movie there
are none of those pesky Federation humans running around. As
the plot centers around a conspiracy to overthrow the
Emperor by fellow Klingons of the traitorous House of Duras,
there are few of the other ST races around, in fact the only
other humanoids are the so-called Andorians. (A race of
pirates and smugglers. Wonder where they came up with that
name? And will the tiny country involved sue for slander?)
As you are facing fellow Klingons, you are able to see the
weapons you can acquire, used on you beforehand.
The sound and graphics in this game are
breathtaking, although the soundtrack does get a bit
annoying over the course of the game. Much like DV, the game
is mostly played in areas that are dimly lit, so it helps to
play in a room that does not have too much glare. Logically
because it is based on Unreal, the requirements for this
game are astronomic. Two rules: give it as much RAM as
possible and don't bother on anything slower than a G3 or a
3Dcard equipped 604. Oddly enough KHG was much more stable
than Unreal and so long as it had the full 96RAM I gave it,
things ran smoothly, including the cutscenes. Those RMV
movies employ actors experienced in the Klingon
ethos.
The game is not too hard, but there are some levels that are a bit puzzling. I managed to complete it over a weekend of intense playing but played at a normal rate it should keep one entertained for a good amount of time. I was unable to try the multiplayer aspects of the game, but I will assume that they are great fun, if the "botmatch" is anything to go by. I did manage to explore some of the multiplayer maps and the ones I tried are huge and complete. Editor's Note: I have played KHG multiplayer matches both over a LAN, and the internet. Although I had some trouble getting started, multiplayer games of KHG are great fun!
Overall I cannot recommend this game enough, I had
a blast playing it. The only downside is that it is really a
game for those with the latest fast Macs, with lots and lots
of RAM. If you are a Star Trek fan, then it is indeed a must
have, unless you truly hate the Klingons. As far as I am
concerned KHG, is a strong contender for game of the year.
"Heghlu'DI' mobbe'lu'chugu Qaqu'Hegh wanl!"
