Klingon Honor Guard Mac Review (1999)

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From the archive: this review first ran on the Mac Gaming Alliance (MGA), the Mac games site that lived here on DimensionZ in the late 1990s. It was published around 1999 and is reproduced as originally written, with the original screenshots (click to enlarge). More in the Mac Gaming Alliance archive.

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!”

Find a copy

Klingon Honor Guard has been out of print for years, but used copies of the original Mac release still turn up, and some classics have been re-released for modern systems. Search for Klingon Honor Guard on Amazon.

Ratings use the MGA’s original 1–5 apple scale. Prices, system requirements and web links in this review are from the time it was written.