THIS is yet another Star Trek-based game which is surprisingly well made and not quickly finished unlike some other Star Trek-endorsed games that have just relied on the name to sell the game rather than on gameplay.

Star Trek Away Team is a squad based strategy game set within the Star Trek Universe and similar in gameplay style to Commandos.

Each of the game's missions starts with you getting to choose the members of your away team based on the requirements of each mission.

All the characters have their own set of specialist equipment based on which group they fall into, either command, engineer, science officer, medical officer or security.

The learning curve on this game is good, but there is no real challenge until you reach Mission 8 when things start requiring a lot more stealth to achieve your goals.

The pause time function is an excellent addition to the game and lets you plan your assaults and your route through the missions more accurately, adding to the strategy of this game.

The shortcut keys are useful and the control system is simple and effective.

The background detail is very good and the graphics are as good as they get for this sort of 2D layout.

The fact that two of the actors from Star Trek provide the voices for Data and Worf and appear in the game adds a real touch of realism to the game and the music comes across as something right out of a Star Trek episode.

The storyline is compelling and the gameplay is addictive which keeps you coming back for more, so you won't want to stop playing until you find out who's behind the conspiracy.

Graphics 5/5

Sound 4/5

Gameplay 4/5

Gamespan 4/5

Overall 4/5

Specs: Pentium II 266 MHz, 64MB RAM, 500 MB Hard Disk Space, 32 Bit Video Card, 16 Bit Sound Card, CD Rom