While Star Wars has always had a steady presence in the gaming medium, its spiritual brother series, Star Trek, has never gotten a solid foothold. While there’s been games here and there, the most notable being the ongoing Star Trek Online MMORPG, it’s never managed to get its brand as far reaching as many would have hoped for. Now it seems the IP owner, CBS, is looking to change that with a new franchise initiative, which will include video games.

Via a press release, CBS announced a new global franchise group for pushing Star Trek in various mediums. The move comes after the franchise has seen a revival with the recent films and the current show, Star Trek: Discovery. The group will be managed by Executive Producers Veronica Hart and Alex Kurtzman. The series focuses largely on discovery and exploration, which seems to be a natural fit for gaming, so it’ll be interesting to see if they can translate that to the gaming medium.

The  group will set out to “invigorate and broaden the Star Trek fan community through additional branding opportunities, such as podcasts, a reinvigorated StarTrek.com and new digital spaces, consumer products and gaming, as well as live experiential events and global attractions. These endeavors to further grow the brand are designed to complement the Studio’s expansion of the Star Trek universe, which now includes two live-action series, two animated projects, and multiple ‘shorts.’”

Currently, Star Trek Online is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. The latest non-MMO title to be released was Ubisoft’s Star Trek: Bridge Crew, available on PlayStation 4 and PC.

Fulfilling the life long dreams of Star Trek nerds everywhere, Star Trek: Bridge Crew has released its The Next Generation expansion on PS4 a little bit ahead of the eventual PC release, which becomes available on July 21.

Thanks to an update to the title, VR is no longer required, meaning the $14.99 DLC can be used with or without a PSVR headset, and puts players in command of Picard’s U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D to test their strategic metal against the Borg menace, among other hostile alien vessels.

When The Next Generation DLC launches this July for the PC, it will be compatible with a wide variety of VR gear, including HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and Windows Mixed Reality, or even just on plain old monitors. Would Kirk or Picard win in a head to head space battle? Argue it out in the comments below.

Super Bomberman R

Your first thought is probably, “Konami is making a game that people actually want?!” Yes but it’s surprising to see it be Super Bomberman R and that too exclusive (currently at least) to the Nintendo Switch. Regardless, our favourite bomb-thrower is back in his 2D grid-based domain with a 50 stage story campaign. Multiplayer is the main appeal of the series though. Super Bomberman R features eight player competitive play for the old-school masses who simply want to blow up their friends. Look out for it launching with the Switch on March 3^rd.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Arguably the most hotly anticipated Zelda title of all time, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is Nintendo Switch’s flagship launch game. Link returns in a Hyrule far larger than anything seen till now and will once again face the forces of evil. How is everything connected to the Ocarina of Time, if they’re indeed connected at all? Dynamic weather, wide-ranging landscapes, looting mechanics and a new Zelda are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Breath of the Wild which releases on March 3^rd for the Switch and Wii U.

Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey

The Atelier story may be unfamiliar to most at this point and Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey won’t really change that. However, if you’re looking for a solid JRPG series with enough alchemy to make Edward Elric’s head spin, you’ve come to the right place. Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey will feature a time limit like the previous game and you’ll be gathering items and synthesizing them together with Catalysts changing up their bonuses. Those interested in combat can take four party members into battles and see abilities and tactics change depending on the weather and time of day. Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey will arrive for on PC, PS4 and PS Vita on March 7^th.

Lego Worlds

The sandbox exploration title featuring the lovable Lego art-style is finally out in March for Xbox One, PS4 and PC. Lego Worlds has actually been in Steam Early Access for a while and impressed us with its sheer variety of worlds, vehicles, NPCs and more. Plus you can ride dragons, encounter Bigfoot (and incinerate him accordingly) or just cross the sea in a grand pirate adventure. It releases on March 7^th with a Nintendo Switch release also coming in the future.

Nier: Automata

Break-neck hack and slash action, open exploration, side-scrolling platforming, overhead bullet-hell battles – Platinum’s Nier: Automata nearly has it all. The explosive action RPG turned heads with its demo in December and the awesome combo-ridden combat and expansive locales have us salivating. You can even venture out into the world to find your previous corpse and animate it to fight for you. Don’t even get us started on the boss battles. It’s out on March 7^th for PS4 in North America.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands

The recent open beta presented a new region and challenges but the consensus is clear – this isn’t your average Ghost Recon. Set in Bolivia, Ghost Recon: Wildlands features an open world to explore with vehicles and multiple tactical approaches to completing objectives. Go it alone with AI teammates or rope in three friends to bungle missions together. Partake in higher difficulties and prove your mettle as a Ghost, ideally after the open beta when Ubisoft tweaks the AI some more. The possibilities are endless when Ghost Recon: Wildlands arrives on March 7^th.

Star Trek: Bridge Crew

The oft-delayed virtual reality title from Ubisoft sees you (and your friends) occupying the eyes and ears of the USS Aegis. A story campaign is included, taking place after Star Trek (2009) but players can also engage in randomly generated missions as well. The main hook of Star Trek: Bridge Crew is that each player of a total four can take on a different role. You could occupy the Captain’s chair while someone else serves as engineer. Star Trek: Bridge Crew finally arrives on March 14^th for PS4.

Styx: Shards of Darkness

Cyanide’s fantasy stealth sequel sees the return of Styx as he infiltrates Körangar to find out more about the alliance between Dark Elves and Dwarves. Cloning, traps and invisibility return along with ropes and grappling hooks for traversing to higher areas. Co-op support has also been added, allowing you and a friend to sneak together. With a new engine and higher production values, Styx: Shards of Darkness could a decent time-waster for stealth fans when it arrives on March 14^th for Xbox One, PC and PS4.

Mass Effect: Andromeda

Shepard is gone but the intergalactic journey of exploration continues. Mass Effect: Andromeda follows a new crew helmed by Pathfinder Alec Ryder with the player assuming control over either Scott or Sarah Ryder. Conflicts with new enemies called the Ket, an improved Mako, larger levels and open world activities to partake in, improved movement, revamped combat mechanics for switching classes and load-outs on the fly – the only real criticism at this stage is how long we have to wait. Mass Effect: Andromeda releases on March 21^st for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Toukiden 2

There’s a new Toukiden out in March and no, it’s not Age of Demons. Taking place two years after the events of Toukiden Kiwami, the Slayers return to do battle against the demons. With a focus on open world exploration, you’ll now engage in battles seamlessly, identifying which regions to assault based on their hazard levels. Hunting Grounds also make a return along with a new day and night system, customization options. Those suffering from a Monster Hunter hangover take note – Toukiden 2 arrives on March 24^th for PS3, PS4, PS Vita and PC.

Vikings: Wolves of Midgard

Gauntlet meets Norse mythology in Vikings: Wolves of Midgard. Travel the world as a hulking male warrior or a nimble shield maiden, battling ice demons and growing your Viking village with rescued survivors. Combat is complex with different abilities like projectiles, charging attacks and much more. Each character has their own unique attacks and the sheer beauty of this frozen wasteland makes it worth a look for its co-op. Vikings: Wolves of Midgard is out on March 24^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix/Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix

Okay, so Final Chapter Prologue may have been a venerable mixed bag of sorts for the Kingdom Hearts faithful on PS4. But with the release of Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5/2.5 Remix this March, you get a lot more Kingdom Hearts goodness for your buck. Along with Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix, Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories, Kingdom Hearts 2: Final Mix and Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep Final Mix as playable games, you get 358/2 Days and        Re:coded as cinematic retellings. Will they help you understand the whole convoluted mess of a story? Probably not but both HD remaster collections arrive on March 28^th for PS4.

MLB The Show 17

Have you seen those hair textures? You must have seen those hair textures but regardless, there are plenty of other reasons to check out SCE San Diego’s MLB The Show 17. There’s the Retro Mode which throws the action back to the two-button controls of yore and Road to Show, a branching storyline mode packed with excitement. Want a team of Legends and All-Stars? Diamond Dynasty’s got you covered and we can’t wait to see how this all looks when MLB The Show 17 releases on March 28^th for PS4.

Strafe

Old-school Doom/Quake action meets rogue-like mechanics in Strafe. This pixelated first person shooter from Pixel Titans pays homage to the granddaddy of all shooters while featuring randomly generated levels, gore that constantly remains in your surroundings and tons of replay value. Strafe also supports Oculus Rift for those who want to frag out in virtual reality – it’s out on March 28^th for PC, Mac OS X and PlayStation 4. Now if only Glory Kills could be patched in post-launch…

Has-Been Heroes

Frozenbyte’s rogue-like RTS/turn-based strategy hybrid is something different. It follows a team of heroes as they escort some princesses to school. Baddies lie in the way and along with collecting tons of epic loot to vanquish them; you’ll need to think on your toes amidst the constantly approaching enemies. It’s an interesting mix of strategy and action, one that we didn’t expect given the studio’s last major release Shadwen. Has-Been Heroes releases on March 28^th Xbox One, PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch.

In an effort to facilitate easier play between users on various VR headsets, Ubisoft has announced that Eagle Flight will support cross-platform VR headset play between Oculus Rift users on PC and PlayStation VR users on PS4. HTC Vive users can expect support to be added once that version is out on December 20th.

Furthermore, upcoming titles like Werewolves Within (releasing on December 6th) and Star Trek: Bridge Crew (out on March 14th 2017) will also support cross-VR headset play, that too at launch.

Red Storm senior creative director David Votypka stated that “Making our VR titles cross-platform has been a goal of ours from the start and we’re happy to announce that Eagle Flight, Werewolves Within, and Star Trek: Bridge Crew will be playable cross-platform on PSVR, Oculus Rift, and HTC Vive

“Our games feature a strong multiplayer experiences, so letting friends play together regardless of which headset they own will enhance the social nature of our games and let them be played the way we envisioned.”

Ubisoft revealed release dates for a number of its VR titles at Gamescom 2016.

Eagle Flight, which sees the player donning the role of an eagle and flying through the skies, will be releasing on October 18th for Oculus Rift. It will be out on PlayStation VR and HTC Vive on December 20th.

Star Trek: Bridge Crew, on the other hand, is releasing simultaneously for all devices on November 29th. This is the game that allows you and your friends to take on different roles aboard the USS Enterprise and combat threats together.

Another VR title Werewolves Within will be out on December 6th. TrackMania Turbo will also be receiving a patch on PS4 in the interim to allow for PlayStation VR support. That arrives on November 8th.

Which Ubisoft VR title has you most intrigued? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more information for these games in the coming months.

Among other publishers, Ubisoft will be making its way to Gamescom 2016 on August 17th to 21st and showcasing a whole range of titles. The company announced that it would have Eagle Flight, For Honor, Steep, Star Trek Bridge Crew, Ghost Recon Wildlands and Watch Dogs 2 available for attendees to try out.

EMEA executive director at Ubisoft Alain Corre noted that, “Gamescom is a key moment for the industry and for our teams. The show gives us the opportunity to put our games into thousands of players’ hands and get their feedback to make them even better.

“It’s also the place where Ubisoft can showcase the innovations that are driving the industry in terms of gameplay and technology, and the variety of amazing experiences these allow us to create. With that variety in mind, we’ll be showing some of our most highly-anticipated games at Gamescom.”

Fans can also expect exclusive footage behind the scenes of the Assassin’s Creed film on August 18th. What are your thoughts on Ubisoft’s Gamescom line-up? Let us know in the comments.

As it was rumoured, Ubisoft showcased a VR title based on the Star Trek universe called Star Trek: Bridge Crew. It even brought in actors from various Star Trek series to talk about the importance and immersion of the game. Heck, Levar Burton also appeared to talk about why VR is so cool.

The game itself seems to divide the responsibilities between you and your friends, struggling to keep the Enterprise afloat with Klingons and other threats moving about. You can be the captain, the pilot, the engineer and so on. Each job has its own importance though so don’t count on skating by just because you do a particularly good James T. Kirk impression.

Star Trek: Bridge Crew will be releasing this Fall on “all major VR systems” so there’s that to look forward to. What are your thoughts on the gameplay? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more information.