This Sci Fi Game Was Practically A Star Trek TNG Reunion
"Star Trek: The Next Generation" ended its run in 1994 but it still remains an iconic part of the franchise. Despite a host of other titles that have followed, over a quarter of Star Trek fans still consider it their favorite. The continued popularity of "TNG" is due in no small part to its beloved characters and their portrayal by an excellent group of actors. The upcoming reunion of many of these stars in Season 3 of "Star Trek: Picard" understandably has many fans excited. What they may not realize, however, is that several "TNG" stars already reunited in a sci-fi video game in 2017.
In 2016, developer Firaxis followed up its reboot of the "XCOM" series with "XCOM 2" (which is now available on PC). The game proved a worthy successor to the series and received plenty of praise. While there still hasn't been a true sequel yet, a massive expansion that was practically a new game in itself was released the following year. "XCOM 2: War of the Chosen" also wowed critics with its additions to gameplay as well as its new story — complete with several great new characters and factions.
To portray these new characters, Firaxis, appropriately enough, brought on veterans of science fiction stories. As a result, "War of the Chosen" ended up being a reunion for the cast of "TNG."
Six TNG stars featured in War of the Chosen
"War of the Chosen" introduced three new factions that the XCOM team could ally with, and, as it turned out, the leader of each of these groups was a "TNG" alum. Betos, the leader of the warrior-like Skirmishers, is played by Denise Crosby. Crosby played the equally tough Tasha Yar during the first season of "TNG" and, thanks to interdimensional shenanigans, made several guest appearances in later seasons as well.
Meanwhile, the mysterious Templars are led by Geist, who is voiced by John de Lancie. De Lancie played another strange and mystical character on "TNG," making numerous appearances as the all-powerful entity Q. De Lancie got to reprise this role in Season 2 of "Picard," but "XCOM" fans will remember him as the psionically gifted soldier committed to freeing Earth from alien control.
Finally, Jonathan Frakes, who played Commander William Riker on "TNG," plays the head of the Reapers, Konstantin Volikov. In the game, Volikov sports a beard almost as impressive as the one Riker grew for later seasons of "TNG," making Frakes an appropriate choice for the character.
In addition to these three stars of "TNG," the "XCOM" expansion also featured the voice acting of Mirina Sirtis, Michael Dorn, and Dwight Shultz. As with the leaders of the three factions, it seems like Firaxis deliberately assigned these actors parts that would fit with their "Star Trek" past.
The XCOM relationships mirror TNG
Mirina Sirtis plays Elena Dragunova in "War of the Chosen," the second in command to Volikov. On "TNG" Sirtis portrayed Counselor Deanna Troi, a sometimes paramour of Riker. So, it's very fitting that the two were paired up again in "War of the Chosen."
Michael Dorn, known for playing Worf on "TNG," voices Pratal Mox, the second in command to Betos. During the first season of "TNG," Worf served under Tasha Yar, and so the pairing here again mirrors the show.
Finally, Dwight Schulz is listed in the credits as playing a character named Jeriah. Fans have noted, however, that Jeriah never seems to appear in the game, and some have speculated that his lines may have been cut. As Schultz is known for playing Reginald Barclay, an awkward and shy character who is often overlooked by his peers in "TNG," it's almost fitting that his "War of the Chosen" character also seems to have been overlooked.
With six "TNG" actors (or five if you don't count Schultz) turning up in "War of the Chosen," the game was practically a reunion for the show. The appearances delighted "Star Trek" fans who noticed, and these talented actors certainly contributed to the quality of the game's superb story.