Though Star Trek fans won’t be able to revisit J. J. Abrams' version of the final frontier until the summer of 2013, gamers can jump into the roles of Kirk and Spock, in video game form, some time next year. First debuting during E3 2011, Star Trek (tentative title) isn’t your typical movie tie-in game, as it does some unique things with co-op and creates its own story.

Some new screenshots have been released for the game that center on the game’s unique cooperative gameplay scenarios, and some of the varied locations players will visit during their adventure.

As you’ll see from the screenshots, Star Trek is definitely a Bad Robot production, lens flares and all. The character models are those of Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine, and the design of space and the scenery fits in perfectly with what has been established for the series thus far.

For those who might not have heard, Star Trek puts players into the shoes of either Kirk or Spock, and allows them to embody them from soup to nuts. Kirk, like in the feature films, is a reckless youngster who shoots first and asks questions later, while Spock takes a more logical approach.

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This dichotomy will present players with unique branching paths that will be facilitated by the personalities of each character. For example, Kirk might rush into a situation and be taken hostage while Spock is forced to fight off a larger group of enemies before having to save his Captain. Developer Digital Extremes promises that the experience of Kirk and Spock will be unique in many different ways, from gameplay scenarios to customization.

But Star Trek doesn’t just present players with two distinct gameplay experiences, it also guides them through a story that is meant to bridge the gap between the first and second of the Bad Robot-produced films. At this time Paramount hasn’t shared much in the way of story beats — only that writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman are overseeing Marianne Krawczyk’s script — but we expect more details to surface early next year.

What do you think of these new Star Trek screenshots? How do you feel about this unique approach to co-op, and the decision to tell a story set between Star Trek 1 and 2?

Star Trek is targeting a 2012 release for the Xbox 360, PC, and PS3.

Source: Giant Bomb