The problems with Stargate SG1 Unleashed
With the release of the first gameplay trailer for Arkalis Interactive’s, interactive adventure game, Stargate SG1 Unleashed, I have decided to see if the game throws up any issues with the established Stargate lore.
Before going on, I would like to point out that I have been following Stargate since SG1 first aired here in Ireland, and that this site was originally a site dedicated to Stargate video games.
Below is the recently released gameplay trailer for Stargate Unleashed, many of the problems with the game have come from this trailer.
The first major issue with SG1 Unleashed is the time period. According to Arkalis Interactive’s Facebook page the story is set after the fall of the Goa’uld Empire, this means the time frame is based near the end of season 8 of SG1 or later. This is a pretty major issue as a lot of the assets shown off don’t look post season 8.
Since the game is supposed to be post season 8, there is a major issue with the characters. That issue is that the characters in SG1 Unleashed do not look like the post season 8 TV show characters. Below are two major character problems.
Teal’c is bald in the game, but in season 8 of SG1 he has a full head of hair.
General Hammond is incorrectly debriefing SG1 in the trailer as he is no longer the head of Stargate Command, because after the Goa’uld are defeating he takes charge of Homeworld Security. There are several more issues with the characters, but Teal’c and Hammond are the two that immediately jump out at me.
Another issue is the weapon used in the trailer. In the trailer O’Neill is using a MP5, this timeline wise makes no sense because while SG1 did originally use the MP5, the MP5 was replace with the P-90 by around season 4-5 of SG1.
There is also a problem with the games main enemy, the Goa’uld Sekhmet. Below is a description of Sekhmet’s role in SG1 Unleashed by Arkalis Interactive, via their Facebook page:
Sekhmet, presents herself as the Egyptian goddess of war (Lion Head). At the height of Goa’uld power she was imprisoned on Earth for inciting rebellion against Ra. Thousands of years later she escaped, only to discover that the Goa’uld had been destroyed by the Stargate Command. Bent on vengeance, Sekhmet has sworn to restore her power and the glory of the Goa’uld empire.
The problem with Sekhmet is that the Goa’uld was already killed by the NID in the season 7 episode, Resurrection. Since the show is supposedly based around season 8 or after, there is no way that Sekhmet could still be alive.
Now I think it time to talk about some errors in the above gameplay trailer.
The first major error is at 0:17, at this time frame O’Neill is shot while exiting the gate and the force of impact knocks him backwards through the incoming wormhole. In Stargate mythology this would be an instant death, as the wormholes are not unidirectional (apart from radio and video signals), so it will be fun to see how this issue is explained in the game.
The second major error is at 0:29, this issue at hand is the gate. The problem with the gate is both too small and too high up. In the picture below SG1 look like ants walking through the gate. The reason why the gate being too high up is a problem is because you can see the lower curve of the gate, which in all gates bar space gates where not seen, also in the trailer the gate looks like a tripping hazard.
The final major issue isn’t Stargate related, but at 0:53 you see a texture load in during the trailer. Now I don’t make video game trailers, but I would say this is an issue you wouldn’t want the world seeing.
I’m honestly not sure what is going Arkalis Interactive’s heads with regards to Stargate SG1: Unleashed. It seems like one half of the studio doesn’t know what the other half are doing. As a fan of the franchise I’m shocked at how badly they are treating the franchise, just from the released information they are making mistake after mistake.
I’m really hoping some of what I talked about is information that has being lost in translation, because if not, I don’t see Stargate SG1 Unleashed being very good.
Also I would like to point out that in another version of the above trailer; Arkalis Interactive included the tagline “THE FIRST STARGATE GAME!”. This statement is factually incorrect as the first game was called Stargate, and it was developed by Acclaim Entertainment in 1995 for the SNES and Sega Genesis. If you are looking at Stargate SG1 games, the first major SG1 game released was Stargate Resistance, and it was developed by Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment and Dark Comet Games in 2010 for the PC.
(*UPDATE* this tagline has now being changed to “THE FIRST STARGATE GAME FOR MOBILE!” ) This is also incorrect as there was a Stargate SG1 mobile game released in 2004.
If Stargate SG1 Unleashed has any saving grace it is the fact that it has voice acting by the original SG1 cast and it is written by Sally Malcom who has written several popular Stargate novels.
Stargate SG1 Unleashed will be available for both Apple and Android devices in March 2013.
If my rant hasn’t put you off playing Stargate SG1 Unleashed, you can learn more about the game at, http://www.arkalisinteractive.com/.
Author: Ash Meehan
Hi, I’m the creator of SG Gaming Info. When I’m not working on my writing or creating content for this site’s YouTube channel, I like to relax and enjoy character driven story games.