Star Trek: Shadow Frontier Is Finally Giving An Underrated Next Generation Character Their Time To Shine

Published Nov 15, 2026, 12:30 AM EST

Chris is a Gaming Editor at ScreenRant. He has been a professional writer since 2009, and has written for top TV, comics, movie, and video game outlets like Engadget, Polygon, Destructoid, and more. He brings with him an expertise in every game genre, no matter how niche or mainstream.

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Star Trek has been around for an astounding 60 years, and we don't really know where it's going to go next. After a brand-new era that kicked off with five seasons of Star Trek: Discovery, Trek came back in a big way with Picard, Lower Decks, Prodigy, Strange New Worlds, and Starfleet Academy, plus a ton of other projects.

That includes games and spinoffs, some of which are still set for release. Now, as we enter an uncertain era for the series with no mainline entry in development, an underrated Star Trek character is set to shine in the near future.

Developed by Bloober Team and published by Paramount Games, Star Trek: Shadow Frontier is looking to deliver a completely new experience for Star Trek fans on Steam, and one you don't see very often. This is a story-centric horror game from Paramount Games, and it looks like it's going to pack a punch according to the official description:

"Star Trek: Shadow Frontier is a story-driven, action-adventure set in the expansive Star Trek universe. Step into the fractured mind of former Lieutenant Ro Laren (voiced by Michelle Forbes) as she seeks to rescue an old friend by embarking on a harrowing journey of survival and self-discovery. In true Star Trek fashion, Ro’s mission is driven by duty and purpose. But here, discovery comes at a terrible cost. The more she uncovers, the deeper she is pulled into a corrupted labyrinth where her memories twist, and the planet threatens to sever her connection to reality."

The idea is that you'll play as Ro and confront her demons while venturing into the darkness (and the Star Trek universe can get pretty dark at times). This time you're investigating a lethal planet, including "weaponized" creatures, which you'll need to either fight or flee from as you explore.

The ecosystem is also described as "hostile" (Shadow Frontier indeed), and will even try to absorb Ro's consciousness and haunt her mind, similar to any number of hallucination-delivering supervillains. Thankfully, you'll have access to a Tricorder to scan objects and a Phaser to defend yourself. The "psychological action-adventure" doesn't have a release date yet, but it is in development and warns players against "intense violence, blood and gore."

Ro Laren was introduced in Star Trek: The Next Generation, and is a Bajoran who Jean-Luc Picard reluctantly works with at first. She joined the show in the fifth season, and like any given character in Star Trek history, she has plenty of fans.

She was originally portrayed by Michelle Forbes, who reprises her role in Shadow Frontier. This degree of authenticity is pretty huge for Star Trek fans, who often see the original portrayals as the canon versions of those characters.

The render of Ro in Star Trek: Shadow Frontier is faithful to her likeness, and the original performer is set to return, so the game sounds great on paper so far. Plus, given Bloober Team's recent success with the Silent Hill 2 remake and Cronos: The New Dawn, they're continuing to cement themselves as a go-to for modern horror.