Star Trek Online Review

Star Trek Online is likely the best Star Trek game ever made. However, that might feel like faint praise: most Star Trek video games have been pretty bad. And it’s almost impossible to get your hands on the best ones (such as Bridge Commander or Elite Force) through legitimate means.

So, is Star Trek Online worth your time, or should you go back into the wormhole until a better game comes along?

Fan Service Galore

For better or for worse, this game is designed primarily for hardcore Star Trek fans. There are major stories representing pretty much every iteration of the franchise. There are even characters and stories from popular Star Trek books in this game (including fan-favorite novel character Mackenzie Calhoun).

Star Trek Online also lets you dress in pretty much any uniform from any era of Star Trek. Similarly, you have opportunities to fly just about every major starship, from major classes (like the Galaxy and Defiant classes) all the way to minor classes glimpsed in background battles (including obscure Klingon and Romulan vessels).

With all this fan service, the only real downside is that it may be confusing for non-fans to get into if they want to just dive in and play.

Boldly Going

The motto of the Starship Enterprise has always been “to boldly go” and “to seek out new life and new civilizations.” This game brings that energy to life in a major way.

There is a very large map of the galaxy, and you spend a lot of time traveling from one end to another. And, like in the shows and movies, it’s not uncommon that run into other adventures and misadventures on your way to complete what seems like a routine mission.

One caveat: if you don’t like exploring, you might not like how long it takes to navigate from one point to another. While it’s possible to increase your max speed, you might find yourself longing for the days of simply grabbing a soda while you fast-travel in games like World of Warcraft.