Star Trek: Infinite

A serviceable, sometimes-engaging official Star Trek version of Stellaris that makes sense for generic space war fans, but flounders when it comes to narrative logic and Trekkie authenticity.

An undemanding but enjoyable large scale 4X, with an emphasis on exploration and remixing possibilities in a familiar but somewhat flexible setting.

I’m a huge Star Trek fan, but merely dabble in strategy games — that’s perhaps evident in my review of 2016’s Master of Orion, in which I felt it necessary to liken every instance of the game to my beloved sci-fi franchise.

This game is made for Star Trek fans through and through. From the well-crafted story elements to the small random easter egg events, there is something for those with various entry points into the fandom.

Star Trek: Infinite is a great strategic game that gets fun after learning its sometimes cluttered systems.

It's Stellaris, but not as we know it.

Unfortunately, battle is the least interesting aspect of the game. Its mechanics are overly simple: players simply place their units where they like, and all other maneuvers are performed automatically. Non-player factions seem especially prone to mounting campaigns of humiliation, which aren’t nearly as impactful as some of the other war causes. In a humiliation war, the only goal is victory - the losing side isn’t forced to concede any territory. There’s always the risk of financial damages in the form of destroyed ships or Starbases, but there’s relatively little at stake here. Players can ...

Star Trek: Infinite gives us a damn solid 4X experience doused in the rich history of the Star Trek universe, and with plenty of space to include more Deep Space Nine, Voyager and other quadrants of the galaxy through expansions. Even if you’re not a fan of the source material, it can still stand alone as a good experience which will only improve over time.

Star Trek Infinite is a challenging game to recommend. Grand Strategy games on their own do appeal to a certain mindset, and a Star Trek coat of paint isn’t going to make someone like Stellaris if they didn’t enjoy the gameplay before. A Star Trek fan might be more willing to try the game to sit in the big seat and have the feeling of running the Federation and the Klingon Empire. Star Trek Infinite will reward you with incredible depth and replayability if you stick around long enough to...