Star Trek: Infinite Reviews
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.
Star Trek: Infinite does a great job of capturing the look and feel of Star Trek, but those enticing bones splinter under the weight of its bugs and glitches.
Compelling, but not quite there yet. Needs two seasons to grow the beard.
Players face a variety of crises, anomalies, and dilemmas throughout the campaign, presented in the form of two- to three-paragraph story cards and an array of options for pushing the story forward. Some of these stories are directly based on episodes of The Next Generation, while others are original to the game. They're all written in a prose style that's more flippant than you might expect from Trek, though in line with the flavor text of Stellaris or a tabletop strategy game. What's impressive about the setup of these story scenarios is how, despite their costs and rewards being the same across campaigns, I found that the material needs of whatever empire I was playing nearly always guided me towards making the kinds of choices that my faction would likely make on the show. Choosing the most humane or diplomatic option was always practical as the Federation, but often not affordable as the Klingons or Cardassians. It feels appropriate to Trek's ethos that the galaxy's more brutal powers make some dubious or cruel choices, not because they're "evil," but because that's where their circumstances lead them. Disrupting that is possible, but it takes a lot more work.
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.
An undemanding but enjoyable large scale 4X, with an emphasis on exploration and remixing possibilities in a familiar but somewhat flexible setting.
Star Trek: Infinite is a fun strategy game and a great entry point to the genre for newcomers that doesn't cost as much as many big games, but a plethora of bugs bog down the gameplay and mission design.
Having spent many hours on Infinite, I think I’ve seen all I need to see. Expansions and DLC might bring me back, but now we are talking about gating content behind another paywall. That sounds less enticing to me, especially when there is a more interesting mod available for free. Someone patiently waiting for new Star Trek games will definitely have some fun puzzling through Star Trek: Infinite, but I think I am probably going to go back over that New Horizon.
Coupled with the likes of Star Trek Resurgence, a narrative adventure also released this year, it’s safe to say that Star Trek video game fans haven’t had it this good in a long damn time. If you’re a strategy fan, you’ll enjoy this, and if you’re a Star Trek fan you’ll absolutely gobble this up. As well you should.
This game is as great as Captain Pike's hair. If you're ready to blink away three hours of your life in what feels like three minutes, Star Trek: Infinite is for you.
Star Trek: Infinite is a fine science fiction grand strategy experience, designed to appeal to fans of the TV and movie franchise. The development team has tried hard to deliver as many familiar elements as possible and mostly succeeded. The game creates a more focused experience than the New Horizons mod for Stellaris and its mechanics are easier to understand.
Like almost every Paradox Game under the sun, you’ll do well if you wait for a couple of months’ worth of patches before committing to Star Trek: Infinite. There’s a solid game under the big pile of bugs, waiting to be properly enjoyed. I sincerely hope it will eventually emerge.
As a lifelong Star Trek fan I want to love the new 4X grand strategy game, but there's so much going on that I can't connect with any of it.
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 learn its intricacies. You need to meet Star Trek Infinite at its own level, and if you’re unwilling to learn all of its systems, then this might not be the game for you.
One the best Star Trek games we’ve had in years!
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.