Star Trek: Legends
Critic Reviews for Star Trek: Legends
Perhaps all the timed daily tasks and events made more sense in a mobile context, and it's possible they could hook you here if you have endless patience and affection for these crews. For dedicated Trekkies content to multitask with their Switch on their lap, Star Trek: Legends may well deliver compulsive delights - the audio-visual feedback as the numbers go up is satisfying, as is the thrill of pulling an Epic or Legendary character. Ultimately, though, while collecting your favourite crewmembers sounds like a fun mission, the bland battles involved - and the chronic load times between them - aren't enough to make this a worthwhile journey. Legends isn't terrible, but it is just your favourite Star Trek characters phasering each other until one of them disintegrates.
Sigh, I weep for my fellow Star Trek fans; as I fear we will never see the days where there were good games in our favorite sci-fi franchise.
The concept behind Star Trek: Legends is sound. Its narrative hook of combining several eras of the franchise is a cool idea that plays off well in character moments, but the story itself lacks a true threat to really have it remain interesting. The mobile trappings are certainly felt here, despite no paid storefront to be found. It can be a bit grindy, repetitive, and lacking that ability to pull you in, to lose hours into the night, but I did find a bit of enjoyment here, especially for the low price.
I think if I was to play Star Trek Legends on my phone I might enjoy it more, but it is not a game I would recommend for a Console or PC Gamer. It’s badly ported and makes no pretence that it is anything other than a mobile game. If you are a fan of the franchises throughout the years there are plenty of games out there that can scratch that itch and a plethora of TV shows and movies.
All that said, I genuinely enjoyed my time with Star Trek: Legends. While it undeniably feels like a mobile game, accepting that makes it easier to appreciate its charm. It’s not a deep strategy game, nor is it meant to be played for hours on end. However, in short bursts, it’s a fun experience that serves as a great palette cleanser. Star Trek fans, in particular, will appreciate the extensive roster of characters and the deep-cut references woven into the story and characters.
Ultimately, Star Trek Legends doesn’t do enough to justify its existence on the Switch. While the UI is slick, and the game runs well on the Switch, there’s no escaping the feeling that this is still, at its core, a mobile game awkwardly forced onto a console. The long loading times, lack of voice acting, uninspired environments, and mobile-first design choices make it hard to recommend; even to die-hard Star Trek fans. If you’re looking for a turn-based RPG with Star Trek flavour, this might scratch a minor itch, but it won’t leave a lasting impression. The mobile DNA is impossible to ignore. The structure of daily tasks, resource collection, and character unlocks all scream “mobile-first.” It might have made more sense if this had been released as a free-to-play game with optional purchases. But as a premium Switch title, it feels like a hard sell—especially when better Star Trek experiences exist elsewhere. Set phasers to ‘missed opportunity’. This title gets a Thumb Culture Bronze Award.
