Star Trek and the 4X genre are a perfect match, like a fantasy you’d create on a Holodeck. With an expansive universe to explore, fascinating species and factions to encounter, and cool spaceships, what’s not to love? While Star Trek: Infinite had so much potential, it unfortunately fell short for me. Despite some neat and unique ideas, I encountered design flaws and bugs that prevented me from fully enjoying the game. As a result, I’m left searching for other games that will allow me to explore strange new worlds.

Let’s start with the few things that Infinite does right. This space-based grand strategy game clearly draws inspiration from the excellent Stellaris. Developer Nimble Giant Entertainment has managed to differentiate the game enough to make it stand out. When starting a new game, you have the option to choose one of four factions: the Federation, Klingon Empire, Romulan Empire, or Cardassian Union. Each faction has its own distinct playstyle, unique units, mechanics, and methods of expanding their empire. Despite their differences, they all contribute to the same overarching game, creating a cohesive experience.

Distinct Factions, Limited Options

While the game offers a wide array of Minor Powers, such as the Betazoid Houses or Ktarian Enclave, they serve primarily as resources for the Major Powers to utilize. It would have been compelling to have the option to control a Minor Power and break away from a Major Power’s rule. Unfortunately, this level of choice is not available in the game.

Tutorials and Familiarity

If you’re new to 4X games, you’ll likely need to rely on YouTube tutorials to grasp the game’s mechanics. The tutorial itself is rather basic and does not provide ample guidance. However, once you become acquainted with the mechanics, Infinite captures the essence of the Star Trek universe through its unique features. Each new campaign begins in the year 2346, roughly twenty years before the events of Star Trek: The Next Generation. This allows for canonical events from the Star Trek universe to unfold during gameplay, enhancing the immersion.

This setup does a great job of capturing the Star Trek universe… The downside is that it takes a bit for each new playthrough to actually feel “new,” which puts a little bit of a damper on the initial replayability.

As with other grand strategy games, Infinite involves a significant amount of resource management and decision-making. While this may seem overwhelming at first, the game allows you to pause and carefully plan your moves. This, combined with the various systems in place, creates a compelling and unique take on the 4X formula.

A Lackluster Combat Experience

Unfortunately, the combat aspect of Infinite lacks depth and variety. Winning battles often boils down to having a larger force than your opponent. While Star Trek isn’t primarily about ship-to-ship combat, more diverse combat mechanics would have added excitement to the game.

The Mission Tree: A Unique Addition

One of the standout features of Infinite is the Mission Tree, which presents a series of branching events that shape the trajectory of your civilization. Completing certain tasks can lead to unlocking unique paths for your faction. The Mission Tree also offers alternate “non-canonical” choices, allowing you to explore different storylines and playstyles. However, it is worth noting that the choices in the Mission Trees for factions other than the Federation lack depth and can feel excessively binary in nature.

Now, you might be wondering why my opening paragraph was negative if the game has some positive aspects. The answer lies in the game’s bugs. When I first previewed the game in September, I encountered some bugs, which I assumed would be resolved before launch. Unfortunately, the game ended up being even buggier upon release. It is one of the most bug-ridden games I’ve ever played, with entire systems not functioning properly.

While Star Trek: Infinite had the potential to be a fantastic addition to the 4X genre, it ultimately falls short due to design flaws and a significant number of bugs. Despite its unique ideas and captivating universe, the game’s issues prevent it from reaching its full potential. As a result, I recommend seeking out other games that offer a smoother and more enjoyable experience.