Star Trek: Infinite Review

ign.com:

Star Trek and the 4X genre seem like a match so perfect it’s a fantasy you’d just have to create on a Holodeck. A grand universe to explore, tons of interesting species and factions to meet, and some very cool spaceships; what’s not to like? With so much promise, Star Trek: Infinite could have been – should have been – a slam dunk. But while I really wanted to like Star Trek: Infinite, it didn’t seem to like me back. It has some neat and unique ideas, but after dealing with more than a few off design choices and seeing several playthroughs blown up dozens of hours in by bugs that prevented me from performing major actions, I’m happy to explore strange new worlds elsewhere.

It’s quicker to list the few things Infinite does right than wrong, so let’s start there. This space-based grand strategy game is clearly heavily inspired by the excellent Stellaris, but developer Nimble Giant Entertainment has done a good job of making things just different enough to distinguish itself. You’ll start by picking one of four factions: the Federation, the Klingon Empire, the Romulan Empire, or the Cardassian Union. This choice isn’t just for flavor, either, as each faction plays dramatically differently, with unique units, mechanics, and different ways to expand its empire.

The Federation is best at exploring, diplomacy, and researching new technology. The Cardassians excel at spycraft, warfare, and conquering and enslaving other species. The Klingons’ penchant for tradition and honorable combat make them the ones you’ll want to use if you’re looking to conquer the rest of known space through coups. And the versatile Romulans, while great at stealth and guile, can either assimilate like the Federation or conquer like the Klingons or