Star Trek Online

 PC
User Score
6.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 743 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 373 out of 743
  2. Mixed: 111 out of 743
  3. Negative: 259 out of 743
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  1. Olsi1980
    May 24, 2023
    10
    It's simply epic, and every Star Trek fan's heart swells at how many allusions and innuendos have been processed here, as for the sometimes strict Hater comments that exist, you have no idea what kind of heart and soul is put into this.
  2. macedonia4ever
    Mar 16, 2022
    10
    GREATEST FREE TO PLAY GAME EVER! This game has a little bit of everything for everyone and is CONSTANTLY updated with better graphics, better game-play, more story-line, and the list just goes on. There is Action, Adventure, RPG, MMO, FPS, Customization of characters and starships, Ground and Space combat, Single Player or Multiplayer, and literally any other game genre you can imagine isGREATEST FREE TO PLAY GAME EVER! This game has a little bit of everything for everyone and is CONSTANTLY updated with better graphics, better game-play, more story-line, and the list just goes on. There is Action, Adventure, RPG, MMO, FPS, Customization of characters and starships, Ground and Space combat, Single Player or Multiplayer, and literally any other game genre you can imagine is packed into this game! You also don't need to be a Star Trek fan to play, although it helps, as the game starts you off with its own story-line in its own time-frame, a must have for every gamer/gaymer!… Expand
  3. russelj31
    Mar 4, 2021
    8
    Reccomend to all Trek fans out there. Basic gameplay is good. Work your way up to the top of your division. Would recommend you have a second character slot if you wanna play free.
    DOWNSIDE: Horrible ground battles
    Better than console ports
  4. WCM320
    Feb 6, 2021
    8
    This is yet another game where if I see someone give it a 10 or a 0 I just assume they're stupid or arguing in bad faith. The 6.2 that its currently at I feel is fair if not a bit harsh.

    If you want a star trek game online, this is it, and most likely there is not going to be a better attempt in quite some time. The combat (Both ship and ground) Is good, I have friends who don't even    This is yet another game where if I see someone give it a 10 or a 0 I just assume they're stupid or arguing in bad faith. The 6.2 that its currently at I feel is fair if not a bit harsh.

    If you want a star trek game online, this is it, and most likely there is not going to be a better attempt in quite some time. The combat (Both ship and ground) Is good, I have friends who don't even like/know anything about star trek who has played who like the combat well enough, it's not great but its not bad.

    The real issue with the game is just that **** not very star trek overall...    … Expand
  5. SunlightCrusade
    Mar 4, 2019
    8
    This review was posted on Steam 5 Feb, 2018 at 1:07pm by me. I am plagiarizing myself because I am too lazy to write another one, and that review would most likely end up like this :)

    I've been playing this game for 5 years in a row, and I will play until it's death. Why? Because the game is gamer friendly. Why made this statement even if there are lootboxes and sometimes pay 2 win    This review was posted on Steam 5 Feb, 2018 at 1:07pm by me. I am plagiarizing myself because I am too lazy to write another one, and that review would most likely end up like this :)

    I've been playing this game for 5 years in a row, and I will play until it's death. Why? Because the game is gamer friendly. Why made this statement even if there are lootboxes and sometimes pay 2 win aspect? First thing first, you can get THREE free Tier6 ship per year, those ships have useful perks, also you can build a good set without any spending because you have options to grind them(and slaps this Endevour system in your face every day after reaching level 60. This system gives you a lot of in-game credits per day if you have time for dailies, and if you play well, you can loot trash items in battlezones, and sell them or simply salvage them for item stat reroll salvages.). The game have a TON of features like Admiralty, Duty officers, reputation(endgame) system(don't forget the game have nearly the same amount of active missions like The Nxxt Ganeration had [also doing missions gives you items that helps you progress]). Good perks are locked behind crates, BUT plenty of ZEN store ships have literally the same ability and also a lot cheaper than getting a lock box ship with literally no chance at all.
    -- Suggestion: If you have 30 euros for it, buy Arbiter T6 battlecruiser for a start, it gives you 50percent less weapon energy consumption for 30secs if you activate emergency weapon 1-2-3 ability, with it you can maximize DPS easily, BUT! without it you can play well. There is a trick: Achieve delta reputation Tier4, slap "Enchanced Rending Shots" on ground and ship reputation slots. Voila, you do critical hits more frequent! And if you get a [CritD]x2 blue build(because thats a lot cheaper than a purple build for first build), you will combine frequent crits with bigger hit damages.--
    Honestly, if the whole game is free, why would you bother if the game has microtransactions, it is OPTIONAL, it's like a cheat code to skip some content in-game in singleplayer games, but it has a price because it is a service in MMOs. Be smart, don't spend thousands of dollars for lockboxes, there are always methods to maximize your DPS and have a lot of fun wthout spending a cent.

    Cheers, and have fun!
    - Sunlight the Pony    … Expand
  6. gracjanski
    Feb 4, 2018
    9
    I read a lot good stuff about STO in contrary to the "professional tests" and I am a trekkie, so I decided to try it out as a confederation officer.
    The idea to write the solo game in episodes is genius. No more hundred of open quests but one story for about 30-60 minutes, like an episode of the series. In an episode you explore the universe, fight against other ships or fight on the    I read a lot good stuff about STO in contrary to the "professional tests" and I am a trekkie, so I decided to try it out as a confederation officer.
    The idea to write the solo game in episodes is genius. No more hundred of open quests but one story for about 30-60 minutes, like an episode of the series. In an episode you explore the universe, fight against other ships or fight on the ground. In addition there are some classic quests also. The density of the story in an episode is perfect. There are many hints to all series and I advise you to check some internet fan sites to read about some backgrounds of the Star Trek world to understand more or to remember some content.

    The gameplay is really good, i was surprised. The abilities, skills and item system is complex. Fighting is very motivating, because there are many elements to understand and it gives you a lot to think. Even after many hours of playing you will find many improvements in your build. I was expecting a game for the masses, but it is not. But unfortuntately the difficulty is too low and leveling is too fast.
    Music is good.
    The game is f2p, but there is nothing necessary to buy in the shop. I wanted to buy something, but suddenly the game was deinstalled...look below:

    The bad sides of the game are because of the miserable launch: Especially as a confederation officer you will have some boring missions in the beginning: The worlds are very boring, the missions very linear. The 2nd season is already better. As a clingone you dont have such boring mussions and overall the clingone part is much better in my view.
    You need to load too much, because the worlds are too small, especially the universe should be bigger.
    You can play this game alone, but for a MMORPG it is a problem I think. A pity, that Atari didnt look at Guild Wars, that has a great solo part, but it connects players better to play together. In STO there are some contents for groups, but I didnt do them.
    In the later seasons you get really great episodes, but they are the same for clingones, confederation and romulans. This was a problem, because I wanted to continue with my clingone, but my confederation was further.
    The next problem was the technique. In the new 8ths season, where I ve been there were new bugs for the whole game and it destroyed my motivation for the game, because other games are waiting to be played.

    ---->>>
    I was surprised very positively. This game is great, especially if you play as a clingone. If you are a trekkie this game is a 10/10    … Expand
  7. justiceleague
    Apr 3, 2017
    10
    I have read many reviews that say this mmo falls short. These are completely false; do not be misguided. As a gamer who has played WoW and League, I was led to believe that this game was horrible since the space battles are auto-targeting and the skill cap is super low. Being a trekkie, I played anyways. I quickly learned that this game is absolutely fantastic. Yes, space battles are autoI have read many reviews that say this mmo falls short. These are completely false; do not be misguided. As a gamer who has played WoW and League, I was led to believe that this game was horrible since the space battles are auto-targeting and the skill cap is super low. Being a trekkie, I played anyways. I quickly learned that this game is absolutely fantastic. Yes, space battles are auto targeting. However, there are so many aspects to the combat, including the fact that you are fighting in a 3d space, not 2d like WoW, you need to position your ship to attack the weakened side of a ship, whilst protecting your weak shields, and all the weapons have a specific firing arc, meaning you need to bring your guns to bear.

    Regarding the skill cap, it took me two years of competitive playing to get to level 60, not because the game forces you to farm, but because of the immense amount of in-game content. And, once I finally reached level 60, I thought I was done. Little did I know that in PvE and PvP level 60 players are pooled together. So, I went from dominating in PvP to getting my ass whooped when I went from level 59 to level 60. I have been playing the game now for SEVEN years, and I still am ways away from reaching end game level, nevermind being competitive.

    The biggest thing, however, is versatility. If you think you've made a 'build' in a game, you don't know what a build is until you've played STO. First, you need to fill out your traits, of which there are about 40 to choose from. Then, you move on to your skills tree (yes, it's a completely separate thing from traits). Ok, done right? Now you do that again a minimum of EIGHT times since you customize skills and traits for each bridge officer. Then, you pick up to 70 duty officers, each having their own set of skills. After that, you pick out of the 80+ ships in the game, each having an entirely different style, with differing health, speed, turning radius, shield modifier, warp core type, and size. You then hand pick each of the minimum eight weapons you put on that ship. Each weapon can be either a beam, dual beam, cannon, dual cannon, heavy cannon, dual heavy cannon, turret, or omnidirectional beam. Each of those weapon types comes in over 20 different energy types. All of this, of course, doesn't count torpedoes, mines, and missiles. Each weapon can be from the mark I to XIV, will be built for DmG, Pen, Crit D, Crit Chance, Acc, Rad (radiation), and each of these can be paired, and stacked up to 4 times. This means you have literally 7x20x4x14x6!= 5 644 800 specific weapons to choose from, not counting stacking. Yeah.

    THEN, you hand-pick for your ship out of 200+ shields, out of 300+ warp engines, out of 700+ deflector arrays, 500+ impulse engines, and, out of over 1000 consoles that boost and buff your ship in different ways.

    All of this is for ONE faction, of which there are three to choose from. I won't even get into reputation, modifying weapons, researching new weapons, upgrading ships, retrofits, refits, enhancements, or fleet variants.

    Finally, perhaps the most important thing is that this game has character, and it's ridiculously fun. Devs are always releasing new missions; problems are patched and fixed very quickly. All the equipment, characters, star systems, and races are straight from the tv shows, with some new and exciting additions. Honestly, I think STO's story should be the next tv series; it would bring Star Trek back. As for the game, join, or don't. There's already a lot of great players, but if you do join, you will surely not be disappointed. (Btw this is my honest review I'm not endorsed by STO it's just honestly that good)    … Expand
  8. flotsam
    Jan 23, 2017
    9
    I rather like Star Trek Online (STO). It’s one of my favorite games—and I literally had no interest in the game initially. It started on a gaming weekend when my friend and I were trying to find co-op games to play.

    Co-op STO has decent co-op mission play where you can play STFs, and most episodes, and missions with co-op. Ever-expanding Storyline Content The Good: The    I rather like Star Trek Online (STO). It’s one of my favorite games—and I literally had no interest in the game initially. It started on a gaming weekend when my friend and I were trying to find co-op games to play.

    Co-op

    STO has decent co-op mission play where you can play STFs, and most episodes, and missions with co-op.

    Ever-expanding Storyline Content

    The Good: The storyline in STO is constantly expanding. I really enjoy the new content as it makes the game come alive for me. The voice actors from the Star Trek screen actors is a real plus. Of course the content is also player driven as well with the Foundry. The storyline is often quite good and really immerses you in the game for hours and hours. You really feel like you are progressing and accomplishing something.

    The Bad: Once you reach the end game there's next to nothing to do except grind for your Epic level gear. Elite STFs would be nice but not enough people play the game making the wait times extra long. Cryptic rolls out new content WAY too slowly and it's been getting even slower. In 2013 they had a ton of new content roll out back to back with the Delta Quadrant and the Iconian story line. Now, from 2015-2016 it feels like your in a never ending traffic jam. I really like this game but I'm losing interest now that I have four characters who have played through the mostly identical content.

    Short game/long game/mini-game

    The Good: I like how STO mixes up what you can do given the time you have. For example, if you don’t have time to do an episode, you can join the space queue (Special Task Force/STF)and fight the enemy together for a 5-25 minute fight. Only five minutes to play? try—crafting, mining, admiralty, doff missions, buying and selling on the exchange and more.

    The Bad: Star Trek Online is very, very grind heavy. This means you can totally finish the content and, perhaps, not even be half-way through with grinding for your Epic gear.

    DPS

    The Good: I like to measure DPS with DPS parser and see how I’ve progressed by increasing my DPS with new spaceship items and configurations. DPS keeps you playing with greater interest in the game. DPS is complex and exciting. It's kept me playing the game a lot longer than I normally would have.

    The Bad: STO should really incorporate DPS into their game model because there are so many awful players that think they're really doing damage but are actually doing next to nothing. DPS is mainly AOE based damage. If you go after just one target to bring it down, your DPS will go way down as well--this is unfortunate.

    Fleets

    The Good: Like guilds in many other games, STO has fleets where you can interact and grow with other players. Fleets are a must for quality gear.

    The Bad: One of my fleets is so popular and seasoned it's quite difficult to get new fleet credits for my new characters.

    Personally tired of “magical MMOs”

    The Good: I’ve become very tired of all the MMOs with some kind of magical theme. In this aspect STO is truly refreshing—and even clean (my kids can even walk in while I'm playing the game and I don't have worry about what they'll see or hear).

    The Bad: I'd imagine that mostly guys play this game and yet, they're creating Barbie dolls to play with as their next character roll...really?

    Time Played Results in Direct Value

    The Good: If you play with a goal in mind of what you’re trying to achieve (crafting, fleet consoles, character progression, upgrades, etc) you will achieve value every time you play the game. In my book, that’s a nice feeling.

    The Bad: Drops for any seasoned character are close to worthless and there is way too much grinding for the content presented in the game. The admiralty system, doff missions become boring and repetitive -- I don't even read the text any more on those missions--it's just a click fest.

    I definitely like STO more than I don't like it!

    Forgot to mention -- spending money is not necessary. I feel that I spend money on things I actually want in the game. Cryptic has created even more ways to be very successful without spending any money at all. For example, I now have four characters that produce dilithium with the admiralty system. I can and do convert that dilithium into zen--real in game currency to buy real things--that you would have had to spend money for.

    It's not only possible but very do-able to play for free. Regardless of your bent F2P or spend, the game does take time to progress--money just makes that progression quicker. However spending money can make you sloppy too--as it's no substitute for good planning.

    In Conclusion

    To me, Star Trek's success heavily depends on rolling out new content to keep your immersion high. Not enough people play the elite STFs--even fleets don't seem to. Getting Epic gear is way to grindy and keeps going long after the content is completed and repeated. Still, it's a great game    … Expand
  9. Britannia99
    May 20, 2015
    8
    Star Trek Online is easily the best game I've ever played. They have a detailed storyline, cool ships, realistic trek lore and fun combat. There are three factions to choose from and every faction has at least three species and a different storyline. You dong even have to worry about which faction you chose at first because you can play with all three. They even have voice actors fromStar Trek Online is easily the best game I've ever played. They have a detailed storyline, cool ships, realistic trek lore and fun combat. There are three factions to choose from and every faction has at least three species and a different storyline. You dong even have to worry about which faction you chose at first because you can play with all three. They even have voice actors from Star Trek the Original Series and Voyager. Spock is in the freakin game!!! But here are some drawbacks.
    1. To get ships for vice admiral and above you have to pay.
    2. They got rid of star clusters.
    3. You have to pay for more characters.
    4. When you have finished all the missions on a character you have to wait for more. The good news is that they have PVE, PVP, the summer event and the winter event to occupy your time.
    5. It takes a lot of work to get from level 50 to 60. They make you work to get to more missions.    … Expand
  10. stc1992
    Feb 25, 2015
    9
    This game, as of 2015, is very robust in content and delivery. It was important to preface my review with this, because at launch, it was bereft of content that most MMO's would consider a basic requirement (endgame content, for one thing). Now, this game if fully fleshed out, especially considering it is a F2P game. The space combat is highly engaging, reminiscent of Insurrection andThis game, as of 2015, is very robust in content and delivery. It was important to preface my review with this, because at launch, it was bereft of content that most MMO's would consider a basic requirement (endgame content, for one thing). Now, this game if fully fleshed out, especially considering it is a F2P game. The space combat is highly engaging, reminiscent of Insurrection and Nemesis. On the ground, you don't feel like a vulnerable away team just waiting to get blasted (and the in-game lore does a decent job explaining why). The opening story and following episodes are very entertaining, but at times repetitive in their objectives. The secondary features of the game may intimidate new players at first, but are well worth getting into. Some people may be put off by the amount of currency required to buy some of the truly top of the line ships, but it is possible to play this game, fully featured, without ever spending a nickel of real money. That approach can be a little grindy, so if you can afford to put US$10-20 towards some ZEN (game store currency), you may appreciate the later stages of the game a bit more.… Expand
  11. philipag
    Jan 6, 2015
    10
    This has been the true home of the Star Trek franchise for years now. Excellent game play. Many critics were obsessive-compulsives who expected far too much. Great fun in space and on the ground, two games in one.
  12. Fluxing
    Oct 12, 2014
    10
    I've been a lifetime member since day one, the game has improved leaps and bounds with every new piece of content released.

    If you are a fan of Star Trek and MMORPGs you MUST check this game out - it's a direct continuation of the Prime Universe after Star Trek Nemesis. Now is the time to jump in - a level cap increase to 60 is coming and a whole new story arc in the Delta Quadrant -    I've been a lifetime member since day one, the game has improved leaps and bounds with every new piece of content released.

    If you are a fan of Star Trek and MMORPGs you MUST check this game out - it's a direct continuation of the Prime Universe after Star Trek Nemesis.

    Now is the time to jump in - a level cap increase to 60 is coming and a whole new story arc in the Delta Quadrant - with several Voyager cast members reprising their roles!    … Expand
  13. Grand_Nagus
    Sep 21, 2014
    8
    STO isn't perfect, but it has really come a long way since launch is is one of my all time favorite games. Two of my favorite features:

    1) completely free to play: you can play every single mission in the game for free, and new expansions are also free. Not only that, but you can even get any item you want from the game store for free by trading in game currency for game store currency    STO isn't perfect, but it has really come a long way since launch is is one of my all time favorite games. Two of my favorite features:

    1) completely free to play: you can play every single mission in the game for free, and new expansions are also free. Not only that, but you can even get any item you want from the game store for free by trading in game currency for game store currency with other players.

    2) unlimited content: STO has a system called the foundry that lets players create their own missions and share them with other players. This means I have a brand new mission that I have never played before to look forward to every single time I log in. I will never run out of new missions to do, which is wild.

    But hey, don't take my word for it. The game is free to play, so try it yourself and thank me later =P    … Expand
  14. TFMF
    Aug 18, 2014
    10
    I've been pleasantly surprised with how this game has turned out. The ground missions felt a bit limited to begin with but they have gotten better as I've progressed, and the space missions are very fun. Really enjoying the story as well.
  15. tagos
    Jun 19, 2014
    8
    I tired this when it first came out and it didn't click. Recently gave the FTP version a try because it had a new tutorial and really liked what I found. And what I found was a very polished game with lots to do, lots to learn and lots to explore.

    I don't care if it's 'Pay To Win' (not that anyone seems able to explain what people are actually 'winning'). What other people do with    I tired this when it first came out and it didn't click. Recently gave the FTP version a try because it had a new tutorial and really liked what I found. And what I found was a very polished game with lots to do, lots to learn and lots to explore.

    I don't care if it's 'Pay To Win' (not that anyone seems able to explain what people are actually 'winning'). What other people do with their money is their own business. You don't need to spend anything to have a perfectly fine time.

    Ships are very customisable through equipment and crew, combat is akin to a 3 dimensional Starfleet Command, which works just fine for me.

    The galaxy has a real feel of 'everything falling apart at the seams' and the Federation bringing back into service anything that can mount a warp nacelle.

    Even though i'm only a humble Lieutenant I've swept systems clean of Klingons engaged in impromptu fleet actions against The Borg and all sorts of good trekkie stuff. All in all I'm having a fine time and without it costing anything.

    If you're a Trek fan then you've nothing to lose by putting an evening aside to play the tutorial and a couple of mission.    … Expand
  16. Spocksbeard
    Jun 10, 2014
    9
    Free to play model definitely saved the game. Space combat is great. Ground combat can be too but there tends to be long ques for it. Ultimately its star trek and who doesnt like star trek?
  17. merc4hire
    May 28, 2014
    9
    I'm a doctor not a reviewer. I'm a doctor not a critic. I'm a doctor not a gamer. I'm a doctor not a know-it-all. I'm a doctor not an engineer. I'm a doctor not a tour guide. I'm a doctor not a peeping Tom.
  18. thanaton
    May 14, 2014
    10
    Star Trek: Online is constantly being updated and improved and it's mostly a changed game from when it was first released. Space combat is awesome, missions are awesome, graphics and music are awesome.

    I highly recommend Star Trek: Online to anyone.
  19. MrSnurb
    Jan 28, 2014
    10
    This game is insanely good, its not action packed and the FPS is not the best but as MMO's go, it's great. I play this game more frequently that any of my other payed games like Bioshock 1,2 or 3, Civilization V, GTA IV, Dead Space, Anno 2070, or Mass Effect. The reason this game appeals to me is the fact that new content just keeps coming out it's incredible. The customization in thisThis game is insanely good, its not action packed and the FPS is not the best but as MMO's go, it's great. I play this game more frequently that any of my other payed games like Bioshock 1,2 or 3, Civilization V, GTA IV, Dead Space, Anno 2070, or Mass Effect. The reason this game appeals to me is the fact that new content just keeps coming out it's incredible. The customization in this game is second to none. In most games there is 1 or 2 really good "items" (in this case ships) that allow you to be the best, but in STO there is no one build or one single ship that is the best there are so many ways to specialize and customize in this game that it never seems to get old. With its constant evolution and refinement this game is the best game I have in my Steam account right now. You may read low reviews but seeing as how this game is free I highly recommend you try this game before writing it off.… Expand
  20. mythzack45
    Jan 24, 2014
    10
    I have found this game beyond enjoyable. I have spend hours a day for months playing this game, and I still have yet to have it cease to amaze me. Other than some of the missions in the chapters being a royal pain, this is the best and most realistic Star Trek Game and the best for a true Star Trek fans.
  21. danbar7126
    Jan 19, 2014
    10
    This game is a respectable game that differs from the horde MMO games that are painfully similar to each other. Its very fresh and refreshing difference in a MMO. I am happy to say I could play this game until the servers are shut down and plan too.
  22. MidNiteShadow7
    Jan 12, 2014
    10
    I love this game, great space combat, great community... I've still not completed everything and I am on daily and have been playing for nearly 3 years!
  23. Wrathan
    Nov 30, 2013
    10
    I really enjoy this game. The new features they have added make it an even more enjoyable game than EVER before. Doing some missions seem a complete waste of time, but the episodes are thoroughly enjoyable.
  24. mewpet3
    Nov 23, 2013
    9
    I highly recommend this game (even if you are not a star trek fan) It is my favourite MMO and I play a lot of MMOs, and is one of the few of which where you do not need to pay real money to be good at the game.
  25. jseph1234
    Nov 8, 2013
    8
    I had a blast playing this game. Over 200 hours+. From dancing in the clubs to flying my own custom ships (Attack ships forever!!) to the away missions, the game is a TON of fun and be played completely for Free!!
    A great game from Perfect World.
  26. shay72
    Aug 18, 2013
    8
    I wasn't a Star Trek fan so didn't think i would like the game, I couldn't be more wrong i loved it and its now been updated and is fully immersing, explore your ship, follow different paths in game, lots of missions and good pvp,ST has come a long way since its release you gotta try it
  27. Bokhari
    Aug 3, 2013
    8
    I think this is the only game where you can own a starship, fight in space and then take a select crew of officers and fight on planets as well. Also, the only game that seems to have improved consistently over time. Many of the reviewers need to do a re-review of this. Everything you can get for premium currency you can also grind off in-game currency. there are no hard limits to what aI think this is the only game where you can own a starship, fight in space and then take a select crew of officers and fight on planets as well. Also, the only game that seems to have improved consistently over time. Many of the reviewers need to do a re-review of this. Everything you can get for premium currency you can also grind off in-game currency. there are no hard limits to what a free and paying player can thus achieve (except of course a paying player gets it faster). Leveling is easy in my opinion and there's lots to do. I'm a solo player, but this game is best enjoyed with a group of friends who can play together when they hit level cap. This is also the only mmo I play that I leave and then return to over and over... The only problem perhaps is the fact that this game is heavily instanced, with set locations so no feel of one of Star Treks core values, 'Exploration', can be readily experienced. Though I suppose events and such may simulate that. I fully expect the game to get even better with ongoing updates and such.… Expand
  28. Starhowl
    Jul 20, 2013
    8
    I joined this game only after it's transition to the Free-to-play model and am basing my review off of that experience.

    For a free-to-play MMO, this game is well above average. The production values, music, and what little voice acting there is, is excellent quality. The game feels quite polished, and for a starship junkie like me, the ships all look fantastic. The main quest chain is    I joined this game only after it's transition to the Free-to-play model and am basing my review off of that experience.

    For a free-to-play MMO, this game is well above average. The production values, music, and what little voice acting there is, is excellent quality. The game feels quite polished, and for a starship junkie like me, the ships all look fantastic. The main quest chain is gripping and enjoyable, and makes leveling a breeze; a good balance of investment and reward as you level a character.

    The lifetime subscription to this game is quite a bargain at $200 USD, which equates to about 13 months of game time of a typical $15/month MMO, and will unlock everything that f2p players cannot access without microtransaction.

    In contrast to other free-to-play MMOs, the microtransactions in this game are kept to a minimum; all purchases made from the Cash shop are entirely cosmetic, having little to no impact on actual gameplay, and are not necessary in any situation to progress your character. In addition, an in-game currency called Dilithium can be converted in large amounts to cash shop credit, offering a cheaper alternative for those who don't wish to spend cash, but spend a lot of time playing.

    The space combat in this game is excellent. You have direct control over your ship and it's stations, with everything being laid out in front of you, and basic starship command is very intuitive. The controls are tight and concise, and is easily my favorite part about my STO experience.

    Ground combat is another story, however. On the ground, your skills are wildly different from that in space (of course), and your efficiency on the ground will be defined entirely by your away team (your group of starship officers that follow you to the ground). Ground combat is wildly more difficult than space combat, with much more focus on movement, equipment, environmental hazards, and multiple groups of powerful enemies. Coupled with the rather basic shoot-em-up feel of mashing your weapon attack, ground missions will wear out their welcome to most.

    The game's loose storyline and setting stays very true to old canon, commonly alluding to the stories and experiences of James Kirk, Jean Luc Picard, and even Kathryn Janeway in their respective series as you explore the galaxy.

    Exploration itself, however, is somewhat lacking. For a world as open as this one, the experiences you'll have among sectors and it's planets is mostly predictable and simple. Almost all missions consist of no more than destroying some ships, or scanning some structures. While an over-arcing story helps break the monotony or tie things together, most open-world encounters have no larger plot or worthwhile reward for time invested, making them more akin to little mini-episodes and slightly less gripping as a result.

    If you're one for playing solo, you will quickly discover that upon reaching level cap and completing the official episodes, you will have very little to do. In comparison to other MMOs, the amount of group content is scant at best, and repeating the same few group events dozens of times may quickly wear thin. I personally suggest you play this game with friends, or join a role-playing fleet (guild) to keep entertained and break the monotony of grinding the same few events all day every day.

    All MMOs have some grind in them; STO's problem is that there is no variety on what you can grind. If you want to be a Borg-slayer and join that NPC faction, you'll be running 5 of the same events for months. If you want to assist the Romulans, you'll have a lifetime of ground missions (primarily babysitting and kill-quests) to run around doing.

    However I can't be too harsh. For a free-to-play, this game is definitely better than most. It's enjoyable moreso with friends well polished, and a great game for Star Trek fans who've always wanted to run around inside their ships, or sit at the helm and fight among the stars.

    I find the game very high quality, personally, but the community is among the ugliest I've seen in any MMO to date. Every online game has it's elitists, it's dev-haters, and stop-having-fun crowd, but STO's community seems to house of the most intense of all of these. You can bet any "problems" with the game will be loudly vocalized, and when the servers are brought down to repair said problem, you can expect to see an equal amount of hatred directed towards the developers for the unstable servers.

    Community can be filtered out, however, and basing my score solely off what I get from the game, I can rest with an 8.    … Expand
  29. kenley111
    May 26, 2013
    9
    I have to say that this is a great MMO, the team that works on the game keeps everything up to date. There are a lot of people that still play. Its a blast with friends. The only thing that keeps me from giving it a ten is the ground combat. The ground combat is fun but the animations are a little rough. If they fix that then this is my game. Its the one game that's close to Orion Pirates.I have to say that this is a great MMO, the team that works on the game keeps everything up to date. There are a lot of people that still play. Its a blast with friends. The only thing that keeps me from giving it a ten is the ground combat. The ground combat is fun but the animations are a little rough. If they fix that then this is my game. Its the one game that's close to Orion Pirates. Live long and prosper… Expand
  30. Killmoh
    May 23, 2013
    9
    Captain's log, stardate... may 2013

    We started out a bleeding rock & ended up a shining gem.
    Dare I say we went were none has gone before...?

    Just give it a bit more than a few lvl's (ranks) & you will see
    that the game grows on you more and more as you go...

    Thank you for this beautiful free game!
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Awards & Rankings

13
#13 Most Discussed PC Game of 2010
9
#9 Most Shared PC Game of 2010

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
66

Mixed or average reviews - based on 34 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 21 out of 34
  3. Negative: 3 out of 34
  1. GameWatcher
    80
    This is as fine a[n] homage to one of Sci-fi's great franchises a[s] you can get in an MMO format.
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  2. Eurogamer
    60
    Despite all of these complaints, those hordes of starship captains are quite happy. They may not have many different things to do, and the missions and UI may be rather buggy, but there does seem to be enough content to sustain them - at least until the endgame - and even at its worst that content is knockabout fun with more instant appeal, and more suitability for casual, short-session, low-commitment play than most MMOs.
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  3. Vandal
    85
    It is one of the worthier options among the titles which try to compete with WoW, and the one that has convinced us the most to date.
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