Our Star Trek The Video Game PC Review

When I first fired up Star Trek: The Video Game, I genuinely wanted to like it. As someone who’s followed both the franchise and the developers at Digital Extremes, I went in with cautious optimism. A co-op adventure published by Bandai Namco Games under license by Paramount Pictures featuring Captain Kirk and Spock, voiced by Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto, should have been a dream pairing. For a while, it almost was.

The game opens with an intriguing premise, spatial ruptures, a mysterious crystal capable of advancing or destroying civilisations, and the reptilian Gorn invading Federation worlds. You can play as either Kirk or Spock, and at first, the teamwork dynamic feels well-realised. Helping each other through door sequences, boosting up ledges, and flanking enemies in firefights brought flashes of what could have been a solid co-op experience. Playing with a friend online actually works for the most part, and the first half of the campaign has moments of genuine Star Trek charm.

But then, things start to fall apart.

The AI partner quickly goes from capable to completely clueless, often standing idle in firefights or glitching through walls, forcing checkpoint reloads that are already too far apart. The enemy AI isn’t much better, alternating between unresponsive and oddly aggressive, with strange physics bugs that send bodies flying across rooms. Even the cover system feels off, popping out without input, or moving sluggishly from one position to the next while your shields melt away.

Mechanically, the game borrows heavily from Mass Effect and Uncharted, with cover shooting and platforming sequences that feel familiar but lack polish. Climbing sections are stiff and repetitive, and a single mistimed jump can send you back to the start of a long section. There’s also a scanning system meant to add RPG-like depth, letting you analyse enemies and objects to earn XP for upgrades. It’s a neat idea on paper but ends up feeling like busywork, with upgrades that barely change gameplay.

Graphically, the game sits firmly in the “decent but dated” category. Character models look close enough to their movie counterparts, and the Enterprise’s interiors – from the bridge to the crew quarters – are impressively accurate. Certain scenes in space look fantastic, particularly when you step outside the ship, but the textures and lighting elsewhere are inconsistent. At least the performance is solid, with high frame rates throughout.

The real saving grace is the presentation. Hearing Pine and Quinto reprise their roles adds authenticity, and the soundtrack does a decent job of capturing that cinematic Trek tone. It’s frustrating because the potential is obvious. You can tell there was effort behind the voice work and the lore tie-ins, but everything else feels rushed to meet the release window of Star Trek Into Darkness.

By the time I reached the later chapters, the game’s technical issues had worn me down. The story ends abruptly, the final act loses all momentum, and any emotional payoff is buried beneath bugs and broken systems. What started as a promising co-op journey became a test of patience.

Having played Star Trek: Voyager Elite Force years ago, it’s hard not to draw comparisons. That game, even with its dated visuals and Quake III engine, captured the spirit of Star Trek through strong mission design and sharp pacing. Star Trek (2013 video game), on the other hand, feels like it wanted to reach that same mark but never quite managed to get there. Where Elite Force made me feel like part of the crew, this one too often reminded me that I was wrestling with the controls instead of exploring the final frontier.

If you’re a die-hard Star Trek fan, there’s some value in experiencing this once, preferably with a friend online. Playing solo, though, exposes the game’s weakest side. It’s one of those titles where you can clearly see the blueprint of a much better experience that never made it past the drafting table.