Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch
Also on: PlayStation 5, Steam, Xbox One, iOS
Price: $19.99
I’m a Star Trek fan, though my exposure is somewhat limited. I’ve watched the original series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager, as well as all the movies. However, I’m not as familiar with some of the newer shows. I thought I had a decent grasp of the Star Trek games out there, but a quick Google search revealed far more than I ever realized. When I was given the opportunity to review Star Trek Legends, I was intrigued—a strategy game featuring all my favorite characters and introducing me to new ones? Sign me up! While the game is indeed a strategy title, it leans heavily into its mobile roots, which wasn’t quite what I expected. It’s not terrible, but it is undeniably grindy. Where it shines with its deep roster of characters, it falls short in the strategy aspect and deep storytelling.
The game opens with a strong story hook: I’m the captain of the USS Artemis, a Starfleet ship tasked with investigating the Nexus—the same phenomenon featured in Star Trek: Generations. Naturally, things go awry, and I’m pulled into the Nexus, where I meet my first crew members, who were also drawn into the Nexus: Dr. McCoy, Worf, and Michael Burnham. The use of the Nexus is a clever narrative device, seamlessly bringing together characters from across the Star Trek universe. In fact, there are 95 characters to unlock in total. While some are available only through DLC purchases, the variety of characters included in the base game provide enough variety that I never felt compelled to buy additional ones. The character design and animations are spot-on. For example, when I unlocked Tomalak early in the game, his arrogance was perfectly captured in his animation as he cloaked my team. It’s these small, thoughtful details that elevate the game’s experience.
Let’s address the elephant in the room: this feels like a mobile game. The story itself is compelling—exploring different planets within the Nexus, meeting characters from across the Star Trek universe, and uncovering how the Nexus affects them. I especially enjoyed the interactions between McCoy, Worf, and Burnham; their dialogue added depth and personality to the narrative. However, the cracks started to show when I unlocked Commander Will Riker and added him to my crew. I quickly noticed that he didn’t interact with the story or other characters at all. Swapping Burnham for Tomalak made this even more apparent—Burnham was delivering dialogue during a narrative segment, even though she wasn’t part of my away team.
That’s when it hit me: the story revolves entirely around the initial three characters. Any additional crew members I unlock are essentially placeholders. Sure, I had to defeat them in battle to recruit them (more on that in a moment), but once they were on my team, they didn’t contribute to the unfolding narrative. I couldn’t help but feel the game missed an opportunity here. Dynamic dialogue that changes based on the crew I assemble could have added variety to the experience. While it might have required more programming, it would have added to the depth of the game, instead it feels flat.
Unlocking new characters also reinforces the feeling that this is a mobile port. Completing story missions earns orbs, which can then be used to unlock crew members. Once I’ve collected enough orbs, I can spend them to try my luck at unlocking new characters. This is where the “gacha” mechanics come into play—named characters are rare, and the odds of pulling them aren’t very high. I got lucky when I unlocked Tomalak, an epic character who only became available after I defeated him in the story. Given his rarity, the chances of pulling him were slim. More often, I ended up unlocking a common crew member or a generic Romulan officer. Once, I even pulled a Borg drone worker. These mechanics add a layer of randomness to character acquisition that might feel fun when getting a rare character but can also feel frustrating when hoping to build a specific crew with certain characters.
There’s another way to earn new characters—through events that are constantly running. Completing these events rewards a specific currency that can be used to purchase a character available during that event. For example, the “Welcome Event” allowed me to collect 250 special event orbs, which I used to unlock Geordi La Forge. However, there’s a catch: I was only allowed to participate in these events three times before earning a cooldown period of 18 hours, and each attempt only rewarded 20 orbs. This system felt grindy, as I was repeatedly fighting the same battles to make progress. Perhaps the average player, engaging with the game more casually, wouldn’t find it as tedious, but playing intensively for the review made the repetition stand out.
The final way to earn new crew members is by completing quests and achievements. However, this feature is somewhat hidden within the profile menu. In fact, I wouldn’t have even realized these rewards were available if I hadn’t accidentally discovered them by pressing the upper left bumper on my controller.
There are several ways to level up crew members, with the easiest being to take them along on missions. However, since I can only bring four characters per mission, any crew left on the bench won’t gain experience. While I could swap out characters, using weaker members risks jeopardizing my mission. Another option is to use Biomimetic Gel, a limited resource earned through missions or shuttle missions, to level up new crew members. Tokens can also be used to level up characters, but they are much harder to come by.
I found that sending benched members on shuttle missions was the most effective way to level them up. Shuttle missions offer resources and are governed by cooldown timers, with better rewards requiring longer wait times. However, assigning crew members to shuttle missions temporarily prevents me from using them in the story. This method proved invaluable for preparing my newer crew members for main missions. For instance, Tomalak, an epic character, started significantly weaker than the rest of my team. After a few shuttle missions, he quickly caught up and now plays a key role in my main lineup.
Each character has at least three special abilities, which can be leveled up or unlocked by using specific Biomimetic Gel. For example, unlocking Dr. McCoy’s “I’m a Doctor” ability—which cleanses effects, provides a defense boost, and adds resistance to wounds—requires 50 medical Biomimetic Gel. These gels can be obtained through specific shuttle missions. In addition to abilities, each character can also be equipped with gear and particles to further boost their stats.
I can also assign characters to different stations on the bridge. While it makes sense that I can’t put Dr. McCoy in the captain’s chair, it’s odd that I can place La Forge there—or even enemy characters, which feels strange. However, assigning specific crew members to certain stations provides bonuses. For example, placing Tomalak on the bridge grants a bonus to all Romulans, which is particularly useful if I have a Romulan-heavy team. This feature adds to the overall strategy, but with no restrictions (especially with enemy characters) it broke a bit of the immersion for me.
The combat is decent, but I wouldn’t call this a deep strategy game. While I can strategically select the best crew for my playstyle, I rarely strayed from my “perfect crew” once I found the ideal formula. My team consists of Dr. McCoy, who boosts morale and attack, which I apply to Riker for his area-of-effect damage attack. Worf serves as my tank, taunting enemies and drawing their focus, while Tomalak cloaks my team to reduce incoming damage.
That said, combat lacks certain elements I’d expect from a strategy game. For instance, I can’t position my characters on the field of play—there’s no way to protect my healer by placing them in the back. Movement is also restricted, with characters randomly taking cover, unless I use abilities from specific crew members like La Forge, who can create cover barriers. While the combat works well in short bursts, it becomes repetitive and tiresome during longer play sessions.
There are a few other game modes I didn’t explore in depth. One is matchmaking, which appears to pit my team against other players’ teams. Another is survival mode, which allows me to earn resources for leveling up characters and gear. This mode feels reminiscent of a roguelike, with a risk/reward system: the longer I persist, the greater the rewards, but the risks also increase significantly.
One aspect I really appreciate about this game is the absence of microtransactions outside of DLC. All resource materials can be earned through missions, which keeps the gameplay fair and accessible. While I can purchase specific resources and tokens from the merchant tab—run by Quark—I’m using currency earned in-game to make these purchases.
Final Grade: B-
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.
Review code provided by Pirate PR and Qubic Games.