Federation admirals, pacifist humanitarians to the very last, will attempt protectionist, defensive manoeuvres whilst other races square up to each other in territorial skirmishes. Since the game spans the entire Star Trek legacy, allegiances can change depending on the amount of time passing between generations.
Unfortunately, on early preview code at least, controls are irritatingly cumbersome. Action occurs incredibly slowly, and you could probably get through an episode of the show by the time anything significant happens.
Investing time in the game just doesn't pay off quickly enough, and although later levels promise far more action, actually having to get to them seems like too much of a struggle. Ardent fans may disagree.
Above: There will be an online multiplayer mode, but not based on direct combat
Why Star Trek has never truly established itself as a gaming franchise in the manner of Star Wars remains something of a mystery. Perhaps it's that the mixture of wordiness and socio-political commentary integral to the show will never translate properly to play.
Perhaps it's that the thoughtful rigidity of Trek-style combat isn't satisfying enough for a place in interactive media. Or, perhaps, it's that the developers themselves are such Trekker purists that they can't bring themselves to experiment with its format.
