Star Trek Online

About

Star Trek Online is a multiplayer tactical role playing game with warfare and science fiction themes. It was developed by Cryptic Studios and was released on September 6, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

In Star Trek Online, the Star Trek universe appears for the first time on a truly massive scale. Players take the captain's chair as they command their own starship and crew. Explore strange new worlds, seek out new life and new civilizations, and boldly go where no one has gone before in this ever-expanding online universe.

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79%

Audience ScoreBased on 16,422 reviews

story1.5k positive mentions

grinding852 negative mentions

Engaging and tactical space combat with deep ship customization that rewards strategic play.
Rich, faithful Star Trek storylines with strong voice acting from original series actors, creating an immersive and emotional narrative experience.
Extensive content with diverse playable species, high replayability, and a strong Star Trek atmosphere supported by authentic environments, sound design, and music.

Ground combat is clunky, dated, and often bug-ridden, detracting from overall gameplay enjoyment.
Heavy grind and aggressive monetization with pay-to-win elements, including expensive ships and time-gated currencies, frustrating free-to-play players.
Outdated graphics and optimization issues causing frequent bugs, crashes, lag, and inconsistent performance despite ongoing updates.

story
6,346 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
72%
5%
Star Trek Online offers an extensive and immersive story experience that continues the Star Trek universe with episodic missions featuring voice acting from original series actors. The storylines are rich, varied, and often praised for aligning well with the franchise's lore, providing a compelling single-player feel despite being an MMO. However, players report that the narrative can become inconsistent and repetitive over time, with some missions suffering from bugs, pacing issues, and a shift toward combat-heavy gameplay that may detract from exploration and diplomacy elements fans expect from Star Trek.
- “The game's story content is its crown jewel, offering a television-like experience with each quest feeling like an episode of your favorite Star Trek series.”
- “Just the story line alone, which stays consistent albeit with variants based on the perspective of the type of character you are playing, such as a Federation Vulcan having a slightly different take on the main storyline than, say, a Klingon from some major house on Qo'nos, represents the Yosemite Mountain.”
- “A deep and faithful story heavy Star Trek game that truly shows the developers knew the source material and drastically expanded upon it over many years.”
- “There is no overall story to the game and the missions are repetitive, with many bugs causing mission failures. The story continuity is janky in places and some missions are impossible to complete due to bugs that have not been fixed for years.”
- “After completing the story missions, there's nothing else to do other than repeating the same missions over and over, which becomes tedious. Many missions follow the same formula, mostly involving fighting large numbers of enemies with little variation or diplomacy.”
- “The ground missions are clunky, annoying, and frequently bugged, breaking immersion and frustrating players. The difficulty spikes unpredictably in later missions, requiring pay-to-win tactics or heavy grinding, making the story progression feel forced and unfair.”
gameplay
1,322 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
60%
11%
The gameplay of Star Trek Online offers engaging space combat with deep customization and tactical ship mechanics that many find rewarding, though ground combat is frequently regarded as clunky and dated. The game features a rich story and diverse missions that appeal especially to fans of the Star Trek universe, but suffers from repetitive endgame content and a steep learning curve due to complex systems and monetization mechanics. While some criticize its outdated controls, bugs, and pay-to-win elements, many players appreciate the vast content, community, and gradual improvements, making it a solid experience for dedicated trekkies and MMO enthusiasts alike.
- “Awesome ship combat that has a ton of variety and mechanics to make it feel very engaging.”
- “Incredibly fun game, the spaceship mechanics are some of the best I've ever played with in any game. Directional shields and positioned guns make maneuvering important; assigning your bridge officers to certain positions and utilizing their skills in battle is incredibly fun and rewarding.”
- “The combat, like the general gameplay and navigation, is complex enough to offer versatility while being simple enough to run a lot of missions 'on autopilot' more or less.”
- “Some dated mechanics like the entire ground combat system can feel underwhelming as it is very dated with an old WoW-style target, fire, forget mechanic, but I noticed the game does not make the ground combat a constant annoyance.”
- “All the interesting ships are locked behind the store; to earn any useful actual game currency (e.g., credits/dilithium), it has to be "refined" which is capped at 8k/day, with many ships costing into the hundreds of thousands (around 250k). This works out to roughly 31-32 days even if you have completed all the gameplay requisites to purchase the ship.”
- “The actual gameplay mechanics are boring and clunky; ground combat is a torture, space combat is fun but also clunky.”
graphics
1,268 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
56%
13%
The game's graphics are widely regarded as dated and in need of significant updates, especially for ground combat and character models, although space visuals and ship designs remain relatively impressive. Despite technical issues like glitches and occasional lag, the graphics still hold nostalgic appeal and are sufficient to support immersive Star Trek-themed gameplay for fans. Overall, while not cutting-edge, the visuals are considered acceptable for a free-to-play MMO over a decade old, with ongoing incremental improvements and potential for a future overhaul.
- “The graphics engine has held up well despite the age of the game, with the ship models stunning and space battles visually engaging.”
- “The graphics and animations, while a bit dated, are still impressive and contribute to the immersive Star Trek experience, especially in space combat and storytelling.”
- “Although the graphics are not cutting edge, they are well designed for a 2010 MMO, with continual updates improving lighting, textures, and ship models, making the visuals quite pleasing for both new and returning players.”
- “The graphics engine needs serious updates to bring this title into a more modern era of gaming; everything from the ships themselves to the characters need a serious overhaul.”
- “Even at the highest settings, the graphics look really bad.”
- “The graphics and animations feel dated, and the combat can get repetitive fast.”
grinding
867 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
1%
98%
Grinding in Star Trek Online is extensive and often described as tedious, repetitive, and time-consuming, especially at higher levels and endgame content where acquiring top-tier ships and gear demands months of commitment or spending real money. While all premium items and progression can theoretically be achieved through grinding alone, the process involves numerous time-gated currencies, daily tasks, and repetitive mission runs that can feel overwhelming and wearisome. Despite this, fans of grind-heavy MMOs and those invested in the Star Trek universe may find the gameplay rewarding, though many caution casual players or those averse to heavy grinding to be prepared for a significant time investment or the temptation of pay-to-win shortcuts.
- “Fun story, and the end game is not too grindy!”
- “Hours and hours of gameplay with no grindy feeling.”
- “The missions in the game are not grindy at all as the stories are very good and worthwhile.”
- “The best part i think is the fact you dont need to pay to win you can win the game just on the items that are free as long as you dont mind a little grinding.”
- “Once you are grinding this out, you will need to buy ships on each of those accounts to speed up farming.”
- “Endgame is currency farming or dps chasing.”
monetization
391 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
60%
33%
Star Trek Online features extensive and aggressive monetization heavily reliant on microtransactions, loot boxes, and premium currency, often criticized as predatory and cash grab-oriented, especially in endgame content. While many essential gameplay elements can be accessed for free through grinding and participation in events, high-level ships, upgrades, and convenience are frequently locked behind steep paywalls, leading to a perception of pay-to-win dynamics. Despite these issues, some players find the core experience enjoyable if they can overlook the overwhelming monetization tactics.
- “While there is a strong emphasis on microtransactions, it's worth mentioning that they are not mandatory, unlike in many other MMOs.”
- “You can play this game without ever making an in-game purchase and still enjoy it to the fullest.”
- “As for gameplay, most F2P games suffer from extreme monetization restrictions. It does have a huge number of microtransactions including ships, skins and some boosts, but it does not force the players into buying anything.”
- “The game changed a lot during the years into what is now considered a cash grabbing / FOMO game.”
- “Predatory microtransactions and loot boxes galore; if this worries you, do not download.”
- “The monetization model is absurd at times, with some items priced beyond even AAA standards.”
stability
365 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
98%
The game is widely criticized for pervasive bugs, glitches, crashes, freezes, and instability that frequently disrupt gameplay, particularly in ground missions and early content. Despite some improvements over time, many long-standing issues remain unfixed, leading to frustration among players who often experience game-breaking bugs and performance problems. While still enjoyable for die-hard Star Trek fans, the game's stability challenges significantly impact its overall experience.
- “Runs great on my PC, no significant bugs.”
- “For a free game, it's great. The animation is almost flawless, with no glitches as of yet and quick loading screens.”
- “Still runs great!”
- “I have a higher end PC and this game crashes and freezes up my entire computer; I have even had to shut the power off to my PC.”
- “You get roughly 5-6 missions in, and the game freezes upon scanning a mission objective, crashes, and force reboots your deck.”
- “Launcher is a complete mess: unable to patch, unable to connect to account server, the client quits unexpectedly.”
music
111 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
63%
9%
The music in the game effectively captures the classic Star Trek atmosphere with authentic sound effects and orchestral themes, enhancing immersion for fans. However, many reviewers find the soundtrack repetitive and limited in variety, which can become monotonous over extended play. Overall, the music is appreciated for its nostalgic value but could benefit from more diversity and dynamic integration.
- “I have looped the game in the background over the years just for the music.”
- “From universe accurate weapons, factions, lore, persons of interest, voice acting, sounds, and music, the game is a nostalgia trip for anyone who has or is exploring the Star Trek universe.”
- “Considering this was originally published by the now dead Atari, who by the time this was being made they were practically broke, it's excusable, and composer Kevin Manthei does an admiral job of capturing the essence of the series in his music.”
- “Another problem was the music; the longer I played, the music became repetitive and just boring.”
- “The background music tends to get too repetitive, and I personally feel there should be additional background music, especially when exploring space.”
- “The sound effects are good and the retro weapon sound effects are faithfully recreated, but there are a limited number of songs that play and after a while, they are quite bland and get annoying.”
optimization
83 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
66%
17%
Optimization in the game is highly inconsistent and often frustrating, with frequent issues like rubber-banding, stuttering, and server lag, especially during combat and on higher-end systems. While it runs smoothly on lower-end hardware and features adjustable settings to help performance, the game struggles with poor graphics optimization, crashes, and bugs that have persisted for years, reflecting a lack of effective long-term fixes despite ongoing updates. Overall, optimization remains a major drawback, impacting gameplay experience significantly, though improvements have been made over time.
- “It's free, you don't need much storage to play, and settings can be heavily modified to upscale or downscale for performance if needed.”
- “Runs smoothly, no hiccups.”
- “It is free and runs smoothly on even a potato PC so you lose nothing from giving it a shot at least.”
- “Performance can be frustrating, with rubber-banding mid-combat being a daily issue.”
- “There are many bugs and performance issues, mostly beyond repair, as the game is so old and dev teams have changed several times; no one really knows how the basic structure works anymore, so they focus more on new content than fixing the old.”
- “For a game this old, the optimization of the graphics is horrendous: expect huge lags and frame drops with more than 4 or 5 enemies onscreen; despite upgrading my rig twice, the frame drops remained the same.”
humor
82 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
99%
1%
The humor in the game is a mix of intentional and unintentional comedy, ranging from funny acting, quirky character and ship designs, and amusing glitches to cringe-worthy bugs and awkward animations that both entertain and frustrate players. While some appreciate its charm, vintage style, and occasional humorous moments, others find the humor uneven or overshadowed by gameplay issues, high prices, and community antics. Overall, the game offers a quirky, sometimes hilarious experience that fans of the franchise often embrace despite its flaws.
- “In conclusion, 'Star Bread Online' is a hilarious and entertaining romp through space that will have you laughing, loafing, and longing for more.”
- “I still enjoy being able to beat the mini game to collect the new materials as well as laughing at some of the 'impossible' materials they use.”
- “>Found a place where my away team began to slip and slide across ice in the most hilarious manner possible.”
replayability
51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
59%
6%
The game boasts high replayability, driven by diverse playable species, expansive storylines, and frequent content updates including new episodes and missions. While some find the progression lengthy and occasional bugs impact experience, the variety of character origins, ship customization, and continuous addition of replayable content keep players engaged over long periods. Overall, replay value is praised, with many returning after breaks to explore different factions and storylines.
- “Played this game since closed beta, so much to do and has great replayability.”
- “I'll also point out that there's a fair bit of replayability too, by using the other character origins, up until the Cardassian/mirror universe missions, giving you a unique experience each time.”
- “The continual additions of story lines – in the form of seasons – adds great replay value to the game.”
- “Replay value is pretty low.”
- “Only 2 co-op missions are playable out of a possible 60 or so missions that exist.”
- “Not a lot of replayability as the variety of questing is limited and there isn't much else to do.”
atmosphere
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
38%
6%
Star Trek Online excels at capturing the authentic Star Trek atmosphere through detailed environments, familiar characters, original voice actors, and rich lore, creating an immersive experience especially cherished by fans. While the graphics are modest, the game's sound design, storytelling, and mission variety evoke the classic series' spirit and political intrigue, making exploration and combat highly engaging. Overall, the atmosphere is widely praised as one of the game's strongest aspects, delivering a faithful and enjoyable Star Trek universe.
- “The developers’ care shows in details big and small, whether it’s securing the original actors for their roles, subtle atmosphere in places like Deep Space 9, or expanding into stories drawn from Trek novels and comics.”
- “From accurate ship models to familiar locations and sound effects, the game nails the franchise's atmosphere.”
- “Very immersive, with the same voice actors as characters from the show which creates a very canon atmosphere.”
- “The exploitation of everything at high ranks, the balancing of statistics to get the most out of escorts and such, really detracts from the Star Trek atmosphere.”
- “Very low on atmosphere.”
- “They (customer service) create a hostile atmosphere for the people who keep their company afloat.”
emotional
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
96%
4%
The emotional aspect of the game is deeply impactful for many players, with well-written, touching story arcs that evoke strong feelings and a sense of connection to the Star Trek universe. However, some users express frustration over the game's shift toward pay-to-play mechanics and repetitive grind, which diminish the emotional engagement and overall experience. Despite technical issues and monetization concerns, the game remains beloved by fans for its narrative depth and emotional moments.
- “I cried for a man I've only known for 5 minutes.”
- “This game has given me many hours of shooting at Star Trek baddies in space and on the ground, and also made me cry like a baby over hearing voices of characters I know and love. 10/10 game, will play forever.”
- “The story arcs are well written and especially some of the more recent content, even touching.”
character development
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
61%
17%
Reviews on character development are mixed: some praise extensive customization options and diverse species with unique traits, while others criticize the lack of meaningful growth, limited mechanical progression, and minimal narrative-driven character evolution. The game offers strong design freedom but falls short in delivering deep, engaging storylines or character arcs.
- “Really enjoyable, many opportunities to explore several different paths for character development.”
- “Free player and follower customization is insane; sliders, colors, and many varieties of outfits allow for one of the best character designers I have ever seen and put many other MMOs to shame.”
- “Over 20 different species, spread over 3.5 factions, and each species having their own unique in-game traits and character design options.”
- “It's like a mobile game, cool idea, basic level of detail to make it look like someone is trying to make a good game, but at its core there's no character development and no grand story.”
- “Even the character development in-game is bad.”
- “Storylines range from weak to moderate, dialogue is mostly bland, and almost non-existent character development.”