The Star Trek franchise seemed tailor-made for the jump to video games, and dozens of classic games have been based on the space adventure series. Trek is uniquely suited for games because of the endless possibilities for exploration and limitless adventures that are possible within the universe.
From the more action-based games like Voyager - Elite Force to the exploration-based games like Star Trek: 25th Anniversary, there is a Trek game for everyone. Fans of Star Trek games have taken to Ranker to voice their opinions on which game they think is the best from the celebrated franchise.
Star Trek: Generations
The beauty of the Star Trek video game franchise is that there is a wide variety of types of games and Star Trek: Generations combines most of them into one game. The game is directly based on the film of the same name and follows the plot of the movie closely.
Though Generations isn't considered one of the best Star Trek films, it still made for an interesting game. While navigating space, the player can also fight other ships before beaming down to a planet to fight Soran face to face. Though repetitive at moments, Generations is a great introduction to the mechanics of Trek games.
Star Trek: Borg
The Borg are one of the strongest aliens in the Star Trek franchise, therefore it was only logical that they are the focus of a video game. In Star Trek: Borg, the story follows a young Starfleet officer who is given a chance to travel back in time to stop the death of his father at the hands of The Borg.
The game is essentially an interactive movie that allows players to make decisions as to what happens next in the story. Though lacking traditional game elements, Borg still has enough to keep die-hard Trek fans invested by way of its story and the wonderful performance from John de Lancie as the notorious being named Q.
Star Trek: Voyager - Elite Force
Once Activision took over the Star Trek license, they began producing games more like their usual slate of releases, and Elite Force is one of the most celebrated. The game puts the player in the role of an ensign on the U.S.S Voyager who is part of the elite Hazard Team. Through a series of first-person shooter adventures, the user encounters many hostile alien races threatening the ship.
Eschewing the usual strategic elements of other Trek games, Elite Force instead is entirely action-based. Though it is far removed from the usual adventures seen in the shows, Elite Force still provides a fair amount of familiar Trek gadgets and locations. On top of that, the action elements of the game are exciting and fluid.
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Klingon Honor Guard
While most Star Trek games allow the user to take control of a familiar Starfleet character, Klingon Honor Guard gave fans something entirely different. As a Klingon warrior, the player goes on a series of first-person adventures to foil an assassination attempt against Chancellor Gowron.
By switching to a Klingon character, the game is untethered from the usual moral strictures of Starfleet. With a game more resembling first-person classics like Doom, fans are given a chance to see another side of the Trek universe. Interestingly, the game also features many performances from some of the most popular Klingon characters from the series.
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Birth Of The Federation
While Star Trek games have existed in nearly every genre, it is the strategy games that often benefit most from Trek's rich story lore. Birth of the Federation is a turn-based strategy game that tasks the player with conquering the galaxy with one of five main races.
Each race has their own strengths and weaknesses and the details are cleverly extracted from the shows to make the game more realistic. Like many 4X style classics like Civilization, the player is given several options as to how they want to conquer the galaxy. By giving five possible races, and four possible ways of winning, Birth of the Federation has a lot of replay value.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
The beauty of the Star Trek franchise is that there are millions of smaller facets to explore and Star Trek: Starfleet Academy attempted to flesh out the famous school that trains Starfleet officers. In the game, players navigate through several simulated scenarios as well as attempt to foil a real-life plot against the Federation.
The game brings to life famous moments such as the Kobayashi Maru scenario from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan as playable simulations. The game also features an interesting mechanic in which the user must manage the morale of their crew by mediating disputes between officers. Though it was released in the late 1990s, the game was incredibly ambitious for its time.
Star Trek: 25th Anniversary
While most of the Star Trek video games focused on The Next Generation and beyond, Star Trek: 25th Anniversary took the player back to The Original Series. Broken up into a series of seven "episodes", the game featured strategy elements as well as third-person exploration segments.
The game shines because of its dedication to the tone of The Original Series. Each adventure feels like it was pulled directly from the screen and they are all cleverly laid out like a scripted episode of television. The game was also made for the NES, though not a port, and was one of the best-licensed games to ever appear on the classic console.
Star Trek: Klingon Academy
Like its predecessor, Starfleet Academy, Star Trek: Klingon Academy brought to life the day-to-day training of a young Klingon officer. Set during the waning days of the Klingon Empire, between Star Trek V and Star Trek VI, the game is mostly focused on a theoretical war with the Federation.
With enhanced combat elements, Klingon Academy was one of the most complex starship simulators up to that point. Many players enjoyed the improvements to the flight systems of the ships which addressed much of the criticism against Starfleet Academy.
Star Trek: The Next Generation - A Final Unity
Like the best episodes of the show, Star Trek: The Next Generation - A Final Unity features a complex plot that plays out throughout the game. The Enterprise embarks on a mission to find a mysterious ancient structure that is integral to the peace between two alien races.
Eschewing action scenarios, the game focuses on the exploration aspects of Trek as the players navigate through the story. The game is a point-and-click style game that allows users to explore the ship, as well as go on several away missions. To add to the realism of the show, the main cast reprised their roles for the video game.
Star Trek: Judgment Rites
Acting as a spiritual successor to Star Trek: The 25th Anniversary, Judgment Rites allowed the player to go on a series of eight more Original Series adventures. Featuring several recognizable characters from some of the best episodes of The Original Series, Judgment Rites saw minor improvements to the game it succeeded.
By allowing the player to skip the in-space battle sequences, the game allowed users to focus on the adventure aspects if they wanted. With the addition of the show's cast appearing in the game, users were treated to an experience that closely resembled the classic series.