Test of Star Trek Fleet Command, an immersion in the trekkies

Star Trek games have a few years of experience on mobile. Trekkies have recognized the quality of Timelines, but what about test Star Trek Fleet Command? Is this interstellar strategy game on mobile worth a look? Let's find out together the strengths and weaknesses of Scopely's smartphone title in terms of gameplay, graphics and longevity.

Tour of the galaxy by ship

Initially, you will explore the area around your home planet step by step. During this test Star Trek Fleet Command, I enjoyed the presentation of space by system and galaxy, for easy, intuitive and visual travel. Your ship takes a while to get around, but it will be jumping between systems in no time.

The galaxy map obviously reminds me of the one implemented in Spore on PC, which I already liked a lot at the time. Moreover, the space jumps make the navigation even more immersive.

These two map views will allow you to see where your various ships are at a glance and redirect them to new missions from near or far. This becomes even more important when you unlock new ships and storage locations.

Test of Star Trek Fleet Command: narration and expansion of the space fleet

If there's one essential point in which this test of Star Trek Fleet Command doesn't disappoint, it's in the story that's offered. The dialogue is not sloppy and the narration is well crafted enough to make you want to read it, even when you're the type to skip anything longer than two lines. The characters are unique and likeable (or dislikeable!) and pace the main adventure well.

For me, as a stranger to the Star Trek lore, Fleet Command was an easy way to dive in and discover a rich and captivating universe. Peace is threatened and, as an independent commander, you can tip the balance. The Romulans, the Federation and the Klingons find themselves in these increasingly tense situations, so diplomacy will be your best weapon.

However, you will soon have the opportunity to choose your side... or not. On the subject, Star Trek Fleet Command handles the open-ended option of the player's political choices very well and leaves him in control of his destiny. And in control of his own growing space fleet.

The ships operate with a shi-fu-mi superiority system. In fact, the outcome of a fight is directly determined by the ship's power score, which is the sum of the machine's power, the commander's power and the ratio of strength between that type of spaceship and the opponent's. There are generally few surprises as to the outcome of a fight, especially in PvE. All battles will earn you various rewards and types of currency: Parsteel, Lathinum, Dilithium...

With these resources, you will develop your armada but also your colony. As in all mobile strategy games(Rise of Kingdoms, State of Survival, Infinity Kingdom...), the first hours of play are fluid and the construction is fast. However, this ends quite quickly, and development, research or construction times soon take hours. You will then have to consume your boosts recovered during regular missions and events to progress.

One unfortunate aspect I discovered in this test of Star Trek Fleet Command is the constant loading of new menus and game spaces. As soon as you perform an action that is elsewhere (exit the base, open the ship menu, view the system or galaxy, etc.), you are faced with a fairly short but frustrating loadout. This makes the experience unnecessarily repetitive, although some titles like My Hero Ultra Impact have done much worse recently.

To combat this repetition, PvE missions are wrapped in narrative and political stakes. They range from Escort to Harvest to Rescue to Murder. This will also allow you to vary your bonuses by alternating between the many commanders, as this Star Trek mobile game is very much in the fan service mode with names like Sulu, Kirk or Spock taking the controls of your ships.

The soundtrack and sound effects are also carefully done, which greatly benefits the immersion in the game.

Alliances and faction, the PvP of the Star Trek mobile MMO

First and foremost, this test of Star Trek Fleet Command highlights the MMO PvP direction of the title. PvE may have a large catalogue of missions, but PvP will still intrude on your experience. It's inescapable. Your base will be attacked and there's not much you can do about it. Moreover, your opponents will not hesitate to plunder your resources and destroy your ships.

Your rookie shield will only last so long and your missions will have you taking sides. Fortunately, if you know anything about the Star Trek universe, you will find the three known factions. You can play as a solo player (or rather a neutral player, as you can still join a group of players) or join a faction.

With each new member, the factions advance, take over certain territories and assert their conquests. Thus, the factions' borders progress or regress according to the confrontations. The areas of control of each alliance are marked by neon borders and coloured surfaces of low opacity. Here are the territories of each faction observed during my test of Star Trek Fleet Command on mobile.

Many currencies and lootboxes: my opinion on the Star Trek Fleet Command business model

As you could see in this test of Star Trek Fleet Command, the title presents itself as a PvP-oriented MMO, but it is also a gacha. As a result, it's no surprise to find a system of lootboxes and commanders/officials fragments to collect. However, the economic system is still weighed down by many different currencies with a specific use, which will quickly bog down free-to-play players.

Free players will struggle against the onslaught of those who invest in Scopely's title and will be used as a cash cow by some alliances if they do not quickly find a strong alliance to link up with.

To conclude my review of Star Trek Fleet Command

In conclusion of this test Star Trek Fleet Command, Scopely's title offers in my opinion a mostly PvP experience, which will quickly become suffocating if you want to explore the galaxies and enjoy the deep and well thought out lore first. I recommend it to aggressive PvP fans, who are not afraid to invest time and money in a deep game mixing collection, exploration and frequent political decisions.

This test is made in collaboration with the App Gallery and Huawei Game Center to be installed on your smartphone to benefit from rewards systems designed for the games you like.

Positive points

• Immersive music and sound effects
• Well-developed lore
• Designed for fans
• Extensive PvE content

Negative points

• Too hard in PvP
• Requires considerable investment