On October 12, Star Trek: Infinite will be released for PC and Mac on Steam. According to early reports, the new strategy game is essentially comparable to the sci-fi giant Stellaris (88% positive reviews on Steam). Additionally, you should be able to tell Wesley Crusher to be quiet. This fulfills a dream for every Star Trek fan.
This is the problem for every Star Trek fan who enjoys gaming:
- The last “really good” strategy game based on Star Trek was “Star Trek: The Next Generation – Birth of the Federation” from 1999: It was sort of “Civilization in the Star Trek universe.” The well-known factions like Federation, Klingons, and Romulans were in conflict with each other: You could conquer the galaxy peacefully or waged war. Research and build.
- Birth of the Federation is today, nearly 25 years after its release, unequivocally not really playable anymore. There is an indie version, but that’s not for everyone.
- Over the last 7 years, the sci-fi strategy genre has largely belonged to Stellaris, an epic that has received 22 DLCs and has always radiated strong “Star Trek” vibes. There are even actual Star Trek mods for Stellaris (via steam).
Strategy geniuses develop strategy game for Star Trek
This is the solution: The creators of Stellaris, the strategy specialists from Paradox, have been working for a while in close partnership with the studio Nimble Giant Entertainment on “Star Trek: Infinite,” which is essentially an official mod to Stellaris. In June 2023, the game was grandly presented. Since this presentation, we know more.
According to first reports from GameStar, “Star Trek: Infinite” is practically Stellaris, or at least “the little brother.”
As PC Gamer states, the game is more than a “Stellaris mod,” as the new Star Trek allows the player to rewrite the history of the Federation: The game starts in 2340, just before the launch of “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”
You can explore the world as Federation, Romulan, Klingon, or Cardassian. And as in Birth of the Federation 25 years ago, research, build, spy, and expand across the galaxy.
The game gives you the option to choose a “dark path” and lead the Federation into a war-like direction, hinted at in some adventures.
As PC Gamer recounts, the game heavily relies on source material, and one can feel the love for the material. You can recreate the Enterprise and trigger an event where young Wesley Crusher draws attention to something and you can tell him in the best Captain Picard manner to please shut up.
“Shut up, Wesley” – a legendary quote
What is it with “Shut up, Wesley?” The character “Wesley Crusher,” played by Wil Wheaton, was intended to give young viewers someone their own age who is such a fantastic genius that he can help adults despite his young age. He was supposed to serve as an identification figure for sci-fi enthusiastic teenagers.
In reality, however, many found the character condescending, annoying, outspoken, and overall intolerable. It was hard to understand why adult authority figures like Captain Picard would constantly allow a know-it-all teenager to explain their jobs to them. Some call him the “Jar Jar Binks” of Star Trek.
In the 13th episode of the 1st season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, which first aired on January 18, 1988, there was the “Shut up, Wesley” moment that went down in pop culture history.
Star Trek Infinite will be released on October 12 for Steam and is playable on PC and Mac.
More about Star Trek in Stellaris:
In my favorite game on Steam, I devour the universe – resistance is futile.
