Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Star Trek: Encounters delivers fast-paced, arcade-style shooting that puts you directly in the captain’s chair of iconic Federation starships from Enterprise through Voyager. The controls are intuitive, allowing both newcomers and series veterans to dive into the action with minimal learning curve. The game revolves around three distinct modes—Skirmish, Episode, and Multiplayer—each offering a fresh twist on space combat and ship management. Whether you want a quick firefight or a deeper campaign, Encounters balances pick-up-and-play thrills with layered progression systems.

In Skirmish Mode, you can jump straight into single-player or split-screen multiplayer battles without worrying about overarching objectives. All of the ships, upgrades, and special abilities you’ve unlocked in Episode Mode are available here, so you can customize your load-out for everything from rapid-fire phaser strafes to strategic tractor-beam grapples. These free-for-all skirmishes are perfect for friendly competition or for honing your piloting and weapon-management skills before tackling more structured scenarios.

Episode Mode unfolds as a series of missions that guide you through each Star Trek era in chronological order. Starting with Enterprise’s early Federation patrols and ending with Voyager’s journey home, you’ll complete objectives such as escorting transports, repelling Klingon raids, and investigating anomalies. Along the way, you collect new starships and character cards featuring key members of each command crew. Each card adds special abilities—like Data’s precision targeting or Sisko’s battle strategies—that deepen tactical choices and give you reasons to revisit earlier chapters with a fresh approach.

For those seeking head-to-head rivalry, Multiplayer Mode pits you and a friend (via split screen) against one another in endurance battles. The last ship standing takes the victory, and the mode’s dynamic weapon and ship variety keeps each match unpredictable. Though it lacks online play, the local competition lends itself perfectly to couch co-op sessions or family game nights, capturing the spirit of Star Trek’s camaraderie and rivalry in equal measure.

Graphics

Graphically, Encounters embraces a stylized, high-contrast aesthetic that blends faithfully detailed starship models with vibrant, neon-tinged particle effects. Phaser blasts cut through dark space backdrops, while torpedo explosions ripple across screens with satisfying weight. Each series’ ships are instantly recognizable—the sleek lines of the Enterprise-D, the bold hull shape of Voyager, and the classic contours of Kirk’s Constitution-class cruiser—paying homage to decades of Trek design.

The game’s visual fidelity shines brightest during larger fleet engagements, where dozens of vessels weave around glowing nebulae and asteroid fields. Lighting is used effectively to highlight shields and damage states, and thruster glows leave colorful trails as ships dart in and out of combat. Background environments range from deep‐space voids to hazardous ion storms, offering enough variation to keep repeated missions from feeling too routine.

While the overall presentation is impressive for an arcade‐style title, it occasionally shows its age on modern displays. Textures can look a bit soft when you zoom in close, and there’s the occasional pop-in on distant ships. However, frame rates remain steady during the most chaotic firefights, ensuring gameplay never suffers. The user interface, with its clean targeting reticle and minimal HUD, unobtrusively delivers vital information—current shields, hull integrity, available abilities—so you always know when to duck behind an asteroid or launch a counterattack.

Story

Star Trek: Encounters opts for a mission‐based narrative rather than a fully voiced, cinematic storyline. In Episode Mode, each mission is framed as a dispatch from Starfleet Command or Starbase Ops, providing context for your objectives—whether it’s investigating an ancient Borg distress call or rescuing a fleeing Romulan vessel. Though you won’t find extended cutscenes or deep character arcs, the writing effectively captures the essence of each era’s challenges.

Fans will appreciate the thematic callbacks: you’ll find yourself clearing out Ferengi pirate bases one mission and negotiating tense ceasefires the next, much like episodic TV. The character cards further tie gameplay mechanics to Trek lore. Assigning Captain Janeway’s card increases your ship’s endurance during prolonged skirmishes, while Worf’s tactical expertise lets you close in for devastating boarding‐party maneuvers. This blend of flavor and function lends a light narrative cohesion without bogging down the arcade pace.

Although some missions follow familiar series templates—rescue, escort, defense—there are creative twists that keep you on your toes, such as time-sensitive objectives or shifting alliances. The absence of voiceovers or extended dialogue sequences means the story never overshadows the action, but it also leaves those seeking a cinematic Star Trek drama wanting more depth. Ultimately, the plot serves as a competent backbone for delivering diverse gameplay moments rather than a show‐stealing centerpiece.

Overall Experience

Star Trek: Encounters delivers a satisfying balance of arcade exhilaration and franchise fan service. Its instant accessibility and varied modes ensure that both casual players and Trekkies can find something to enjoy—whether you’re chasing high scores in Skirmish Mode or methodically unlocking every vessel in Episode Mode. The local multiplayer remains a standout feature, reviving the classic couch-cooperative spirit in an era dominated by online matchmaking.

While the graphical presentation and mission design aren’t without minor flaws—occasional texture pop-in and a somewhat lightweight story—the core experience is polished and engaging. The collection and upgrade mechanics offer substantial replay value, encouraging you to revisit earlier sectors armed with new tactics and harder difficulties. The controls remain tight even during the most hectic fleet battles, and the authentic Star Trek audio cues—from warp hums to torpedo launches—heighten immersion.

For potential buyers seeking an action‐oriented Star Trek adventure, Encounters stands out as a compelling pick. It may not match the narrative depth of modern cinematic tie-ins or the strategic complexity of full‐blown simulators, but it captures the optimism, rivalry, and wonder that define the franchise. Whether you’re commanding Kirk’s Enterprise or taking Voyager home through the Delta Quadrant, this game offers hours of star‐fleeting fun that’s ideally suited to both solo campaigns and spirited multiplayer sessions.

Retro Replay Score

5.7/10