Armada succeeds because it delivers impressive fidelity to the Star Trek universe, to the extent that playing the campaign is almost like participating in an interactive episode of the series. The thin single-player gameplay will become evident before too long, but fans of the series will appreciate the game' attention to detail and authentic feel, as well as the inclusion of many references to the series in Armada's story and units. Multiplayer is where the game shines, but as those that play via Internet or LAN are still a tiny minority of the game-buying public, this has limited appeal. Star Trek: Armada is a $50 ticket to your very own command in an episode of Star Trek. It's slick, it's gorgeous, and with the beta patch it's actually playable. It only lasts so long, though, and when it's over, it's just like a movie: you can't get your money back.
By Bruce Geryk
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