Star Trek: Invasion

The Star Trek universe usually rests on diplomacy and dialogue – but here you let the phaser cannons do the talking. Star Trek: Invasion is a space action game in which you take the cockpit of a fighter and hurl yourself into battles among the stars under the banner of the Federation.

The core of the game is space combat: arcade-tuned dogfights in space, where you maneuver between enemy ships, lock on targets and switch between weapons and shields. The missions are set in the familiar Trek world with ships and factions that fans know well, and they gradually guide you through a campaign with a narrated story. Unlike the slower strategic Treks, this is the brisk, more action-oriented side of the series, where reflexes matter more than patient tactics.

On the PlayStation it was one of the titles that tried to satisfy fans longing for the feeling of piloting a Starfleet combat vessel themselves. The game benefited from the atmosphere of the universe – from the ship designs, the environments and the sound backdrop that evokes the on-screen source material. The space setting also let the effects of lasers and explosions shine, which looked striking on the console.

Space simulators and arcade fighters formed a distinctive genre at the turn of the millennium, and licensed Treks fit into it naturally – who wouldn't want to defend the Federation single-handedly? The title is thus a reminder of a time when big sci-fi brands were regularly turned into cockpit action.

Why play it: For anyone who wanted to enjoy direct first-person action in the Star Trek world from the cockpit of a fighter, instead of forever sitting in a briefing room.