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Conclusion:
I am not a huge fan of Star Trek. I've never seen the show and I've only seen the new movies. Yet, the universe is very popular and it seems to be a very good show. I do like games with a known universe/property as it gives an easy reference point. This nails it with the theme. The game has so much theme and it comes shining through.
The ships look fantastic and really draw you into the game. It is fun to have all the ships from the shows bouncing around. In this game, it is the Federation, peace keepers, against the Klingons, warmongers. Both sides play differently and if you want to win you have to play to your strengths.
Despite the cover of the box, this is not a combat heavy game. Instead, this is a game about exploration. The Klingons will want to fight much more than the Federation. Through out the game, you have missions you are trying to accomplish so it is not a last man standing sort of combat game.
I like how the game plays differently for both sides. I like that it is not just about combat and rolling dice for results. The game has a lot of variety as the board is modular and different every time you set it up. The ships are different each game and there is a lot of different combinations. In addition, there are a ton of cards in the box and only a fraction are used in any single game.
I can't explain how much I like this game. It doesn't fall into the same traps that a lot of two player games fall into (tug of war, etc). Instead, it provides a unique and fun atmosphere/game where you really feel like you are exploring the Star Trek Universe.
Keeper.
Components:
The components are a mixed bag. There has been a lot of discussion about the components, but this is going to be just my opinion.
I find some of the components to be very, very good. Others are dreadful.
The tiles that make up the modular board are paper thin. Possibly, the thinnest I've ever seen. 304
Paper thin. The art work on the tiles, the organization, the font are all great.
The cards, and there are a lot, are fine. I like the art work which is stills from the different shows.
The ships. The ships are the star of this show. There are so many ships from the shows. You get to mix and match which ones you use and it is so much fun. The "hero clix" ships are fantastic and I've had zero issues with them.
This is possibly the most polarizing components I've seen in any game. Some are top notch, others are bad for a print and play. I still recommend the game as you can work with what is in the box.
Rule Book:
The rule book is good, not great. You need to digest it before you get to the table. I wish the game had a player aid to use when playing and this is a huge miss.
The rules are longer than they need to be. This book needed an "overview" section of the rules and then a section that goes into more detail. This was missing and it was felt.
Other than these few complaints, the rules are very good and you can be up and running after a single run through. There are some rules, like cloaking, that need a little more attention.
Flow of the Game:
I will not explain the rules of the game, instead I will attempt to explain the flow of the game.
On your turn, you will move around the galaxy. Each ship has a movement score. It is one movement point to move to an adjacent tile and all the tiles have a size on them (which represents how many movement points it requires to move through it).
Additionally, you can play command cards with can add crew to your ships or "break the rules" in general. This is not a new mechanic. If you use a card, you draw a card.
You can also take three actions. Actions can include: fighting enemy ships, scan nearby locations (peaking under a tile to see what is there), cloak your ships (two chits enter the board, one is a decoy), repair your ship, influence locations (build colonies, etc), complete missions.
These missions are the main way you score VP (10 VP wins the game). Some of these missions are secret and the majority are known by you and your opponent. As you accomplish these missions, you use an action to play the card or do a system check.
As a snapshot, you move around the board finding locations while accomplishing missions. 629