I was pleasantly surprised by this experience. While I wouldn't label myself as a die-hard Star Trek enthusiast, I do harbor nostalgic sentiments from my childhood, where I would watch the Next Generation faithfully with my dad each week. As the plot unfolded, I found myself recalling a specific episode that was cleverly referenced. Whether you're a fan of the Star Trek universe or have fond memories of it, I believe you'll find enjoyment in this title.

One of the highlights for me in the game was immersing myself in the narrative and feeling a sense of control over the characters through the dialogue choices. The performances of all the characters were fantastic, each convincingly playing their respective roles.

However, my sole gripe with the game lies in the scattered gameplay elements within the story that felt a bit cumbersome and outdated, such as certain stealth sequences. While these moments didn't linger too long to significantly detract from the overall experience, they might be a potential barrier for those less inclined towards gaming—like my non-gaming dad. Additionally, there were a few Quick Time Events (QTEs) that I engaged with, and I found these to be effective in maintaining my connection with the game.

In summary, I approached this game with skepticism, but it turned out to be the kind of experience I couldn't tear myself away from, providing a refreshing break from my time with Baldur's Gate 3.

I gave it my 5 hours. Both from a JRPG and farming standpoint, this game failed to grab me. I wanted to like it, I heard a lot of great things, but the pacing is incredibly slow. I can forgive poor pacing if other aspects of the game can capture my interest, but sadly nothing does.

The combat is passable at best. It simply feels like a button masher, as avoiding enemy damage seems like a task. You don’t get a good sense as to where the hit boxes are or where you need to be to avoid damage.

The characters intrigued me slightly, but after 5 hours I would expect to have have built some kind of connection with them.

Anyways, if I was starved for games, I would give it a couple of more hours, but with a growing backlog of amazing games, I need to move on.

I don’t know if I was in the wrong mindset, but personally this game left a “meh” impression on me.

I finished it, but it did feel like there were times I booted it up just to get some levels done so that I could eventually beat the game.

Don’t get me wrong, there were wondrous moments, and I loved the numerous whimsical elements, such as the trippy Wonder Flower stages, the fun enemies, and the talking flowers. However, it felt like I was having a lot of ideas thrown at me but it wasn’t necessarily put together in a cohesive way nor did any of the mechanics build upon each other. It was as if every level was built in isolation with the only rule being, keep the thematic design in check to match the world you are in. There were several moments where I enjoyed a particular level’s gimmick, only to discover that was the only level you were going to see it in.

Design wise, it’s beautiful and I applause the animators on this one. All the details of the characters movements were smile inducing to say the least and I love it when a game pays attention to the small details.

The music was good… but I don’t think it has staying power like the classic Mario games I grew up with and to this day still catch myself humming while I’m focusing on an unrelated task.

I know it seems like I’m harsh on the game. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the experience but overall it felt average to me. Perhaps coming back to it in the future when the hype has died off, I will re-evaluate how I feel about it.