It's sad, really. No, not the legions of Star Trek fans who know their Tribbles from their green alien vixens, but the missed opportunity that is Star Trek: Tactical Assault. The game could have really shined on the Nintendo DS, giving system owners a chance to explore deep space and live out their phaser firing fantasies from the TV show, but its many flaws make it difficult to enjoy. Furthermore, publisher Bethesda failed to capture the sense of wonder that makes this franchise magical.

The game begins with a Star Trek ship flying through a vast universe during which, James T. Kirk, voiced by William Shatner, provides a dramatic voice over. From there, Tactical Assault displays its numerous modes; the most notable being Story Mode, which places gamers into the shoes of a Starfleet Command captain. Accompanied by a multi-talented crew, the captain must stop threats to mankind, but first, a few training missions must be completed in order to get the hang of the controls.

The Story Mode might have been bearable if it weren't for the dull narrative. Instead of providing various twists and turns throughout, the developer settled on programming run-ins with mostly unfamiliar characters. Bethesda should have ran through the entire Star Trek universe like it chose to do with Star Trek: Legacy and working with a full crew along the lines of Chekov and Sulu. Instead, the game's restricted story elements feel cheap and players will find more worth in the skirmish and multi-player modes.

Even worse, Tactical Assault uses a modified gameplay system where players need to watch over things during battle. This includes a multi-tiered alert system where the color green signifies smooth sailing and red allows for the full use of weapons. Shields also play a huge factor, as players must maneuver space without causing severe damage to their vessel. Unfortunately, Tribble drool is far more interesting.

Sluggish controls hamper the ship controls resulting in some frustrating attempts to escape gunfire and some nasty collisions with asteroids and planets (yes, PLANETS). Switching weapons and alert levels in the middle of a battle proves difficult requiring multiple taps on the touch screen to activate. Even using weapons feels like a chore. Holding down the R button to charge weapons seems like a good idea, but sometimes they fail to activate, resulting in more damage to the vessel's shielding.