"Armada" is a real time strategy game based on the "Star Trek" universe. It was first released in 2000 as a PC CD-ROM game by Activision. In the United States, the game received an age guidance rating of "E" which deemed it suitable for all ages. The system requirements to run the game are minimal but include:

System: PII 266 or equivalent
RAM: 32 MB
Hard Drive Space: 600 MB
Optical: 4X CD-ROM

On the face of it, Armada is standard fare to the real time strategy genre. Players assume the role of one of Star Trek's more popular intergalactic forces including The Federation, Klingons, Borg, and Romulans, and must construct a fleet of spaceships to annihilate opposing forces. This is done primarily through the harvesting of dilithium from nearby planetary moons within the game map. This resource is used to construct buildings including starbases; who in turn produce crew members at a pace in relation to nearby planets. If a starbase is further away from a planet then crew will assimilate at a slower pace and vice versa. Players may also construct research centres to upgrade the fleet's weapon power, turrets to protect friendly buildings, shipyards to assemble the attack fleet, and a super weapon station to unlock the player's special attack in battle. The game operates on a simple point and click interface which I found intuitive in use and didn't require the use of any further documentation to immerse myself within the game.

What I particularly enjoy about this game is the presence of crew members. They serve as a sort of hit point counter for the player's spaceships, and damage taken to the ship will ultimately kill crew members in the process. This reduces the ship's ability to respond to attack and gives a simulated feel of frantic members of staff scurrying around a spaceship to man the various controls. Hindered ships will fire and move at a slower pace and must be guided back to a nearby starbase to replenish missing crew. Crew members may also board enemy ships and be set in a simulated fight against opposing forces. Should the player's crew eliminate the enemy's crew, a player may claim the opposing ship as a part of their own fleet and use it against the enemy.

The graphics are presented from a isometric perspective which looks down on the area in play. Each ship sports realistic and intricate designs similar to the Star Trek series but in many instances I found the scaling to be incorrect. Ship sizes are relative to their status in the fleet with larger ships carrying the more impressive and damaging abilities. This correlates throughout each of the playable characters and more involved Star Trek fans will notice discrepancies between ship scales. While this is a minor qualm at most, I found it noticeable enough in play. The soundtrack is limited to a few musical scores and typical phaser and photon noises from the fleet. The sounds are appropriate for the game but not very memorable.

I enjoy what Star Trek Armada has to offer as a player. While it is a bare bones strategy game, it is flawless in its execution and makes for a fun playing experience. I would happily recommend it to prospective buyers.