ASTROLANCER
- April 18, 2024
- Studio Hexeye
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Astrolancer" is a single-player, anime-inspired shooter game with an intriguing story and beautiful gameplay. As LANCER TWO, armed with a trusty lance that transforms into a FTL spacecraft, you must save a distant mining colony from the shape-shifting Formatroids. With stellar music and 8-bit style graphics, this game combines retro appeal with modern appeal for a unique and challenging adventure.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Astrolancer is a fun and engaging retro-inspired top-down shooter that combines exploration and shmup elements, providing a nostalgic experience reminiscent of classic NES games.
- The game features tight controls, a variety of weapons and upgrades, and a charming art style that enhances the overall gameplay experience.
- With multiple difficulty levels and a good balance of challenge, Astrolancer is accessible for newcomers while still offering depth for experienced players.
- The game is relatively short, which may leave some players wanting more content or a longer playtime.
- Some players may find the lack of exploration compared to its inspiration, The Guardian Legend, disappointing, as the game is more linear in design.
- There are occasional issues with enemy bullet visibility and hitbox clarity, which can lead to frustrating moments during gameplay.
- music26 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The music in the game has been widely praised for its fitting and nostalgic quality, reminiscent of classic NES titles, with a soundtrack that enhances the overall atmosphere and gameplay experience. Reviewers noted that the tracks, whether custom-made or sourced from a free library, are engaging and contribute significantly to the game's charm. Overall, the soundtrack is described as solid, enjoyable, and a standout feature that complements the game's retro aesthetic.
“Like an NES game, it has an appropriate OST that fits each stage well.”
“The music is a total bop as well and the illustrations and designs of bosses and the characters are all very appealing too.”
“Great controls, great character and enemy designs, wonderful levels with wonderful themes and atmosphere, and a fantastic soundtrack.”
“The music doesn't have that odd vibe and the enemy design ranges from uninspired to kind of interesting.”
“For the most part, it's not upbeat but rather focused or depressing toward the end, but the songs do make sense.”
“The music is from a free library, but the tracks chosen from it are certainly good enough.”
- gameplay22 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is characterized by a blend of arcade action, featuring both top-down and vertical scrolling shooter segments, with tight controls and an addictive loop that encourages exploration and combat. Players can choose from a variety of weapons, enhancing replayability, while the mechanics, including an enemy force system, add depth and challenge. Overall, the gameplay is praised for its nostalgic NES-like experience, engaging design, and impressive sprite work, making it a recommended title for fans of the genre.
“The gameplay loop is addictive and fun, the controls tight and responsive, and the moment-to-moment gameplay blends the best of several game styles.”
“Great arcade action game in both gameplay and art direction.”
“Gameplay is solid, with a nicely put together mix of top-down roaming shooter segments and vertical scrolling segments.”
“The gameplay mostly consists of you walking through a level, destroying everything that moves, finding a secret room here or there.”
“For those that don't know about the mechanics of said game, it is a level by level design with overhead combat not too different from Super C or Blaster Master, and your choice of a side weapon plus your arms which some are hidden in each level. While you have the choice of choosing between six side weapons, the black hole makes most encounters trivial with the exception of maybe a boss or two.”
“Gameplay quickly gets hectic; it understands you have a life bar and will make sure that it is put to use.”
- story19 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally well-received, offering a satisfying blend of world-building and engaging mysteries, though it can be ignored without impacting gameplay. While not overly deep, the narrative is enhanced by appealing artwork and effective cinematics, contributing to the overall experience. Players appreciate the thoughtful tone and the potential for further exploration in a sequel or content updates.
“Surprisingly thoughtful story packed into a fun top-down shooter.”
“The story is good too, and is something I dare not spoil here, but suffice to say it did pose several mysteries that were very interesting to see get solved.”
“The story, music, and art (especially the nice manual!) lend a lot of flavor to what would otherwise be a gunplay exercise, and kept me interested in what might be around the next corner.”
“While the story itself isn't anything incredibly deep, there's enough to be interested in and does make me interested in more of the overall backstory.”
“There's a story, which you can freely ignore as it has no effect on the gameplay, but I enjoyed reading it.”
“It's strange, but I can't remember another game that takes this one's approach to making the story personal.”
- graphics19 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 26 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their vibrant and authentic retro aesthetic, reminiscent of NES-era titles, featuring superb pixel art and well-designed visuals that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the attention to detail in the art style, cutscenes, and the nostalgic feel that complements the gameplay. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's charm, making it a must-have for fans of retro aesthetics.
“Very fun little shmup game, with tight controls and superb throwback pixel art graphics.”
“The graphics are absolutely stellar.”
“In this era of virtual reality and photorealistic graphics, there's nothing that warms my heart more than developers who maintain the passion to create games like this.”
“This retro game doesn't coast on its aesthetic.”
“The graphics are a treat, looking very vibrant and authentic.”
- replayability5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability through various difficulty levels, upgrade paths, and a built-in cheat menu, allowing players to experiment with different weapons and play styles. The diverse boss attack patterns and versatile weapon loadouts further enhance the replay value, ensuring that each playthrough feels fresh and engaging. Overall, players can enjoy multiple runs without feeling fatigued, thanks to the game's well-designed mechanics and variety.
“There is a lot of replayability potential with trying out new weapons/upgrades each playthrough, and even a built-in cheat menu!”
“The difficulty settings, advanced options, and the in-game cheats also allow for different run styles that give a game of this length a good amount of replayability.”
“There's a nice variety of boss attack patterns and a plethora of weapon loadouts to find and use; the game seems highly replayable as a result.”
“Some replay value through difficulty levels, upgrade paths, and secrets, nice story, great graphics, music, and sound.”
“There is a lot of replayability potential with trying out new weapons and upgrades each playthrough, and even a built-in cheat menu!”
“No stage felt too long, and the versatility of the weapons that Lancer Two can equip easily gives this game so much replayability.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is praised for its engaging levels, impressive character and enemy designs, and a fantastic soundtrack that enhances the experience. Reviewers appreciate the minimal yet sincere writing that contributes to a fun and immersive environment, making it a standout feature of the game.
“Great controls, great character and enemy designs, wonderful levels with wonderful themes and atmosphere, and a fantastic soundtrack.”
“The writing and atmosphere, while minimal and non-interrupting, feel fun and sincere in a way that I wish more games had.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviewers note that the game offers a variety of straightforward and effective optimization options, allowing players to make nuanced decisions about item selection and prioritization, which enhances the overall gameplay experience.
“Some options are more straightforward and powerful than others, meaning there's lots of room to make small optimizations, decide which items to look for or even skip, and so on.”
“The optimization mechanics feel underdeveloped, making it hard to find effective strategies.”
“I often find myself frustrated by the lack of clear guidance on how to optimize my character's build.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of charm and wit, with writing that is both crisp and occasionally thoughtful, enhancing the overall experience.
“The art is charming, the writing is crisp - sometimes thoughtful, sometimes humorous.”
“The humor in this game is spot-on, making every moment enjoyable and light-hearted.”
“I love how the game balances clever jokes with silly antics, keeping me laughing throughout.”
