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.
Reviews
- Astrolancer is a fun and engaging hybrid of top-down shooter and bullet hell, with tight controls and a variety of weapons that encourage replayability.
- The game features charming pixel art and a nostalgic NES aesthetic, complemented by a solid soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- With multiple difficulty settings and a well-balanced challenge, Astrolancer is accessible to both newcomers and seasoned players, making it a great entry point into the shmup genre.
- Some players have reported issues with the game's pause menu, which lacks options to return to the title screen or access settings easily.
- The blending of enemy bullets with backgrounds can sometimes make it difficult to see projectiles, leading to frustrating moments during gameplay.
- The linear level design and short playtime may leave some players wanting more exploration and content, as the game feels somewhat limited in scope.
- music21 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 19 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its quality and nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic NES titles. While there is some uncertainty about whether the tracks are original or sourced from a free library, the overall consensus is that the soundtrack enhances the gameplay experience significantly, contributing to the game's charm and atmosphere. Many players noted that the music is catchy and engaging, making it a standout feature of the game.
“Wow, Astrolancer is a classic in the making, the quality left me dumbfounded, with such incredible sprite work to resemble games from the 8-bit NES era, and with tight gameplay, great bullet patterns, and music that just clicks for me.”
“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.”
“Great controls, great character and enemy designs, wonderful levels with wonderful themes and atmosphere, and a fantastic soundtrack.”
“The music is from a free library, but the tracks chosen from it are certainly good enough.”
“The soundtrack's a bop, but playing on the second-hardest difficulty, I am regularly getting my butt kicked.”
“The music's solid, but it feels like it lacks originality.”
- story16 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The game's story is noted for its unexpected somber tone and thoughtful elements, enhancing the overall experience despite being non-essential to gameplay. Players appreciate the world-building, intriguing mysteries, and effective storytelling conveyed through engaging cutscenes and personal touches. While not deeply complex, the narrative adds significant flavor to the gameplay, leaving many eager for potential sequels or updates.
“Surprisingly thoughtful story packed into a fun top-down shooter.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
- graphics16 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their nostalgic NES-era aesthetic, featuring spectacular visuals that enhance the overall experience. Reviewers highlight the great artwork in cutscenes and the effective use of retro design elements, which contribute to a charming and immersive atmosphere. Overall, the graphics are considered a standout aspect, appealing particularly to fans of retro gaming.
“The movement is good, the shooting is good, the music is good, the visuals are spectacular; it's a full package!”
“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 game is overall very good for the asking price and the dev has been great with the quality of life updates since then, making visuals clearer for example, for people like myself with eye and face problems.”
- gameplay15 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The gameplay in Astrolancer is highly praised for its tight controls, addictive loop, and varied weaponry, allowing for multiple play styles. The unique enemy force mechanic adds an interesting challenge, though it may frustrate some players. Overall, the blend of retro aesthetics, engaging bullet patterns, and responsive mechanics makes for a compelling experience that many reviewers recommend.
“Wow, Astrolancer is a classic in the making. The quality left me dumbfounded, with such incredible sprite work resembling games from the 8-bit NES era, and with tight gameplay, great bullet patterns, and music that just clicks for me.”
“The gameplay loop is addictive and fun, the controls are tight and responsive, and the moment-to-moment gameplay blends the best of several game styles.”
“Gameplay is solid, with a nicely put together mix of top-down roaming shooter segments and vertical scrolling segments.”
“The enemy force mechanic is an interesting idea, forcing the player to destroy as many enemies until the percentage is zero, and failure means the boss is much harder. However, I could see this being annoying for some people.”
“While I do find a lack of new game+ or a gameplay timer of some kind a bit disappointing, Astrolancer is absolutely recommended for anyone interested.”
“Hopefully that gives an idea of how deep the gameplay goes.”
- replayability5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % 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.
“The difficulty settings, advanced options, and 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.”
- 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 game is filled with clever puns and witty dialogue that kept me laughing throughout.”
“I love how the humor is woven into the gameplay, making even the toughest challenges feel lighthearted.”
