ASTROLANCER

About

ASTROLANCER is a single player shooter game with a anime theme. It was developed by Studio Hexeye and was released on April 18, 2024. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

99%

Audience ScoreBased on 162 reviews

music28 positive mentions

Astrolancer is a fun and engaging top-down shooter that combines elements of bullet hell, offering a nostalgic experience reminiscent of NES classics.
The game features a variety of weapons and upgrades, allowing for diverse playstyles and encouraging multiple playthroughs.
With charming pixel art, a solid soundtrack, and well-balanced difficulty, Astrolancer successfully captures the retro vibe while providing modern gameplay mechanics.

Some players have reported issues with the game's pause function, which does not provide a menu for options or exiting, requiring the use of ALT + F4 to quit.
The blending of enemy bullets with backgrounds can make it difficult to see projectiles, leading to frustrating moments during gameplay.
The linear structure of the game and limited exploration may disappoint those expecting a more open-world experience similar to its inspiration, The Guardian Legend.

music
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
26%
7%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its nostalgic NES-era vibe and high quality. While there is some confusion about whether the soundtrack is original or sourced from a free library, the tracks are described as catchy and well-suited to the gameplay, enhancing the overall experience. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's charm and atmosphere.
- “Wow, Astrolancer is a classic in the making, the quality left me dumbfounded, with such incredible spritework 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's from a free library but the tracks chosen from it are certainly good enough.”
- “The music is a total bop as well and the illustrations and designs of bosses and the characters are all very appealing too.”
- “Soundtrack's a bop, customization and strategy are surprisingly deep, and playing on the second-hardest difficulty I am regularly getting my butt kicked.”
story
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
47%
9%
The game's story is noted for its surprising depth and somber tone, particularly towards the end, enhancing the overall experience despite being optional and not affecting gameplay. Players appreciate the world-building, intriguing mysteries, and effective cinematics that add personal touches, making the narrative engaging alongside the gameplay. While not overly complex, the story is complemented by great artwork, music, and sound, contributing to a rich atmosphere that keeps players invested.
- “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.”
- “Do wonder if this game will ever get a sequel or a content update as the game's story and the credits message at the end give me mixed signals; if not, then I am very glad to have played this!”
graphics
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
35%
9%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning retro aesthetic, effectively capturing the nostalgic feel of NES-era visuals. Reviewers highlight the spectacular artwork, particularly in cutscenes, and commend the overall design for enhancing the gameplay experience. The visuals, combined with solid music and sound, create a cohesive and engaging atmosphere that resonates well with fans of retro gaming.
- “The graphics are absolutely stellar.”
- “The movement is good, the shooting is good, the music is good, the visuals are spectacular; it's a full package!”
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “This retro game doesn't coast on its aesthetic.”
gameplay
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
30%
10%
The gameplay in "Astrolancer" is highly praised for its addictive loop, tight controls, and a blend of various game styles, including top-down and vertical scrolling shooter segments. Players appreciate the variety of weapons and the engaging enemy force mechanic, although some may find it frustrating. Overall, the game is celebrated for its retro aesthetic, smooth mechanics, and enjoyable music, making it a recommended experience for fans of the genre.
- “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.”
- “There are a lot of weapons you can use that lead to lots of gameplay styles.”
replayability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
30%
30%
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 a wide array of weapon loadouts further enhance the replay value, ensuring that each playthrough feels fresh and engaging. Overall, the combination of these features contributes to a highly replayable experience.
- “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/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.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its engaging themes, impressive level design, and a fantastic soundtrack that enhances the experience. Reviewers appreciate the minimal yet sincere writing that complements the overall ambiance, making it a standout feature that many wish to see in more games.
- “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.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of thoughtful and witty writing, complemented by charming art that enhances the overall experience.
- “The art is charming, the writing crisp - sometimes thoughtful, sometimes humorous.”