Beyond Crimson Stars

About

Beyond Crimson Stars is a single player action game. It was developed by ben lunato and was released on February 27, 2020. It received positive reviews from players.

"Beyond Crimson Stars" is a first-person explorable narrative game with multiple endings, offering a unique and strange story of fatherhood, civilizations, and a lonely artificial intelligence. With over an hour of original content, varied environments, and a blend of tragedy and comedy, it takes the player on a satirical and heartfelt spiritual journey. The game features stunning 2D art, original soundtrack, and top-notch sound design.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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88%

Audience ScoreBased on 74 reviews

graphics6 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game features a unique and surreal visual style that enhances the emotional storytelling.
The narrative is deeply moving, exploring heavy themes with a blend of dark humor and poignant moments.
For its low price, the game offers a compelling experience with strong voice acting and an engaging soundtrack.

The game lacks a save system and has frustrating navigation, making it easy to lose progress.
Performance issues, including crashes and low frame rates, detract from the overall experience.
Some dialogue and writing can feel hit-or-miss, with moments that may come off as overly edgy or distracting.

graphics
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
67%
11%
The graphics of the game are a polarizing aspect, with many praising the unique, surreal, and striking visuals that evoke a strong emotional response and complement the narrative. However, some players find the art style distracting and overwhelming, leading to confusion during gameplay. Overall, the visuals are described as a blend of lo-fi aesthetics reminiscent of the PS1 era, contributing to a dreamlike atmosphere, though they may not appeal to everyone due to their chaotic nature.
- “Visuals are beautiful, unique, and evoke the headspace that the narration puts you in.”
- “The aesthetics of this game perfectly encapsulate the sentimentality of a favorite dream that is truly worth its low price entry alone.”
- “I particularly love the visual style the game carried with it; the lo-fi visuals and sound design reinforce the feeling of insanity and the unknown that is evoked by the story.”
- “The graphics can be a bit hard on the eyes at times with all the visual noise going on, but the environment tells a story of decay, so it makes sense to be rendered in such a strenuous way.”
- “I found the art style to be very distracting and confusing, to the point where I often found myself turned around.”
- “Honestly, the overall experience is touching; there are just a few parts where the visuals got turned up so much I had no idea where I was going, and that made me slightly frustrated.”
story
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
72%
12%
The game's story is a deeply emotional and abstract exploration of a young man's relationship with his late father, conveyed through visually striking, pixelated graphics and non-linear storytelling. Players navigate through different vignettes that evoke introspection and dark themes, often reflecting on loss and memory, while the narrative's surreal elements invite personal interpretation. Despite some gameplay frustrations, the compelling writing and heavy emotional weight resonate strongly, making it a poignant experience for those drawn to introspective narratives.
- “The story is told through four different colored vignettes, each exploring a different view of the narrator’s relationship with their late father.”
- “Ben Lunato has made a first-person narrative game with razor-sharp wit, disturbing surrealism, and a tender story about a young man's relationship with his father.”
- “There is some good philosophy to be had here, and even through all the dark tones of the story, there is something beautiful and heartfelt.”
- “The narrative is quite heavy, so if you're not interested in something with a clearly high amount of emotion thrown into it, then the story may not be for you.”
- “The game has a story, albeit a very abstract one, and I found it to be very compelling but without a point.”
- “The story is dark as hell at points, but it is pulled off with care.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
42%
25%
The music in the game is widely praised for its exceptional quality, enhancing the overall experience with a blend of narration and sound design that evokes deep emotions. While some players expressed a desire for a dedicated soundtrack featuring synth-wave tracks, the existing music, including Alan's older songs, effectively conveys themes of hopelessness and nostalgia. Overall, the combination of music and visuals creates a memorable and immersive journey for players.
- “This must be one of the best narration, music, and sound design I have ever listened to in a game; truly exceptional!”
- “I don't usually play walking simulators, and I had no clue what was going on most of the time, but the music, narration, and stylistic choices were all top-tier.”
- “This game is definitely a walking simulator, but the visuals of the game in conjunction with its music make for a very stimulating and unforgettable experience.”
- “I really wished there was a soundtrack or something of the synth-wave music in the game, but the use of Alan's old music like 'I Hate Myself (and Everybody Else)' and 'What Do I Have to Do' gave some feeling of hopelessness.”
- “I really wished there was a soundtrack or something of the synth-wave music in the game, but the use of Alan's old music like 'I Hate Myself (and Everybody Else)' and 'What Do I Have to Do' gave some feeling of hopelessness.”
- “I really wished there was a soundtrack or something of the synth-wave music in the game, but the use of Alan's old music like 'I Hate Myself (and Everybody Else)' and 'What Do I Have to Do' gave some feeling of hopelessness.”
humor
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of dark and funny dialogue, enhancing the narrative's unsettling atmosphere. Players appreciate the legitimately funny writing and the way humor is interwoven with emotional and thought-provoking moments, making for a unique and engaging experience. Overall, the humor adds depth to the game's visually striking and immersive world.
- “I can't recommend this enough if you like walking simulators with a great dark but funny narrative and unsettling dream-like spaces.”
- “The visuals were appealing, the dark humor is a nice touch, and seeing how the dark humor was represented in certain cases with these stories written by the AI just showed some sort of coping mechanism by the son.”
- “Like all of Ben's works, Beyond Crimson Stars is funny, thought-provoking, and visually striking.”
emotional
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its ability to evoke strong feelings, with players describing experiences that range from heart-wrenching to deeply relatable. The narrative features a mix of beautiful scenes, dark humor, and poignant moments that resonate personally, despite some frustrations with visuals and pacing. Overall, the game offers a profound emotional journey that encourages players to reflect on their own lives.
- “One that left me distraught, bewildered, and emotional, like a tug at the heartstrings, performed with the most sudden and violent move.”
- “The heartfelt ending made it worthwhile to endure whatever difficulties may arise when one traverses the mindscape of a dead man.”
- “The story starts a little slow but you should give it a chance, it's very emotional and relatable - I felt like I relived the last 25 years of my life in 30 minutes.”
gameplay
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The gameplay has been criticized for baffling choices that detract from the overall experience, leading some players to abandon it early. While the non-linear story presentation offers introspective moments, the gameplay itself is considered shallow and in need of further polish, despite the strong narrative themes.
- “There are just some baffling gameplay choices here that ruin the overall experience.”
- “During my run, I had to quit after about 40 minutes, so I just watched the rest of the gameplay (like 20-30 mins) on YouTube.”
- “A non-linear story presentation in a dreamlike state allows for some wonderful introspection, but the game certainly could have used another layer of polish from a gameplay perspective.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its amazing visuals and dreamlike quality, reminiscent of old PS1 graphics. Players appreciate the visually striking environment, although some note that the writing can be inconsistent. Overall, it creates an engaging walking simulator experience.
- “The visuals, soundtrack, and atmosphere are amazing.”
- “Play this game if you enjoy old PS1-style graphics and a dreamlike atmosphere.”
- “A visually striking walking simulator with great atmosphere.”
- “The game tries to create a dreamlike atmosphere, but it often feels more like a confusing mess than an immersive experience.”
- “While the old PS1 style graphics have a nostalgic charm, they detract from the overall atmosphere, making it feel outdated and uninspired.”
- “The atmosphere is inconsistent, swinging between intriguing and dull, leaving players unsure of what to expect.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report that the game suffers from significant stability issues, including visual glitches that detract from the overall experience.
- “This game is plagued by frequent crashes and stability issues that ruin the experience.”
- “I encountered numerous bugs that made it nearly unplayable at times.”
- “The game suffers from severe lag and performance drops, making it frustrating to progress.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization has been criticized for its poor performance, with some players experiencing frequent crashes that prevent them from completing it.
- “It was really bad performance-wise, though.”
- “It is so poor performance-wise that I have never actually finished the game, as it would crash before I could do so (I tried twice).”