Binarystar Infinity

About

Binarystar Infinity is a single player and multiplayer arcade shooter game. It was developed by Ricci Cedric Design and was released on February 4, 2021. It received positive reviews from players.

"Binarystar Infinity" is a 1-bit shoot 'em up game with challenging arcade-style gameplay and handcrafted levels. Players must defend against an unknown mothership that destroyed their moon, either in single-player mode or with a friend in co-op. The game features nostalgic 1-bit graphics and smooth feedback controls, with the option for a more intense experience with friendly fire in co-op mode.

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81%

Audience ScoreBased on 26 reviews

graphics4 positive mentions

grinding1 negative mentions

The game features a cool aesthetic with high-quality pixel art and a great soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience.
Controls are smooth and responsive, making it easy to pick up and play, especially for fans of the shmup genre.
The game offers enjoyable replayability with multiple modes, including Survival and Boss Rush, and provides a good balance of power-ups and challenges.

The gameplay can become repetitive and lacks depth, with simplistic bullet patterns and level design that may not satisfy experienced players.
Power-ups can be overpowered, trivializing the challenge and making the game feel too easy at times, especially with an abundance of extra lives.
Visuals can be straining on the eyes due to aggressive flashing and a limited color palette, which may detract from the overall enjoyment.

graphics
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
53%
20%
The game's graphics present a mixed bag, with some players appreciating the cool aesthetic and minimalistic retro pixel art, while others criticize the high contrast and lack of color variety, leading to visual confusion during gameplay. Many reviewers noted the graphics' impact on gameplay, particularly in bullet detection, and expressed a desire for more customization options. Overall, while the art style has its charm, it may not appeal to everyone due to its simplistic and sometimes overwhelming design.
- “The 1-bit aesthetic is nice and everything is visually clear.”
- “Unlike many self-proclaimed retro shooters, this one rings true by that statement and genuinely sticks to a consistent and minimal aesthetic.”
- “Lastly, the graphics and music are just spot on.”
- “What is neat at first glance quickly becomes an eyesore, and sure, aesthetic preferences aside, I found myself wondering if they put all that work into the art and design of the game, at least add some more palettes or make it a few more colors... seriously.”
- “You do get some fun pickups like orbiting defense orbs and so on, but any depth in gameplay is quickly eradicated by some of the laziest visuals I've seen.”
- “A choice was made to use obsolete, decades-old retro pixel 'art' as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
12%
25%
The music in the game is highly praised for its fast-paced and energizing quality, perfectly complementing the gameplay and enhancing the overall experience. Reviewers appreciate the soundtrack's ability to pump players up as they navigate through challenges, likening it to classic space shooters while maintaining a modern feel. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature that adds significant value to the game.
- “With a great art style, fun replayability, cool power-ups, and an awesome soundtrack as you're sent into the depths of Talios to eliminate various threats.”
- “The art and music are great in this game; the music pumps you up as you shoot your way through many enemies, and the colors used for the maps and enemy sprites fit together surprisingly well!”
- “Just like the old classic space shooters but with a modern feel and really great music.”
- “Music, controller support, the loose story and chapters were ok, definitely passable.”
- “I love the look and music.”
gameplay
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The gameplay is criticized for its lack of depth and polish, featuring basic mechanics and repetitive levels that fail to engage players. While there are some enjoyable power-ups, issues like poor graphics affecting bullet detection and overly fast movement detract from the experience. Additionally, the game struggles with weapon management and boss variety, making it unappealing to both newcomers and seasoned players.
- “The game discards all sophisticated mechanics in favor of the fundamentals.”
- “A cool but debatable mechanic is the option to retrieve some of your power-ups when your ship is destroyed.”
- “Gameplay też jest świetny”
- “Gameplay itself isn't winning any awards here either. Apart from the hideously bad graphics making bullet detection difficult, the game is highly unpolished, movement is way too fast, and it won't appeal to novices or experienced die-hard fans of shmups.”
- “However, after a couple of levels, the gameplay becomes repetitive and the bosses don't progress much in difficulty or uniqueness either.”
- “Another gameplay issue is that the weapon power-ups replace each other, and in one of the levels, you get funneled into changing your weapon before the boss if your RNG isn't good enough to get the power-ups you want.”
story
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
17%
33%
The story in Binarystar Infinity is described as loose and passable, with eight scripted missions in arcade mode, each culminating in a boss fight. While the narrative may not be the game's strongest aspect, players found the campaign enjoyable and appreciated the ability to practice missions after unlocking them. Overall, the story serves as a functional backdrop to the gameplay rather than a focal point.
- “I had a fun time playing the eight mission campaign, which took a little over an hour to beat.”
- “Binarystar Infinity is an enjoyable little shmup with eight missions in arcade mode, each with a boss at the end.”
- “You can start from each of the eight missions once unlocked, which is nice for practice.”
- “The loose story and chapters were okay, definitely passable.”
- “The missions are scripted but the power-up contents are random.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
50%
Players appreciate the game's strong replayability, enhanced by its engaging art style, enjoyable power-ups, and an impressive soundtrack. After completing the main storyline, additional modes like survival and boss rush provide further challenges and incentives to revisit the game.
- “With a great art style, fun replayability, cool power-ups, and an awesome soundtrack, you're sent into the depths of Talios to eliminate various threats.”
- “Once you beat the game, the survival mode and boss rush keep the replayability high.”
- “Once you beat the game, the survival mode and boss rush keep replayability up.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of Binarystar Infinity to be tedious and repetitive, likening it to a poorly executed version of other similar retro-style shoot 'em up games. The game's lack of originality further exacerbates the grind, making it feel monotonous and uninspired.
- “Binarystar Infinity is a very tedious 2D retro pixel/minimalistic side-scrolling console ported arcade-style shoot 'em up/bullet hell game, ripping off countless identical games before it, only worse.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that Gamemaker Studio is often associated with the creation of low-effort, retro-style games that are perceived as cash grabs, suggesting a negative view of its monetization practices.
- “Gamemaker Studio is most commonly used to make retro pixel shovelware and cash grabs.”