Bladestar

About

"Bladestar" is a sci-fi cinematic action shooter where players defend the galaxy in their Manta Starfighter, battling pirates, rebels, and aliens across six procedurally generated worlds with over 50 waves of enemies and eight bosses. The game now features Steam Leaderboard support, allowing players to compare their high scores with others. Players can also collect experience to unlock ship customizations and upgrade their pilots.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

56%

Audience ScoreBased on 68 reviews

graphics6 positive mentions

optimization2 negative mentions

Bladestar features modern graphics and a fun arcade-style gameplay that appeals to fans of the genre.
The game offers a variety of weapon upgrades and a challenging experience that keeps players engaged.
It has a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic shoot 'em ups, with fluid movement controls and a satisfying gameplay loop.

The controls are clunky and unresponsive, making the gameplay feel janky and unsatisfying.
There are significant design flaws, such as the lack of difficulty settings and the inability to save progress, which can lead to frustrating experiences.
The game suffers from technical issues, including poor optimization and visibility problems due to the background design, making it hard to see incoming threats.

gameplay
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
63%
19%
The gameplay is criticized for being janky and unsatisfying, with a lack of polish in handling and responsiveness that detracts from the overall experience. While the game features a mechanic that allows players to earn upgrades through gameplay, the sluggish controls and low production values hinder enjoyment. Despite some appealing visuals and decent voice acting, the gameplay feels typical and underwhelming for experienced gamers.
- “You have to buy it with the XP you earn during gameplay, and you have to complete it to get the final achievement.”
- “There is a balance to this mechanic - the longer you take, the more upgrades you can collect and the easier the next waves will be.”
- “And I'll be honest, seeing more of 'reacting' type of gameplay would be nice.”
- “It's janky and unsatisfying to play... and any experienced gamer will tell you, the handling, responsiveness, and general gameplay feel of the control scheme must be well polished for this kind of game to succeed.”
- “Unfortunately, this is something the developer seems to have phoned in, with little to no apparent gameplay testing.”
- “Just quite low production values and the gameplay is typical vertical scrolling shoot 'em up.”
story
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
63%
19%
The story mode features a repetitive structure where players must restart from the beginning of a level upon dying, with limited weapon upgrades available. While some players appreciate the storyline, the experience is marred by annoying voiceovers and a coach character that detracts from the overall enjoyment. Overall, the story mode is seen as lacking depth and variety compared to the arcade mode.
- “I like the storyline, good game.”
- “If it was relying only on quests and not random things, I'd give it a full point :)”
- “In story mode, when you repeat a section, you hear the same voiceovers, with no way to skip past them.”
- “Story mode and arcade mode are identical, except for the annoying coach who frequently appears in story mode with his awful voice acting.”
- “- In story mode, when you repeat a section, you hear the same voiceovers, with no way to skip past them.”
- “[*] In story mode, you can only upgrade one weapon between the levels and the other weapon upgrades are locked when you do upgrade one.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
42%
8%
The graphics in the game are highly praised for their modern and visually appealing design, standing out in a genre often dominated by retro aesthetics. Players appreciate the combination of flashy visuals with smooth gameplay, enhancing the overall experience. The game's graphics, along with its engaging speech elements, contribute significantly to its appeal.
- “The graphics are really nice and the speech is a plus for the game.”
- “Fast game with modern-day graphics and easy controls that move from location A to B to C and so on.”
- “There is a great range of weapon level-ups, a good variety of levels and boss sets, and very good graphics (unlike many other shooters).”
- “I got this game because I was in the mood for a good-old-fashioned shooter, but I was tired of all the 'retro' pixel or SNES graphics that seem to plague this genre.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game is noted for its short length, which enhances its replayability, making it appealing for players looking to experience it multiple times.
- “After all, this is a very short game, and its value lies in its replayability.”
- “After all, this is a very short game, and its value lies in replayability.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users consistently report encountering optimization issues, indicating that the game's performance may not be fully refined or efficient.
- “I think there are some optimization issues here.”
- “I think there are some optimization issues here.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is praised for its fluidity and enjoyable rock tracks, particularly during boss fights, which enhances the overall gaming experience.
- “The music is nice and fluid, and I enjoy the rock music that plays, signaling the boss fights.”