Bladestar
- January 14, 2016
- Fair Weather Studios, LLC
Get on Steam"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.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Bladestar features appealing graphics and a nostalgic arcade shooter feel, reminiscent of classic games.
- The gameplay is fast-paced and offers a variety of weapon upgrades, providing a satisfying challenge for players.
- The game has a decent level of polish with smooth controls and enjoyable voice acting.
- The game suffers from clunky controls and a lack of customization options, making it frustrating for some players.
- There are significant design flaws, such as no difficulty settings, no manual save options, and repetitive gameplay that can lead to frustration.
- Many players find the game lacks depth and variety, with monotonous levels and uninteresting boss fights.
- gameplay8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The gameplay is criticized for being janky and unsatisfying, lacking the polish and responsiveness expected from the genre, which detracts from the overall experience. While the game features a mechanic that balances upgrade collection with wave difficulty, it suffers from sluggish controls and low production values, despite some positive aspects like decent voice acting and functional controller support for gameplay. Overall, the gameplay feels typical and underwhelming for a vertical scrolling shoot 'em up.
“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.”
- story8 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The story mode features a repetitive structure where players restart from the beginning of a level upon dying, with limited weapon upgrades that can hinder progression. 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 criticized for its lack of variety and engaging elements compared to arcade mode.
“I like the storyline, good game.”
“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.”
“If it was relying only on quests and not random things, I'd give it a full point :)”
- graphics6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are highly praised for their modern quality and visual appeal, standing out in a genre often dominated by retro styles. Players appreciate the combination of nice visuals with smooth gameplay and a variety of weapon upgrades, enhancing the overall experience.
“On the plus side, the graphics are really nice and the speech is a plus for the game.”
“There is a great range of weapon level-ups, a good variety of levels and boss sets, and very good graphics (unlike way too many shooters).”
“I understand this is an old-fashioned genre, but I like flashy graphics and I want to have my cake and be able to eat it too!”
“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.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players highlight that the game's short length enhances its replayability, making it a key aspect of its overall value.
“After all, this is a very short game, and its value lies in its replayability.”
“The game offers multiple endings and choices that make each playthrough feel fresh and exciting.”
“With various character builds and strategies to explore, I find myself coming back for more every time.”
“After all, this is a very short game, and its value lies in replayability.”
“Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back and play it again.”
“The lack of meaningful choices and consequences makes replaying the game feel pointless.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users have reported several optimization issues, indicating that the game's performance may not be fully refined or efficient.
“I think there are some optimization issues here.”
“The game runs poorly on my system despite meeting the recommended requirements.”
“There are frequent frame drops and stuttering, which really detracts from the experience.”
- music1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
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.”
“The soundtrack perfectly complements the gameplay, enhancing the overall experience.”
“Each track is well-composed and adds a unique atmosphere to different game environments.”
