Distant Star: Revenant Fleet

65%
Game Brain Score Based on 237 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Distant Star: Revenant Fleet Game Cover
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"Distant Star: Revenant Fleet" is a tactical space strategy game where you build and command your own fleet of starships. Experience an engaging story in a procedurally generated universe, fighting against alien factions with unique strengths and weaknesses. Utilize strategic planning and real-time tactical decisions to survive and expand your territory.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Linux
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

65%
Audience ScoreBased on 237 reviews
story18 positive mentions
grinding5 negative mentions
  • The game offers a variety of ship classes that enhance replayability and allow for different strategies.
  • The quests and story elements provide an interesting moral complexity, revealing that players may not always be the 'good guys' in the conflict.
  • The game is stable and can run on a wide range of machines, making it accessible to many players.
  • The late game can become unbalanced, with players accumulating too much money and not enough meaningful upgrades or items to spend it on.
  • There is a lack of workshop support, which limits modding opportunities and could enhance the game's longevity and content variety.
  • The combat can feel repetitive and lacks enemy variety, leading to a less engaging experience over time.
  • story139 mentions

    The story in the game is generally considered straightforward and somewhat cliché, with many players noting its lack of depth and variety in mission types, leading to repetitive gameplay. While some appreciate the moral complexity of the narrative and the lore surrounding the a'kari, others find the missions—primarily focused on escorting, capturing, or defending—uninspired and lacking in meaningful choices. Overall, the narrative elements are seen as serviceable but in need of expansion and greater diversity to enhance replayability and engagement.

    • “The story is interesting and the events that unfold are really cool to read (even if a few may repeat themselves during a run).”
    • “The a'kari often resort to less than wholesome tactics to make their way through the game (as the necessity of their mission requires), but that will come with a moral weight to it, and if you become invested or put some time into thinking about the lore or backstory of the game, well, it may leave you wondering if you're actually playing for the right side.”
    • “Story events offer you a range of choices which may affect whether or not you are attacked (or you attack your enemy), are rewarded or the option to upgrade your ships.”
    • “The story is a bit lackluster.”
    • “The missions are repetitive, and the combat system isn't quite deep enough to sustain that.”
    • “The story is fine, but it lacks depth and originality, feeling very similar to other games like Homeworld.”
  • gameplay70 mentions

    The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it fun and challenging, particularly praising the tactical spaceship combat and upgrade systems. However, many others criticize it for being repetitive, lacking depth, and overly simplistic, often comparing it unfavorably to similar titles like "FTL." Overall, while there are elements of potential and enjoyment, significant improvements are needed to enhance the gameplay experience.

    • “The gameplay is really nice; it balances the RTS aspects well, and I feel as if I could be even more impressed in the future with what is to come!”
    • “Once you get these mechanics down, get the right equipment set up with your ships, recognize your ship abilities, and have the patience to keep going with this game, it's an absolute blast.”
    • “Nice tactical spaceship combat game, with simple but effective mechanics, a decently deep system of upgrades, ships you can recognize at a glance, and void-shattering explosions.”
    • “Artwork, music, and theme are amazing, but that's it; there is no substance to gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay is a total drag.”
    • “Gameplay is nothing more than right click to move/attack, left click to select; pretty dull mechanics for a sci-fi game.”
  • graphics50 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the aesthetic quality, artwork, and sound design, describing them as nice or even stunning. However, some critiques highlight issues such as blurriness, lack of depth, and a reliance on reused backgrounds, suggesting that while the visuals are appealing, they do not compensate for shortcomings in gameplay and content. Overall, the graphics are generally considered decent to good, but opinions vary on their impact on the overall gaming experience.

    • “The graphics are crisp and really work for the setting, although I got a lot of lag in the last few missions.”
    • “The graphics aren't quite Homeworld Remastered, but nonetheless, they're definitely good enough to pass muster, presenting clearly defined racial ships for both the A'kari and the Orthani, along with a third set of ships for the neutral pirates.”
    • “The visuals are stunning and the latest patch has really helped with the difficulty level (which is great!).”
    • “The graphics are meh, the gameplay is meh, it's rinse and repeat gameplay.”
    • “The graphics, while polished for what they are, come across as very two dimensional.”
    • “There is no 3D or 3D rendered or 2.5D graphics here.”
  • music31 mentions

    The music in the game is generally praised for its atmospheric quality and fitting themes, often drawing comparisons to the Homeworld soundtrack with its tribal and orchestral elements. However, many reviewers note that the soundtrack can become repetitive and lacks variety, which detracts from the overall experience. While some find the music enhances the gameplay, others feel it can be grating over time and would prefer a more diverse selection.

    • “The music very much reminds me of Homeworld while being its own.”
    • “Great music and art direction.”
    • “Really nice atmosphere, with surprisingly good music score for being such a small game.”
    • “The musical score will put you to sleep.”
    • “Music transitions are awful.”
    • “I wish the soundtrack would be available as DLC to buy.”
  • replayability18 mentions

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the variety of ship classes and randomly generated sectors that offer potential for replay, many criticize the limited mission variety and lack of engaging abilities, leading to a feeling of minimal replay value. The absence of mods and repetitive gameplay elements further detract from the overall experience, making it more suitable for short play sessions rather than extended replay. Overall, the game shows promise for replayability, especially in its early access state, but currently falls short compared to genre benchmarks like FTL.

    • “It's pretty straightforward, but the variety of ship classes helps with replayability. There are lots of solid combinations to play around with, I like the ship designs, and I really like the quests that reveal that you are not necessarily the good guys in this war.”
    • “Unlimited replay value.”
    • “The luck parts come from the randomly generated sectors, which makes for great replayability but gets frustrating when one of your ships has an ion leak and your shields constantly drain while in combat and you haven't found a place to repair in the last 5 jumps!”
    • “There seems to be no replay value at all since all abilities are boring as hell anyway and random events are either fight...or run, 90% of the time.”
    • “Boring missions, zero replay value.”
    • “Enjoyable, but limited mission variety means there isn't a lot of replay value.”
  • atmosphere12 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its engaging graphics and excellent sound design, which effectively convey a unique and immersive universe. Players appreciate the dark, ambient soundtrack and overall aesthetic, although some note that repetitive missions can detract from the experience. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered a standout feature, enhancing the rogue-like experience.

    • “The graphics are good for what they need to do, and the sound is excellent for conveying the atmosphere.”
    • “Great art and the soundtrack is nice dark atmospheric space ambient.”
    • “Really nice atmosphere, with a surprisingly good music score for being such a small game.”
    • “Finding the exact same mission in two consecutive systems, and then again in the next sector, also ruined the atmosphere for me (it was an escort mission, for the curious).”
    • “- a more diverse soundtrack; it's interactive (which is great), but it's also really repetitive and gets in the way of the game's atmosphere and feeling.”
    • “Homeworld is a bit more of a stretch since it's basically a 2D space RTS when it comes to combat, but I have no problem with the comparison to Homeworld because of the atmosphere of the game.”
  • grinding5 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and uninteresting, with limited engaging features to alleviate the monotony. The micro-management required for resource gathering is seen as boring, leading to frustration and a lack of motivation to invest time in the game. Overall, the grinding detracts from the potential tactical elements that could enhance the experience.

    • “Tedious and uninteresting.”
    • “Micro-managing ships around mines is not fun; it is boring and tedious.”
    • “Where FPS has actual tactics, this game just has grinding.”
  • stability4 mentions

    Overall, user experiences with stability vary significantly; while some report a smooth gameplay experience with no glitches or crashes, others encounter frequent UI issues and bugs that hinder their progress.

    • “The game is so buggy that I frequently run into problems with the UI, which sometimes gets stuck at a dialog window or stops responding at the fleet upgrade window.”
    • “I haven't found any glitches, but the way one of the ship types is named is rather redundant.”
    • “I will not discuss graphics and glitches at the moment because ...version 0.0.0.3 :)”
  • optimization3 mentions

    The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with some users reporting issues like pseudo-crashes, long load times, and stuttering in menus. However, many also praise its overall performance and visual quality, noting that it exceeds expectations for an early access title, especially considering its price.

    • “The performance and amount of content is good, and for that price, it's even better.”
    • “Performance and overall appearance: great! No lags in the current version, and the overall quality is above average for an early access (I played a lot of them).”
    • “Pseudo-crashes, long load times, and stuttering when opening and closing menus.”
    • “The game frequently lags, making it frustrating to navigate through the interface.”
    • “Optimization issues lead to a choppy experience, especially during intense gameplay moments.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    Players find the emotional aspect of the game compelling, as it challenges them to grapple with moral dilemmas and question their alignment with the a'kari's questionable tactics. However, some users feel that the overall gameplay experience, including combat and story, detracts from the emotional engagement, leading to a lack of enjoyment.

    • “The a'kari often resort to less than wholesome tactics to make their way through the game, as the necessity of their mission requires. This comes with a moral weight, and if you invest time into the lore or backstory, it may leave you questioning whether you're actually playing for the right side.”
    • “The emotional moments felt forced and lacked genuine impact.”
    • “I didn't connect with any of the characters, making the story feel hollow.”
    • “The attempts at emotional depth fell flat and left me feeling indifferent.”
  • humor1 mentions

    The humor in the game is noted to be less prevalent than in FTL, with encounters reflecting a more serious tone that aligns with the gravity of a tribal warfleet's mission, emphasizing the stakes involved rather than comedic elements.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

9hMedian play time
7hAverage play time
6-10hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 7 analyzed playthroughs

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