Distant Star: Revenant Fleet
- April 6, 2015
- Blazing Griffin
- 9h median play time
Get on Steam"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.
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Reviews
- The game offers a unique blend of RTS and roguelike elements, providing a fresh take on fleet management and combat.
- The variety of ship classes and customization options enhance replayability and allow for diverse strategies.
- The game is visually appealing with solid graphics and a captivating soundtrack that adds to the atmosphere.
- The difficulty level is often unbalanced, making early encounters frustrating and punishing for new players.
- Combat can become repetitive, with many missions feeling similar and lacking variety in objectives.
- The lack of a proper tutorial or guidance can leave players confused about mechanics and strategies, hindering the overall experience.
- story123 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 82 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The story in "Distant Star: Revenant Fleet" is generally considered straightforward and somewhat cliché, with many players noting its similarities to other games like "Homeworld." While the narrative includes interesting moral choices and a backdrop of war, it suffers from repetitive mission types and a lack of depth, leading to limited replayability. Overall, the game offers a basic but engaging lore, though it could benefit from more diverse missions and a richer storytelling experience.
“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.”
“The story's serviceable, and the world is presented with a workable amount of depth--I'm not expecting grand world-building here, and I didn't get it, but I did get a pleasant amount of insight into the universe.”
“The story is a bit lackluster.”
“Story: it is pretty plain and basic. I am saying that because you can see very similar storylines in other similar games (like Homeworld). I didn't like it, but the developers of this game made a good lore for the game itself; it covers its basic story and makes you feel you are making real decisions throughout the game.”
“The missions I did find actually difficult were the protection missions where a large number of enemy ships suddenly spawned on top of the VIP ship--either in an escort mission where the transports appear halfway across the map from my fleet in the middle of an enemy cluster or in a station defense mission where the entire enemy fleet swoops in from all directions to vaporize their target.”
- gameplay60 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 78 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay 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 overly simplistic, repetitive, and lacking depth, often comparing it unfavorably to similar titles like "FTL: Faster Than Light." While the visuals and audio are appreciated, the core gameplay mechanics are seen as needing significant improvement to enhance player engagement and satisfaction.
“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, um, 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.”
- graphics40 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the aesthetic quality, artwork, and sound design, describing them as decent to good. However, some critiques highlight issues such as blurriness, lack of depth, and a reliance on reused backgrounds, suggesting that while visually appealing, the graphics do not compensate for the game's perceived lack of substance and gameplay depth. Overall, the visuals are considered polished but not groundbreaking, with a few players noting that they serve their purpose without elevating the overall 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.”
“Graphically it is great and there are some cool weapon and ability types to play with.”
“Maybe they should have spent more time on the gameplay and concepts and less on graphics and cutscenes.”
“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.”
- music27 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative 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 dark ambient elements. However, many reviewers note that the soundtrack can become repetitive and lacks diversity, which detracts from the overall experience. While some find the music enhances the gameplay, others feel it can be grating over time and would benefit from more variety.
“The music very much reminds me of Homeworld while being its own.”
“Great art and the soundtrack is nice dark atmospheric space ambient.”
“Of specific mention is the soundtrack, which is really, really good.”
“The musical score will put you to sleep.”
“Music transitions are awful.”
“I don't think I'd pick up an OST to listen to when I'm not playing.”
- replayability17 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative 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 monotony. Some users find it enjoyable for short bursts, but overall, the consensus suggests that it falls short of the replay value seen in similar titles like FTL. Early access status hints at possible improvements, but currently, the game may not satisfy those seeking extensive replayability.
“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
- 58 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive graphics and excellent sound design, creating a unique and engaging 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 gameplay experience significantly.
“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 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.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and uninteresting, with limited engagement beyond managing ships around mines. Despite some attempts to introduce variety, such as unique ship features, the overall experience is marred by repetitive tasks that lack excitement and tactical depth.
“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.”
- stability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative 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.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed feedback; while some users report issues like pseudo-crashes, long load times, and stuttering in menus, others praise its performance and overall quality, noting that it exceeds expectations for an early access title.
“The performance and amount of content is good, and for that price, it's even better.”
“Performance and overall appearance: great! There are no lags in the current version, and the overall quality is above average for an early access title (I've 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.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative 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.
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the emotional aspect of the game compelling, as the morally ambiguous actions of the a'kari create a sense of moral weight and introspection. Engaging with the lore and backstory prompts players to question their alignment and the righteousness of their mission, enhancing the emotional depth of the experience.
“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 in the lore or backstory, it may leave you questioning whether you're actually playing for the right side.”
