DYSTORIA

Dystoria is a great love letter to retro videogames and sci-fi movies from the 1980s. Its six-axis controls are easy to learn yet hard to master, while it’s physics-bending levels are a great way to reinvigorate a classic puzzler.

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"DYSTORIA is a single-player Science Fiction Shooter game set in a retro-future aesthetic with six-axis flight mechanics. Players, representing humanity in an interstellar tournament, must upgrade their ships with collected orbs and parts while navigating increasingly complex level layouts and puzzles. Sensational music drives the intense action."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

62%

Audience ScoreBased on 42 reviews

music10 positive mentions

replayability2 negative mentions

DYSTORIA features visually engaging, neon-lit graphics reminiscent of 80s sci-fi aesthetics, providing a nostalgic experience.
The unique six-axis movement mechanics allow players to traverse surfaces in a fun and innovative way, enhancing exploration and puzzle-solving.
The game has a solid soundtrack that complements its atmosphere, making it enjoyable to play.

The game suffers from poor optimization, with frequent crashes and issues when switching graphical settings, leading to a frustrating experience.
Players cannot aim up or down, which can hinder gameplay, especially against flying enemies, making combat feel limited.
The level design can be disorienting, as many areas look similar, making navigation challenging and sometimes frustrating.

music
16 mentions
63 % positive mentions
31 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its quality and atmospheric fit, with many noting its 80s aesthetic and comparisons to the "Tron Legacy" soundtrack. While the soundtrack enhances the overall experience and complements the gameplay, some users feel it can become repetitive and could benefit from more variety. Overall, the music significantly contributes to the game's engaging and immersive atmosphere.
- “This is a fun, topsy-turvy, atmospheric shooter with exploration and great music for only six bucks!”
- “One of the tracks would sound at home on the Tron Legacy soundtrack.”
- “The music is awesome, keeping with the 80's feel and aesthetic.”
- “The music gets repetitive, pacing sometimes feels off, could be longer.”
graphics
13 mentions
31 % positive mentions
46 % neutral mentions
23 % negative mentions
Dystoria features visually striking graphics characterized by bright, neon, cubic landscapes that evoke a strong 80s Tron/cyberpunk aesthetic, which many players find appealing. However, the game suffers from frequent crashes when adjusting graphical settings, detracting from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the graphics are generally considered simple yet stylish and well-suited to the game's theme.
- “Dystoria is a visually engaging game containing bright, neon, cubic landscapes with enemies and aesthetics that wouldn't be out of place in Tron.”
- “The aesthetic is spot on with the 80's Tron/cyberpunk feel.”
- “The game crashes almost all the time when switching graphical settings.”
- “The graphics are very suitable to the game.”
- “[b]graphics:[/b] simple but stylish.”
gameplay
11 mentions
36 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by smooth and responsive shooting and movement mechanics, presented from a third-person perspective, and infused with 80's nostalgia and arcade elements. While there is significant potential in the game mechanics, some players feel that the execution is lacking, suggesting a need for refinement and additional features in a potential sequel. Overall, the game offers interesting concepts but struggles to fully deliver on its promise.
- “The shooting and movement mechanics are smooth and responsive.”
- “This game is brimming with 80's nostalgia and arcade gameplay.”
- “I think there is a ton of potential with the game mechanics, and would love to see a sequel that adds features and also refines existing ones.”
- “It is never a fun thing to play a game like Dystoria as it has many interesting and clever features and serves as a great history lesson in gaming, but, at the same time, it all falls flat due to the poor execution of said mechanics.”
atmosphere
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its engaging atmosphere, featuring slick graphics, tight controls, and an impressive soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the fun, exploratory elements that contribute to its unique, topsy-turvy vibe, all at an affordable price.
- “This is a fun, topsy-turvy, atmospheric shooter with exploration and great music for only six bucks!”
- “[Slick graphics, tight controls, and atmospheric music]”
story
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game effectively integrates a compelling story into its arcade-style gameplay, enhancing the overall experience, and is complemented by a fitting musical score. Reviewers express surprise at how well the narrative element elevates the game.
- “Wow, a much cooler game than I thought it would be! What an amazing way to incorporate a little story into an arcade-style game, and the music goes great with it!”
replayability
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, as players feel that once they have mastered the first five levels, there is little incentive to continue playing or explore further.
- “There is no replay value to 5 levels that I know the secrets and techniques to, and if I can't go on in the game past there, there's no reason to play it.”