Legends of the Universe - StarCore | Game Brain

Legends of the Universe - StarCore Game Cover

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Legends of the Universe - StarCore is a single player action game. It was developed by LunarCore Games and was released on July 25, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Legends of the Universe - StarCore is a Metroidvania-style action platformer where you explore a giant space ship as Trion, Leader of an Arkonian team on a mission to steal the StarCore from the Draketh. Gain upgrades, improve stats, engage in intense boss fights, and enjoy stat-based platforming with environments to explore and re-explore with new abilities. The game is part of a shared universe, with spinoffs already in development.

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Single-Player

Legends of the Universe - StarCore screenshot

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68%

Audience ScoreBased on 50 reviews

humor1 positive mentions

stability2 negative mentions

The game captures the nostalgic feel of classic Metroid and Mega Man games, providing a fun experience for fans of retro platformers.
Despite its flaws, the game offers a decent amount of content and exploration, rewarding players with upgrades and abilities as they progress.
The low price point makes it an accessible option for those looking for a budget-friendly retro gaming experience.

The controls are clunky and unresponsive, making gameplay frustrating and less enjoyable.
The map system is inadequate, leading to confusion and difficulty in navigation, which detracts from the overall experience.
The game suffers from numerous bugs and technical issues, including poor graphics and collision detection, which hinder gameplay.

graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many users criticizing the use of outdated retro pixel art that lacks polish and resolution options, resulting in blurry visuals. While some appreciate the nostalgic appeal reminiscent of classic titles like Mega Man, others find the overall quality subpar compared to modern standards, leading to a lackluster visual experience. Despite these criticisms, some players still find enjoyment in the gameplay, suggesting that the graphics may not detract significantly from the overall fun.
- “The graphics are simple but done nicely and remind me a lot of the original Mega Man game on the NES; the music, on the other hand, needs some improvement.”
- “Ok, so this game doesn't look like much, but it's got an appeal that goes beyond the relatively simple graphics.”
- “Story is kind of good and the graphics are just like retro style.”
- “A choice was made to use obsolete, decades-old retro pixel art as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
- “Resolution is locked and can't be changed, and without any other substantial graphics tweaks, it's not possible for gamers to improve the lackluster 2D visuals.”
- “Look, it's fine to use pixel graphics, but when stuff is blurry alongside retro graphics, it looks horrid.”
story
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
46%
27%
The game's story is generally perceived as charming yet simplistic, with a mix of retro aesthetics and a lighthearted tone. While some players appreciate its moral lessons and engaging elements, others criticize the plot for being poorly written and cliché, lacking depth and originality. Overall, the narrative provides a decent backdrop for gameplay but leaves room for improvement in terms of coherence and complexity.
- “Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
- “Love the story and the music.”
- “The plot of the game seems to be a bit poorly written.”
- “There's a bit of a story, but it's not very in-depth.”
- “The story is cute in a childish cartoon sort of way, and I love the general style - the game design just needs a bit of work to make it a recommendable experience.”
music
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it relaxing and enjoyable, while others criticize it for being overly simplistic and reminiscent of dance beats that can be overwhelming. The sound design, particularly the use of synthesized percussion, adds a unique touch, but some feel that the music feels like an afterthought. Overall, while there are moments of charm, the soundtrack may not appeal to everyone.
- “I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
- “Part of what made me laugh out loud was the sound design; Starcore heavily uses synthesized percussion for its soundtrack, and your hint companion sounds like an old jazz musician whenever he says 'hey... listen' - I thought it was part of the music at first.”
- “Love the story and the music.”
- “The graphics are simple but done nicely and remind me a lot of the original Mega Man game on the NES; the music, on the other hand, needs some improvement.”
- “Many tracks are just dance beats with a heavy bass drum that pulse hard at my ears; I had to turn the music down to almost zero.”
- “But it feels like the music in this game was an afterthought.”
gameplay
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
The gameplay is a mixed bag, characterized by basic mechanics typical of the Metroidvania genre, but marred by janky controls and bugs that detract from the overall experience. While the handling and responsiveness are lacking, many players still find enjoyment in the nostalgic, old-school gameplay, suggesting that the core mechanics can be entertaining despite the game's rough edges. Overall, it offers a fun experience for those willing to overlook its flaws, especially given its low price point.
- “Gameplay-wise, it's what you'd expect of a Mega Man/Metroidvania hybrid.”
- “For the price of a cup of coffee, you can get hours of entertaining old school gameplay.”
- “Like some of the other reviews on here, I can agree the game is 'rough around the edges,' but it is far from a deterrent to the core gameplay, which is this game's star.”
- “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.”
- “The movement, other than the jumping mechanics, is done poorly.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with numerous bugs that can render it unplayable. While the graphics and mechanics may not meet modern standards, some players still find enjoyment in the gameplay despite these flaws.
- “It's a very buggy (to the point of being unplayable) 2D retro pixel side-scrolling 'metroidvania' platformer slapped together with GameMaker Studio, so the developer chose pretty much every way one could fail at game development and ran into them headfirst.”
- “Yes, the game is somewhat buggy and the graphics and game mechanics might not be completely up to today's standards for metroidvanias.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's optimization is criticized for being unpolished, leading to performance issues that detract from the overall experience. This lack of refinement is seen as a significant drawback.
- “The problem lies in the game's optimization and unpolished performance, and this is a bloody shame.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users criticize the monetization of games made with Gamemaker Studio, often labeling them as retro pixel shovelware and cash grabs, suggesting a focus on profit over quality.
- “Gamemaker Studio is most commonly used to make retro pixel shovelware and cash grabs.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find grinding to be occasionally tedious, particularly due to backtracking, but acknowledge that this is a common aspect of the genre.
- “It gets tedious sometimes, especially the backtracking, but that really comes with the genre.”
- “The grinding feels endless and often detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
- “I find myself repeating the same tasks over and over, which makes the experience feel monotonous.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is enhanced by its clever sound design, particularly the synthesized percussion soundtrack and the hint companion's jazz-like delivery of "hey... listen," which adds an unexpected comedic element that caught players off guard.
- “Part of what made me laugh out loud was the sound design; Starcore heavily uses synthesized percussion for its soundtrack, and your hint companion sounds like an old jazz musician whenever he says 'hey... listen' - I thought it was part of the music at first.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The character development in the game is noted for its stylish design, heavily influenced by the Mega Man series, which is praised for its strong character design. However, this homage may lead some to view it as derivative rather than original.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Legends of the Universe - StarCore is a action game.

Legends of the Universe - StarCore is available on PC and Windows.

Legends of the Universe - StarCore was released on July 25, 2016.

Legends of the Universe - StarCore was developed by LunarCore Games.

Legends of the Universe - StarCore has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its humor but disliked it for its graphics.

Legends of the Universe - StarCore is a single player game.

Similar games include Super Jagua, Legends of the Universe - Cosmic Bounty, Xeodrifter, Inexistence, Spaceport Hope and others.

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