NIGHTSTAR: Alliance

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In "NIGHTSTAR: Alliance," players command a starship in a procedurally generated universe, battling enemies and completing missions to expand their alliance. With a focus on strategy and customization, players can build and upgrade their ship, recruit crew members, and engage in real-time tactical combat. The game features a variety of ships, weapons, and equipment to choose from, providing countless hours of exploration and combat in the vastness of space.

Play Modes

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

Reviews

74%

Audience ScoreBased on 42 reviews

music6 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

Fun and addictive gameplay with a nostalgic arcade feel, reminiscent of classic shooters like Star Fox and Gradius.
Visually appealing with stylish retro graphics and a great soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
Unique mechanics that allow players to control their ship and manage upgrades in real-time, providing a challenging yet rewarding experience.

Significant bugs and issues with controller support, making it difficult to control the ship and utilize all features effectively.
Lack of a tutorial and poor audio controls, leading to a frustrating experience for new players trying to understand the game mechanics.
High difficulty curve, especially in story mode, with no checkpoints, forcing players to restart from the beginning after dying.

story
14 mentions
21 % positive mentions
57 % neutral mentions
21 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as engaging and well-suited for a space shooter, but it suffers from poor integration with gameplay, as crucial narrative elements often appear during intense action, making them difficult to read. Players find the difficulty curve in story mode excessively steep, with the need to restart from the beginning upon death, which detracts from the overall experience. While the concept is promising, many reviewers feel that the story mode requires more support and refinement to enhance player engagement.
- “Story seems engaging and tangled just right for a space shooter.”
- “It has little pixel art people with dialogue with a simple story and has an arcade feel.”
- “My only quibble is the intro and tutorial are a bit long, and I don't really want to skip it as it's part of the story, but just felt like getting to the action quicker.”
- “If you want to experience the whole story - in the spirit of Nintendo hard games - when you die, you start the game from scratch.”
- “Text pop-ups try to explain the story, but it's impossible to focus on them while missiles are raining down.”
- “Story elements occur in textboxes that can pop up in the middle of a very busy firefight, leaving you no time to read them.”
music
12 mentions
50 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
25 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews; while some players praise the epic soundtrack and its atmospheric integration with the graphics, others criticize the audio controls for being ineffective, particularly noting that the default music volume is excessively loud and cannot be adjusted properly. Overall, the soundtrack is appreciated for its retro style and emotional impact, but the audio settings are seen as a significant flaw.
- “Epic music!!!!!”
- “The atmosphere is great, I desperately want a soundtrack release, and the VR controller use is really well designed.”
- “Its sleek visuals, spectacular soundtrack, and superior sound design immediately mark it as a strong contender.”
- “The audio controls menu is absolutely terrible. Turning down the music, which is deafening by default, does nothing because the music and the songs have different menus. What a stupid idea! You can turn down the songs, but that only works for in-game music; the start menu is still deafening and can't be turned down.”
- “The audio controls menu is absolutely terrible. Turning down the music, which is deafening by default, does nothing because the music and the songs have different menus. What a stupid idea! You can turn down the songs, but that only works for in-game music; the start menu is still deafening and can't be turned down.”
- “The audio controls menu is absolutely terrible. Turning down the music, which is deafening by default, does nothing because the music and the songs have different menus. What a stupid idea! You can turn down the songs, but that only works for in-game music; the start menu is still deafening and can't be turned down.”
gameplay
10 mentions
30 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
30 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its solid mechanics, unique ship-building and upgrading features, and addictive nature, despite being hectic and potentially overwhelming. Players appreciate the aesthetic appeal and complexity that set it apart from other VR titles, although some find the intense action can lead to physical strain. Overall, it offers a fresh take on the spaceship shooter genre.
- “Solid shooting mechanics with the added bonus of building and managing your ship and multiple guns and components.”
- “Gameplay is addicting though.”
- “I really think this system makes the game feel more unique as well since not another spaceship shoot 'em up game has that mechanic.”
- “Basically, it's one drawn-out gameplay mode. Ship building and upgrading would be cool if it weren't so hectic.”
- “Tldr: The game causes your trigger fingers to hurt a lot due to its mechanics.”
- “But the gameplay?”
graphics
9 mentions
56 % positive mentions
11 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stylish retro aesthetic, which complements the atmospheric synth soundtrack, creating a nostalgic experience. Reviewers highlight the solid visual fidelity and unique design, positioning it as a standout title among less polished VR games. Overall, the combination of graphics and sound significantly enhances the game's appeal.
- “Retro graphics are great with a retro difficulty to match.”
- “Its sleek visuals, spectacular soundtrack, and superior sound design immediately mark it as a strong contender.”
- “Before gameplay even enters the picture, on the basis of its solid aesthetics alone, Nightstar sets itself up as a unique entry in the slog of unpolished games that plague VR.”
- “I'll be honest, Xion is probably a more deep game than this, but the open space and the little ships and the graphical fidelity and everything makes this a very fun game as well.”
- “Stylish retro graphics and a decent soundtrack.”
atmosphere
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with a strong synergy between the graphics and synth soundtracks that evoke a sense of nostalgia. Reviewers express a desire for a soundtrack release and commend the effective design of VR controller integration, enhancing the overall immersive experience.
- “The atmosphere is great; I desperately want a soundtrack release, and the VR controller use is really well designed.”
- “The graphics and synth soundtracks played well together, possibly evoking a little FTL nostalgia for me from that combo.”
replayability
1 mentions
200 % positive mentions
-400 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Reviewers highlight the game's exceptional replayability, noting that it remains engaging and fresh indefinitely, allowing for countless playthroughs without losing its appeal.
- “Each playthrough offers new challenges and surprises, keeping the experience exciting.”
- “The variety of choices and outcomes makes every run feel unique and engaging.”
- “Replayable ad infinitum, and fresh for just as long.”
- “Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to return.”
- “The lack of meaningful choices makes replaying feel like a chore.”