NIGHTSTAR: Alliance
- June 18, 2018
- Tiny Leviathan Studios
Get on SteamIn "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.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a fun and addictive VR experience with engaging gameplay mechanics and a nostalgic retro aesthetic.
- Players enjoy the strategic elements of ship building and managing upgrades while battling enemies, making for a unique and immersive experience.
- The graphics and audio design are praised for their quality, contributing to an overall enjoyable atmosphere.
- The game suffers from significant bugs, including issues with controller support and a lack of a proper tutorial, making it difficult for players to fully enjoy the experience.
- Many players find the difficulty curve steep, especially in story mode, leading to frustration as they have to restart from the beginning after dying.
- The interface and upgrade mechanics are criticized for being clunky and overwhelming, detracting from the overall gameplay experience.
- story28 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 79 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as engaging and well-suited for a space shooter, but it suffers from significant issues, including a high difficulty curve that makes progression frustrating. Players often find it challenging to absorb story elements due to distracting gameplay and frequent restarts upon death, which detracts from the narrative experience. Additionally, the lack of support for certain controllers and the lengthy intro/tutorial detract from the overall enjoyment of the story mode.
“Story seems engaging and tangled just right for a space shooter.”
“If you want to experience the whole story - in the spirit of Nintendo hard games - when you die, you start the game from scratch.”
“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 I just felt like getting to the action quicker.”
“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.”
“Update after release: I just tried this game on story mode and it's borderline impossible.”
- music24 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews; while many players praise the epic soundtrack and its synergy with the game's retro graphics, others criticize the audio controls for being ineffective, particularly noting that the default music volume is excessively loud and cannot be adjusted properly. Despite the frustrations with the audio settings, the overall atmosphere and sound design are highlighted as strong points, with some players expressing a desire for a soundtrack release.
“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.”
- gameplay20 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its solid shooting mechanics and unique ship-building features, offering an engaging and addictive experience. However, some players find the hectic nature of the gameplay overwhelming, leading to physical strain from extended play. Overall, it stands out in the VR space for its aesthetic appeal and complexity, despite some drawbacks.
“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?”
- graphics18 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 28 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The graphics are widely praised for their stylish retro aesthetic, which complements the gameplay and atmosphere effectively. Many reviewers highlight the combination of retro visuals and synth soundtracks, creating a nostalgic experience that enhances the overall enjoyment of the game. Additionally, the sleek visuals and solid sound design contribute to its appeal, setting it apart from less polished titles in the genre.
“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.”
“Stylish retro graphics and a decent soundtrack.”
“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.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with users noting the effective combination of graphics and synth soundtracks that evoke a sense of nostalgia. Additionally, the well-designed use of VR controllers enhances the immersive experience, leaving players eager for a soundtrack release.
“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.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its exceptional replayability, with players noting that it remains engaging and fresh indefinitely.
“Replayable ad infinitum, and fresh for just as long.”
