NIGHTSTAR: Rogue Wings

About

NIGHTSTAR: Rogue Wings is a single player simulation game. It was developed by SOLIDMESH and was released on March 1, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

NIGHTSTAR: Rogue Wings is an ARCADE FLIGHT COMBAT GAME. Jump right into the pilot's seat and rise up against an evil Artificial Intelligence that rules the galaxy!

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

66%

Audience ScoreBased on 29 reviews

optimization3 negative mentions

The game has a fun arcade-style flying and combat experience reminiscent of classics like Starfox and Rogue Squadron.
Visually, the game is appealing with good graphics and runs well even on modest hardware.
The developer has been responsive and has improved controls and gameplay through updates, showing potential for future content and polish.

The game feels unfinished and abandoned with no updates or communication from the developer for extended periods.
Controls are generally problematic—overly sensitive, lacking customization, and sometimes unresponsive, which hampers the gameplay experience.
The game lacks depth, content, and replay value currently, with weak enemy AI, minimal story engagement, and some interface/audio issues.

story
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
46%
27%
The story includes several playable missions and hints of a narrative, though it is often considered hard to follow and somewhat lacking in depth. While some choices affect the story and ending, the plot can feel lightweight and secondary to gameplay, with lifeless characters and an arcade-like task structure. Additionally, technical issues and the game’s unfinished state in early access detract from the overall narrative experience.
- “Several playable missions and hints of a story... it's a shame it never left early access and is no longer for sale.”
- “Choices that affect the story and ending (stay with and defend a colony or take the battle to the enemy).”
- “Silence before the storm, with soft music when escorting a freighter on what you thought was an easy mission, then boom!”
- “Story is dumb and hard to follow.”
- “The arcadey feel of the game takes you away from a driven plot and makes it feel more like an overlay for a set of simple tasks.”
- “Enemies feel like drones or target practice, and allies seem lifeless, making the story less engaging.”
graphics
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The graphics of Nightstar receive mixed feedback, with some noting they appear somewhat simple or reminiscent of a PS3-era port, while others praise the improved visuals, smoother presentation, and user-friendly adjustments. Overall, the visuals are considered decent and fitting for an indie game, though certain elements like cockpit blur in view mode may feel odd to some players.
- “Visuals are more than okay, even for the end of 2017.”
- “The menus and user interfaces are a great deal improved, controls are easier to find, adjustments to the game's graphics and resolution are also a lot easier to change and the game just looks smoother.”
- “Graphics are really good too.”
- “Nightstar is an indie game that looks pretty good from the store page, but on playing it feels like a PS3 port in both graphics and gameplay.”
- “Graphics - 2”
- “Con: simple graphics designed for consoles.”
gameplay
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
The gameplay receives mixed feedback, with some praising improvements like the lock-on system and barrel rolls, while others find it clunky or reminiscent of older console ports. The game's pace and mechanics, such as the inability to fully stop and varied combat objectives, add complexity but can feel inconsistent or challenging to master. Overall, gameplay shows potential but is hindered by control issues and uneven design.
- “The fluid-reality gameplay which realizes you cannot slow down to a stop whilst playing the levels, understood you do not have to kill everything and then sometimes you do.”
- “- the lock-on system and barrel rolls are a major gameplay plus point.”
- “- which leads me on to gameplay, which has seen a significant overhaul.”
- “Nightstar is an indie game that looks pretty good from the store page, but in playing it feels like a PS3 port in both graphics and gameplay.”
- “The fluid-reality gameplay realizes you cannot slow down to a stop while playing the levels; you understand you do not have to kill everything, and then sometimes you do.”
- “Lock-on system is hard to use (Ace Combat Assault Horizon has a much better example of the same mechanic).”
music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
Users have mixed feelings about the music: while some appreciate its potential for dynamic and scenario-enhancing use, many find it repetitive and annoying, especially with looping drum patterns in early levels.
- “Great music, scenario, and gameplay.”
- “More interesting use of music and sound as opposed to repetitive, non-changing music.”
- “For example: silence before the storm, soft music when escorting a freighter on what you thought was an easy mission, then boom! You get ambushed and the music kicks into gear with beats and heart-pumping bass.”
- “Music gets annoying after 10 minutes.”
- “More interesting use of music and sound is needed instead of repetitive, unchanging music.”
- “Music is just a bunch of drums on a loop (at least the first level).”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report that the game suffers from poor optimization, resulting in subpar performance even on high-end systems, with frame rates around 30-40 FPS on medium settings. Additionally, control responsiveness needs improvement.
- “The controls really need some work, and the game needs to be optimized.”
- “Needs some optimization; I was only getting around 30-40 frames on medium settings, and I have a beefy rig.”
- “Also, to a lesser extent, performance needs improvement.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Replayability of the game is generally low, with users finding little incentive for multiple playthroughs. Control issues, such as poorly balanced sensitivity settings between mouse and controller, further detract from the experience.
- “If you're a masochist, this game has some replayability.”
- “No replay value (yes, it's an EA game, but still).”
- “The game lacks sensitivity settings for mouse and controller, making it hard to enjoy replays.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game’s stability is generally solid but occasionally affected by minor glitches, such as the continue button malfunctioning after mission failures. These issues are infrequent but can disrupt the gameplay experience.
- “Encountered some glitches, such as the continue button not working after a mission failure.”