Pixel Star

About

"Pixel Star is a 2D pixel art space shooter game. Engage in intense battles against alien fleets and bosses, and customize your ship with upgrades and weapons. Navigate through randomly generated levels with roguelike elements for a unique experience each playthrough." #PixelStar #SpaceShooter #Roguelike

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 69 reviews

replayability3 positive mentions

stability2 negative mentions

Pixel Star offers a fun and chaotic gameplay experience reminiscent of classic arcade shooters, with a variety of upgrades and customizable ship configurations that enhance replayability.
The game features smooth controls and a straightforward premise, making it easy to pick up and play, while still providing a challenge as players strive to survive against increasingly difficult enemies.
Visually appealing with a modern twist on retro graphics, Pixel Star successfully captures the essence of the Asteroids formula while adding new elements like randomized pickups and boss fights.

The game suffers from issues with visibility, as many enemy projectiles are difficult to see amidst the chaotic visuals, leading to frustrating and often unavoidable deaths.
There is a lack of content variety, with only a few bosses and no unlockable features, which can make the gameplay feel repetitive over time.
Some technical issues, such as crashes and menu navigation problems, detract from the overall experience, indicating a need for further polish and optimization.

gameplay
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
45%
27%
The gameplay is praised for its smooth performance, even on lower settings, and features clever mechanics like a regenerating base shield that enhances survivability. Players appreciate the variety of weapons and support options, as well as the addictive nature of the gameplay that encourages repeated attempts. Overall, the game offers a fun and engaging experience, despite the absence of a plot, with a focus on skill and strategy.
- “Gameplay is nice alright; you do need a good strong PC to run this game on high settings, but on low, it basically looks the same and runs really smoothly, so it's no problem.”
- “Other than that, the regenerating base shield is a nice concept. You can survive one hit every so many seconds, which helps reduce the frustration caused by my main complaint. You have a health bar that only takes damage when you have no shield, there's a nice variety of weapon and support choices, and the absence of a plot means it's all gameplay.”
- “Pixel Star is a little gem of a game; it looks brilliant and runs smoothly (in my experience, I haven't had any bugs or glitches). The gameplay is top-notch and very fun and enjoyable.”
- “Other than that, the regenerating base shield is a nice concept; you can survive one hit every so many seconds, which helps reduce the frustration caused by my main complaint: you have a health bar that only takes damage when you have no shield. There's a nice variety of weapon and support choices, and the absence of a plot means it's all gameplay.”
- “Whether it's instantly killing you, bringing down your shields, or simply making life harder for you, each of these phenomena has a tangible impact on the gameplay.”
- “Simple gameplay.”
graphics
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
25%
38%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the modern arcade style and dynamic backgrounds, while others criticize the simplistic visuals and lack of variety in enemy designs. The pixelated aesthetic, intended to emulate classic games, has not resonated well with all users, leading to a perception of limited visual appeal. Overall, while some find the graphics satisfactory for the price, others feel they fall short of expectations.
- “Not only that but the modern arcade style visuals with dynamic feeling backgrounds and enemies makes it a very good sight for sore eyes.”
- “It has really good graphics, good gameplay, great replayability, and is only 3 dollars!”
- “The space exploration theme has local co-op, better audiovisuals and roguelike progression in the last encounter.”
- “The graphics weren't that much to look at to begin with, but I don't like how there is no maintained low resolution that's upscaled.”
- “I didn’t like the over-pixelated graphics style.”
- “It has very simplistic visuals and very little variety in enemies or environment; after 20 minutes, you almost see it all.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews; some players find it slow and unmotivating, feeling it doesn't match the game's pace, while others appreciate how it builds with the difficulty, enhancing the chaotic gameplay experience. Overall, there is a desire for a more energetic soundtrack to complement the action.
- “Music builds with the difficulty curve, adding to the hectic laser flinging as the screen starts to fill with enemies when just moments before you were surrounded by a deceptive lack of anything, not to mention the occasional bosses to break up any complacent cruising.”
- “Took 10 seconds to download and has hours and hours of gameplay potential once I find my mouse. All that's missing is a ravin' soundtrack; see 'Echoes' by Binary Zoo to get a feel for what this game offers.”
- “I need some good motivating music; this music is very slow and I feel it doesn't fit the game.”
- “Music's kinda weird, I'd admit. It took me a few minutes for it to dig inside my brain, and it was kind of annoying.”
- “Wish it had music.”
- “All that's missing is a ravin' soundtrack; see 'Echoes' by Binary Zoo to get a feel for what this game offers.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
50%
The game offers high replayability due to its addictive nature, diverse ship configurations, and challenging enemies, making it easy to learn yet difficult to master. However, some players feel that the lack of features like unlockable ship addons and an official leaderboard limits its replay potential, relying mainly on high scores for motivation. Overall, it has excellent replay value, but could benefit from additional incentives.
- “It's easy to learn but difficult to master. With a variety of ship configurations, enemies, and difficulty levels, it's addictive and has a high replayability value.”
- “A lot of replayability for a time, although the game wouldn't suffer from some different features such as having to unlock ship addons and having an official leaderboard (currently there is only a thread on the community hub).”
- “Excellent replay value.”
- “There's nothing to encourage replayability besides high scores, but since this isn't 1970 anymore, I'd expect more than that.”
- “A lot of replayability for a time, although the game wouldn't suffer from having some different features such as having to unlock ship add-ons and having an official leaderboard (currently there is only a thread on the community hub).”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users report that "Pixel Star" is a stable game, running smoothly without any noticeable bugs or glitches, contributing to an enjoyable gameplay experience.
story
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game lacks a narrative, focusing solely on gameplay mechanics, which some players appreciate for its emphasis on action and variety in weapon and support options. The absence of a story may leave those seeking a deeper experience feeling unsatisfied.
- “The absence of a plot means it's all gameplay.”
- “The story feels disjointed and lacks any real depth or engagement.”
- “I found the narrative to be predictable and uninspired, failing to draw me into the world.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Pixel Star is praised for its excellent optimization, delivering a visually appealing experience that runs smoothly without any reported bugs or glitches, contributing to an enjoyable gameplay experience.
- “Pixel Star is a little gem of a game; it looks brilliant and runs smoothly. In my experience, I haven't encountered any bugs or glitches. The gameplay is top-notch, very fun, and enjoyable.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find grinding to be highly satisfying, particularly when it involves defeating bosses with powerful weapons like the gatling gun, which enhances the overall enjoyment of the gameplay experience.