PULSAR: Lost Colony

About

"PULSAR: Lost Colony" is a sci-fi cooperative game where players take on roles such as captain, pilot, engineer, and weapons specialist to operate a space ship and complete missions. The game supports both single-player and multiplayer modes, with up to five players able to join forces in online play. Players will encounter various alien species, challenging space environments, and must manage resources and make strategic decisions to survive.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

90%

Audience ScoreBased on 4,682 reviews

story127 positive mentions

stability64 negative mentions

Fantastic space sandbox with tons of mechanics and systems to learn and tinker with.
Great co-op experience, best played with friends, allowing for unique roles and teamwork.
Surprising variety of missions, ships, and tasks per role, making each playthrough feel fresh.

Graphics are dated and can detract from immersion, making the game feel unfinished.
AI bots are often unhelpful and can lead to frustrating gameplay when playing solo.
The game can feel repetitive with limited mission variety and large, empty environments.

story
788 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
79%
5%
The story aspect of "Pulsar: Lost Colony" is characterized by a mix of engaging lore and mission variety, but it suffers from repetitiveness and a lack of depth. Players appreciate the cooperative gameplay and the ability to explore a vast galaxy filled with quests, yet many find the missions often boil down to fetch quests or combat scenarios that can feel monotonous over time. While the game offers a sandbox experience with potential for emergent storytelling, the narrative elements are not as fleshed out, leaving some players desiring a more cohesive and immersive storyline.
- “The story is interesting enough to keep my attention session to session.”
- “The tone is spot on, away missions are short but variable with little repetition, and the depth available for each class means the game certainly won't have come close to outstaying its welcome by the end of the campaign.”
- “The game actually has a story, and the missions are diverse, from finding a ship to locate something on planets, teleport to it and make the mission successful.”
- “Once you struggle through the terrible UI, and figure out what you're supposed to be doing with a large enough group to run the game as intended, you are treated with the joy of fetch quests in a lifeless void.”
- “Literally several of the 'main' missions you need to beat the game consist of 'wait for faction to contact you to do a quest.' Except, that never happens.”
- “The story in this game is neat, with detailed and interesting lore, but it could be presented a lot better.”
gameplay
505 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
65%
5%
The gameplay of "Pulsar: Lost Colony" is characterized by its complex mechanics and cooperative team dynamics, offering a unique experience that emphasizes communication and role specialization among players. While many players appreciate the depth and potential for fun, especially when playing with friends, there are significant criticisms regarding the game's lack of polish, repetitive gameplay loops, and frustrating combat mechanics, particularly in ground missions. Overall, the game is seen as a hidden gem with a steep learning curve, but it requires further content and refinement to fully realize its potential.
- “There are tons of mechanics and systems to learn and tinker with!”
- “The gameplay is deep and fun.”
- “Pulsar manages to capture some of the best elements of classic action/fps games while bringing profoundly original gameplay to the table.”
- “Still has a broken and unintuitive gameplay that it had 4 years ago.”
- “Unfortunately, Pulsar is so rough in everything from basic game mechanics to structured content that it simply leads to frustration and eventually disappointment.”
- “The gameplay gets boring quickly due to there being extremely limited goals or missions to complete.”
graphics
384 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
60%
18%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting that they are simplistic and dated, often reminiscent of early 2000s titles. While some find the visuals to be a drawback, others appreciate the game's art style and argue that the engaging gameplay compensates for the lack of graphical polish. Overall, the consensus is that while the graphics may not be impressive, they do not detract significantly from the fun and immersive experience the game offers, especially in a cooperative setting.
- “The attention to detail and care put into this game from the ship designs to graphics to music is all spectacular.”
- “While the graphics may not be the most visually stunning, they do serve their purpose and provide a suitable backdrop for the game's immersive gameplay.”
- “Don't let the simple graphics fool you, there's real depth in this gameplay.”
- “I'm very much a gameplay over graphics guy, but this one is too much for me.”
- “The graphics are atrocious, but the gameplay is good.”
- “The graphics are not just simple but poorly made, as are the away party levels, the weapons, etc. Sure this game is early access, but this game has a long way to go and I doubt the developers have what it takes to get there.”
stability
68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
94%
The game's stability is frequently criticized, with numerous users reporting a variety of bugs, glitches, and performance issues that detract from the overall experience. While some players find enjoyment despite these problems, many express frustration with the game's clunky mechanics, UI issues, and frequent crashes, particularly in VR mode. Overall, the consensus is that while the game has potential and offers fun gameplay, it remains significantly unstable and in need of further development and polish.
- “The game is very affordable, while still being a high-quality product (stable and not buggy) with great replayability.”
- “As with all early access, it's a gamble, but so far this game is almost bug-free and a pleasure to play in its current state.”
- “Generally, the game runs great and it is a lot of fun playing.”
- “The button labelled 'academy' appears to potentially be a tutorial but when I click it the screen just freezes.”
- “Despite being advertised as a finished product, there are still noticeable bugs and glitches.”
- “Very buggy, couldn't even complete the first mission without endless glitches just trying to get onto the elevator.”
humor
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is predominantly highlighted as a social experience, thriving in multiplayer settings where friends can share chaotic and hilarious moments. Players appreciate the tongue-in-cheek humor and the comedic potential of mishaps during gameplay, often leading to laughter and memorable interactions. While solo play may lack the same comedic impact, the game shines when enjoyed with a group, creating a fun and entertaining atmosphere filled with banter and unexpected situations.
- “The sense of humor is a bit tongue-in-cheek in a good way.”
- “We finally called it a day at 3 am in the morning, drunk, laughing our asses off, and just not believing how much fun we had being a dysfunctional crew and doing quests around.”
- “This game is fantastic and hilarious.”
replayability
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
51%
7%
Overall, the game boasts high replayability due to its diverse factions, multiple ships, and customizable campaign settings, allowing players to experience different playstyles and adventures with each playthrough. Many users highlight the enjoyment of playing with friends, which enhances the replay value, while some express concerns about potential repetitiveness after mastering all roles. Despite a few criticisms, the general consensus is that the game offers a wealth of content and replay opportunities, making it a worthwhile experience.
- “The variety in ships and crew roles allows for good replayability and a new experience each time a new game is started.”
- “The game also has an obscene amount of replayability, with 14 playable ships, 4 factions, lots of subplots, and 2 extra standalone campaigns.”
- “There are many different starships, factions, classes, and playable races to choose from when starting a new adventure in a randomly generated galaxy, all with their own unique playstyles which adds a ton of replayability.”
- “My final major criticism is the lack of replayability, which is really shocking for a game like this.”
- “It is way too repetitive, and after a while, it just becomes boring. Once you master every officer position on the ship and play them all, it becomes more of a chore, especially since $30 is too high for a game that doesn't have much replay value.”
- “No matter how they portray it, it has very little replayability.”
optimization
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
61%
11%
The game's optimization is a mixed bag, with some players experiencing smooth performance on lower-end systems while others report significant issues such as FPS drops, stuttering, and bugs, particularly in VR mode and on macOS. While the core gameplay functions well, many users note that the game still requires further optimization, especially for higher settings and larger ships. Overall, it shows promise but is hindered by performance inconsistencies typical of a beta release.
- “They have optimized the game very well, with minimal bugs and jank (except for the unsatisfying combat) and are improving quite a few features for gamers with less powerful PCs.”
- “A well optimized multiplayer spaceship crew simulation and elite-like!”
- “Performance was flawless on a system just below the recommended specs, and I was even able to run it decently on a dated laptop just above the minimum specs.”
- “The VR mode of this game is extremely poorly optimized; I have trouble running this on the lowest settings on an RTX 2080 at 90Hz.”
- “The performance of the game is absolutely terrible; you might actually experience FPS drops with a modern rig, stutters, audio glitches (like extremely loud noises or sound effects getting stuck), random crashes, UI issues, and controller binding issues.”
- “Great game, however, performance is quite poor on the big ships, especially on the interior.”
music
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
55%
10%
The music in the game has received praise for its attention to detail, with many players highlighting the excellent soundtrack by Isaac Vail and Alex Yoder, which enhances the overall atmosphere and gameplay experience. While some users appreciate the ambient music and catchy tracks, others express a desire for more variety, particularly in combat scenarios, and a few find the music somewhat generic. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong point of the game, contributing positively to its immersive qualities.
- “The attention to detail and care put into this game from the ship designs to graphics to music is all spectacular.”
- “Awesome soundtrack, art design and ambiance.”
- “Other than that though this is a solid game with excellent music and atmosphere.”
- “I turned off the music right away; it was very generic and canned.”
- “The soundtrack could be more ambient and trippy - I feel the current background music is rather bland, but I guess that's personal taste.”
- “The music has nothing on games like FTL, but again it is very good for its purpose, and I suspect they will expand the soundtrack a lot more in the future.”
grinding
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
31%
58%
Overall, reviews indicate that the game features a significant amount of grinding, often described as tedious and time-consuming, requiring players to invest considerable effort to progress. While some players appreciate the lack of traditional grind mechanics like loot boxes, they still find certain tasks, such as traveling and completing missions, to be repetitive and frustrating. However, the game is also noted for its engaging space combat and exploration elements, which can provide a more enjoyable experience when played with friends.
- “No tedious 'platforming', just content right there in your face.”
- “Oh, did I mention this game isn't grindy and doesn't expect you to devote your life to it?”
- “No loot boxes, no tedious grind to have a playable character/ship.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Too tedious for my taste, where everything is designed to be annoying and impractical for 'added challenge' (user interface, ship controls, ship layout, ship functions).”
- “These just become tedious after a time because you're literally sitting on a screen clicking buttons every 10 seconds or so.”
atmosphere
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
38%
13%
The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for its visual appeal and immersive qualities, with many players appreciating the stunning ship designs and art style. However, there are criticisms regarding the sound design, which can disrupt the atmosphere, and some players feel the game lacks a lively ambiance. Overall, while the atmosphere is considered a strong point, there are calls for improvements to enhance the overall experience.
- “The atmosphere and style are great, and the sound design is very nice.”
- “Although the graphics aren't anything special, the mechanics of the game and the atmosphere are more than enough to make you feel like you're really a vital crew member partaking in a dangerous but epic voyage through a politically and physically devastated galaxy.”
- “All in all, it's a super promising little title with great atmosphere and ambition that's just a little short on polish and content at the time of writing, but is still a blast to play.”
- “There's no buzz, or atmosphere, or feeling that this place is alive.”
- “Sound design is jarring to the point where a single jingle will blast on repeat, instantly slaughtering any suspense or atmosphere when exploring alien worlds.”
- “I feel like the game could also absolutely use some atmosphere; it always feels too quiet, and not in a good way.”
emotional
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional responses to the game are mixed, with some players expressing frustration and disappointment due to gameplay mechanics and technical issues, while others find joy and a sense of community, particularly those with a pre-existing attachment to the Star Trek universe. Overall, the game elicits strong feelings, ranging from anger and physical discomfort to nostalgia and enjoyment, depending on the player's background and expectations.
- “Fantastic game that's made me realize that an online community can be wholesome and actually fun to play with.”
- “This game made me feel as if I were really on Star Trek.”
- “Made me feel like Picard.”
monetization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
The monetization aspect of the game is positively highlighted, with users appreciating the absence of microtransactions, which contrasts with typical cash grab practices in the industry. Despite initial perceptions of it being a cash grab, players recognize the game's quality and the dedication of its small development team.
- “No microtransactions!”
- “No microtransactions. Nice.”
- “This game is a half-baked cash grab.”
- “A small team of three people for five years have made a game that many would consider a kino that otherwise would be a soulless cash grab if made by a triple-A studio.”
- “No microtransactions!!!!!!!!”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
150%
While some users criticize the basic character design and technical glitches, they emphasize that these issues are overshadowed by the engaging multiplayer experience. There is a strong desire for improved character customization and a more robust system for character development to enhance gameplay further.
- “I love how the character development system allows for deep customization and growth throughout the game.”
- “The way characters evolve based on player choices adds a layer of depth that makes each playthrough unique.”
- “The persistent character development feature really enhances the connection I feel with my character.”
- “I really would like to see a complete re-skin of player characters and also a persistent character development feature.”
- “The character development feels very basic and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
- “There are numerous glitches and a lack of polish that detract from the overall character experience.”