Pulstar
- June 11, 2014
- Concave Studio
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam"Pulstar" is a Science Fiction Shooter game, offering both single-player and local multi-player modes for up to 2 players in split screen. The gameplay is reminiscent of R-Type, with the addition of a unique power bar mechanism for charged or rapid-fire attacks. Impressive pre-rendered 3D graphics enhance the immersive in-game world, providing a visually engaging experience.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- The game features beautiful graphics and a vibrant art style that enhances the overall experience.
- It's an addictive twin-stick shooter that is easy to learn but hard to master, making it enjoyable for both casual and competitive players.
- The game offers a quick gameplay experience, perfect for short gaming sessions, and has a local multiplayer option.
- The gameplay can become repetitive quickly due to a lack of variety in enemies and levels, with only three enemy types and one stage.
- Controls can feel clunky and imprecise, making it difficult to navigate and avoid enemies effectively.
- The game suffers from poor visibility, as enemies often blend into the background, making it challenging to track them during intense moments.
- graphics22 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the fluidity and vibrant art style, while others criticize the visuals for being bland, overly saturated, and difficult to navigate during intense gameplay. Many players find the graphics either enhance the experience or detract from it, particularly when distinguishing between enemies and power-ups becomes challenging. Overall, the game's visual presentation is seen as a double-edged sword, contributing to both its appeal and its frustrations.
“Graphics: visuals are very fluid, and the game has a nice ambience.”
“Art style is eye-catching, and the gameplay is rather slick, I would say.”
“Overall, this game mixes phenomenal lighting, graphics, and difficulty into one of the most addicting arcade-like shooters to date.”
“Basic shmup which suffers from bland gameplay and poor visuals.”
“Lazy pixel-like graphics and garish neon lighting accompany you as you fight waves of samey boring enemies endlessly.”
“In the advanced wave stages, it becomes unnecessarily difficult to identify enemy elements due to the overdone graphics saturation.”
- gameplay19 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding it chaotic and repetitive, leading to quick burnout, while others appreciate the smooth mechanics and intense challenge it offers, particularly in multiplayer settings. The reliance on RNG elements for enemy and power-up spawning adds unpredictability, which can be both a draw and a detractor. Overall, while the gameplay is engaging for some, it lacks depth and variety, leaving it feeling somewhat bland and unremarkable for others.
“Smooth mechanics, multiplayer, stays very focused.”
“Playing this game for points, different strategies in movement and shooting produce different results providing a mixture of gameplay routes.”
“What the game lacks in length, it makes up for in no nonsense twin-stick shooter gameplay.”
“Basic shmup which suffers from bland gameplay and poor visuals.”
“This kind of gameplay gets boring very quickly and only rewards those who have the patience to keep circling around.”
“Most of the gameplay is just dull.”
- music11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally appreciated for its beauty and strong background presence, but many users find it repetitive and lacking in variety, leading some to prefer their own playlists. While the soundtrack is deemed decent, it doesn't stand out significantly, and the sound effects are often described as light and unremarkable. Overall, the music enhances the experience but could benefit from more diversity to maintain engagement.
“I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
“The music in Pulstar is absolutely beautiful.”
“The background music is very strong, but the sound effects are very light and almost fragile sounding.”
“One or two short music tracks loop, that's it.”
“The soundtrack is simple and is not something to write home about, but it gets the job done.”
“The sounds are piercing and unpleasant; the music is awful on top of that.”
- story8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game's story is minimal and serves primarily as background lore, with some humorous references that add charm. While some players appreciate the lighthearted approach, others find the narrative lacking depth and coherence, feeling that it doesn't significantly enhance the gameplay experience. Overall, the story is seen as a secondary element, with a few wishing for a more developed narrative.
“Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
“I wish there was a story mode, but I am content with what there is.”
“The story is almost obsolete; being the arcade game it is, it really doesn't need one.”
“You're supposed to be saving this dying star or something, but nothing seems to try and attack it; they just go after you. The whole story is nonsense.”
“What is there in the story is basic background to why you are playing this game lore-wise, as well as the funniest opening line ever by referencing Star Wars in a Family Guy style manner.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is largely dependent on its competitive elements, such as online rankings and personal best tracking, which appeal to players seeking challenges. However, many users find the game becomes monotonous quickly, particularly for those who are not competitive, resulting in low overall replay value.
“Pulstar's replayability stems from the single and multiplayer world ranking that it offers.”
“Simple power-up and bonus system and the online ranking and personal best tracking encourages replayability.”
“The game gets difficult quickly and soon becomes extremely boring; the replayability for such a one-dimensional game is next to none.”
“This game does not have replay value for non-competitive people.”
“Replay value - 5/10”
