December 23, 2019
Fred Wood

Pulstario

Pulstario is another frustrating arcade experience that has just enough to offer to make it something that sets itself apart. Between the killer soundtrack and accessibility options, I found myself not able to put it down until I had beaten its 30-minute campaign.

85%Game Brain Score

emotional, music

gameplay

100% User Score Based on 39 reviews

Critic Score 70%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

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About

Pulstario is a single player arcade platformer game. It was developed by Fred Wood and was released on December 23, 2019. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"Pulstario is a challenging, short-duration game where you navigate a ship through 11 levels to collect missing souls. Gameplay is described as a mix of 'Wobbly Free Range Pac-Man', 'Lunar Lander - Without the landing', 'Asteroids with gravity', and 'Luftrausers for Pacifists'. Features include 14 achievements, 14 unlockable ship skins, and native Xinput Controller Support. Modes include Unlimited, Arcade, and Challenge."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

100%

Audience ScoreBased on 39 reviews

emotional2 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game offers a good challenge with simple and intuitive controls, making it fun and addictive.
It provides great value for money, with multiple modes and achievements that encourage replayability.
The physics and gameplay mechanics are well-designed, allowing for a satisfying self-improvement experience.

The game can be deceivingly difficult, especially for new players who may struggle with the controls.
Some players feel that the endless lives mode diminishes the challenge and fun over time.
There is a lack of clarity regarding the requirements for unlocking secret levels, which can be frustrating.

gameplay
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
50%
30%
The gameplay is characterized by excellent twitch mechanics and a fair physics system that may require some adjustment. It draws on familiar elements from the developer's previous work, offering a polished experience that is both enjoyable and challenging to master. Players who appreciate innovative gameplay or similar styles will find it a worthwhile endeavor.
- “Excellent twitch gameplay - the physics take a bit of getting used to, but it always feels like the game is being fair.”
- “It has clear love and kuso vibes, coming from the same developer, and is structurally similar with its modes, slowdown mechanic, and a few familiar level elements.”
- “I've seen this gameplay concept before, though the way this game and its beta handled movement in such a tight-twitch way caught my attention and made the experience enjoyable to try and master.”
- “Pulstario itself brought far more polish and gameplay out of its beta, and is legitimately a good deal for what it's worth; I'd have paid 3-5x more for something like this!”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of Pulstario is not explicitly addressed in the reviews, as they primarily focus on gameplay mechanics like ship rotation and gravity effects. However, the challenge of navigating through walls may evoke feelings of tension and excitement for players. Overall, the emotional experience seems to stem from the intensity of the gameplay rather than narrative or character-driven elements.
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is highly praised for its great soundtrack, which enhances the overall experience and complements the smooth and satisfying controls.
- “It has very smooth and satisfying controls, stuff to collect/unlock, and a great soundtrack.”