Shining Song Starnova: Idol Empire
- February 20, 2020
- Love in Space
- 24h median play time
Get on Steam"Shining Song Starnova: Idol Empire" is a visual novel game where players help a group of idols achieve stardom. The game features a mix of drama, romance, and comedy, as players manage the idols' careers and personal lives. With a variety of choices to make and branching storylines, players will need to navigate the highs and lows of the entertainment industry to lead their idols to success.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Engaging gameplay that combines rhythm mechanics with strategic management, providing a unique experience in the idol simulation genre.
- Charming visuals and character designs that capture the essence of idol culture, along with a vibrant soundtrack that enhances the overall atmosphere.
- The game features a well-developed story mode with character depth and branching narratives, making players feel connected to the idols they manage.
- The game can become repetitive and overwhelming due to heavy micromanagement, especially as the number of idols increases.
- Technical issues such as minor bugs and pop-up notifications can obstruct gameplay, leading to frustration.
- Newcomers to management games may find the learning curve steep, making it difficult to fully enjoy the experience without prior knowledge.
- music60 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The music in "Shining Song Starnova: Idol Empire" is a blend of catchy pop tunes and contemplative melodies that enhance the game's immersive idol management experience. While the soundtrack features some enjoyable tracks, including a triumphant main theme, many players noted that the instrumental music can become repetitive over time, and the absence of vocal tracks from the original visual novel is felt. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's atmosphere, though it may not fully satisfy those seeking a diverse auditory experience.
“The soundtrack is a melodic journey through the highs and lows of the idol experience.”
“From catchy pop tunes during performances to more contemplative melodies during managerial decisions, the music enhances the immersive experience.”
“It is too bad the game couldn't have the great vocal music from the visual novel - that would have made for a much better experience.”
“The music is mostly re-used from the original visual novel, but a few tracks have been given lyricless reprisals.”
“The most common music you'll be hearing is some generic-sounding background noise for most activities in the game, the main theme which is a triumphant-sounding blend of J-pop and J-rock, and the rival theme, which has a more electronic J-pop feeling.”
- story58 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's story features engaging character development and branching narratives that enhance player immersion, particularly in the story mode, which is praised for its charm and depth, albeit not as extensive as the original visual novel. Players appreciate the fully voiced content and the blend of anime and chibi art styles, while the various gameplay modes provide a mix of challenges and free play, allowing for a rich experience. Overall, the story is well-received, with many recommending it for fans of the genre and those who enjoyed the visual novel.
“The character development and branching storylines add a layer of immersion, giving players a sense of connection to the idols they're nurturing towards stardom.”
“As it was in the visual novel, the story is great, with intrigue, great humor, drama, and more.”
“You can't go wrong with the story here, especially because, as said before, it's fully voiced, which adds another layer to the game.”
“Of course, the story is nowhere near as in-depth as the visual novel, but it was still interesting and fun to play.”
“This game, being a business management game and not a visual novel, doesn't explain who these girls are or what their story is, making it feel disconnected.”
“Its a solid business tycoon game, I just wish it was incorporated into the visual novel so that the story and gameplay would tie in with each other.”
- gameplay40 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Idol Empire" is characterized by a unique blend of rhythm mechanics and managerial strategy, offering an engaging experience for fans of both genres. While many players appreciate the intuitive controls and charming visuals, some find the gameplay to be overly complicated and repetitive, with certain mechanics feeling broken. Overall, the game is praised for its depth and narrative, though it may present a steep learning curve for some players.
“With a harmonious blend of rhythm gameplay and managerial strategy, this title brings a fresh perspective to the idol simulation genre.”
“Gameplay in Idol Empire is a balanced mix of rhythm game mechanics and strategic decision-making.”
“Its engaging gameplay, charming visuals, and narrative depth make it a worthwhile experience for fans of both rhythm games and management simulations.”
“Frankly, I found the gameplay to be difficult and I'm only playing on normal difficulty.”
“After 7 hours, I can say this is too repetitive and too complicated; I would even say that some mechanics are totally broken.”
“So on top of all of your other micromanagement, you need to worry about mechanics like that which contribute nothing to the game, aren't readily apparent, and need manually adjusting every couple of minutes.”
- optimization14 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game is criticized for its frustrating live performance mechanics, where even high stats and perfect performances can lead to disastrous outcomes, such as a low hypometer score and increased infamy. Players note that difficulty adjustments do not impact achievements, and the game's performance requirements seem inconsistent, making it challenging to succeed despite investing significant resources. Overall, the experience can feel unbalanced and punishing, detracting from the otherwise engaging gameplay.
“Tip #5: Speaking of lives, holding a blowout performance (performing a song without letting any bubbles hit the stage) will 'revive' that song if it's an old one, causing it to once again generate sales.”
“I can confirm that changing the difficulty of live performances has no bearing on achievements unless specifically stated in the requirements.”
“Even with high stats and S/SS rank songs, live performances are a pure pain and the 'hypometer' stays at 0 even though I spent 100,000 credits to make sure not a single bubble gets popped.”
“I can confirm that changing the difficulty of live performances has no bearing on achievements unless specifically stated in the requirements (and I'm pretty sure there aren't in this game that require you to play on a specific difficulty).”
“One mode has a story and twenty individual varied challenges, one mode is basically a free play mode, one where you have to win an increasingly difficult idol performance challenge every ten in-game days, and one where the idols grow older and can retire and be replaced.”
- graphics12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Idol Empire" are characterized by a vibrant, anime-inspired art style that effectively captures the lively essence of idol culture. While many players appreciate the charming visuals and emotive character sprites, some critique the art as somewhat outdated and note minor graphical bugs. Overall, the visuals contribute positively to the game's engaging atmosphere, making it a solid experience for fans of the genre.
“Visually, Idol Empire adopts a vibrant and anime-inspired art style that captures the essence of the idol culture.”
“The visuals contribute to the overall lively and dynamic atmosphere of the idol industry.”
“The graphics are cutesy and serviceable; the sprites have that amazing 'Love in Space' style we all know and love, featuring really emotive faces and high-quality expressions.”
“I think the art style is a bit ugly/outdated, and there are some minor graphics bugs.”
“The graphics are cutesy and serviceable, but they feel a bit lacking in depth and detail.”
“The art style is charming, but it doesn't quite hold up against more modern games.”
- humor8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its wit and charm, with players enjoying the engaging writing and fourth wall-breaking moments. The blend of humor with intriguing storytelling and character management adds depth to the gameplay, making it a standout experience in the idol game genre. Despite some minor criticisms regarding stat-building and graphics, the overall comedic elements contribute significantly to the game's appeal.
“This is probably the most well-rounded idol game I've played; I like the room building and decorating, I like that you can shoot MVs and sell merch, I like how the live shows are interactive, I like how the idols have unique personality traits that require different management responses, the writing is generally enjoyable and funny. I think the stat-building is kind of annoying and can get a bit overwhelming (in a frustrating way), the art style is a bit ugly/outdated, and there are some minor graphics bugs, but overall it's a really good idol game and I'd love to see a sequel!”
“As it was in the visual novel, the story is great, with intrigue, great humor, drama, and more.”
“Great writing, music, cute characters, fourth wall breaking humor (p-kun is everywhere!), all wrapped up in a fun resource management game.”
- character development4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is praised for its charming designs and detailed customization options, which enhance player immersion and personalization. The branching storylines foster a strong connection between players and the idols they guide towards success, enriching the overall experience.
“The character designs are charming, and the attention to detail in both the idols and the customizable elements of your agency adds a layer of personalization to the game.”
“The character development and branching storylines add a layer of immersion, giving players a sense of connection to the idols they're nurturing towards stardom.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is characterized by vibrant and dynamic visuals that effectively capture the essence of the idol industry, creating an engaging and lively experience for players.
“The visuals contribute to the overall lively and dynamic atmosphere of the idol industry.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players note that having prior experience with the related visual novel enhances emotional connections to the idols, but the game still offers a fulfilling emotional experience for newcomers.
“It helps to have played the related visual novel for emotional connections to the idols, but it's still a good experience for people who haven't.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game experiences some stability issues, including glitches and repetitive gameplay after a few hours, but overall, players still find it enjoyable and are eager for more content.
“Once you get a few hours into the game, it becomes a bit repetitive and there are several glitches.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and frustrating due to frequent negative events that disrupt gameplay, leading to a less enjoyable experience.
“Too many bad events happening that make this game very tedious and annoying to play through.”
