Star Nomad
- December 29, 2014
- Huy Phan
- 3h median play time
Get on Steam"Star Nomad" is an arcade-style spacesim that pays homage to classic games like Elite and Freelancer. With a simplified interface, players can choose their own playstyle as a trader, mercenary, miner, or pirate, upgrading their ship and engaging in epic fleet battles. Your actions determine your standing with various factions in the Wildlands Sector.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a simple yet enjoyable experience, reminiscent of classic space trading games, making it accessible for casual play.
- For its low price, many players find it to be a good value, providing hours of entertainment despite its simplicity.
- The developer is responsive and actively engages with the community, showing commitment to improving the game and supporting players.
- The game suffers from poor graphics and controls, often feeling like a low-effort mobile port rather than a polished PC title.
- Gameplay can be repetitive and grindy, with a lack of depth in mechanics and limited options for customization or strategic play.
- Combat is frustratingly unbalanced, with players often losing progress due to harsh penalties and a lack of save options, leading to a tedious experience.
- story25 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as having potential but is often overshadowed by tedious gameplay mechanics and repetitive missions. While some players find enjoyment in the narrative and appreciate the perspective offered through text messages, many criticize the slow progression and frustrating combat that detracts from the overall experience. Ultimately, the story may be engaging for those willing to endure the grind, but it struggles to captivate players right from the start.
“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.”
“Starting the game can be quite hard as you must avoid all pirates, but as the game goes on, it becomes more and more fun as you battle through the story.”
“It's a fun simple space adventure with a relatively entertaining story behind it.”
“The game could have been salvageable by being very atmospheric or having something hooking you plot-wise right away, but this game is not that either.”
“You need money to buy expensive ships and weapons to do story missions, but the only way to get it reliably is by mining asteroids and trading, which have about the same degree of complexity and player's involvement as cookie clicker.”
“The story cannot compensate for any of the messy combat in the game, so if you decide to try this game, make sure you are a sucker for punishment; otherwise, it will be boring.”
- gameplay9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a mix of simplicity and variety, appealing to fans of retro-style 2D space shooters, though some players find the mechanics lacking depth and the controls poor. While the game offers a wide range of ships, weapons, and mods, its straightforward mechanics may not satisfy everyone, making it a casual option for short play sessions. Overall, it is seen as intuitive and worth the price, especially for those who appreciate its casual nature.
“So is 'transcendence'... tons of ships/weapons/mods, almost infinite variety to be had, great gameplay, and is also totally free (though there is a purely optional pay-for premium version).”
“Though this game might not be for everyone, if you're into retro style 2D space shooters with simple mechanics, and are willing to rise up to the challenge of restoring peace to the universe (or not), then pick it up and give it a go.”
“I only played for 3 hours so far but I think I understand most of the game mechanics; it's a simple yet intuitive gameplay and for its price, trust me it's worth more than what I paid for.”
“Not a lot of depth in the mechanics.”
“Gameplay controls 2/10 - very poor minimal controls.”
“Just that the gameplay feels a little simplistic (which can be a + or a - depending on your view); mind you, a lot of other games of this genre also feel simplistic.”
- graphics7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have been widely criticized for their simplistic and low-quality 2D design, reminiscent of outdated flash games, which fails to meet the expectations of PC gamers. Despite some praise for the artwork, particularly in character design, the overall visual presentation is considered cheap and lacking in depth, with no options for resolution or graphics customization. Many reviewers feel that the game falls short in comparison to its predecessors, offering fewer visual and gameplay elements.
“There's not that many ships, weapons, upgrades, etc., but the artwork is very well drawn. The developer is very talented at drawing, especially drawing cute characters!”
“First, the graphics and simple gameplay made me buy it, seeing a casual space roam to play in my short work breaks.”
“There's no option to change the resolution and no useful graphics tweaks.”
“The mobile app features somewhat lazy, simplistic 2D graphics, of the type you normally expect to see in low-effort Flash/browser games and mobile apps.”
“Considering this is being evaluated as a PC game, having the graphics phoned in like this isn't going to result in a high quality, visually impressive game that PC gamers are used to seeing.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, noting that the slow travel times and repetitive fetch quests detract from the experience. The necessity to engage in constant trading to progress further emphasizes the grindy nature of gameplay, leading to frustration among users.
“It was rather tedious that none of the higher-level ships were very fast, and the quests tended to send you back and forth across the whole system.”
“Between restocking weapons and the slow, grindy travel time, the only way to actually play is to trade, trade, and trade.”
“Cut and paste from iTunes, complete with spelling mistakes, grinding, and pointless fetch quests.”
- music3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The music in Star Nomad is generally considered pleasant and relaxing, providing a decent backdrop for gameplay. However, some users feel it may become repetitive over time, serving primarily as a distraction rather than a standout feature.
“I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
“Star Nomad is not atrocious and could be an okay distraction if you're listening to music or thinking about something.”
“Star Nomad is not atrocious and could be an okay distraction if you're listening to music or thinking about something, but that's about it.”
“The music is alright, but it may wear on you.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization of "Star Nomad" has been criticized as a cash grab, with users noting that it feels like a mobile app poorly ported to PC. The game is seen as a product of greedy developers, offering a subpar experience that is better suited for mobile platforms.
“Star Nomad is a mobile app that's been dumped on Steam as if it were a real PC game. It's a cash grab from greedy mobile developers. This mobile app is published as 'Star Nomad Elite (Oreo+)' on the app stores, in case you want to have a bad time on your mobile phone instead of having a bad time on PC.”
“The monetization in this game feels exploitative, with constant prompts to spend money on features that should be included in the base game.”
“It's frustrating to see a game that could be enjoyable turned into a money-making scheme, with paywalls blocking access to content that should be available to all players.”
- stability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game "Endless Sky" is noted for its technical simplicity and strong stability, operating bug-free and providing a reliable experience for players.
“The game runs smoothly without any crashes or bugs, providing a seamless experience.”
“I appreciate how stable the gameplay is; it never lags or freezes, allowing me to fully immerse myself.”
“The developers have done a fantastic job ensuring that the game is bug-free and runs flawlessly.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is consistently praised, with users finding it genuinely funny and enjoyable.
“The humor in this game is absolutely hilarious!”
“I couldn't stop laughing at the witty dialogue and clever jokes.”
“The comedic timing of the characters is spot on and adds so much to the experience.”
