Star Raiders
- May 10, 2011
- Incinerator Studios
Star Raiders is now 30 years old and it's certainly showing its age. There's very little action, variety or enjoyment on offer here. With so many more great retro remakes available, this is probably best avoided.
Get on Steam"Star Raiders" is a space combat game where players defend humanity from the Zylon fleet in epic dogfights and aerial assaults. Transform your ship for different combat configurations and utilize tactical robot co-pilots in the heat of battle. Explore the galaxy through galactic warps and sector tactical maps while saving humanity from the Zylon threat.
PC
Windows
PlayStation
Playstation 3
Xbox
Xbox 360
Reviews
- The graphics are decent for an 8-year-old game, providing some visual appeal.
- The game offers a few hours of mindless, uncomplicated spaceship combat, making it suitable for casual play.
- Some players appreciate the new abilities and mission-based structure, finding it adds variety to the gameplay.
- The controls are horrendous, with many players unable to effectively use their preferred input devices, leading to a frustrating experience.
- The game fails to capture the essence of the original Star Raiders, feeling more like a low-budget cash grab than a worthy remake.
- Many reviews highlight the lack of engaging gameplay, with repetitive missions and unintelligent enemy AI contributing to a sense of boredom.
- gameplay16 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many reviewers expressing disappointment in its lack of strategy and solid mechanics compared to classic titles like Star Raiders and Colony Wars. While some appreciate the attempt to retain key aspects of the original, the overall consensus is that the gameplay feels inferior and unoriginal, leading to a poor gaming experience.
“I love how different this is from the original Star Raiders, while still retaining key aspects of the original gameplay.”
“Not only is the gameplay good, but the graphics aren't bad either!”
“Heck, even Star Raiders II had better gameplay than this travesty.”
“I was hoping for a fun reminder of what Star Raiders was like on an Atari 800, but this just doesn't have the feel or solid gameplay that made the original game unforgettable.”
“This game is more of a ripoff version of Psygnosis' Colony Wars due to similarities in the spaceflight mechanics and mission objectives.”
“Overall gameplay terrible - 2/10”
- story15 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The game's story is primarily mission-based, featuring cutscenes that provide context and depth, connecting it to its predecessor. However, many players find the narrative dull and repetitive, with little variety in missions and uninspired enemy design. While the transformation mechanics of the fighter add some interest, the overall execution of the story leaves much to be desired.
“I like that the cutscenes add a bit of depth to the story, and explain what's happening and why, and how it's connected to the original.”
“Now it has a story, it's mission-based, the fighter can transform into different modes and there are cutscenes.”
“I don't mind that it's mission-based because all the missions are at different locations with different scenery, terrain, and things you have to get done.”
“This game is more of a ripoff version of Psygnosis' Colony Wars due to similarities in the spaceflight mechanics and mission objectives.”
“Story... what?!”
“[Dull, boring, and repetitive. The story is tedious with very little variety between missions. There's very little difference between the weapons, and the enemies are just plain stupid. Controls are horrible, and the mission overview text is too small.]”
- graphics8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The graphics are generally considered decent for an 8-year-old game, with some reviewers noting that they are acceptable but uninspired. While not groundbreaking, the visuals complement the gameplay adequately. Overall, the graphics receive a mixed but mostly positive reception.
“The graphics are good for a game that is 8 years old.”
“Not only is the gameplay good, but the graphics aren't bad either!”
“Graphics are okay, if rather uninspired.”
“Basics: graphics are just okay.”
- music4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The reviews for the music aspect are highly polarized, with some users rating it as a perfect 10 out of 10, while others find it to be terrible, giving it a score of 1 out of 10. This stark contrast indicates a significant divide in player opinions regarding the game's music quality.
“All this and the music is a 10 out of 10.”
“Music and sound is awful - 1/10”
“Music and sound is awful - 1/10”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game is widely criticized as a low-budget cash grab, indicating a lack of value and effort in its financial model.
“Low budget cash grab.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is overwhelmingly negative, with multiple users expressing strong disapproval and advising others to avoid it entirely.
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be dull and repetitive, with a tedious story and minimal variety in missions. The lack of differentiation between weapons and the simplistic enemy AI further contribute to the overall boredom, compounded by poor controls and small mission overview text.
“Grinding is dull, boring, and repetitive. The story is tedious with very little variety between missions.”
“There's very little difference between the weapons, and the enemies are just plain stupid.”
“The controls are horrible, and the mission overview text is too small.”
