Star Shelter
- October 23, 2018
- Overflow
- 6h median play time
Get on Steam"Star Shelter" is a space survival game set in a procedurally generated universe. Gather resources, build and upgrade your space station, and navigate dangerous asteroid fields while fighting off alien attacks. Your goal is to survive and find a new home for humanity.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a unique and immersive zero-gravity experience, allowing players to float and maneuver through space effectively.
- The survival mechanics are engaging, requiring players to manage oxygen, food, and resources while exploring derelict ships.
- The developers are active and responsive, frequently updating the game and addressing community feedback.
- The game is plagued by bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, such as disappearing items and unresponsive controls.
- The tutorial is lacking, leaving new players confused about essential mechanics and objectives.
- The difficulty curve can be steep, with early game survival feeling punishing due to scarce resources and frequent hazards.
- gameplay106 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by solid survival mechanics, including resource gathering and oxygen management, which some players find engaging while others deem overly simplistic or frustrating due to bugs and unclear tutorials. The zero-gravity movement is praised for its immersion, but issues with grabbing objects and repetitive gameplay can detract from the experience. Overall, while the game shows potential with its core mechanics, it requires further refinement and content to enhance player engagement.
“The zero-g gameplay is strangely very fun and super immersive.”
“The movement mechanic is very intuitive and very fun - like a real astronaut, you grab handles and bars to fling yourself around, and there will be plenty of gravity-style situations where you reach out to grab a passing satellite just in time before floating into deep space.”
“The game is very playable and already has deep mechanics, which is especially rare for a VR game.”
“Constant bugs and glitches, poorly explained and executed mechanics, and a forum full of complaints about how the game runs/works.”
“You spend a while trying to keep the things alive which proves frustrating and impossible (without some abuse) due to the poor oxygen management mechanics of your station.”
“There's a lack of clarity in tutorials, there are common gameplay bugs when interacting with most things, and generally gameplay balance feels off right now.”
- graphics62 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the unique low-poly art style and immersive VR experience, while others criticize it for being basic and lacking polish, often comparing it unfavorably to higher-quality titles. Many users noted performance issues, requiring adjustments to resolution for smoother gameplay, and highlighted aesthetic inconsistencies and glitches. Overall, while the visuals contribute to the game's atmosphere, they fall short of AAA standards and leave room for improvement.
“The graphics are gorgeous, the content is continuous, you are never left with nothing left to do.”
“Graphics are nice, gameplay doesn't stutter and overall it's a pretty good game to dip your feet into VR.”
“Scalability (plenty to build), graphics (beautiful), and movement (propelling yourself off debris, and spending oxygen to guide your course) are all very well done.”
“I also could only get the game to run smoothly by setting the resolution to 20% via SteamVR, and there were next to no in-game graphics options.”
“This partially comes from it being unclear what can and cannot be grabbed due to the graphics being on par with Unturned. This game was a valiant effort to make a fun space survival game, but three years into early access, it just doesn't feel anywhere close to an experience. It feels like the game's first version came out last week, not three years ago.”
“The low-poly art style ends up looking more like a crutch than a genuine art style, as there are plenty of errors, bad geometry, and general aesthetic mismatch with other parts of the game.”
- stability46 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is plagued by numerous bugs and glitches, significantly impacting the overall experience. Players report issues ranging from non-functional mechanics and disappearing items to frustrating controls and base-building problems. While the game has potential and can be enjoyable, its current state is described as a "buggy mess," leading to a frustrating experience for many users.
“The game is buggy, starting from the statistics window not working and ending with infinite oxygen/energy in the vacuum of space.”
“But it's a buggy clusterfuck where every session shows new bugs, such as weapon addons being activatable while holstered, upgrades disappearing, or closed doors leaking air.”
“Constant bugs and glitches, poorly explained and executed mechanics, and a forum full of complaints about how the game runs/works.”
- story34 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 79 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as lacking depth and coherence, with many reviewers noting it feels like a stripped-down version of other titles, focusing more on survival and base building than narrative. While some elements, like the AI companion and mission objectives, provide a semblance of storytelling, players express a desire for a more engaging plot and additional mechanics to enhance the experience. Overall, the game is seen as needing more narrative content to drive player motivation beyond basic survival tasks.
“In a sense, this is the story of the origin, not your hapless spacefarer.”
“It's much more story driven and less survival.”
“Pros: the story flows well, and Pie is the best AI companion, even if she is a little stupid sometimes.”
“This is basically Breathedge but with a ripped-out storyline and humor, pure survival and base building.”
“I've not explored a lot in the game, but if you're seeking something with a riveting story or any sort of fast pace, you will not find it here.”
“Aside from the complete lack of story elements and VR controls not always doing what you would like (lack of button configuration/expansion), this is a phenomenal game.”
- music22 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The game features minimal music, primarily limited to a music box that plays a single track before stopping, with no ambient music present. Players can supplement the experience by playing their own music through external apps, and while the end credits song received praise, the overall musical score is considered lacking. Many reviewers suggest that the game could benefit from more ambient music to enhance the atmosphere.
“But you can play music in the background by opening YouTube or another app while in VR.”
“Definitely worth playing, just be patient with the locks and put on your favorite spacey soundtrack.”
“End credits song was amazing, and I have to look into getting a copy of it for myself.”
“There isn't music in this game besides a music box you can add as a decorative structure, and even that will stop playing music after the selected track finishes.”
“This game has no ambient music.”
“Could perhaps use some ambient music.”
- grinding16 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and unenjoyable, with players noting that it becomes excessively grindy, especially in the end game. Many feel that the resource management and inventory limitations exacerbate the frustration, making the overall experience feel more like a chore than fun. Despite some interesting concepts, the lack of engaging mechanics to alleviate the grind has left players feeling disappointed.
“It's incredibly tedious and not in a fun way.”
“The end game can get grindy if you have to find these beacons once your base is at the point that you need them.”
“If it were not as infuriating, annoying, and grindy with no options for it, I'd still recommend it.”
- atmosphere14 mentions
- 86 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and relaxing qualities, enhanced by polished visuals and atmospheric sound design. Reviewers highlight the engaging controls and artistic style, noting that the experience is more captivating than the initial trailer suggests. Overall, the game successfully balances tension and tranquility, creating a compelling environment for players.
“It's atmospheric and relaxing with just enough occasional tension to keep things interesting.”
“Most importantly, it's very atmospheric, is super immersive, and does UI right.”
“It gives a very good first impression, with the polish of the visuals, the atmospheric sound, and the great zero gravity locomotion.”
- optimization8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with some users struggling to achieve smooth performance, particularly on Windows Mixed Reality, requiring significant resolution reductions to 20% via SteamVR. Additionally, the lack of in-game graphics options limits customization, impacting overall gameplay experience.
“Second: graphics and performance is quite nice.”
“I also could only get the game to run smoothly by setting the resolution to 20% via SteamVR, and there were next to no in-game graphics options.”
“I'm playing on Windows MR and it is definitely not optimized for that, because I have to watch each hand grip or release surfaces in order to move properly, and when I do that I lose track of where I'm going.”
- replayability8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game offers exceptional replayability, featuring a randomized environment that encourages varied playstyles, such as building or speedrunning. Users highlight its infinite replay value and recommend it for fans of survival games, particularly in the VR space.
“Still one of the best games on VR, with excellent replay value.”
“Very replayable, play differently, build big or speed run it.”
“I enjoyed it, and would recommend it to anyone into survival games that is looking for something with full hand tracking and a randomized environment for replayability.”
“Infinite replay value.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted as a key feature, with comparisons made to "Breathedge" for its comedic approach to survival and base building. While it may lack a deep storyline, players find it to be a funny and entertaining experience, especially for a VR title in the survival genre. Overall, the game is appreciated for its lightheartedness and humor, despite some imperfections.
“This is basically Breathedge but with a ripped-out storyline and humor, pure survival and base building.”
“For non-VR Hellion (more serious and technical hardcore, abandoned now but still an interesting and unique game as is), Breathedge seems to have been updated at last for a simpler and very humorous attempt.”
“First game in VR which tries the survival genre, and even though it's not perfect, it's a funny game.”
- emotional6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed, with players expressing frustration over the imprecise mechanics of item interaction, which detracts from immersion. However, the overall design and immersive experience evoke a sense of engagement, reminiscent of popular titles like Subnautica, enhancing the emotional connection to the gameplay despite the technical annoyances.
