Starbase
- July 29, 2021
- Frozenbyte
- 86h median play time
"Starbase" is a science fiction open-world game in early access that combines single-player, co-op, and massively multiplayer options with a focus on building, designing, and battling in space. Its destructible environment and hybrid voxel/vertex mechanics allow for detailed simulations and creativity, but expect some bugs and grinding. The game includes impressive graphics, exceptional music, and a full roadmap of upcoming features.
Reviews
- The game has huge potential and offers one of the best ship-building systems in any game.
- Complex mechanics allow for deep customization and creativity in ship design.
- The community is supportive and helpful, making it easier for new players to learn the game.
- The game is still very buggy and lacks sufficient content, making it feel empty.
- The tutorial is poorly designed and does not adequately prepare players for the game.
- The player base has dwindled significantly, leading to a lack of meaningful interactions and gameplay.
- gameplay635 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Starbase is characterized by a complex mix of ship-building mechanics and resource gathering, primarily revolving around mining asteroids to acquire materials for crafting and upgrading ships. While the game offers deep mechanics and potential for emergent gameplay, many players find the current gameplay loop repetitive and tedious, often reduced to mining and building without meaningful objectives or engaging content. Additionally, the lack of effective tutorials and numerous bugs hinder the overall experience, leading to frustration among players who struggle to navigate the intricate systems.
“The game, at its core, revolves around the experience of flying through space, a gameplay element that, if not handled with care, can lead to monotony.”
“The deep ship building mechanics/system has so much potential it has me drooling.”
“The mechanics of this game are great, but the actual gameplay is slow and tedious.”
“While in line with other ship-design mechanics, it solves none of the existing issues and is, in my opinion, a complete waste of development time.”
“It is an unbelievable shame that they have created all these intricate systems that are made so difficult to enjoy, because not only does one need to read up and learn the mechanics, one also needs to invest an absurd amount of time grinding just to play with them.”
“The gameplay currently consists of flying out, gathering ores to either craft with or sell to upgrade/purchase a ship, look at the wiki, rinse & repeat.”
- stability472 mentions
- 3 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 97 % negative mentions
The stability of the game is widely criticized, with players reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and crashes that significantly hinder gameplay. Many reviews describe the game as a "buggy mess," particularly in its ship-building mechanics and tutorials, leading to frustration and a lack of enjoyment. While some players acknowledge the game's potential and the developers' efforts to address issues, the consensus is that it remains too unstable for a satisfying experience at this time.
“It runs great, looks good, and the foundation/mechanics are solid.”
“Not too buggy, and regular updates generally fix the bugs that are there.”
“Although not bug free, the last few days of patches have made a huge difference.”
“Launched a buggy mess with practically no gameplay content, remained that way for a year, missed every update deadline announced, and is now maintained by at most a couple of developers (down from over 100) working part-time.”
“The countless game-breaking bugs and system freezes put me in a state of waiting till the game was fixed.”
“This is a buggy unplayable mess in its current state.”
- grinding250 mentions
- 1 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 99 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight that the game is excessively grindy, with many players expressing frustration over the time-consuming resource gathering and crafting processes. While some appreciate the complexity and potential for shipbuilding, the overwhelming amount of grinding required to progress often leads to a tedious and unengaging experience. Overall, the consensus suggests that the game could benefit from a more balanced approach to grinding, as it currently feels like a chore rather than an enjoyable gameplay element.
“Elite is slightly better in many ways, and there's no grinding involved.”
“It can be a bit grindy sometimes.”
“It is an unbelievable shame that they have created all these intricate systems that are made so difficult to enjoy, because not only does one need to read up and learn the mechanics, one also needs to invest an absurd amount of time grinding just to play with them.”
“There's no story, barely any mechanics, and no objectives to complete beyond grinding in an empty open world with the depth of a puddle.”
“The game is very grindy, which I don't mind, but the biggest issue is the tutorials where bad and broken, the 'easy build mode feature' is not ready at all; it has a ton of bugs, missing modules, snapping not working, rotation not working, etc.”
- story114 mentions
- 7 % positive mentions
- 78 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its absence, with many players noting that it lacks a coherent narrative, missions, or engaging content, leaving the gameplay feeling hollow and repetitive. While some appreciate the sandbox nature that allows for player-driven storytelling, the overwhelming sentiment is that the game needs more structured objectives, NPC interactions, and a compelling storyline to enhance the experience. Overall, the current state is seen as a missed opportunity, with players expressing hope for future updates that could introduce meaningful content.
“The story that you are a robot that is a part of a whole community of robots is very refreshing as a basic story.”
“Very open world with the ability to build your own designs and form your own story.”
“This created a whole story out in a sandbox game.”
“There's no story, barely any mechanics, and no objectives to complete beyond grinding in an empty open world with the depth of a puddle.”
“Literally no story, missions or any content of substance to bite into, leaving the gameplay severely hollow and pointless...”
“If you are looking for something with a storyline or a series of quests, this isn't it.”
- graphics111 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with many players praising the stunning visuals and detailed environments, particularly in ship design and destruction mechanics. However, some users report performance issues, including lag and crashes, especially on lower-end systems, and inconsistencies in graphical quality. Overall, while the game showcases impressive graphics, it also suffers from optimization problems that detract from the experience.
“A complex building system with structural integrity, electrical and propellant systems and even a custom programming language to bring your creations to life; wonderful voxel-based destruction system, present throughout the whole game, be it your ships, stations or asteroids; genuinely great graphics with beautiful sights that can make your day.”
“The visuals are outstanding, the character design and animations are quirky and entertaining, ship flight is intriguing and feels great, and I could see myself sinking countless hours trying to learn the building system.”
“The graphics are very good, the music is good, and the game itself has a lot going for it if they stay the course.”
“The game is horrible, it looks and feels empty, the graphics are bleh, nothing to see, just that blue haze when you're in space.”
“Extremely laggy for low-end gaming PCs; the graphics are too high because of the lights of the stations.”
“The game is currently incredibly unoptimized; meaning crashes every session and large stutters even on the lowest graphic settings.”
- optimization91 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
Overall, the optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, bugs, and crashes, particularly on lower-end hardware. While some users have noted improvements and decent performance on higher-end systems, the consensus is that the game still requires substantial optimization to reach its full potential. Many players express hope for future updates to address these issues, but current experiences vary widely, with some finding it nearly unplayable.
“The optimization of the game is incredible and the mechanics are solid.”
“They have a well-optimized graphics, MMO servers that handle heavy user load fine, and a building system that will make you think Empyrion had a baby with Kerbal.”
“Even when there are many ships and players, the performance is pretty good.”
“This game could have been legendary, like the definitive space engineers MMO; it had so much potential. Unfortunately, because of the massive quantity of bugs, performance problems, and other issues, this game never went too far and died fairly quickly after the early access release.”
“The minimum specs are extraordinarily high; the performance and input lag are shocking compared to games of similar graphical complexity.”
“Currently, it's very raw, unoptimized, and hardly playable.”
- music35 mentions
- 66 % positive mentions
- 26 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its grand and immersive quality, effectively enhancing the vastness of the game world. Composed by Marcus Warner, the soundtrack is described as brilliant and fitting, contributing significantly to the overall atmosphere and enjoyment of gameplay. While some players noted occasional repetitiveness, the majority found the music to be a standout feature that elevates the experience, making it a key reason to recommend the game.
“The sheer grandness and wonder that the music provides to the game fits it perfectly and really encapsulates the vast world that you are in.”
“The soundtrack for the game seems to be aiming clearly at communicating the grand scope of both the game world and its ambitions, and it generally succeeds.”
“This game has some very very good and fitting music which really helps capture the size of the game, a lot of different soundtracks as well.”
“Learning curve is steep, nothing is properly explained (no tooltip), very buggy, music is repetitive, graphics are subpar.”
“You might want to have some podcasts/music in the background playing this.”
“No seriously, put on some music or a book or something, especially with the beginner's ship you're gonna be slow af lol.”
- humor27 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is largely derived from its chaotic and often glitchy mechanics, leading to unexpected and amusing situations, such as ships malfunctioning or players experiencing the absurdity of their creations. Players find joy in the shared experiences of failure and the camaraderie that arises from navigating the game's bugs, with many recounting funny stories about their misadventures. Overall, while the game has its frustrations, the lightheartedness and humor in player interactions and unexpected outcomes provide a comedic backdrop to the gameplay.
“One of the funny things is you can rebuild or rewire ships in space with hand tools. Rebuilding a ship to make it back home really is the peak experience.”
“I've already got a bunch of funny stories to tell about crashing into asteroids, rewiring my entire ship, running out of fuel, helping out other stranded players, and discovering the limits of the game with my crew.”
“The player interaction is hilarious and loads of fun.”
- monetization21 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 5 % neutral mentions
- 95 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has been heavily criticized, with many users labeling it as a "cash grab" that lacks proper development and support. Players express frustration over the game's rushed release and inadequate advertising, which has hindered its growth and player engagement. Overall, the sentiment suggests that the game prioritizes short-term profits over delivering a polished and complete experience, leading to disappointment among the community.
“This was just a quick cash grab game that is dead now.”
“What seems like a great platform is in reality a rushed out cash grab.”
“It was a cash grab up front with never any thoughts about actually finishing it.”
- replayability14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is currently hindered by significant bugs and issues, leading some users to recommend waiting for future updates before diving in. However, there are positive notes about its potential for infinite replayability once these problems are resolved, with some players expressing satisfaction with their experience despite the current state. Overall, while the foundation for replayability exists, many advise caution until the game becomes more stable.
“✅ infinitely replayable”
“I give this a thumbs up, because what they have delivered on I have most certainly gotten my money's worth out of the game as is.”
“It is a lot more playable now!”
“All in all, I will be changing this to not recommended until the game is in a more playable state without the game-breaking issues.”
“2 weeks longer in the oven and it would not be this broken... 2 months from now, it would be much more playable... in the current state, I cannot recommend this to anyone unless you're ready to deal with everything being broken and losing everything you have for no reason.”
“I'm pretty sure that this game is gonna become more playable in the future, but that time isn't now.”
- atmosphere11 mentions
- 73 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is praised for its epic graphics and music, creating an engaging experience that captures the essence of space exploration. However, the use of atmospheric flight mechanics instead of realistic space physics detracts from the immersion, leading to a sense of frustration for some players. Overall, while the community and development team contribute positively to the game's atmosphere, the current mechanics may leave players wanting a more authentic space experience.
“Great space look, feel, and atmosphere.”
“The game combines adventure, exploration, battle, construction, coding, and general science quite well, but still provides the realistic atmosphere of a lot of empty space.”
“Graphics and music and atmosphere lend an epic feel as well.”
“Space flight does not feel like space flight; it feels like there is atmosphere, which is just a deal breaker.”
“From what I saw, it will remain an arcade-style grind simulator, devoid of the atmosphere of space exploration.”
“When I finally left the origin after designing my first real interplanetary vessel, I ended up crashing it on a moon (attempted a fuel rod transfer mid-flight in high atmosphere) and I lost all 80 hours of my progress.”
- emotional7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is described as deeply impactful, evoking feelings of heartbreak and frustration, with players experiencing a strong connection to its potential despite its current shortcomings. While some find it a poignant proof of concept, others express a sense of longing for a more fulfilling experience, highlighting the emotional rollercoaster it induces. Overall, the game elicits a mix of hope and disappointment, leaving players yearning for its promised depth.
“I haven't played this game in ages, but I have to say: it's heartbreaking.”
“My heart breaks and I shed a tear every time I see this game in my library.”
“There were also times where I felt like the tiny dots never grew into asteroids as I got closer, and it made me feel like I was chasing a rainbow.”
- character development3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is notably lacking, with no skill or ability systems to enhance player progression. While the character design and animations are praised for their quirkiness and entertainment value, the absence of meaningful character growth or challenges detracts from the overall experience.
“The visuals are outstanding, the character design and animations are quirky and entertaining, ship flight is intriguing and feels great, and I could see myself sinking countless hours trying to learn the building system.”
“Between the soundtrack, the great character design, and the ship builder that, while complicated, gives you the opportunity to build nearly anything once you've mastered it, I can't help but recommend you try it assuming you think what I've said about it so far seems interesting.”
“There is no economy, no risk/reward system of any kind, no PvE or related challenges, no character development or skill/ability system, and an AFK crafting system where you throw out everything you make once every 45 minutes or so.”