Starborne: Frontiers
- October 14, 2024
- Solid Clouds hf.
Get on Steam"Starborne: Frontiers" is a sci-fi MMO strategy game set in a divided galaxy, where 10 factions compete for power and resources. Players must explore the mysterious Abyss, prevent its destruction, and complete PvE campaigns or battle other commanders in PvP Arena. Joining alliances to raid the Vault is also an option for valuable resources.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Starborne: Frontiers offers a deep and engaging tactical RPG experience with strategic combat and resource management that keeps players invested for hours.
- The game features stunning graphics and art design, creating an immersive atmosphere that enhances the gameplay experience.
- The community aspect is strong, with opportunities for players to engage in diplomacy, form alliances, and participate in multiplayer interactions.
- The game can become repetitive and grindy over time, leading to a sense of boredom for some players.
- There are significant pay-to-win elements, with many players feeling pressured to spend money to progress effectively.
- The gameplay can feel shallow and lacks innovation, often being compared unfavorably to other gacha games like Raid: Shadow Legends.
- gameplay38 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a blend of tactical combat, resource management, and strategic planning, creating an engaging loop that can keep players invested for hours. While it incorporates familiar gacha mechanics and some repetitive grinding, it also offers depth and variety through team building, unit progression, and challenging PvE content. Overall, players find the gameplay rewarding, though opinions vary on the presence of microtransactions and the grind associated with it.
“The game’s blend of tactical combat, resource management, and strategic planning creates a compelling gameplay loop that keeps you invested for hours.”
“It feels like they took a lot of good mechanics from other games and implemented convenience features so the game won't waste your time.”
“It’s got strategy, depth, and an addictive gameplay loop that keeps you coming back for more.”
“It feels like the developers took the general mechanics of the latter game, then copied and pasted it here.”
“I despise the whole gacha game mechanics.”
“There is no battle skip or swipe mechanic; you are forced to play through hundreds of battles daily for mandatory farming chores, which takes 4-6 hours even on 2x speed.”
- graphics21 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The graphics and art design of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the stunning space environments and character visuals, while others criticize the overall quality as subpar or reminiscent of outdated mobile games. Many players appreciate the unique sci-fi art style and well-crafted animations, highlighting the game's immersive aesthetic, though some feel it falls short compared to other titles in the genre. Overall, the graphics are seen as a strong point for those who enjoy the art style, but not universally acclaimed.
“The graphics and art design are stunning, with beautifully crafted space environments and ships that add a sense of immersion to the game.”
“Art style of this game is unparalleled if you're into sci-fi games.”
“The graphics and art are great and tastefully done.”
“The graphics are atrocious, the combat is mind-numbing, and the menus look like something ripped straight out of an old Facebook game.”
“Terrible mobile graphics, don't waste your time, carry on.”
“The devs don't care how little work they have to put in to get it (as is evident in the lazy artwork - both 3D and 2D).”
- grinding21 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Grinding in the game is often described as tedious and time-consuming, resembling other mobile gacha games with repetitive tasks and mandatory farming. While some players find enjoyment in the farming mechanics, the lack of variety and the time-gated nature of progression can lead to frustration, especially at higher levels where players are forced to engage in lengthy battles without the option to skip. Overall, the grinding experience is a significant aspect of gameplay that may deter those seeking a more dynamic or varied experience.
“This is just Summoner's War or Raid: Shadow Legends in space -- a grindy mobile-style gacha game.”
“Now I am forced to do dumb grinding.”
“It's likely you will be in a perpetual farming loop without new content to clear for some time.”
- story15 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as fun and engaging, with a mix of standard campaign elements and rich lore that can be explored or ignored at the player's discretion. While the main narrative may feel typical, the individual unit backstories and faction lore add depth, supported by visually stunning animations and artwork. Overall, the storytelling is enhanced by frequent events and a variety of gameplay modes, making it a rewarding experience for players who appreciate immersive narratives.
“Our game features rich and immersive storytelling, which includes mature themes within the backstories of certain units.”
“It would be so easy for a space-themed gacha game to pay lip service by padding the game out with generic and derivative characters and narratives, but it seems like Solid Clouds has gone to great pains to try to tell as original and compelling a storyline as they can, and to make it look as visually stunning as possible whilst doing it, which makes it seem like they are motivated by a genuine love for their art and the world they have made for this game.”
“Also, there is so much story and lore to explore, but it can also be totally ignored.”
“The campaign story is a bit standard, but the individual unit stories and faction lore are where the depth really comes in.”
“The pricing tells the whole story, and in case you start to forget, it will pop up offers to remind you often enough.”
- monetization12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 42 % negative mentions
The monetization in the game has drawn mixed reviews, with many players criticizing the prevalence of microtransactions and labeling it as a cash grab, particularly due to high prices and constant ads. While some users argue that it is possible to enjoy the game for free with patience, others feel that the design heavily incentivizes spending, making progress difficult without engaging in daily play or purchasing in-game items. Overall, the monetization strategy appears to be a significant point of contention among players.
“Managed to get more progress on the first day than most other gacha and battler games, and in-game purchases aside, this is not bad at all.”
“You can go fully free-to-play, or dive into microtransactions if you’re after that dopamine hit from pulling legendary units.”
“Starborne: Frontiers is an auto-battler with a core gacha/lootbox mechanic and microtransactions, which a moderately patient person can very happily play for free.”
“To make matters worse, the game is drowning in microtransactions.”
“Played the game for about 40 hours.. my take is this is a cash grab game.. poorly ported to PC.. it does not have offline play and requires you to actively play and log in daily, with constant active play needed to progress at all.”
“Monetization is awful; prices are way too high for games like this.”
- music5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The music in the game is praised for its slick quality and strong integration with the art style, enhancing the overall experience. Reviewers note that the soundtrack is reminiscent of raid themes, contributing positively to both PvE and PvP elements.
“Shoutout to the art style and the music as well!”
“Even the soundtrack on the main screen feels similar to a raid.”
“The art and music are really slick.”
“It has plenty of different PvE and PvP options along with very strong art and music.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game is generally seen as a low-commitment option that performs well for multitasking, but users have reported inconsistent performance issues, such as units pausing during turns despite quick loading times.
“I haven't played long, but it is immediately serving me well as a low-commitment, performance-lite game to switch to between other tasks on the computer, such as while waiting for short clips to render.”
“The performance is impressive; I couldn't read the loading screen tips because it loaded so quickly.”
“Worse is the performance - I couldn't read the loading screen tips because it loaded so quickly, but often, a unit would just pause its turn for several seconds.”
“The optimization is lacking, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
“I experienced significant lag during crucial moments, which made the game frustrating to play.”
