Starcom: Nexus
- December 12, 2019
- Wx3 Labs, LLC
- 22h median play time
Get on Steam"Starcom: Nexus" is a single-player space exploration and combat game. You'll mine resources, build spaceships, and diplomacy with alien races while defending yourself from hostile forces. With a rich story and open-ended gameplay, your choices will determine the fate of the galaxy.
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- Engaging story with well-crafted writing that keeps players invested in the narrative.
- Fun ship customization and modular design that allows for creative builds and strategies.
- Satisfying exploration mechanics with a vast galaxy filled with unique planets and anomalies.
- Repetitive gameplay loop with long travel times between star systems that can become tedious.
- Quest tracking can be vague, leading to confusion about objectives and requiring external guides.
- Ending feels abrupt and lacks a satisfying conclusion, leaving players wanting more.
- story848 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The story in "Starcom: Nexus" is widely praised for its engaging narrative and rich lore, drawing comparisons to classic sci-fi franchises like Star Trek. Players appreciate the well-crafted quests and the way the story unfolds through exploration, though some find the quest tracking and direction vague, leading to occasional frustration. Overall, the game is noted for its intriguing plot twists and immersive storytelling, making it a compelling experience for fans of space exploration and narrative-driven gameplay.
“The dialogue, story, and worldbuilding of this game is better than anything Bioware or Ubisoft has produced in the last decade.”
“The rich lore and story make this game even better, no matter your flavor of choice.”
“The story kept me hooked from start to finish and I always felt a sense of wanting to explore the next system to see what little story or interaction I was going to experience next.”
“Unfortunately, the later game turns into a bit of tedium as you try to put together the actual plot threads and figure out what you need to do to advance the story.”
“The quests rack up in your mission log, but no quest pointers are visible.”
“I really like this game, it's a shame that you can spend hours doing quests with no clue what is going on because the game isn't clear at all with some of them so you just waste hours flying around for nothing.”
- gameplay257 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a simple yet engaging core loop focused on exploration, scanning planets, and ship customization, reminiscent of classic titles like Star Control II and Mass Effect. While many players appreciate the addictive nature and satisfying mechanics, some find the gameplay repetitive and lacking depth, particularly in the later stages. Overall, it offers a casual and enjoyable experience for fans of space exploration and light combat, though it may not appeal to those seeking more complex mechanics.
“The gameplay is captivating enough, but the discovery and exploration is simply amazing.”
“The core gameplay and progression loop is tight and well-paced; there's always just one more thing to do before you finish up for the night.”
“The ship-building mechanic is great and really enjoyable, especially at the early and mid-game.”
“The gameplay provides a steady loop: go to a new system, scan planets, fight or run from hostile ships, go back to home base to spend research points for passive bonuses and customize your ride, but none of the elements have any depth except for the partial exception of ship customization.”
“The gameplay is too repetitive for the long time it takes to solve the story.”
“The game has a lot of potential, but suffers immensely from lack of depth and content, and an overly simplistic gameplay.”
- graphics139 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received generally positive feedback, with many players appreciating the atmospheric visuals and attention to detail, particularly in planetary designs and special effects. While some noted that the graphics are not cutting-edge and can appear simplistic or blocky at times, they still contribute to an immersive experience that aligns well with the game's sci-fi theme. Overall, the visuals are considered solid for the genre, enhancing the gameplay without overshadowing it.
“The graphics are very well done and there are a lot of fine attention to little details.”
“The graphics and designs of the ships and stations are nice and simple, yet the background worlds and animations are beautifully done.”
“The visuals are pretty breathtaking for a game of this type and (I suppose) tight budget.”
“I had this game on my wishlist multiple times and took it off a few times too because the graphics didn't grab me.”
“Going nowhere for a long time with lousy graphics and tiny fonts just to mash buttons for a shoot-em-up.”
“If you're here for the graphics, you're in the wrong genre.”
- grinding59 mentions
- 2 % positive mentions
- 3 % neutral mentions
- 95 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly in the late game where resource collection and exploration can feel repetitive and drawn out. While some enjoy the grinding for upgrades and resources, many express frustration with the excessive travel time and the lack of meaningful rewards, leading to a sense of monotony. Overall, the game offers a mix of enjoyable gameplay and frustrating grind, with opinions varying on whether the grind enhances or detracts from the experience.
“This game isn't grindy either, everything you do progresses the game.”
“After you get as powerful as you're going to get, grinding out the end of the story is truly a grind.”
“The early to mid-game is grindy because you need to farm a lot of resources in order to upgrade your ship.”
“Whilst the design of the combat and exploration aspect of the game works superbly in the early hours of play, it makes the endgame an unbearable tedious and uninspiring slog.”
- music50 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its atmospheric quality and how it complements the exploration and combat experiences. While some find the soundtrack soothing and fitting for the genre, others note that it can be repetitive and not particularly memorable. Overall, the music enhances the game's ambiance, contributing positively to the overall experience, though there are calls for more variety and improvement.
“While not on par with Stellaris, the exploration music is soothing and captures the vastness of space.”
“The music is entrancing, reminds me of 2001.”
“The story had just the right touch of whimsy and humor along the epic sci-fi theme, the battle visuals and mechanics were amazing, the planet artwork was lovely, and the music complemented the atmosphere perfectly.”
“The combat tracks and other music elements are decent but not particularly memorable.”
“The soundtrack is aesthetically fitting, though I couldn't call it memorable.”
“Music is ho-hum and gets repetitive quickly.”
- replayability47 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is generally considered low to moderate, with many players noting a lack of significant incentives to replay after completing the main story. While some aspects, such as different choices and difficulty settings, offer minor replay value, the fixed locations and linear progression limit the overall experience. Despite this, players still find the initial playthrough enjoyable and worth the time invested.
“The game is surprisingly replayable.”
“There's even a degree of replayability due to the story choices, relations with alien species, and tech tree choices.”
“Overall a good solid game that has some replayability.”
“I was only barely able to force myself to complete the game and I see no replay value to be had.”
“Limited replay value due to largely fixed locations.”
“My only gripe is once the main plot is completed the replay value is limited.”
- humor23 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players noting its ability to balance serious themes with lighthearted moments and clever dialogue. While it may not reach the comedic heights of classics like Star Control II, it still offers a variety of amusing references and entertaining writing that enhances the overall experience. The humor is described as subtle yet effective, contributing to a fun and engaging atmosphere throughout the gameplay.
“The hard sci-fi has wonderful attention to detail while still managing to be funny.”
“Both the main and side stories also have bits of humor sprinkled in to liven up the atmosphere, keeping it from becoming too serious.”
“The dialogue is genuinely funny at points, and the events/encounters are far more interesting and less repetitive than any other games with this kind of scripted encounters sort of system.”
- atmosphere20 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its engaging graphics, atmospheric music, and well-crafted writing, which together create a compelling experience of deep space exploration. Reviewers highlight the blend of humor and seriousness in the storytelling, as well as the nostalgic feel of exploration reminiscent of classic games. While some note that the pacing can be hindered by map limitations, the overall ambiance and world-building contribute to a memorable and immersive adventure.
“The writing is really good, art and sound convey just the right atmosphere, and the gameplay is tight and balanced.”
“Great atmosphere, world building and a great story line.”
“The story had just the right touch of whimsy and humor along the epic sci-fi theme, the battle visuals and mechanics were amazing, the planet artwork was lovely, and the music complemented the atmosphere perfectly.”
“It has the atmosphere of exploration that I was hoping to find in Star Trek Online (spoiler: it ain't there).”
“The limitations of the map and tagging system cause you to spend far too long zooming in and out of systems to see if they have anything to offer you; you spend literally 25% of your time waiting for your ship to fly through empty space to reach incredibly out of the way zones for no reason other than 'atmosphere' (loses its appeal after the first 5 minutes of nothing with hours to go), and I can only assume the actual ending was just... given up on?”
“Graphics are very good and the sound design is very well done as well, really captures the atmosphere of space exploration and conflict.”
- stability11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 73 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag; while some players report significant bugs and occasional freezes, particularly during endgame scenarios, others find it relatively polished with minimal issues. Overall, the experience varies, with some praising its performance and design despite the presence of bugs.
“The UI is good, the code runs great, and the story is interesting.”
“Really well made, looks good, runs great, awesome story, interesting exploration, and well-structured progression.”
“What is available feels pretty polished and, most notably, quite bug-free.”
“The Unity engine freezes temporarily at the endgame.”
“That said, the game is super buggy, and the creators don't seem to have made much effort to handle this.”
“So buggy.”
- optimization9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is well-received, with users noting polished visuals and smooth performance even during intense combat scenarios. While the ship log could benefit from some optimization due to increased loading times as the game progresses, the gameplay remains solid and enjoyable, running smoothly on various hardware configurations. Players appreciate the balance of engaging content and technical performance, contributing to a satisfying gaming experience.
“Interface is very polished, performance is fine, I appreciate the vector CRT effects, love the artwork, combat is fun, plots/stories/puzzles are engaging and meaningful and not just a bunch of procedurally generated soulless filler, writing is great also, and the price is right.”
“You collect research data from encounters with aliens or observing cool spatial events, and you can spend that research on upgrading your ship's components and performance, while paying for new parts with scavenged materials.”
“The ship log might benefit from some optimization because it was taking noticeably longer to open at the end of the game than at the start, but it's pretty understandable considering how much stuff goes in there.”
“The shape of the ship doesn't affect how maneuverable the ship is (it's a spaceship, after all), but it does affect module performance and which hit zones you expose.”
“Even with dozens of ships, drones, plasma projectiles, and missiles on the screen, the performance is smooth.”
- emotional6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, highlighting its ability to evoke feelings of nostalgia and wonder as they navigate a richly crafted universe filled with unique encounters. The experience of exploring and upgrading their spaceship resonates deeply, making them feel like genuine space travelers. However, some players note that a flawed ending detracts from an otherwise wholesome experience.
“The map is filled to the brim with handmade interesting encounters: this is one of the very few games that made me feel really like a space traveler charting the unknown and facing new phenomena.”
“This game brought me back 28 years and made me feel 14 years old again.”
“This game made me feel like a space explorer.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Reviewers appreciate the monetization model of Starcom: Nexus, highlighting its absence of DLC and microtransactions, which evokes a nostalgic gaming experience reminiscent of earlier eras. Players commend the developer for prioritizing gameplay over profit-driven strategies.
“Starcom: Nexus brings me back to a time when games weren't just about DLC and microtransactions – kudos to the creator.”
“Starcom: Nexus brings me back to a time when games weren't just about DLC and microtransactions. Kudos to the creator.”
- character development1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development is notably strong, with well-crafted growth for both the main characters and the various races encountered throughout the game.
“There's a lot of good character development, and the same goes for the races you meet.”
