Starcom: Unknown Space
- September 2, 2024
- Wx3 Labs, LLC
- 21h median play time
Get on Steam"Starcom: Unknown Space" is a single-player survival exploration game set in an expansive, procedurally generated universe. As a pilot of a advanced starship, players must mine resources, upgrade their ship, and complete missions to unravel the mysteries of an unknown galaxy. With challenging encounters, various alien races, and a dynamic environment, Starcom offers a rich and immersive experience for fans of the genre.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Engaging exploration and ship customization mechanics that evoke nostalgia for classic space games like Star Control II and Escape Velocity.
- Well-written story and character interactions that enhance the immersive experience of space exploration.
- Smooth gameplay with a satisfying combat system that balances exploration and resource management.
- Some quests can be vague or confusing, leading to moments of aimless wandering in search of objectives.
- Resource acquisition can feel grindy, with limited availability of certain materials impacting ship upgrades.
- The game may lack replayability due to its linear story progression and finite content.
- story1,306 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story in "Starcom: Unknown Space" is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its engaging narrative and sci-fi themes reminiscent of classic titles like "Star Control 2." However, some critiques highlight issues with mission clarity and progression, often leaving players feeling lost or requiring external help to advance. Overall, while the story is compelling and immersive, it suffers from occasional vagueness and a lack of guidance, particularly in the late game.
“The story, lore, and characters are great and feels truly trek.”
“The story is intriguing and very well written and despite the things I've mentioned, encouraged exploration.”
“The story is interesting enough for you to keep playing it through.”
“The story kept going where I expected it to be cut and written out on several occasions.”
“It's biggest flaw really, is that I've hit a snag in the game, where there aren't any quests that really give me direction, and so I am stuck directionless and roaming the map trying to find anything at all that triggers the next part of the main story.”
“The story is serviceable and initially guides you along...up to a point. Then it becomes hopelessly vague with multiple mission threads and a mission log which doesn't really help that much.”
- gameplay394 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay in this title is generally well-received, featuring a solid core loop of exploration, combat, and ship-building mechanics that many players find engaging and addictive. While some reviewers note that the gameplay can become repetitive over time and lacks depth, the overall experience is enhanced by polished visuals, a captivating story, and a variety of mechanics that cater to fans of space exploration. However, there are calls for more content and variety to maintain interest throughout longer play sessions.
“The game is well made and the gameplay loop is solid.”
“The gameplay is very fun, the story is engaging, the characters are well written and witty and the graphics are gorgeous.”
“There is such a great balance of combat and exploration to go along with that story, and the progression mechanics with your ship, and building it out is really quite cool and very easy to understand.”
“Sadly, the gameplay is not very deep and can get boring after a few hours, but it's enough to go through the story and finish the missions + explore a bit.”
“Gameplay itself gets kind of repetitive at times, but because the story was progressing at a decent pace it wasn't a huge issue for me.”
“The game has a story but it is seriously lacking any kind of breadcrumbs, so I have spent like 5 of my 7 hours of gameplay just flying randomly into space hoping to run into something interesting, but mostly just in the darkness of space.”
- graphics226 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game have received widespread praise for their beauty and polish, particularly in the depiction of planets and space environments, which enhance the overall immersive experience. Many reviewers noted significant improvements over the previous installment, with solid visuals that effectively complement the gameplay, despite some comments on the simplicity of the art style. Overall, the graphics are considered a strong point, contributing to the game's engaging atmosphere and enjoyable combat.
“The graphics are beautifully polished, the music is sublime, but the gameplay ???”
“The graphics - all the portraits, pictures of strange worlds, and the ships/action animations etc. is all very well done and has real good impact on the immersive experience.”
“Beautiful graphics, great sound, rewarding exploration and engaging gameplay - what more can you ask?”
“There's a severe lack of cinematic detail and no ground-level visuals except for still images of what are typically pyramids.”
“Visuals: ships, despite being improved somewhat with upgrades, look overly segmented and blocky.”
“Only the performance is pretty bad for the graphics.”
- grinding88 mentions
- 7 % positive mentions
- 2 % neutral mentions
- 91 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with many players finding it tedious and frustrating, particularly in resource farming and exploration. While some players managed to progress without excessive grinding, others noted that the game can feel monotonous and overly time-consuming, especially in the late stages. Overall, the game offers enjoyable mechanics but suffers from a lack of rewarding progression, leading to a perception of it being excessively grindy.
“No tedious game mechanics, it just respects your time and is simply fun to play.”
“Not too grindy, you get a nice steady progression.”
“The puzzle of building a ship is nice, but not too tedious.”
“What was fast and well flowing began to feel really tedious and frustrating.”
“So overall, I guess there is a framework here for a really good game, but what they put forward as a finished product was fairly flat, extremely grindy, minimally rewarding, and frankly more at home with a $10 price tag than 2.5 times that.”
“The only good thing about this game is the lore behind it, but the story is too spaced out between tedious flights between systems or time spent decimating hordes of weak enemies that mostly just randomly float around the system instead of doing anything that looks like combat maneuvers.”
- music68 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its ambient and immersive qualities, while others find it generic and uninspiring. Many suggest that a more dynamic soundtrack, such as synthwave, could enhance the overall experience, although the existing music is often described as sufficient for the game's atmosphere. Overall, while the sound design is noted as a strong point, the soundtrack could benefit from more variety and originality.
“The graphics are just beautiful and the atmospheric music is consistently brilliant.”
“The audio is also exceptional, with really nice use of spatial sounds and situational music.”
“I love roaming around with the chill background music, just doing whatever I feel like at the moment - be it blasting asteroids/crates for resources, checking out new systems I just found (or looking for more of them) or getting into some combat.”
“While overall atmosphere is very good, I think music is somewhat lacking and generic.”
“The soundtrack is super average and uninspiring.”
“There's very few soundtracks, so it gets repetitive.”
- humor54 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by a cheeky and clever writing style, featuring witty dialogue and amusing crew interactions that enhance the immersive experience. While not overly goofy, the game includes subtle, insightful humor related to its gameplay mechanics and character dynamics, making it enjoyable for players who appreciate a balance of humor and engaging storytelling. Overall, the humor adds a delightful layer to the exploration and adventure without overshadowing the game's core elements.
“But the gameplay is great and the story can be really immersive and fascinating, with funny little asides by your crew.”
“The character dialogues are funny and witty.”
“Also, the conversations are smart and funny - like when you ask things that should be basic know-how for someone in this universe, you ask for a refresher 'for your first officer' and he later tells you that 'I really did not need that refresher.'”
- replayability36 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is viewed as limited due to its static map and lack of procedural generation, with many players expressing that once the game is completed, there is little incentive to replay it. While some enjoy experimenting with different tech approaches or shipbuilding, the consensus is that the game may not offer enough variety to warrant multiple playthroughs. Many reviewers suggest that the game is enjoyable but would benefit from additional replayable elements to enhance its long-term value.
“A good fun replayability part of the game.”
“I anticipate the majority of replayability will come in the form of taking a very different tech approach (currently I am going lite on armor and buffing repair speed + heavy investment in missiles -- seems to be working so far but I'm sure other approaches are equally good or better).”
“Also a lot of replay value, I start a new run with every new build.”
“Same map every time, so it's pretty limited replay value. I don't see playing it again, mostly because the end game is so frustrating.”
“Should be $15 max considering it has no replay value, being a static game with zero procedurally generated quests/maps.”
“Replayability is a little crippled as the game map was painstakingly crafted and seemingly not randomized, meaning once you've played the game once or twice, you've probably seen everything.”
- atmosphere28 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is praised for its beautiful visuals and effective sound design, creating a chill and immersive experience, despite some criticism of the music being generic. Players appreciate the simplistic yet elegant aesthetic, which enhances the overall ambiance, particularly in space exploration contexts. While the game may lack extensive content, its potential is highlighted through its engaging atmosphere and well-executed elements like the ship builder.
“The graphics are just beautiful and the atmospheric music is consistently brilliant.”
“The atmosphere, effects, UI, sound design, the anomalies, the flexibility... I am honestly blown away.”
“The atmosphere is helped by the fact that there are little to no unrealistic game mechanics that are not explained lore-wise.”
“The simple, clear, and elegant aesthetic vaguely reminiscent of an art-deco style contributes to this atmosphere.”
“It's not much content right now, but I love the gameplay, the atmosphere, and it has huge potential.”
- optimization22 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 23 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is highly praised for its optimization, with users reporting flawless performance, no crashes, and a polished experience even on older systems. The graphics and user interface are well-designed, contributing to a smooth gameplay experience. However, some players noted that the performance could be lacking in relation to the graphics quality.
“It's very well designed and optimized, the graphics are nice, and the UI is pretty easy to understand.”
“Flawless performance on system and no bugs experienced yet on 1.0 release - well done.”
“I've had zero crashes, amazing performance, and a very polished experience.”
“Scanning planets with the push of a button, shooting enemies and asteroids, and ship optimization: that's all there is, and honestly, this gets old quite fast.”
“Only the performance is pretty bad for the graphics.”
“Only the performance is pretty bad for the graphics.”
- stability12 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game's stability is mixed, with some players reporting a generally smooth experience and minimal bugs, while others highlight significant issues with the mission system, including quest lockouts and poor directions that can lead to frustrating gameplay. Despite these problems, many find the game enjoyable and worth the price, though the quest-related bugs detract from its overall polish.
“The game was bug-free in my experience.”
“Runs great.”
“$20 for approximately 20 hours is a good deal; the game was bug-free in my experience.”
“It's a great little game, however, the mission system is buggy and can result in multiple in-progress missions simply going static and failing to proceed.”
“Where it all falls apart is with bad quest directions (this is by far the worst offender), buggy lockouts of quests. It's supposed to be a finished game, but there are lots of issues, including no voice acting or text, repetitive content, and half the game is spent going in circles trying to figure out what you did wrong or didn't do because of poor directions, only to find out it just didn't work anyway.”
“There are a few glitches as well, but overall, a fun 2D space adventure/shooter.”
- emotional8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, likening it to the immersive experience of being in Star Trek and feeling a sense of wonder while exploring uncharted territories. However, some critiques highlight that the game's overly safe environment diminishes the initial thrill of adventure, making it feel less impactful as the experience progresses. Overall, the balance between agency and safety in the game evokes a mix of excitement and a longing for greater challenge.
“I'm a huge fan of Nexus and what that experience made me feel, and again I get that sense of wonder exploring an uncharted star system.”
“One of the very few space-type games that made me feel like I was actually in Star Trek.”
“The first 2 hours of the game made me feel like I was in a new world establishing a beachhead.”
- character development6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is limited, as it primarily focuses on story and player choices rather than deep character arcs. However, there are moments of enjoyable character development infused with humor, supported by strong writing that enhances world-building and evokes a sense of discovery. Overall, while character development is not the main focus, it contributes positively to the narrative experience.
“With minimal effort, there is nice character development with a little humor thrown in.”
“None of this content is procedural, and the writing is pretty good (more so for world building than character development), so the feeling of discovery and wonder is really there.”
“Character development was not highly available, as this was a space exploration game that is more story/choice motivated.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users suggest that the game could benefit from a prominent "sandbox" mode featuring an unlocked tech tree and infinite resources for ship construction, which they believe should be highlighted in marketing efforts. This mode would enhance user engagement through ship design, saving schematics, and sharing on platforms like Steam Workshop.
