STARDROP
- April 22, 2016
- Joure
- 13h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Stardrop" is a single-player mystery simulation game with an awesome story, amazing visuals, and excellent music. As Salvage & Rescue Operative Aryn Vance, you'll explore a long-lost starship and uncover its crew's tale through in-game cinematic storytelling and side missions. The game features a dense atmosphere and a wholesome, heart-felt narrative.
PC
Windows
Xbox
Reviews
- Engaging story with good writing and excellent voice acting that draws players in.
- Beautiful graphics and atmosphere that enhance the exploration experience.
- Unique gameplay focused on narrative and exploration rather than combat, appealing to fans of walking simulators.
- Gameplay can feel slow and tedious, with limited interactivity and repetitive tasks like finding door codes.
- Some technical issues and bugs, including control problems and occasional crashes.
- Voice acting and dialogue quality vary, with some players finding it unconvincing or annoying.
- story468 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally well-received, with many players finding it engaging and emotionally impactful, particularly praising its immersive narrative and character development. However, some critiques highlight a lack of depth and originality, with certain gameplay elements feeling tedious or disconnected from the storytelling. Overall, it appeals to fans of narrative-driven experiences, especially those who enjoy exploration in a sci-fi setting.
“The story is captivating, and the graphics are beautiful.”
“The pacing of piecing the story together worked well, and the ending was a good payoff in my opinion.”
“I was moved, surprised, and felt that the story was satisfying in its conclusion.”
“The plot is derivative 'explore the sci-fi derelict' with nothing original or interesting to say.”
“It is a poorly conceptualized story poorly told, with poor writing and poor acting.”
“Every time the story is about to build in tension, create some atmosphere, or grab our attention, it manages to break its stride and ruin its momentum.”
- graphics110 mentions
- 73 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are generally praised for their beauty and unique aesthetic, with many reviewers noting stunning visuals and a captivating atmosphere. However, some criticisms include overly glossy textures, occasional blurriness, and minor graphical issues typical of a low-budget indie title. Overall, the visuals are considered a strong point, enhancing the storytelling and gameplay experience.
“Unreasonably gorgeous graphics and music.”
“The graphics are beautiful, the storytelling is spot on, and the voice acting is great.”
“Each level is aesthetically beautiful and meticulously crafted.”
“Due to this being a low budget indie game with a small team, there are sometimes feelings of graphics being jagged, movements being stiff, clunkiness, and the like.”
“I just cannot bear to explore this game when I find the aesthetics so garish.”
“The clean sci-fi aesthetics make sense, sure, but many of the rooms were just 'there' and many of the interactable items were just the same boring clutter.”
- gameplay68 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 81 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been described as a mix of walking simulator and light puzzle-solving, with many players noting its reliance on keycode hunts and exploration through generic environments. While some appreciate the narrative and visual elements, others criticize the gameplay for being simplistic, repetitive, and at times frustrating, lacking depth and engagement. Overall, it offers a unique sci-fi story experience but may not satisfy those seeking more substantial gameplay mechanics.
“During the gameplay and analyzing it afterwards, it feels like you loved and cared about what you developed.”
“Good game, a walking simulator with a bit more gameplay than most, looks great, and has an interesting story.”
“I found concepts and mechanics in Stardrop that I never experienced before, which shows the creativity of this development team.”
“The gameplay, such as it is, consists of wandering generic metal space-corridors, listening to the awful dialogue, tediously hunting for passcodes, or tangling with a rudimentary and clunky stealth system.”
“The biggest downside, however, is that the game is very much a walking simulator, and whenever it tries to have any deeper gameplay, it ranges from boring to frustrating.”
“There's like no follow-up either; you go and do this supposed salvage mission, but you don't really do much. You just flow through some doors and go back to the ship, and you're basically done. There was no content or mechanics or level design or anything to it; it was really just that... to float through some doors...”
- atmosphere58 mentions
- 69 % positive mentions
- 26 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and relaxing qualities, enhanced by stunning visuals, a fitting soundtrack, and effective voice acting. Players appreciate the slow-paced exploration and the ability to convey a sense of isolation and tension without resorting to horror elements. However, some critiques mention moments of confusion due to empty spaces and a lack of narrative momentum, which can detract from the overall experience.
“The atmosphere is done quite well with good voice acting.”
“A wonderful sci-fi mystery adventure with compelling characters and a very enjoyable atmosphere.”
“The game looks, feels, and sounds amazing, which creates an intense atmosphere without the usage of cheap jumpscares and the like.”
“Every time the story is about to build in tension, create some atmosphere, or grab our attention, it manages to break its stride and ruin its momentum.”
“The slow pace and serene atmosphere is comforting, but also made me sleepy several times.”
“No shooting, no danger of immediate death lurking in dark corners; but at times the atmosphere was tense, isolated and claustrophobic.”
- music52 mentions
- 65 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its relaxing and majestic qualities that complement the stunning visuals. However, some players found the music's continuous play during dialogue to be distracting, making it difficult to follow conversations. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's emotional and immersive experience.
“The best thing that I feel everyone will agree upon is the absolutely beautiful music.”
“Stardrop is great to look at, and the soundtrack perfectly captures the wonder, tranquility, and majesty of space.”
“I found this game to be a very relaxing, laid-back game to unwind to with beautiful visuals, a satisfying, heart-warming story, and a very pleasant musical score.”
“Cons: the music, sound effects, voice acting, and generally the rest of the game including walking in general feels like a dredge through mud.”
“Music doesn't stop during dialogue, which makes it a bit hard to get what characters are saying sometimes, especially if you don't have subtitles enabled.”
“At this point there isn't much in the way of music and the like, but there are enough noises from background objects like computers, cameras rotating, and other things making noises.”
- emotional20 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its emotional depth, offering a heartwarming and wholesome narrative that resonates with players, often leading to tears by the end. Its relaxing gameplay, beautiful visuals, and a touching musical score enhance the emotional journey, making it a satisfying experience that feels both personal and comforting. Overall, it is described as a lovely sci-fi walking simulator that effectively engages players on an emotional level.
“I cried at the end.”
“It's really well made and provides an emotional journey that is pure pleasure.”
“The final video scene footage before the game ends was emotional, and I could go on but then I would spoil this game with insights that only you should find out.”
- stability18 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 89 % negative mentions
The game is reported to have numerous bugs and glitches, which can disrupt immersion and lead to inconsistent dialogue, particularly in exploration areas. While many users acknowledge these issues as typical for an early access title and express hope for future improvements, the overall experience remains affected by the need for polish and refinement. Despite the bugs, some players still find the atmosphere engaging and the game runs smoothly overall.
“Good atmosphere, runs great.”
“Good atmosphere, runs great.”
“The game is also very buggy and is in desperate need of polish.”
“Many typos, glitches, improper English, and other issues just really kept breaking immersion.”
“Be aware that there are some minor glitches that can give you inconsistent dialogue if you miss an exploration area or stumble into a spot that is out of sequence.”
- grinding12 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, primarily due to excessive backtracking, repetitive tasks like hunting for passcodes, and the need to read lengthy data pads for story context. While the story itself is engaging, the gameplay often feels like a monotonous walking simulation through generic environments, detracting from the overall experience.
“The gameplay, such as it is, consists of wandering generic metal space-corridors, listening to the awful dialogue, tediously hunting for passcodes, or tangling with a rudimentary and clunky stealth system.”
“After a while, it just became tedious to play.”
“What I didn't like was the reading of things on data pads; I find this kind of thing tedious. The stuff that gives you more background on what's happened would have been better told through voice acting.”
- humor8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game effectively blends humor with its immersive storytelling, providing moments of levity that enhance the emotional depth of the experience. Players appreciate the natural and funny interactions, particularly highlighting a character named John for his comedic relief. Overall, the humor contributes positively to the game's narrative, making it both engaging and memorable.
“I thought it was more natural and funny at times.”
“I'm glad John was there to break the moment with his sense of humor always... I leave that to you to find out what really happened to the crew... and not just the crew... absolutely stunning story, top game and should win any gaming award there is.”
“There was some laughing, a couple of omg!”
- optimization4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The December 2018 early access version of the game is praised for its polished and well-optimized performance, contributing to an enjoyable gaming experience.
“I found the December 2018 early access version polished, well optimized, and absolutely enjoyable.”
“It also is very well optimized.”
- character development2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development is highlighted as a strong point, with reviewers noting a potentially interesting plot that is complemented by well-crafted main characters. This combination enhances the overall storytelling experience, making the characters' growth engaging and impactful.
“The game features a potentially interesting plot with a compelling story and strong character development.”
“The character development is engaging, making the main character's journey feel meaningful and impactful.”
“I was impressed by the depth of character development, which added layers to the overall narrative.”
