Stardust Vanguards

About

Stardust Vanguards is a multiplayer casual hack and slash game with anime and science fiction themes. It was developed by Zanrai Interactive and was released on January 30, 2015. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

Get your friends and bust out the controllers, STARDUST VANGUARDS is a local four-player dueling game inspired by old-school anime space operas, combining arcade-style battling with the ability to summon your own NPC army as support!

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78%

Audience ScoreBased on 82 reviews

gameplay12 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

Fast-paced, fun, and addictive local multiplayer gameplay with smooth controls and balanced mechanics.
Great retro pixel art style combined with an amazing, well-composed soundtrack that enhances the arcade vibe.
Various multiplayer modes including co-op survival, deathmatch, and unique modes like Space Ball offer exciting group play experiences.

No online multiplayer or LAN option severely limits playing with friends if not physically present together.
Single-player content is limited, repetitive, and lacks depth, making solo play less engaging.
Control customization is lacking, with poor controller support and fixed keybindings, leading to accessibility and usability issues.

gameplay
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
40%
12%
The gameplay is fast-paced, cooperative, and fun, with unique mechanics like bullet deflection, limited ammo, and strategic dodging that emphasize skill and timing. While combat feels fluid and engaging, some mechanics can be awkward or under-explained, and the single-player mode is less compelling. Overall, it excels as a local co-op shmup with a strong emphasis on survival and replayability.
- “It's a good local co-op game, highly recommended to play with 3-4 friends. The mechanics are nice and the levels provide variety. The hardest mode, survival mode endurance, helped me improve a lot at the game.”
- “From interesting mechanics like deflecting bullets and dashing, to limited ammo forcing players into knife fights, the game does a good job of being fast-paced and fun.”
- “Stardust has amazing game mechanics. I love how the best way to win co-op is not to run in sword swinging but to dodge bullets and bide your time to deflect them back. Along with the soundtrack, this game is top notch.”
- “The reinforcement mechanic is really poorly implemented.”
- “Combat feels fluid but a lot of the mechanics in combination just feel very awkward.”
- “Single player gameplay is just survival, not very fun.”
music
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
18%
14%
The game's music is widely praised for its fantastic, energetic soundtrack that blends classic arcade and sci-fi tones, enhancing the intense and fun gameplay experience. While some find it uniquely memorable and fitting the game's style perfectly, a few consider it less remarkable, though still enjoyable overall.
- “I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
- “Stardust has amazing game mechanics; I love how the best way to win a co-op is not to run in sword swinging but dodge bullets and bide your time to deflect them back. Along with the soundtrack, this game is top notch.”
- “I'll go ahead and start with the sounds of the game which are a nice mix of original sci-fi sounds and a very well orchestrated mix of old school bit music.”
- “The music is nothing special, though that is a highly subjective opinion.”
- “It sounds like a mixture of various soundtracks from Gundam mixed with tones akin to Streetfighter, Dragonball Z, and Ape Escape.”
- “Although it's perhaps a little light on content for the price (especially for solo players), Stardust Vanguards oozes style and boasts a rocking soundtrack to duke it out with friends to.”
graphics
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
43%
19%
The game features retro, 16-bit pixel art graphics that emphasize a nostalgic, old-school aesthetic with smooth animation and charming visuals. While resolution options only scale the simple 2D assets without enhancing quality, the graphics are well-executed and suit the game's style, appealing especially to fans of classic pixel art. Overall, the visuals effectively complement the gameplay without needing modern 3D enhancements.
- “Stardust Vanguards offers a charming old-school experience with a retro aesthetic and simple yet responsive controls.”
- “The game is presented in 16-bit graphics and they sure pack a lot of animation and detail to make it look fluid and nice.”
- “Like the sound, the graphics and presentation do a great job as well.”
- “A choice was made to use obsolete, decades-old retro pixel art as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
- “While there are options to change the resolution for the game, all this does is scale up the simplistic 2D art assets used to make the game, which makes little or no difference to the graphics quality.”
- “Without any other substantial graphics tweaks, it's not possible for gamers to improve the lacklustre 2D visuals.”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
Replayability for this game is mixed: while some find it thrilling and highly addictive with a replay value rating of 9/10, others note it fades quickly and suffers from bugs that hinder long-term engagement. The online mode issues and occasional technical problems also reduce the incentive to replay extensively.
- “This stellar space shooter is thrillingly addictive and endlessly replayable!”
- “Replay value: 9/10”
- “Bugs, low replayability, broken online mode.”
- “Unfortunately, the allure of Stardust Vanguards begins to fade relatively quickly, and you notice a lack of replayability. There are also rare resolution and controller bugs; for example, I have to start the other controllers after the game launches at the right moment, otherwise the game crashes.”
- “Not a ton of replayability, but have some friends over and you'll get your money's worth out of the low price tag anyway.”
story
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The story received generally low ratings, with many gamers finding it unengaging and not compelling enough to hold their interest. However, some appreciated its underlying theme of perseverance despite challenges. Overall, the narrative was seen as a weak aspect of the game.
- “Hardly a success story; gamers just weren't all that interested in the game.”
- “Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
- “Story rating: 3/10.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in the game is described as mildly tedious but manageable, with some unlockables like space soccer and custom mode offering fun and lighthearted rewards for those who invest the time.
- “If you stick a bit longer, you can explore some mildly grindy unlockables, like space soccer and custom mode, which are good for some goofy matches.”
- “Tedious.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor is lighthearted and enjoyable, contributing to a fun and laughter-filled experience for players.
- “It was still a ton of fun, my friend and I were just laughing and having a great time.”

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75%Critics’ scoreBased on 2 critic reviews

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Frequently Asked Questions

Stardust Vanguards is a casual hack and slash game with anime and science fiction themes.

Stardust Vanguards is available on PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Windows and others.

Stardust Vanguards was released on January 30, 2015.

Stardust Vanguards was developed by Zanrai Interactive.

Stardust Vanguards has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked Stardust Vanguards for its gameplay but disliked it for its replayability.

Stardust Vanguards is a multiplayer game with local co-op support.

Similar games include Over 9000 Zombies!, Samurai GUNN, RocketsRocketsRockets, Nidhogg, Bleed 2 and others.

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