Starlight Vega
- April 14, 2016
- Razzart Visual
- 13h median play time
Starlight Vega is a yuri-themed visual novel revolving around a mystical summer shared between a human girl and a magical mermaid queen. The game features atmospheric music, multiple endings, and a complex relationship-building system. As the summer progresses, players will uncover the dark secrets of the mermaid's past and navigate the challenges of their growing bond.
Reviews
- Engaging story with a mix of romance, fantasy, and humor that keeps players invested.
- Well-developed characters with distinct personalities, making the interactions enjoyable.
- Beautiful artwork and a fitting soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- Some plot points feel rushed or underexplored, leading to a lack of depth in certain character arcs.
- Repetitive backgrounds and limited character sprites can detract from immersion.
- Minor spelling and grammar errors are present, which can disrupt the reading experience.
- story205 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The story of "Starlight Vega" is generally well-received, featuring a charming fantasy romance with well-developed characters and multiple endings that encourage replayability. While some reviewers noted minor inconsistencies and pacing issues, the engaging narrative and emotional depth, particularly in character interactions, were highlighted as strong points. Overall, the game is recommended for its enjoyable storytelling, despite some critiques regarding its straightforward plot and occasional lack of detail.
“I absolutely love it, the story is fun, the art is great and the characters are actually well thought out :)”
“If you're looking for something with a unique storyline to pull at your heartstrings and make you laugh, you're in the right place!”
“The story is quite nice, the art is pretty distinctive and I just love the characters.”
“The characters are dull and uninteresting, the relationships feel very forced, and even the animation and soundtrack aren't anything special.”
“The story has a couple of continuity issues, but I enjoyed reading it.”
“There's extremely limited backstory to the game; only what matters to the plot is talked about, and that creates a sense of shallowness and disconnect that makes it hard to really feel.”
- music65 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players finding it fitting and supportive of the narrative, though often described as repetitive and lacking memorability. While some appreciate the soundtrack's ability to set the mood for various scenes, others note that it sometimes feels flat or out of place, with a few standout tracks that are enjoyable. Overall, the music is generally considered adequate but not exceptional, contributing to the game's atmosphere without leaving a lasting impression.
“I left with a surprisingly solid game with great characters and amazing music.”
“The soundtrack is varied, chilled at most times.”
“The background music kept me immersed in the story, never drawing away from what was happening, but also making what I read that much more memorable because it was so well-suited.”
“The same backgrounds are recycled for most of the game as well as the music being highly repetitive.”
“I can't even remember the music in the game and there's no voice acting.”
“The soundtrack is mostly forgettable.”
- graphics30 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are generally praised for their unique and appealing art style, with many reviewers noting the beautiful character designs and backgrounds that complement the story well. While some mention that the artwork shows signs of being less polished compared to later projects from the developer, it is still considered a strong point of the visual novel, enhancing the emotional impact of the narrative. Overall, the visuals are described as nice, with evocative elements that contribute positively to the gaming experience.
“A very well executed production, with really beautiful graphics, nice music and a well written story.”
“The visual elements are probably the most distinctive feature in this visual novel. I absolutely adore the artwork and art style being used, and it is very consistent with character sprites. The backgrounds are very beautiful and complement the overall art style nicely.”
“Starlight Vega captured my attention first with its art style.”
“Compared to everything they've done after this, the artwork is fairly rough and I hope someday Razzart gives this game a nice remaster.”
“It's very clearly trying, but the lack of expertise shows--spelling and grammar issues, a lot of continuity errors and plot holes within and between various routes, and the artwork is only passable for the majority of the time.”
“The artwork in general and music, while somewhat simple, complement the story very well and some situational illustrations were a joy to look at, even though they weren’t super-heavy on details.”
- emotional15 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is a mixed bag; while many players found the romantic elements touching and the love scenes integral to the story, others felt a lack of emotional investment in the characters and found some scenes uncomfortable. The artwork and character design were praised for their heartwarming qualities, yet some reviewers noted that the narrative's potential for deeper emotional engagement was not fully realized, leading to moments that felt mundane rather than thrilling. Overall, the game evokes a range of feelings, from excitement and warmth to disappointment in its emotional depth.
“Emotional, romantic, and just everything about it is perfect!”
“It was the most believable and held some emotional tension too.”
“This game is really touching and heartwarming.”
- humor8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is well-received, with players appreciating the witty banter and comical character interactions, particularly highlighting the lovable character Sid. While the game lacks voice acting and explicit content, it compensates with a cool story and humorous moments that enhance the overall experience. The evolving artwork also adds a layer of enjoyment as the game progresses.
“The characters are comical (Sid being the most lovable) and all of them have creative views and personalities that make them unique and funny.”
“Their sour comment to each other is right to the point, and that makes it funny.”
“Has a nice story with funny parts to lighten the mood.”
- character development5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is mixed; while some players appreciate the rewarding nature of multiple playthroughs that reveal new lore and perspectives, others feel that the romantic elements lack depth and sufficient exploration. The character design is noted for its appeal, particularly in how it complements personalities, but overall, the development may not fully satisfy those seeking deeper emotional connections.
“It wasn’t a major complaint though, and the story itself was very gratifying – while short, it didn’t lack amusing dialogues, good character development, and rewarded multiple playthroughs, uncovering new lore, showing the major story points from new angles depending on the player choices and offered a bunch of distinct endings.”
“Especially compelling was the heartwarming combination of artwork and character design.”
“The main reason I liked her from the start is probably because of her looks and character design; she fits into the character personality perfectly, looking so intimidating and 'royal-like.'”
“A lot of the romance is based on manipulation and weirdness that isn't sufficiently problematized, and there's not enough character development for the romantic payoffs to feel cathartic.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while the multiple character endings and paths offer some enjoyment, the repetitive scenes and lack of a skip option can make gameplay feel tedious. Despite the potential for engaging storytelling, inconsistencies and unconvincing elements detract from the overall experience, particularly for those seeking meaningful representation in a dating sim.
“The game attempts to touch at political intrigue, but its obvious main appeal is romance, and if I were to find three phrases to describe it, it would be tedious, unconvincing, and full of bad fanservice.”
“I'm saddened to be writing this kind of review for a f/f dating sim, as there are not so many of them, but Starlight Vega being at best tedious to read and at worst trying to justify romance with creepy tropes and cheap feelings, I just can't recommend it, especially if you're LGBT+ and looking for good representation.”
“I didn't mind the 'good' and 'bad' endings for each character and thought it was interesting, but there were some plot holes and inconsistencies in the storytelling, as well as times where, even though I saved the game before each choice, a lot of scenes and dialogue were repeated with no skip option available, making the gameplay a bit tedious.”
- gameplay4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily text-based with limited interactivity, featuring choices that lead to different character endings, but it suffers from repetitive scenes and a lack of skip options, making it feel tedious at times. While some players appreciate the branching narratives, the overall mechanics are minimal and can detract from the experience.
“The gameplay is engaging and keeps you invested throughout.”
“While there are limited gameplay mechanics, the choices you make add depth to the experience.”
“The gameplay experience is enhanced by the interactive elements that allow for player choice.”
“I didn't mind the 'good' and 'bad' endings for each character and thought it was interesting, but there were some plot holes and inconsistencies in the storytelling. There were times where, even though I saved the game before each choice, a lot of scenes and dialogue were repeated with no skip option available, making the gameplay a bit tedious.”
“Gameplay is... there.”
“- Not a whole lot of gameplay besides skipping through text, although there are a few choice options.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is generally well-received, with users noting that it enhances the story and adds depth to each scene. While the number of background sceneries is limited, the detailed design of each contributes positively to the overall ambiance.
“Enhances the atmosphere perfectly and gives each scene a lot more depth and feeling.”
“Though there are not many background sceneries, each of them is detailed and provides a good atmosphere.”
“It's not the best yuri game out there, but I enjoyed it nevertheless due to the story and atmosphere.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game offers solid replayability, featuring seven distinct outcomes and significant variations in story paths, making it appealing for completionists and players interested in exploring different routes. Users find the experience worthwhile, as the diverse endings and achievements encourage multiple playthroughs.
“It's worth the money either way, and since it has seven outcomes, with achievements scattered between the majority of the routes, there's absolutely replay value for completionists and even for those who want to see how the different routes pan out, as the changes are significant between each route taken.”
“The story ended with a great conclusion, and there is a decent amount of replayability.”
“It has decent replayability as well, so you can start again and pursue other courses of action to see where they lead.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game is considered adequate, with some users noting that while there are issues, they are not as severe as those found in other otome games. Overall, the performance is deemed acceptable but could be improved.
“I'm tempted to say Aria has some issues as a main character, but I've seen much worse performance from otome games, so I guess she got just enough done.”
“The optimization in this game is severely lacking, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during key moments.”
“I was disappointed by the game's performance; it feels like it wasn't properly optimized for the platforms it's available on.”