Starry Knight

84%
Game Brain Score Based on 61 reviews
  • graphics
  • gameplay
  • story
Starry Knight Game Cover
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"Starry Knight" is a 2D boss rush game set in the paintings of Van Gogh, where you fight bosses representing the artist's struggles. With unique battle mechanics, boss design, and abilities to gain, the game offers fun and challenges for players of all skill levels. Carefully designed normal, easy, and hard modes are available, and controller compatibility adds to the accessibility.

  • PC
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

84%
Audience ScoreBased on 61 reviews
graphics13 positive mentions
grinding4 negative mentions
  • The game features a stunning art style that beautifully brings Van Gogh's paintings to life, creating a unique visual experience.
  • The boss designs are creative and varied, providing an interesting challenge that aligns well with the game's artistic theme.
  • The game offers a heartfelt tribute to Van Gogh, with a touching story and meaningful quotes that resonate with players.
  • The combat mechanics are clunky and frustrating, often leading to a feeling of fighting against the controls rather than the bosses themselves.
  • Many players find the difficulty level to be unbalanced, with some bosses having unfair mechanics that can lead to frustrating experiences.
  • The game lacks sufficient defensive options, making it difficult to avoid damage and leading to a reliance on luck rather than skill during boss fights.
  • graphics21 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and coherent art style, heavily inspired by Vincent van Gogh, which creates a visually stunning atmosphere. While the visuals are considered beautiful and evocative, some reviewers noted that the animations may appear low-budget and that the gameplay experience does not always match the high-quality graphics. Overall, the art style is a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's memorable experience.

    • “The game play, the visuals, the soundtrack, and the storyline all add up to make this game one of the most memorable experiences.”
    • “This game has beautiful graphics, and the bosses go well with the Van Gogh theme!”
    • “The atmosphere, music, and graphic style were superb and exceptionally pleasing to the eye.”
    • “I know it looks pretty, but the experience of playing it is not consistent with the visuals.”
    • “While some of the animations are on the low budget side, it still manages to pull off some very suggestive visuals.”
    • “The art style looks distinct and very evocative, but some animations feel lacking in quality.”
  • gameplay19 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by janky mechanics and a lack of clarity in boss designs, leading to frustration for many players. While some appreciate the unique boss mechanics and find the game engaging, others criticize the combat system as clunky and unrefined, making it challenging to enjoy fully. Overall, the gameplay offers a mix of fun ideas and artistic elements, but suffers from execution issues that detract from the experience.

    • “The gameplay feels a little janky but it's fun, and you never feel confused even though the game doesn't give you tutorials on each of the individual gimmicks.”
    • “The fighting mechanics can take a bit to get used to, but the game is very fun and keeps you engaged!”
    • “I actually love the unique mechanics that each boss fight brings!”
    • “Gameplay-wise, it is quite a challenge, for your blocking abilities negate only some of the damage and it can be clunky, forcing you to be patient and read attack patterns that can be really against your odds.”
    • “Mechanics are janky and some boss mechanics aren't well explained.”
    • “The blocking mechanic feels like it only decreases the damage you take by about 50%, and the shield wind-up is so long that some attacks will hit before you can activate it at all.”
  • story12 mentions

    The game's story is praised for its artistic interpretation of Vincent van Gogh's life, blending beautiful visuals and music with a compelling, albeit brief, narrative. While some players find the story inspiring and memorable, others note that it is somewhat light, primarily serving as a backdrop to the gameplay, which focuses heavily on boss battles. Overall, the story effectively conveys themes of hopelessness and suffering, resonating with players who appreciate its artistic ambition.

    • “The game play, the visuals, the soundtrack, and the storyline all add up to make this game one of the most memorable experiences.”
    • “A quick game that tells the story of Vincent van Gogh in an adventurous but tragic way.”
    • “Since the game largely focuses on its boss battles, it's a little light on story.”
    • “If the idea was to make you hopeless and slowly descend into insanity and suffering as the story of the game goes, I'm sorry to say that that's been achieved.”
    • “The story tries to interpret the artist's life in an allegorical way, which sometimes works but others seems rather awkward.”
  • music10 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers noting that it complements the stunning visuals and engaging storyline. While some mention that the music tracks are relatively short, the overall sentiment is that the soundtrack significantly contributes to making the game memorable and enjoyable.

    • “The music, everything about this game is perfect.”
    • “The gameplay, the visuals, the soundtrack, and the storyline all add up to make this game one of the most memorable games.”
    • “The atmosphere, music, and graphic style were superb and exceptionally pleasing to the eye.”
    • “The game play, the visuals, the soundtrack, and the story line all add up to make this game into one of the most memorable games.”
    • “After reading a few of the other posted reviews, the common themes running through them is that the visual design and accompanying music is immensely pleasing, but that the combat is frustrating due to the controls and the length lacking.”
  • emotional4 mentions

    The game is praised for its stunning art inspired by Van Gogh, complemented by a somber and emotional soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers describe it as a touching tribute to Van Gogh and artists in general, highlighting its heartfelt and kind nature.

    • “The art is top notch (for it is basically a sample of Van Gogh's art) and the sound has a somber and emotional tone to it.”
    • “A heartfelt tribute not only to Van Gogh, but to all artists.”
    • “Very kind and heartfelt game about Van Gogh.”
  • grinding4 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly criticizing the combat mechanics as clunky and unrewarding, which detracts from the overall experience.

    • “He is tedious and frustrating.”
    • “The worst part of the game was its combat, which is in reality the whole gameplay, which was tedious and unrewarding, even after getting used to the clanky actions of the character.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the game is perceived as limited, with some players finding it amusing only in the initial chapter, while others feel it lacks comedic depth overall. Despite its beauty, the humor does not significantly enhance the gameplay experience for many users.

  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with reviewers highlighting its exceptional art style, superb music, and visually pleasing graphics, often rating it a perfect 10/10.

    • “The art style and the atmosphere are 10/10.”
    • “The atmosphere, music, and graphic style were superb and exceptionally pleasing to the eye.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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