Stars End
- January 8, 2023
- Reverie World Studios
- 15h median play time
"Stars End" is a first-person, open-world survival game set in a procedurally generated universe. Gather resources, craft tools, and build bases to survive and explore the vast expanse of space. The game features day/night and weather cycles, as well as a variety of alien creatures and hazards to contend with. With its focus on exploration and survival, "Stars End" offers a unique and immersive experience for fans of the genre.
Reviews
- The game has a lot of potential and offers a unique blend of space and survival mechanics.
- The developers are responsive and actively working on updates and bug fixes, showing commitment to improving the game.
- The crafting system and exploration aspects are engaging, providing a sense of adventure and discovery.
- The game is riddled with bugs and glitches that can hinder gameplay, such as disappearing items and vehicles.
- Graphics and animations are outdated and can detract from the overall experience, making it feel unpolished.
- The initial gameplay can be tedious and grindy, with a steep learning curve that may frustrate new players.
- graphics198 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 22 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players describing them as outdated, reminiscent of early 2000s titles, and plagued by numerous bugs and performance issues. While some users acknowledge potential for improvement and appreciate the gameplay mechanics, the consensus is that the visuals are subpar and detract significantly from the overall experience. Many hope for future updates to enhance the graphics, but as it stands, the visuals are considered a major drawback.
“🚀 The graphics were stunning and the gameplay was smooth and engaging.”
“The graphics are good overall and there is plenty to keep you busy.”
“Graphics are better than I was expecting, although animations are a work in progress I see a tremendous amount of potential here.”
“To the devs, 2004 called, they want their graphic engine back lol.. horrid visuals considering what decade it is (hint: 2020's).”
“In short, the game is hideous; graphically it is so far outdated that even for an early 2000's game it would still be seen as outdated for that time.”
“The graphics are downright from the early 2000's (at least Minecraft intends to be pixelated - this game does not, as the trailer implies).”
- gameplay180 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is characterized by a mix of engaging survival mechanics and significant bugs that hinder the overall experience. While some players appreciate the core gameplay loop and potential for fun, many criticize the clunky mechanics, lack of polish, and frustrating bugs that can lead to a tedious experience. Overall, the game shows promise but requires further development to address its numerous gameplay issues and enhance player enjoyment.
“The game is fun and shows a lot of promise for great future gameplay.”
“This game has already solid core gameplay; now they just need to polish it to make it a real gem.”
“I played this game for a little bit not expecting much at all, and while the graphics aren't hugely modern, the gameplay itself is very enjoyable.”
“But right now this game is in a godawful state of barely-functional gameplay; the devs are trying to fix it, but this shouldn't honestly be for sale yet.”
“Overall this game seems like a bunch of badly designed and badly implemented mechanics clumped in one game without any reason or goal.”
“Gameplay is tedious, extremely buggy, and after spending hours grinding for all the materials you need to build a decent base or ship, you might lose it overnight to bugs or unexpected server wipes.”
- stability140 mentions
- 4 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 96 % negative mentions
The game is widely criticized for its numerous bugs and glitches, which significantly hinder gameplay and can lead to frustrating experiences, such as items disappearing and game crashes. Many players acknowledge that it is still in early access and expect these issues, but the frequency and severity of the bugs suggest it was released prematurely. While some users appreciate the developers' responsiveness and ongoing updates, the overall consensus is that the game remains in a very rough state and is not yet ready for a stable experience.
“If you are looking for a bug-free and smooth sailing game, wait a bit on this one.”
“A lot of negative reviews are from people going in expecting a finished, bug-free game... that's not EA.”
“There are a number of glitches from stuff you place disappearing almost instantly, to getting stuck inside a planet or in space, which you will then need to wait for a dev to get online and help you, which probably won't happen until much later or the next day.”
“It's still in a very rough state with game-breaking glitches and should not have left early access.”
“Very buggy, loot isn't even remotely close to consistent, spent the first 40 mins wandering around, the last 20 I spent running around killing bugs and a large mech with a pickaxe because apparently they have a blind spot directly in front of them, got on a ship to go to space and as it breaks orbit it crashed my PC... overall needs another few years to make a semi-decent game, nothing like the store suggests, don't waste your money on this even if it is on sale.”
- story116 mentions
- 7 % positive mentions
- 86 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's story is criticized for being minimal and poorly executed, with many players noting a lack of engaging content beyond the initial tutorial missions. While some appreciate the potential of the plot and the immersive elements introduced at the start, the overwhelming presence of bugs and incomplete quests detracts significantly from the overall narrative experience. Many reviewers express a desire for more substantial storylines and missions to enhance gameplay, indicating that the current state feels rushed and lacking depth.
“The storyline was well thought out and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time.”
“The game loop is explained well and feels right, especially with the surrounding story.”
“If you want to help the developers and like adventure and storytelling, give the game a look.”
“There is a basic, and I mean very basic, quest line at the start, then nothing... no storyline, just a few old bugged quests here and there that don't work.”
“The tutorial failed completely to immerse me in any manner; it pops you in, no lore, no story, nothing about why you're out somewhere in space, not a single character is memorable.”
“The story is just 'settling the old west'.”
- grinding68 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with many players finding it excessively tedious and monotonous, often leading to frustration after investing significant time without meaningful rewards. While some appreciate the potential for resource farming and crafting, critical bugs frequently disrupt progress, resulting in lost materials and vehicles. Overall, the grind can feel overwhelming, but there are glimpses of enjoyment for those who engage with the game's systems.
“I am tired of grinding for hours for nothing.”
“3 times been left empty handed after hours and hours of grinding for material by a crash of a bug in one of the systems.”
“It's boring, monotonous and tedious.”
- optimization48 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with some players noting significant improvements and stable performance, while others report persistent bugs, frame drops, and clunky UI interactions. Many acknowledge the efforts of the indie development team in addressing these issues, but consensus indicates that further optimization is still needed for a smoother experience. Overall, while there are positive strides in performance, the game remains a work in progress with notable optimization challenges.
“Performance is greatly enhanced.”
“You can tell the devs put in a lot of work into optimization.”
“The performance was quite good, even while streaming, and I had a great framerate.”
“Would have been more forgiving if it was still marked as 'early access.' I understand that it's a small indie dev team behind it and that they're very rapidly fixing bugs daily, but in its current state in terms of performance and overall quality, it's nowhere near done.”
“Great premise, horrible optimization.”
“Hot mess, performance sucks; when it does work, the graphics suck. I wasted my money.”
- music20 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its decent quality and thematic fit for a futuristic western, while others find it jarring and poorly executed, describing it as offensive and inconsistent. Notably, the option to turn off the music is seen as a positive feature. Overall, the soundtrack seems to evoke strong reactions, ranging from enjoyment to frustration.
“The game feels like a futuristic western with the music and has the potential to appeal to Firefly fans.”
“One time I got somewhere and the music changed suddenly to some dramatic tune; I was nervously looking around expecting a multitude of enemies inbound and tight combat... but it turned out it was this area's default music.”
“+ Decent in-game music (I normally turn off music in games... left this one on).”
“The audio is horribly offensive to my ears, with caterwauling constantly and the music cutting in and out for no good reason.”
“Music is unbearable.”
“Loud, skippy, fit for a country music festival for the half-deaf.”
- monetization18 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has drawn significant criticism, with many users labeling it a "cash grab" and expressing concerns that it may never fully release from early access. While some acknowledge ongoing updates, the overall sentiment suggests skepticism about the game's development quality and intentions, leading to fears of abandonment.
“This might turn into a cash grab scam where it never releases out of early access.”
“Early access cash grab, full of game-breaking exploits, bugs, and poor animations.”
“For a long time, I thought that this game was just slow on development, but with everything that has happened recently (and what has not happened), this is starting to feel like a cash grab.”
- humor14 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as a mix of amusing moments and unintentional comedy stemming from bugs and dated animations, which some players found entertaining despite the game's shortcomings. However, many reviewers also noted that the humor often highlighted the developers' lack of game design expertise, leading to a frustrating experience overall. While there are funny instances, the overall impression suggests that the humor cannot fully compensate for the game's flaws.
“Animation for the ejection door was hilariously dated by other modern day games, but it was satisfying and I can't complain.”
“The bugs were humorous.”
“I did a first impressions video on my channel and it shows you all the horrible little breaks this game had, some hilarious and others infuriating.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
Players consistently praise the game's atmosphere, highlighting its immersive environment that enhances the experience, especially when played with others. The combination of detailed weapons, clothing, and vehicles contributes to a rich and engaging setting, with unique features like walking around inside moving spacecraft adding to the overall ambiance.
“My advice to you: play with someone, preferably 3 people, because as you immerse yourself in this game, you truly feel the atmosphere!”
“Great atmosphere.”
“My advice to you: play with someone, preferably three people, because as you engage in this game, you can truly feel the atmosphere!”
“Between the weapons, clothes, vehicles, and atmosphere, there is a lot to offer players.”
“You can walk around on moving spacecraft that have open space inside (once outside of the atmosphere).”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is considered limited, as players feel that once they have mastered the mechanics and objectives, there is little incentive to revisit the experience.
“Replay value is limited; once you know how to get things done, there's little incentive to play again.”
“The game lacks meaningful choices, making replayability feel pointless.”
“After completing the game once, there's not much left to explore or experience.”