Starscape

About

Starscape is a single-player Science Fiction Shooter game that offers around 30 hours of playtime. As the last pilot of the spaceship Aegis, you must help rebuild its defenses, acquire alien technology, and create your own unique set of fighters. The game features beautifully rendered 32bit color graphics, 800x600 resolution, and a thumping music soundtrack with sound effects.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

81%

Audience ScoreBased on 81 reviews

story7 positive mentions

grinding5 negative mentions

Starscape offers a nostalgic experience with addictive gameplay that combines space shooting, resource mining, and ship upgrading.
The game features a charming retro art style and a fun mix of arcade action with light strategy elements, making it enjoyable for fans of the genre.
Players appreciate the depth of customization for ships and the engaging combat mechanics, which keep the gameplay interesting despite some repetitiveness.

The game suffers from dated graphics and a maximum resolution of 800x600, which can be frustrating on modern hardware.
Many players find the interface clunky and the controls awkward, particularly during boss battles, leading to a frustrating experience.
Repetitive gameplay and a lack of significant plot development can make the game feel tedious over time, diminishing its replay value.

story
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
52%
14%
The story in Starscape is generally considered simple and somewhat generic, revolving around an advanced Earth spaceship lost in alien territory. While it provides a clear motivation for gameplay, many reviewers feel it lacks depth and character development, with some wishing for more plot and choices. Despite its shortcomings, the combination of engaging combat and exploration keeps players entertained, making the overall experience enjoyable even if the narrative isn't particularly strong.
- “It's a great 2D space game that feels a lot like the X series but with a more focused story.”
- “Starscape is a very pleasant combination of asteroids with a plot and some other gameplay types: a bit of adventure, a bit of tactics, a lot of fun.”
- “The story is somewhat generic: an advanced Earth spaceship gets lost, has to defeat aliens and escape back home. Though told through text boxes, it's not too in your face, while providing a clear motivation for continuing, and there's more here if you're willing to go looking for it.”
- “However, the storyline itself is somewhat shallow, character depth is nonexistent, and the game only runs at 640x480 and 800x600, forcing you to play in windowed mode if you have a 16:9 monitor.”
- “Only the storyline could have been a little better elaborated, but still satisfactory, and this may be a matter of taste.”
gameplay
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
50%
17%
The gameplay is generally enjoyable and addictive, featuring solid mechanics and a mix of resource collection, upgrading, and combat. However, many players find it repetitive and shallow, with some mechanics feeling underdeveloped and the interface cumbersome. While the game offers good replay value and a fun blend of genres, it struggles with depth and can become tedious over time.
- “Great game, top down space shooter with light looter mechanics.”
- “The gameplay is solid and simple with enough variability to give it good replay value.”
- “Despite the simple idea ('collect resources to become stronger, but watch your back and take offensive actions to collect intelligence'), the gameplay is extremely immersive.”
- “The gameplay is a bit repetitive and cannot exactly be described as a relaxing grind.”
- “The mechanics don't come together; it feels shallow, the interface is a pain, and it doesn't support resolutions larger than 800x600.”
- “The final ship components cause all end-game ships to look the same, and the final boss has a frustrating mechanic that requires either a more responsive ship than the game provides or an unsatisfying win through less engaging maneuvers.”
graphics
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
The graphics of the game are generally considered dated, with a maximum resolution of 800x600 pixels and limited 2D art styles that reflect its late 90s origins. However, the retro art style and cartoony aesthetic are appreciated for their charm, and while some cutscenes may appear wonky, the overall visual experience is enjoyable, especially given the game's low price point. Players find the graphics acceptable for a nostalgic experience, particularly when paired with good music and engaging gameplay.
- “These issues don't matter too much though, as the art style is pleasingly retro, with a cartoony grace that a higher resolution would wash away the human touch.”
- “Very enjoyable with good music and graphics considering its age.”
- “However, the ships and gameplay graphics look great!”
- “Plays well on modern PCs even if graphics are outdated already.”
- “The graphic is quite dated, with a maximum resolution of 800x600 pixels, so it's better for me to play it in windowed mode.”
- “The anime style cutscenes do feature some pretty decent still artwork, but the in-game texturing is atrocious.”
music
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
11%
33%
The music in the game is generally enjoyable and nostalgic, evoking a sense of the past with its '80s anime action style, though some find it repetitive and lacking in quality compared to modern standards. While the soundtrack and sound effects are considered serviceable, they do not stand out as exceptional, leading some players to prefer listening to other audio in the background. Overall, the music leaves a mixed impression, appreciated for its charm but criticized for its limitations.
- “It's pretty fun and the intro music brings me back 20 years in the past.”
- “Not flawless, but the combination of tense combat, minimalistic strategy, and story, seasoned by a great soundtrack and design decisions, will certainly leave an impression.”
- “Very enjoyable with good music and graphics considering its age.”
- “Very good, but sadly without the improved music quality that was available back in the day.”
- “The plot is okay, but the music is your typical over-pumped '80s style anime action music and gets tedious quickly.”
- “Poor soundtrack.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly when it comes to resource mining, which can feel monotonous and lacking in control options. While some appreciate the leveling mechanics and challenging combat that can make the grinding feel rewarding, the overall sentiment leans towards it being a dull experience.
- “One aspect of the game I found to be a bit tedious is the mining of resources.”
- “No controller support, using arrow keys, and more farming than Minecraft makes this a very dull game indeed.”
- “Though grinding meteors for minerals can get tiresome, the combat is challenging enough to make it worthwhile.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers solid and simple gameplay with enough variability to enhance its replayability, though some players express uncertainty about its long-term appeal after a single playthrough.
- “The gameplay is solid and simple with enough variability to give it good replay value.”
- “Enjoyable experience once through, not too sure about the replay value on it.”