Starshifter

About

Starshifter is a single player action game. It was developed by Coyotic Games and was released on July 11, 2023. It received positive reviews from players.

"Starshifter is a shapeshifting adventure where you play as Coyote, a Guardian tasked with returning stars to the sky after a meteor shower leaves animals powerless. Explore four biomes and interact with various animals, helping them on their own quests while collecting stars. As Coyote, utilize your new shapeshifting ability to protect the land from Darkness and restore balance."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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83%

Audience ScoreBased on 46 reviews

graphics4 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

Charming atmosphere with beautiful art and unique character designs.
Great music that enhances the overall experience.
Fun exploration and collecting mechanics that evoke nostalgia for classic collect-a-thon games.

Controls are frustrating and inconsistent, particularly with the bird form, making gameplay feel janky.
The game suffers from performance issues and optimization problems, leading to low frame rates in open areas.
Lack of polish and bugs detract from the overall experience, making it difficult to recommend in its current state.

graphics
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
40%
20%
The graphics of Starshifter are characterized by a charming, cell-shaded art style that features cute character designs and a comic book shading technique, adding significant character to the visuals. However, some users noted that the graphics can be "clippy," indicating that there are areas needing improvement despite the overall appealing aesthetic.
- “A fun little puzzle platformer with good vibes and a charming aesthetic, Starshifter is well worth the money.”
- “Character designs are cute and the cell-shaded style makes its art style timeless.”
- “Lovely art style, the comic book shading adds lots of character to the art; I think it was a great inclusion.”
- “The graphics are a bit...clippy.”
- “The models are cute and I do quite like the art style; it's unfortunately everything else that needs some work for now.”
gameplay
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
40%
20%
The gameplay is generally easy to understand and enjoyable, focusing on collecting stars and immersing players in a relaxing atmosphere with pleasant music. However, significant issues arise from the lack of swimming mechanics, which can lead to frustrating situations, detracting from the overall experience. Players are advised to consider these limitations before purchasing.
- “I like the gameplay and the story, and the music is lovely and relaxing.”
- “Mechanically it's easy to grasp, just collecting stars and enjoying myself.”
- “That's my main issue as for now, here are some nitpicks that are not as important gameplay-wise, but I thought would be worth mentioning.”
- “There's no swimming mechanics; I jumped into the river and could not swim upwards to get out of it. I had to close the game because the coyote would just slowly swim on the bottom of the river.”
- “That's my main issue for now. Here are some nitpicks that are not as important gameplay-wise, but I thought would be worth mentioning.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The music in the game is highly praised for its orchestral background that complements the North American landscapes, creating a lovely and relaxing atmosphere. Reviewers note that the cheerful and fun compositions effectively set the tone for each area, enhancing both the gameplay and story experience.
- “I love the North American landscapes and the orchestral background music.”
- “I like the gameplay and the story, and the music is lovely and relaxing.”
- “The music is cheerful and fun, and sets the tone for each area you're in.”
story
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The story is described as simple yet enjoyable, with an interesting and unique narrative that engages players in exploring the game world. While the quests can be challenging, the overall experience is complemented by lovely and relaxing music.
- “The story is simple but fun.”
- “I like the gameplay and the story, and the music is lovely and relaxing.”
- “The story is interesting and unique; it made me excited to look for more animals to see what they have to say.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
33%
50%
The game currently suffers from significant optimization issues, leading to high resource usage and loud fan noise even on less demanding hardware. Performance on the Steam Deck is particularly poor, averaging only 10-20 fps, though there is hope that future updates may improve this aspect as the game develops.
- “There also seems to be some heavy optimization issues currently, as even though this game is extremely rough and simple, it did run at a decent frame rate. My computer was definitely putting in some work to run this game, with the fans ending up very loud - which they don't do for much higher tier games like Red Dead Redemption 2.”
- “My only complaint is that the game needs to be optimized better.”
- “There also seems to be some heavy optimization issues currently, as even though this game is extremely rough and simple and it did run at a decent frame rate, my computer was definitely putting some work in to run this game with the fans ending up very loud - which they don't do for much higher tier games like Red Dead Redemption 2.”
- “Poor performance on Steam Deck (10-20 fps avg) but maybe that could change as the game matures.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game is praised for its charming atmosphere, which contributes to an enjoyable and fun experience. Reviewers consistently highlight the appealing ambiance as a key aspect of the game's overall appeal.
- “The game has a very nice atmosphere and the concept is pretty fun.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
Character development is highlighted by charming and memorable designs, with a unique and timeless cell-shaded art style that enhances the appeal of the diverse animal characters. Players appreciate the creativity and joy brought by the distinct looks of each character.
- “The character designs are lovely and memorable; they certainly have a unique look to them, and seeing all the different animals was a joy.”
- “Character designs are cute, and the cell-shaded style makes its art style timeless.”
- “The character designs are lovely and memorable; they certainly have a unique look to them, and seeing all the different animals was a joy.”