Starshot: Space Circus Fever
- November 12, 2020
- Infogrames Europe SA
Get on SteamIn "Starshot: Space Circus Fever," become Starshot, the star-juggler, and embark on a journey across distant galaxies to find extraordinary performers and save the Space Circus from bankruptcy. Compete against the rival Virtua Circus, led by Wolfgang von Ravel, and avoid the Intergalactic Bank's Robot-Bomb bailiffs to put on the best circus show in the universe. This 90s-inspired 3D platformer offers a nostalgic and exciting adventure.
PC
Windows
Nintendo 64
Reviews
- The game offers a nostalgic experience for those who played it in the past, with a charming art style reminiscent of classic platformers.
- The voice acting and dialogue are well-executed, with good translations and a lot of character detail, enhancing the overall storytelling.
- Despite its issues, players can still find enjoyment in the game by overcoming its challenges and embracing its quirky design.
- The controls are poorly designed, making gameplay tedious and frustrating, with many players experiencing issues with camera angles and responsiveness.
- Technical problems abound, including framerate drops, unresponsive controls after cutscenes, and a lack of proper gamepad support, making it nearly unplayable for some.
- The game suffers from numerous glitches and bugs, which detract from the overall experience and require players to spend significant time troubleshooting.
- music16 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The game features a completely original soundtrack that differs from the iconic N64 music, which some players lament as it was highly regarded for its catchiness. While the new music is not as memorable as the original, it is still considered enjoyable. The PC soundtrack is available for free online from the composer, Gilles Benoit.
“The songs and the accents are re-invented to suit both languages.”
“It is a bit of a pity, because the N64 music was insanely good and catchy, but this version's music isn't bad at all.”
“The music is not the N64 music.”
“It is a completely different original soundtrack which was composed before the N64 music.”
“(The PC soundtrack is available online for free on the website of the composer: look up 'Gilles Benoit music').”
- story4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The story and characters are well-received, featuring engaging dialogue and humor, but players find the gameplay tedious and struggle with poor camera controls, which detracts from the overall experience.
“The developers want you to go through the story to enjoy the dialogue, the jokes, and the art.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting frequent glitches, broken options, inadequate gamepad support, and a lack of support for higher resolutions, leading to a frustrating experience.
“Most of my time in the game was spent troubleshooting.”
“Broken options, bad gamepad support, no support for higher resolutions, and other glitches.”
- gameplay4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Gameplay in Starshot is characterized by its innovative puzzle mechanics, often placing players in confined spaces with unique challenges. Additionally, the ability to change the game's language mid-play enhances accessibility and immersion.
“You can change language in the middle of gameplay, and the voices and text instantly change.”
“Starshot loves to lock you up in a tiny room with no way out and two or three elements of a puzzle mechanic you've never seen before.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, often overshadowing the enjoyable characters and story. Additionally, poor camera controls contribute to the frustration during gameplay.
“The characters and the story are good, but actually playing it is quite tedious and the camera controls are horrible.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in this game is largely derived from its poor quality, with players finding amusement in the nostalgia of their childhood experiences despite the game's flaws. Many reviewers express a sense of irony, laughing at the game's shortcomings while reminiscing about their past interactions with it. Overall, the humor seems to stem from a blend of nostalgia and the absurdity of the game's execution.
“I knew going into this that it was going to be awful because I read the reviews. However, I spent 15 years trying to remember the name of this game that I played as a kid, and even though I barely got past the first level, this is hitting me with complete nostalgia. I'm laughing at how awful the port of this is.”
- graphics2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics are praised for their timeless quality, featuring a French art style that evokes positive comparisons to the Rayman series. This aesthetic contributes to the game's enduring appeal.
“It really stands the test of time, and the French art style is very reminiscent of Rayman in the best possible way.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of Starshot is characterized by a surprisingly dark tone, blending humor with a sense of dread that reveals the dystopian nature of its universe. This juxtaposition creates a unique and unsettling experience for players as they navigate the game's world.
“The atmosphere and the jokes are unexpectedly dark, and slowly you begin to realize how horrible and dystopic the universe of Starshot is.”
