Starstruck: Hands of Time
- September 16, 2024
- Createdelic, LLC
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam"Starstruck: Hands of Time" is a unique game that combines rhythm gameplay with an interactive rock opera, featuring a catchy soundtrack and live instruments by Elsie Lovelock. In the game, you'll play guitar in musical story segments and also control a giant human hand to demolish houses and solve puzzles in a strange miniature world. With the "Autoplay" option, you can enjoy the music and story even without the rhythm gameplay. Explore three interconnected adventures and uncover the mystery of how the little lives in the world are connected to the end of mankind.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a stunning presentation with a unique mixed-media art style that combines claymation and FMV, creating a visually captivating experience.
- The story is engaging and thought-provoking, addressing deep themes of creativity and identity while maintaining a quirky and humorous tone.
- The rhythm gameplay is fun and responsive, with the added novelty of supporting guitar controllers, making it an enjoyable experience for rhythm game enthusiasts.
- The core gameplay mechanics are often unintuitive, with awkward note charting and a lack of clarity in how to play effectively, leading to frustration.
- The narrative becomes convoluted in the second half, abandoning character development in favor of abstract symbolism that may leave players confused.
- The game is relatively short, with some players feeling that it rushes through important plot points and character arcs, resulting in an unsatisfying conclusion.
- story55 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's story is a blend of charming nostalgia and deep themes, starting off sweetly but becoming increasingly abstract and symbol-laden, which some players found perplexing. While it features engaging characters and creative visuals, the narrative struggles with pacing and resolution, particularly in its latter half, leading to mixed feelings about its overall impact. Despite these issues, many players appreciate the unique storytelling approach and the exploration of themes related to identity, creativity, and the nature of art.
“It kept surprising me in lots of different ways: its humor, its creative visuals, its overall weirdness, and its increasingly deep story.”
“The soundtrack is magnificent, the graphics amazingly cute, and the story blew me out of the water.”
“A cute looking game about the idea of conforming to what people want from art compromises your creativity/curiosity wrapped around the story of two musicians and the hand of a time traveler that is going to smash up their town so they can overcome physical obstacles in their way.”
“The story starts off very sweet and nostalgic, but the last half of the game abandons its characters in favor of a deep, profound message.”
“I don’t think the game is quite successful at delivering a quirky story with symbolisms to complement and enhance its plot and characters.”
“On the other hand, Edwin's story was a constant exposition of symbolisms trying to establish the themes that the game tries to convey, while his character and the plot revolving around him was pretty rushed, so much that I really didn’t end up caring for him at all.”
- music41 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its solid soundtrack and unique charm, contributing significantly to the overall atmosphere and creativity. However, some players find certain rhythm sections and song arrangements unintuitive, making gameplay challenging, especially for those unfamiliar with rhythm games. Despite mixed feelings about specific tracks, many reviewers recommend experiencing the music firsthand, highlighting its emotional impact and integration with the game's narrative and visuals.
“Overall atmosphere is very relaxing with the claymation style and ambient background music.”
“The soundtrack is magnificent, the graphics amazingly cute and the story blew me out of the water.”
“This game just oozes creativity, with great music and a compelling story although it can be a bit complicated at times towards the end.”
“For a title emphasizing music, many of the songs you play during the rhythm minigames sound too amateurish.”
“Experienced guitar hero players should note that, even though it supports guitar controllers and works great, there are some frustrating bits about the rhythm minigame: there's no real on-screen indicator for where the beat falls, which makes the charts nearly impossible to sightread, the notes wrap back around to the left side of the screen at musically random points in time, and you'll have to press the buttons for each note.”
“I was disappointed to discover that not every song has vocals as seen in the demo, but maybe it's because I'm just not into jam bands or 5/8 time signatures.”
- graphics22 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and charming art style, which blends clay aesthetics with various creative elements, resulting in visually stunning environments and characters. Reviewers highlight the impressive visuals as a standout feature, often noting the passion of the developers and the game's ability to evoke a strong emotional response through its artistic presentation. Overall, the combination of beautiful graphics, dynamic visuals, and a captivating soundtrack contributes significantly to the game's appeal and uniqueness.
“The mix of the clay art style gets mixed with all sorts of weird stuff like real-world objects, and I can just feel the passion that the developers had when making this game.”
“The visuals are fantastic, the music bops, and on top of the eccentric mix of adventure, rhythm gameplay, and sandbox destruction, it all comes together to make something truly unique.”
“The striking clay art style, wonderful music, the charming characters, the intriguing plot, and the overall inspired presentation hooked me all those years ago and still seem to be here in full force.”
“The graphics are underwhelming and lack the polish expected from modern games.”
“The character models look outdated and the environments feel bland and uninspired.”
“Despite the interesting art style, the overall execution of the graphics leaves much to be desired.”
- gameplay20 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a mixed bag, featuring solid rhythm mechanics that can be satisfying once mastered, but marred by uneven charting and a lack of engaging hand mode. While the game offers a unique blend of adventure and rhythm elements, with charming visuals and a humorous narrative, it requires some adjustment to fully appreciate its mechanics. Overall, it presents a distinctive experience that combines exploration with rhythm gameplay, though it may benefit from additional customization options and improved note charting.
“The visuals are fantastic, the music bops, and on top of the eccentric mix of adventure, rhythm gameplay, and sandbox destruction, it all comes together to make something truly unique.”
“The gameplay changes along with the narrative and perspective, but the rhythm is the main part that unites everything. The mechanics of hitting the notes can take some getting used to, given how it is displayed, but very satisfying to get the hang of it.”
“An insanely charming rhythm game with consistently cool surprises in its narrative gameplay and a really funny vibe.”
“Unfortunately, the core gameplay has taken the worst aspects of Um Jammer Lammy, like the nonsensical note charting and atonal songs.”
“I don't think the developers know how much fun hand mode is, considering how little there is of it compared to the rest of the gameplay.”
“The rhythm game mechanics are fine in and of themselves, but they're weirdly unevenly spread across the game's runtime, and the charting makes really poor use of the mechanics and the controller.”
- humor13 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is described as imaginative, surprising, and consistently funny, blending silly adventure elements with darker, more eldritch themes. Players appreciate the natural dialogue and clever writing, which enhance the overall charm and creativity of the experience. The humor, combined with unique visuals and engaging gameplay, makes it a standout title for those who enjoy quirky and humorous narratives.
“It kept surprising me in lots of different ways: its humor, its creative visuals, its overall weirdness, and its increasingly deep story.”
“It's funny, imaginative, and kept me guessing all the way through to the end.”
“The writing feels natural and the dialogue is occasionally very funny as well.”
- emotional5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a blend of humor, heartache, and horror, creating a complex experience that resonates with players. While it effectively explores deep themes and offers an emotional journey, some reviewers felt that the resolution of character arcs lacked depth and fulfillment. Overall, it is described as a compelling emotional ride that balances wholesome moments with unsettling elements.
“Humorous, heart-wrenching, and even horrifying at times, all with a pretty intuitive and fun rhythm game packed in, and that's only a part of the game!”
“Starstruck perfectly captures three emotionally dense themes underneath its dream logic.”
“It's an emotional ride that I think a lot of people should experience.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by a relaxing claymation style complemented by soothing ambient music, creating an engaging and immersive experience. Players appreciate the likable characters and the surprisingly deep plot, which enhances the overall ambiance.
“The overall atmosphere is very relaxing with the claymation style and ambient background music.”
“The atmosphere is amazing, the characters are likable, and the plot itself is far deeper than it needs to be.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers highlight that the character development is enhanced by appealing character designs, which contribute to the overall engagement and connection players feel with the characters.
“The character development is incredibly rich, allowing players to form deep connections with each character.”
“I love how the characters evolve throughout the story, making their journeys feel authentic and engaging.”
“The appealing character designs complement the intricate backstories, enhancing the overall experience.”
