STARWHAL
- September 28, 2014
- Breakfall
Starwhal: Just the Tip offers up some fantastic multiplayer action for those not looking for a serious endeavor. If you can't get four players together though it loses most of its luster.
Get on Steam"STARWHAL is a local multi-player fighting game that pits up to 4 players against each other as narwhals in space, offering 25 arenas, 4 game modes, and 90+ costumes. The game also includes 32 single-player challenges with leaderboards, ghost replays, and achievements. Inspired by classic couch-gaming, STARWHAL is known for its humor, awesome gameplay, good graphics, and exceptional soundtrack."
Mac OS
PC
Phone
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Windows
Xbox One
Linux
PlayStation
Playstation 3
Tablet
Wii
Wii U
Xbox
Reviews
- Starwhal is a hilarious and chaotic local multiplayer game that is easy to pick up and play, making it perfect for parties.
- The game features vibrant graphics, a fun soundtrack, and a variety of customization options for characters, enhancing the overall experience.
- Players report that the game is highly entertaining and provides lots of laughs, especially when played with friends.
- The game lacks online multiplayer, which limits its replayability and makes it less appealing for those who want to play with friends remotely.
- Many players find the controls to be frustratingly imprecise, leading to chaotic gameplay that can feel more luck-based than skill-based.
- Some reviews mention that the game can become repetitive quickly, with limited single-player content and not enough depth to keep players engaged for long periods.
- gameplay39 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Starwhal is characterized by its simple yet chaotic mechanics, where players control narwhals to strike opponents' hearts while avoiding their own being hit. While the controls can feel imprecise and the gameplay lacks depth compared to competitors, it offers a fun, light-hearted experience that shines in multiplayer settings, making it ideal for casual play with friends. The vibrant visuals and quirky concept contribute to its appeal, though some players may find it lacks long-term engagement.
“The gameplay is simple, it's goofy, it's competitive, and it's freaking great.”
“Seriously, I can't recommend this game enough. The simple and easy-to-pick-up gameplay can get everyone involved, and the many varied and unique stages are crafted with the mechanics of the game very closely in mind. This is surely a product of digital entertainment that deserves your attention.”
“The gameplay is like a rainbow that has been crushed into crystalline form and mainlined through your eyeballs. It is fast-paced and frantic couch co-op in its purest sense.”
“While the core mechanics are simple, the physics and handling of the characters in mid-air is very difficult and feels random, and the additional use of trampolines just confuses the action further.”
“The controls are annoyingly imprecise, the gameplay modes are very limited, and it doesn't have much staying power.”
“The core gameplay loop just doesn't captivate an audience past ten minutes of gameplay.”
- humor21 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players finding it hilariously entertaining, especially in local multiplayer settings. The customization options and simple yet challenging controls add to the comedic experience, making it a memorable party game. However, some users noted that the lack of online multiplayer and AI support limits long-term engagement, as the initial laughter may fade after a short period.
“I spent many hours laughing hysterically at the fights we'd have, and as soon as I found out the game was on Steam, I was sold.”
“Starwhal is a hilarious game to play with a bunch of friends.”
“This game is ridiculously funny, and after a few drinks, you and your friends will find yourselves shouting and jumping at every twist, turn, and stab.”
- music17 mentions
- 65 % positive mentions
- 18 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised, with many reviewers highlighting the excellent soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. The combination of vibrant graphics and catchy tunes, reminiscent of 80s influences, contributes to the game's appeal, making it a standout feature despite some criticisms of gameplay mechanics. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a significant asset, elevating the enjoyment of the game.
“Nearly every song in the soundtrack is excellent, and most of them have very suggestive titles.”
“I love the different modes you can play in the game and the music is amazing!!!”
“The graphics are visually appealing, and the soundtrack is fantastic.”
“Turn off the in-game music and put on something else instead.”
“Music is okay, and I wish there were more customization of the game, but it's good as is.”
“+music is pretty decent”
- graphics15 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their vibrant colors, aesthetic backgrounds, and unique psychedelic art style, contributing to a visually appealing experience. However, some players have noted issues with glitches and performance on lower-end systems, suggesting a need for adjustable graphics settings. Overall, the combination of cute visuals and a fantastic soundtrack enhances the game's charm, despite some minor drawbacks.
“The graphics are visually appealing, and the soundtrack is fantastic.”
“Along with the vibrant and poppy graphics and fab soundtrack, even at the moment this game is well worth the asking price.”
“Lots of fun, beautiful graphics, hilarious gameplay, challenging battles, unique map design.”
“The new backgrounds and pointless hats bring some diversity but also mess up the purity of the neon graphical style.”
“Awesome game but the new effects mean that it can't run on my shite little laptop. If you can add an option to have the basic graphics, I will love you forever!”
“The graphics in the game are very cute, but the problem I have is that I can never win.”
- story6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game features a profound love story centered on grief and loss, with the main character's motivations stemming from the absence of a loved one, though the specifics of their loss remain ambiguous. While some players appreciate the deep character development and rich narrative, others note a lack of a traditional story, suggesting it may be more suited for casual play rather than a focused narrative experience.
“This game is a very in-depth love story about one's grieving after losing the one they love most.”
“I love the character development and the deep, rich storyline.”
“Anyways, back to the deep and metaphorical story of this game.”
“There is no backstory to this game, so we do not know how this loved one was lost, whether it be by cheating, death, or any other situation, but the loss of the one they love is clearly the motive for the main character.”
“This game has no story, but it's good to play with friends or alone if you just want to relax.”
“End of story.”
- stability3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Overall, the game demonstrates good stability across most systems, particularly on Windows, where it runs smoothly. However, users have reported occasional glitches and some troubleshooting issues on Mac devices.
“This game runs great on every system.”
“I haven't experienced any crashes or major bugs, which is impressive.”
“The performance is consistently smooth, making for an enjoyable experience.”
“The game offers some pleasant graphics and really vibrant colors, although there are some ugly glitches here and there.”
“For now, it is a game mainly for Windows as I am experiencing some troubleshooting on my MacBook Air.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Many users report that some indie games suffer from poor optimization, particularly on older systems, leading to performance issues. While some players can run the game smoothly on lower specifications, fullscreen mode may cause loading problems, hindering the overall experience.
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
While the variety of maps in Heart Attack offers some diversity, many users feel that it does not significantly enhance the game's overall replayability.
“Heart attack is the main attraction, though the large amount of maps doesn't really solve the replayability issue.”
“After completing the game once, there's little incentive to go back; the lack of meaningful choices makes replaying feel pointless.”
“While the game offers various modes, they don't significantly change the experience, leading to a lack of replayability.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find that while singleplayer mode with bots can be enjoyable, it often becomes tedious and repetitive over extended play sessions, highlighting a potential issue with grinding in the game.
“Grinding can become incredibly tedious after a long period of time, even if singleplayer with bots can still be enjoyable.”
“The repetitive nature of grinding makes it feel like a chore rather than a fun aspect of the game.”
“After a while, the grind feels less rewarding and more like a time sink that detracts from the overall experience.”
Critic Reviews
Starwhal Review
If Starwhal was $4.99, it might have been worth it for the so-bad-it's-good novelty. As it stands now, the amusement just is not worth it even for the stellar sound track or cool style. This is a couch multiplayer game and not much else. All solo play features really come down to breaking targets or setting CPU controlled opponents. Anyone who is a fan of fumblecore style games will possibly get a kick out of Starwhal, but for those who care about tight controls or a single-player mode with some substance may want to steer clear from this stinky fish.
40%Starwhal: Just the Tip Review
Silly and colourful, Starwhal: Just the Tip makes a great first impression. At first you'll fall for the title's fun-loving attitude, but beyond that, it has some of the most entertaining competitive multiplayer that we've seen in a while. There isn't a whole lot to keep lone gamers occupied, but those looking for something to play with a group of mates will struggle to do better than this.
80%STARWHAL Review
All in all, Starwhal is an excellent couch multiplayer game that'll doubtless be a house favourite in many establishments. The frantic yet simple action keeps the game accessible to newcomers, but is chaotic enough that it will take a lengthy amount of time to get stale. There's a fairly meaty amount of content being offered as well, with five game modes, thirty stages, a few dozen challenge levels, and literally thousands of costume combinations awaiting players. For only twelve dollars - at launch - you'll be hard-pressed to find a more enjoyable game that can be played with multiple people. We'd highly recommend that you pick up Starwhal, call a few friends over, and engage in a highly competitive session of space narwhal combat.
90%
