Starbound

Starbound is a game that, after a few hours of play, starts to seem like an instant classic you’ll be revisiting from time to time over the next unknown period of years.

Starbound is very similar to Terraria, but bigger, more varied, more engaging. Recommended for sandbox genre lovers, thanks to a series of missions and a plot, that is the backdrop to the exploration of the galaxy, is also referred to those who have never enjoyed the games similar to Minecraft.

Starbound is a satisfying space sandbox that rarely disappoints, with occasional minor bugs or mandatory missions offering minor quibbles with unbridled, endless exploration. This ambitious indie project has something for everyone buried within its retrograde graphical framework.

Starbound is one of the very few games that gets both "open world" and "sandbox" done right. The amount of activities available is astounding and the best part is you can avoid them all, if you wish to do just that.

Starbound offers way more than just a colorful and cute outside. Its inside is a deep platformer that makes you start a colony on a planet filled with alpaca's, or something like that. And it is awesome.

Starbound offers a lot of freedom, diversity and a love for details. An amazingly good game if you love 2D pixel worlds.

Starbound is coming into a genre that most people either love or hate. I really wonder if there is room in someone’s schedule for yet another crafting game. Starbound is certainly a good one of those, but it doesn’t really stand out among the many challengers.

This game gets flack for stuff that has been resolved years ago. This is one of those games that you play for 2 weeks straight then don't touch for a year and then you do it again. Beyond that, there are massive array of mods to enhance the experience to the point that its almost a new game. However the base game is nothing to scoff at, it is full of NPCs and a amazing bunch of in-depth and interesting races. The exploration is amazing and the progression is perfect. Upon each playthrough you WILL find something new, whether it is big or small it will be something interesting and worthwhile. BUY THIS GAME, it is worth it, especially with friends.

⦿ In the realm of sandbox adventure games Starbound looks to deliver an expansive space faring adventure. When compared to other games in the genre like Minecraft and Terraria, it’s a familiar game-feel while also feeling distinct enough to reward player growth. In addition, the focus on RPG elements gives the game a greater sense of depth and diversity for your preferred playstyle. Though I needed a little help along the way, it was still a fun voyage from beginning to end. ⦿ GAMEPLAY: As a 2D pixel game there’s not too much that feels overbearing when playing. Exploring the planets, collecting materials, and using said materials to create new gear and upgrades makes for a satisfying gameplay loop. Delving underground is not too intimidating and there are plenty of unique biomes and treasures that curious players can discover. There’s also a great arsenal of weapons for unique combat options and the large roster of enemies and bosses forces the player to find their comfort zone. Developing more upgrades for your manipulator and techs are another layer that makes the game easier to navigate. Beyond the general exploration you also have side quests, fishing, farming, and customization to dip your toes into when you need a break from the story. All in all Starbound has a wealthy number of things to do and proves a satisfying time solo or with friends. ⦿ PRESENTATION: The pixel art style is a bit more smoothed out than other similar games and feels distinct, and Starbound doesn’t lean on one specific color palette and so you will find a plethora of unique areas bursting with color. The focus on sci-fi also means you’ll see plenty of mechanical areas, whether they be fully futuristic or a mix of nature and technology. Another great feature is the music which has a wide variety of genres, so much so there are collectible instruments that can play a selection of songs. The alien races you encounter expands the world and also acts as a conduit for everyone to join together versus the big bad. Overall Starbound is a pleasant experience and has a charm that invites the player to explore and discover. ⦿ PERSONAL THOUGHTS: Starbound undoubtedly has a wealth of content to chew on and the journey itself is worth your time. However, I think I have several nitpicks which generally bring down the experience. Things such as some inventory items not being stackable, rough inventory sorting, and missing weapon stats are quality of life features that are sorely missed. I will say that the “scanning” progression parts of the story feel largely superfluous - upgrading your character and the EPP is a very natural way to proceed, but the forced scanning feels like an afterthought. Finally is the story, which is not bad but felt like it could have been far more ambitious. Playing it safe in a sci-fi world does a disservice to the plethora of possibilities. There are a multitude of mods that adjust these quality of life options and expand the world, but I can’t deny that I left feeling satisfied but underwhelmed when evaluating the base game. ⦿ FINAL ASSESSMENT: If you have a great love for sandbox exploration games then Starbound can definitely scratch that itch. The foundation of the game is enjoyable and it gives the player a lot of agency for how to spend their time. However, a large part of my frustration came from many small annoyances that eventually became a hurdle to overcome by using mods. Experiencing this adventure with friends helped to alleviate some of these issues, and in the end I think the game is worth your time regardless of how you choose to play.

One of Starbound's biggest draws is the sense of almost infinite exploration it offers. The game features a procedurally generated universe with billions of planets, each with its own characteristics, biomes, resources and challenges. The variety is impressive, and players can spend hours exploring exotic planets, mysterious caves, and alien cities.Starbound's 8-bit pixel art aesthetic is charming and nostalgic, evoking classic games from the 8-bit era. Despite its visual simplicity, the game manages to convey a sense of depth and atmosphere. The details in the landscapes, character animation and creature designs are remarkable and contribute to immersion in the game's universe.Starbound is especially fun when played with friends. The game supports cooperative multiplayer, allowing players to team up to explore, build, fight enemies, and complete missions together. Collaboration is encouraged, and building bases on planets is an important part of the experience, which makes creating a personal space and exploring the universe even more rewarding when shared with **** addition to exploration, Starbound offers rich building mechanics. Players can create their own custom bases, colonies, and even spaceships. Creative freedom is extensive, and the variety of materials and objects available for construction allows players to completely customize their spaces.

I really wanted to like this game. Terraria in space. It sounds amazing! But its just not fun. The gameplay loop is just... unsatifisying. The UI is a mess and just confusing, just like the entire game. Its just confusing. Why make an open world sandbox, with tutorials, a story mode and fetch quests. What game do you want to be Starbound?! Soundtrack and mod support are pretty good though. Wouldn't reccomend.

It's Jule 2018 and the last update was in Oct 2017. The devs could swear they're doing the console version or whatever but the fact is - we have abandonware here. They had some ideas for 1.4 then "delayed" the release, then gave up cuz "weee, XBox". Come on, anybody who wanted to play SB already played it on PC. An endless universe. Great graphics. Great music. Great concept. A crapton of neat ideas, but like 5% of them is finished. A cemetery of ideas, if you want.. The story ****. The balance is crap. The devs is mostly ignoring negative feedback and for some (no) reason put their own good findings in gameplay on the shelf: racial perks? yeah, cool, but no; item tags? sure, but they will be invisible; mode without stuff drop on death but with hunger? FU player. And you got nothing to do here in like 48 hours at best. Old Terraria has more content and more challenge than SB in it's current form. Yeah, you could say "SteamWorkshop" and mods, but guess what - Terraria was great -without- any mods. The devs act now like the Novakids they've introduced - took Terraria, reworked it, then lost the interest and left the game half-baked. I loved Starbound until they dumped it. Sooo salty.