Starbound Review (Xbox Series S)

Starbound Review, In Starbound, you create your own story – there’s no wrong way to play! You may choose to save the universe from the forces that destroyed your home, uncovering greater galactic mysteries in the process, or you may wish to forego a heroic journey entirely in favor of colonizing uncharted planets.

Starbound Review Pros:

  • Decent pixel art graphics.
  • 1.2GB download size.
  • 1000 Gamerscore.
  • Game options – overscan, dead zone slider, and sensitivity slider.
  • Controller settings – you can remap the buttons.
  • Standard options – tutorial messages, enable Xbox network, enable PvP, auto aim, and show controls.
  • Crafting survival gameplay.
  • Tutorial messages as you play.
  • Four characters save slots.
  • Character creator – seven species, customize colors and gear (it’s different options for each species), name, male/female avatar, randomize for the lazy, and show clothes on/off.
  • Three difficulties – casual, survival, and hardcore.
  • Skip intro mission choice.
  • 2D game World with 3D backdrops.
  • Play how you want, in fact, it is highly encouraged.
  • Online multiplayer support.
  • Save and quit upon shutting the game down but it does also autosave regularly.
  • You have a main ship where you can interact with rescued survivors, customize it, and fly to new planets.
  • Every planet is unique from the biomes to the enemies and resources and weather.
  • Loot chests are plentiful as are bits of furniture holding loot, you can choose individual pieces to loot or loot all.
  • Find and craft new weapons, items, and clothing.
  • The pop-up text shows what you have picked up.
  • The cursor can be locked or unlocked so you can manually move it around.
  • In-game cutscenes and interactions.
  • Quick select wheel menu system, one for tools, and one for items and weapons.
  • Twin stick controls which is great for harvesting resources but a bit of a nightmare when you need to change direction quickly.
  • Big boss encounters and sequences.
  • An absolute beast of a time killer.
  • Manually type in coordinates for travel.
  • The ship locker is the main storage locker.
  • Quests and tasks will die out through people you meet and your ship’s computer. You can manage and take them on how you like.
  • The map and game world are uncovered as you explore around.
  • Colonise planets and have them generate money or resources for you passively.
  • Gain new followers and team members for expeditions.
  • Pick flowers to gain seeds (or buy them) then plant them and grow them to harvest more.
  • I like that you can change weapons and items with a simple button press.
  • In Single Player, you can pause the game.
  • Day and cycle cycle with various weather effects.
  • Highly addictive in so many ways.
  • Little loot capsules are everywhere.
  • Find or craft tents and use them to rest and replenish your health.
  • So many characters to find and interact with.
  • Health bar system, eat food and sleep to replenish.
  • Capture Monsters Pokemon-style Tame creatures to fight with you or build a zoo.
  • It’s cool the way you can pick up a piece of clothing and you auto equip it. From a flower in your hair to capes and hats.
  • Credits can be found and spent in shops and with vendors.
  • The master manipulator is your multi-tool that does your harvesting from dirt to bricks to trees etc. Find modules to upgrade it.
  • Does the rock paper scissors system of collecting ore, melt into bars to craft items, and they go up in rarity level that affects how good they are.
  • The recipes are vast and plentiful, you can find them online or in-game with some exploration and experimentation.
  • A game that is just as addictive in single-player as it is in multiplayer.
  • There is no tether of players in multiplayer so everyone can just exist in the same space and not be tied to each other.
  • So much replayability.
  • Every session feels like a unique adventure.
  • Peacekeeper is part of a new update where you can now live out your Space Police fantasies and hunt down bounties, you can then turn them in, kill, them, or be bribed to look the other way.
  • It is definitely a game that can entice and delight Stra Trek and Star Wars fans alike.
  • Full mod support.

Starbound Review Cons:

  • Limited game and graphics settings.
  • Doesn’t support local multiplayer.
  • The text pop-ups take up a lot of space and get in the way constantly.
  • The tutorial stuff is fine but is honestly very basic and sporadic.
  • It’s annoying that you can be attacked when in a tent.
  • Getting used to the controls takes some time, especially with precise actions.
  • Honestly, it’s a time killer, and this can be a real problem!
  • No local co-op multiplayer.

Related Post: REKA Preview (Steam Early Access)

Starbound:

Official website.

Developer: Chucklefish

Publisher: Chucklefish

Store Links – 

Xbox

  • 9/10
    Graphics - 9/10
  • 9/10
    Sound - 9/10
  • 9/10
    Accessibility - 9/10
  • 9/10
    Length - 9/10
  • 10/10
    Fun Factor - 10/10
9.2/10

Summary

Starbound features decent pixel art graphics and a manageable download size of 1.2GB. The game offers a 1000 Gamerscore and includes various game options such as overscan, dead zone slider, and sensitivity slider. Controller settings allow players to remap buttons, and standard options include tutorial messages, enabling Xbox network, enabling PvP, auto-aim, and showing controls. The crafting survival gameplay is engaging, with tutorial messages to guide players as they progress. The game provides four character save slots and a character creator with seven species, customizable colors and gear, and options to randomize for those who prefer a quicker setup. Players can choose from three difficulties: casual, survival, and hardcore, and have the option to skip the intro mission.

The 2D game world with 3D backdrops encourages players to play how they want, with online multiplayer support and regular autosaves. Players have a main ship where they can interact with rescued survivors, customize it, and fly to new planets. Each planet is unique, with different biomes, enemies, resources, and weather. Loot chests and furniture holding loot are plentiful, and players can choose to loot individual pieces or loot all. The game features in-game cutscenes and interactions, a quick-select wheel menu system for tools and items, and twin-stick controls that are great for harvesting resources but can be challenging when changing direction quickly. Big boss encounters and sequences add excitement to the gameplay.

Starbound is an absolute beast of a time killer, with the ability to manually type in coordinates for travel and a ship locker as the main storage locker. Quests and tasks are given by people you meet and your ship’s computer, and players can manage and take them on as they like. The map and game world are uncovered as players explore, and they can colonize planets to generate money or resources passively. Players can gain new followers and team members for expeditions, pick flowers to gain seeds, and plant them to harvest more. The game allows for easy weapon and item changes with a simple button press, and in single-player mode, players can pause the game. The day and night cycle with various weather effects adds to the immersive experience.

However, there are some drawbacks. The game has limited game and graphics settings and does not support local multiplayer. Text pop-ups take up a lot of space and can be distracting. The tutorial content is basic and sporadic, and it can be annoying to be attacked while in a tent. Getting used to the controls takes time, especially for precise actions. The game is highly addictive, which can be a problem for some players. Additionally, there is no local co-op multiplayer, which may disappoint some players.

In summary, Starbound is a highly addictive crafting survival game with decent pixel art graphics, extensive customization options, and a vast, unique game world. While it has some limitations, such as the lack of local multiplayer and basic tutorial content, the game’s strengths in exploration, crafting, and replayability make it a captivating experience for players who enjoy survival and adventure games. Welcome to your next gaming addiction!

Jim Smale

Gaming since the Atari 2600, I enjoy the weirdness in games counting Densha De Go and RC De Go as my favourite titles of all time. I prefer gaming of old where buying games from a shop was a thing, Being social in person was a thing. Join me as I attempt to adapt to this new digital age!