Turn based games aren’t for everybody. Most players prefer having a lot of freedom with their games instead of having to plan their attacks tactically and wait their turn. However, turn based games have been quite popular in the mainstream thanks to games such as the two South Park titles and most recently Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Pengonauts are the latest developers to add to the turn based genre with their newest game: StarVaders. A roguelite turn based combat game where you use cards to fend off the invaders and stop them from taking over the world. It’s a fast paced game which requires some level of patience to truly master, however, when you finally get into a groove with the game StarVaders becomes insanely addictive in all the right ways.
Gameplay
Starvaders has the standard hallmarks of any card building game. Players will collect different cards each with their own passive and offensive abilities that can help you turn the tide in battle. You start out each turn with a selection of cards to use in the fight and have to strategically use the right cards in order to beat all invaders. It sounds relatively easy, however, there are a few things that you have to keep track of throughout your turn. The first is that each time a card is placed you use something called Heat. You get a limited amount of Heat per turn and going past this amount will mean the card you play will be unusable for the rest of the level. In addition to that you can also obtain blank junk cards if you get caught in the crossfire of an enemy’s — or even your own — attack. Finally, there is Doom. When an enemy gets to the last 3 rows of the grid they build up Doom and must be eliminated within your next go. If you obtain 5 Doom at any point during your run it’s an instant game over.
There is a lot to watch out for when playing StarVaders and one wrong move can set you back all the way to the beginning if you’re not careful. This is where it can get a bit messy. With so many things to be on the lookout for or memorize, it can be difficult keeping track of everything that is going on whilst playing. Luckily, the game is lenient and doesn’t have a nail-biting timer counting down the seconds until your turn is up and you’re allowed to take as long as you need. In addition to that, there is also a button to swap out cards for a better selection. Albeit this isn’t unlimited and you only have three goes, however, it is still a nice addition for the developers to include if a player finds themselves struggling.
Fans of roguelite elements will be happy to see that StarVaders also includes elements from that genre to raise the stakes. If players build up too much of the aforementioned Doom it will be an instant game over and they will have to restart all the way from the beginning with brand new card decks. Whilst it can be very defeating having to essentially restart from scratch, the game encourages replayability at every turn. Your run may have been lost due to a poor error in judgement or miscalculation with the cards, so with the next run you take that mistake and run with it to make sure it doesn’t happen again. I adopted this method during my playthrough and I found that after each run I was getting better and better, and when I finally completed a run I felt immensely satisfied. StarVaders has a lot of mechanics to learn which lends well to the game’s replayability, and players will find themselves diving into game after game in order to continue to improve their abilities.
Story
StarVaders is not a story-driven game, but that doesn’t mean it lacks some narrative. In StarVaders, players will take on the role of a mech pilot who uses said mech to repel invaders from taking over the planet. You start out with the young and brash Roxy, but as you progress through the game you unlock more characters with their own backstory, mech, and difficulty levels to master. Each character has their own past which is explored after failing a run. Players will be shown various text boxes which tell events before the invasion, adding more depth to the characters. For example, with Roxy we see more about what drives her to fight, the loss of those closest to her fueling her desire to push the invaders back from where they came. It may not be much, and isn’t really needed for a game like this, but it is nice to have and adds more onto the world.
The story is also helped by the art design and soundtrack. Taking inspiration from anime with a comic book twinge to it, the art and its colors pop on the screen with every chance it gets. Everything from the multitude of enemies and their varied designs to the settings you’ll encounter make StarVaders stand out. Not to mention the soundtrack, which provides some incredibly funky beats as you blast the enemies away, is absolutely top notch. Rock ballads and synth waves blaring through your speakers gets you pumped and adds onto StarVaders’ already colourful world.
Summary
StarVaders is a very addictive game that offers a lot of replay value. Its gameplay loop of defeating enemies with smart tactical manoeuvres, collecting cards to build a powerful deck, and repeating the process is a ton of fun. It’s not going to be for everybody and it can feel overwhelming at times with the stats, but after a while it’s a very easy game to pick up and play. There’s enough here to keep you coming back for the one-hundredth time to push back the invaders and it deserves to be recognised for providing players with an unlimited amount of fun. Fire up your mech, get your blasters ready, and prepare to fight off the invaders!
StarVaders is out now on PC via Steam.
The Review
Great
