Stellar Interface Review (TMestre)
Shoot. Die. Repeat.
"OK, just another run and I'm done for today", I told myself. Some minutes later, "OK, this is the last one, and now it is for real". And just like that, I kept lying to myself while playing Stellar Interface. I remember when I was a kid spending hours playing space-shooters on my first PC or on the old consoles which had hundred of games inside at my neighbors' place. I believe many people will relate to this. Indeed, those games were fun, killing anything that moves and trying to beat our friends' high-scores. For the ones who thinks that Stellar Interface is just another game of the same kind, once you start exploring it, you will see that it definitely brings the next level on this genre. Well, the concept is actually different, you can think it like a space-shooter-dad has met a rogue-like-mom, and this is their creation they should be very proud of.
First of all, the menu - As soon as we are navigating on the main menu, we can clearly see that the developers wanted to keep the influences from the past. Retro-looking graphics, with a soundtrack which is really, really good. Menus are simple, as they always should be, and an option called StellarNET shows the current progress. It already shows that there are a lot of things to do to reach the 100%.
Once you start playing, the objective of the game is very clear: Survive. Every. Level. The controls are quite simple, the spacecraft can move, dash, shoot, and use special abilities. I have tested with a keyboard and with a PS4 controller (native support, just plug-and-play, no special configurations required), and I can add that the analog sticks definitely improve the gaming experience as we can better control our spacecraft.
The game starts with few spacecraft options, the others are unlocked during game progress on special levels, the so-called factory levels, where we "invade" what looks like the factory where the spacecrafts are built. We can also choose which weapons we want to equip at the start of a new run, limited by how much RAM (attribute for capacity) the spacecraft has. Every completed level grants you a perk, so you are free to pick a strategy - Get the shield and healer drones and so on for a more defensive run; or get the attacking drones and other perks to improve your weapon efficiency for a more aggressive run; or just go for a more balanced setup. Also the levels are randomized each run so it doesn't feel like a repetitive game.
With regard to the graphics, well done: The textures resemble a retro-look as already mentioned for the menus, bosses are well designed, and the spacecrafts look cool. The special FX's are also gold, things like black holes are a pleasure to watch. And did I already say that the songs are great? The songs are great!
For the ones who think this game will be a walk on the park, you better think twice. The difficulty increases as you progress, the bosses are challenging and most of the times you may not even know when they will appear. You will die a lot, you will do stupid things, you will insult your computer, and this is what makes Stellar Interface a great game. It is a highly addictive experience, a challenging and rewarding one, which will make you lie to yourself by saying that "it is my last run" for hours.
Go and try this game, 10/10!