Star Renegades Reviews
Switch players should avoid this version for now, however. Fortunately, the developers have indicated long-term support for the game, so keep an eye out for updates in the meantime. You'll definitely want to live, die, repeat, but ideally in the game, rather than playing crash, reboot, reload with your Switch console.
These factors add up to a game that starts strong, but that can quickly become a frustrating and repetitious experience. I allow for the possibility that Massive Damage's target demographic for Star Renegades are players who will have an easier time progressing through the game and thus won't spend as much time replaying the same sequences. But it is a game with repetition built into its DNA. Therefore, it feels fair to criticize the game when that repetition begins to feel like a chore. Despite all of that, the game's depth is impressive. It's remarkable how every system, from character selection to movement on the map to the campfire conversations are all interlinked and can make a significant difference in your success or failure. If the game's respawn system were a bit more forgiving, or the playthroughs more varied, this could be an absolute success. As it is, hardcore grinders are the most likely to appreciate this cyclical adventure.
I tried very hard to enjoy my time with Star Renegades on the Nintendo Switch, but the game itself kept me from moving forward steadily. It is a pity that such a different and well thought out title, with excellent dialogues, a deep and layered combat, great art and soundtrack is such a bad experience on our beloved hybrid console.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Much like Halcyon 6 before it, this has tremendous potential, but is simply lost in its own slog. As such, it remains tough to recommend on a higher level, as battles just take too long, with too much punishment for straying from an ideal strategy. If there was an expansion of story, streamlining of combat, upgrading character pixels, and overall improving some of the aspects touched on, would go a very long way. In a game that felt like it could have been a awesome Edge of Tomorrow kind of deal, it feels more like being an accountant with a glitchy spreadsheet piece of software.
The scattershot influences of Star Renegades make for a complex and engaging experience that often seems to be barely holding it all together.
I can't ever get enough roguelike games in my life it seems, and I'm always intrigued to see how it can be used as a catalyst for changing up expectations for new genres and break ground...
Star Renegades does very well when it comes to making fun of tropes from various sci-fi media, making it feel goofy and fun rather than rude and condescending. To answer the question at the beginning of the review – this game is fun, if you can get over the numerous issues it has. I spent 20 hours before writing this review, beating the game, and I haven’t finished unlocking everything. I will mention that playtime may vary, as tactical RPGs aren’t my strong suit. At 25 dollars, this game is worth it if you like rogue-likes and tactical RPGs. Additionally, a road map with future content updates will be released very soon, by Massive Damage, thus adding more to the games value.
A great looking '2DX' pixel art roguelike, though it feels a little thin.
There's quite a bit to take in here, but the bottom line is Star Renegades is a solid rogue-lite adventure. It might struggle to concisely convey all its systems, but give it some time and there's a deep, challenging game to sink your teeth into.
It feels like Star Renegades just can't decide what it wants to be. If the game was more like a traditional turn-based JRPG, it would be fine, but as of now way too many gameplay mechanics feels out of place. Roguelike elements are here too, some of them are pretty questionable, but can still win you over. But despite all of that, Star Renegades is a game with a great visual style and an engaging combat system, which is more than enough to hold your attetion, at least for a couple of runs.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Star Renegades has some great ideas; the characters are solid, likeable and believable, and the world is intriguing, but it may be too punishing for some.
Star Renegades doesn't countenance mistakes, while demanding an inordinate amount of commitment from its players due to its mechanically dense system. This can be a challenging game to get into, from learning about its intricate turn-based combat, to making sense of the walls of text, numbers and symbols it throws at you. Those patient enough to familiarise themselves with what this roguelike has to offer, however, may find this to be a tactically satisfying experience.
Gorgeous pixel art graphics and one of the best turn-based combat systems of recent years can't quite make up for an obnoxious script and frustrating role-playing elements.
A multiversal master of none, with a messy but intriguing combat system at its core.
Thanks to its gorgeous art style and addictive combat system, Star Renegades is a wonderful game to get into. It could have been a must have for any roguelike enthusiast, but sadly, some of its mechanics and completely unfair procedural generation can occasionally result in some annoying runs that can bring the experience down a lot. If you’re still okay with some often frustrating runs every now and then, then go for it.
Star Renegades offers players a fresh and unique experience that sadly loses its appeal after its punishing roguelike systems have you experience the same elements over and over. Even through the repetitive enemies that you face along the way, there’s no denying that the characters and environments that make up this world make it a must-play game within the genre. Still, the best parts are reserved for those who are seeking a genuinely challenging roguelite RPG sci-fi adventure, which may leave others lost in space.
It is always said that games must be judged for what they are and not for what we would like them to be: Star Renegade is a strange mix of strategy and jrpg, all under the umbrella of the roguelite-genre that ends up delimiting, and partly limiting, all the best aspects of the game. I could not stop thinking, at each run, that a normal campaign, even a short one, would have benefited the pace of the game and could make all the mechanics make it shine at their best.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Star Renegades is highly frustrating but also highly motivating. It always made me coming back and try again - at least until a certain point.
Review in German | Read full review
Star Renegades is a challenging yet engaging rouge-lite strategy RPG. Join J5T-1N to recruit a ragtag group for a world-hopping and dimension-saving adventure.
With its beautiful visuals and solid combat mechanics, Star Renegades provides a solid strategic combat focused roguelite experience. With any roguelite, mileage will depend on the satisfaction gained from restarting each new loop. With story progression being minimal at best, figuring out how best to stagger an opponent is the main fuel that determines whether it’s worth sending that robot back in time, or just taking the first win and letting the rest of the multiverse deal with the Imperium threat on their own.