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Sophstar

Banana Bytes, Red Art Games
Feb 18, 2022 - PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PC
Strong

OpenCritic Rating

77

Top Critic Average

78%

Critics Recommend

ZTGD
8 / 10
Nintendo Life
7 / 10
PSX Brasil
70 / 100
NintendoWorldReport
9 / 10
Video Chums
7.3 / 10
GameBlast
8.5 / 10
Hey Poor Player
4 / 5
Otaku Gamers UK
5 / 5
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Sophstar Trailers

Sophstar - Steam Release Trailer thumbnail

Sophstar - Steam Release Trailer

Sophstar | Trailer - 2022 release from Banana Bytes thumbnail

Sophstar | Trailer - 2022 release from Banana Bytes


Sophstar Screenshots



Critic Reviews for Sophstar

Sophstar is a fantastic game that feels like it was made by a team that loves shooters. Being someone who will play just about any one released, this one stands out among the pack with its unique teleport mechanic and addictive Cadet School mode. There is a lot here to enjoy and for less than $10 it is a no-brainer for fans of shooters. Don’t sleep on this team’s debut game, cannot wait to see what they deliver next.

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That said, it's still a competently assembled title: smooth, clean, and enjoyable. What it lacks in gravity and bravado it makes up for in balanced scoring mechanics and an interesting teleportation twist. While its Cadet Mode is its brightest spark, the main campaign shoots for the stars but falls just short of reaching them.

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With a good variety of gameplay, Sophstar is a traditional shoot'em up that has its personality. It still lacks more depth and ways, which affects the experience as a whole to reach its potential.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

Going through its Arcade Mode on different difficulties and using new ships is a genuine treat because each one feels distinct from the one before. While it's a bit annoying that sleep mode seems to regularly disconnect the game from its online servers, requiring a manual reconnection in the menu, there's little else about the game that is worth criticizing. Sophstar marks a stellar debut effort from developer Banana Bytes, and it's both an easy recommendation for vertical shooter fans and a title I'll be coming back to regularly.

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Sophstar is a good vertical shmup that's bursting with many unique controllable ships so it makes for quite a varied and fulfilling arcade shooting experience. It may have rather generic stages but its overall sense of non-stop action still puts it on my recommended list.

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Sophstar respects the time-honored shoot 'em up formula while adding a lot of personality and interesting features, such as the variety of ships with unique attributes and teleportation. For those who want an adventure to get to know the genre better, this title is a great choice and will definitely sharpen your skills.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

Even with those gripes, however, there is nothing here that would stop me from recommending Sophstar to shmup fans. It takes a familiar genre, nails the fundamentals, and then builds upon those with unrivaled ship variety and its teleportation mechanic that is so core to the experience and blows the genre wide open to the extent that I’m not sure I want to ever play another shmup that doesn’t have this feature. If you’re not put off by the lack of progression and are up for the immense challenge presented by Sophstar, then I would encourage you to not let this little gem pass you by.

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Essential Switch Shmup Action

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