Star Overdrive Reviews
Hoverboards and rock music made the fortune of Back to the Future and the formula works quite well also in Star Overdrive. The game developed by the Italian team Caracal presents an aesthetically pleasing sci-fi adventure, with a setting that is not particularly original but fascinating and full of activities. Some 'stiffness' problems in the walking phases, small technical stumbles and a bit of repetitiveness in situations, however, prevent it from taking off.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Star Overdrive is a thrill of a game that was a joy to play almost from start to finish. Yes, there are issues here and there with the grinding and some questionable control decisions. But over looking that we are treated to a fun adventure title with a unique twist on the genera. I do wish the world (and our lead) had a little more personality. But if you're looking for a game in the tradition of the most recent Zelda titles this might be for you.
Star Overdrive isn't trying to be the next massive open-world blockbuster, but what it offers is focused, stylish, and incredibly fun. It captures a sense of movement and freedom that's hard to describe until you've flown across a massive dune, trick-boosted off a rock, and landed mid-swing into an enemy group. It's got bugs, some literal, some framerate related, but it also has soul which becomes clearly apparent as soon as you start playing. It knows what it wants to be and hits the mark with flair. If you like style forward games with movement based exploration, layered dungeons, and a keytar that hits like a truck, Star Overdrive is the perfect addition to your collection.
But it all comes together in the final game as a clunky project with too many influences and too little of its own. I am mostly disappointed in Star Overdrive because I can see the gem of a good game that was there and it just doesn't come to fruition. Even if the performance was more consistent and the animation was a bit more polished, there is very little to the loop here that makes Star Overdrive a good recommendation.
In a mix of many different ideas, Star Overdrive releases showing it's own identity, with an consistent experience and minor issues at all. On this great mixing, there's an small issue that limits the game of shining where it should.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
An uneven, but ambitious adventure. Caracal has taken ingredients from some key titles and genres, added a brilliant traversal mechanic and cooked up a chilled-out, sci-fi wasteland odyssey. The game's mysterious, drip-fed narrative will keep you intrigued, and every moment spent on the grav board is undeniably enjoyable. Although Cebete may feel overly familiar, its vibrant landscapes and hidden secrets still make it worth exploring.
Star Overdrive follows the creative path of the last two Zelda games and adds a hoverboard to the formula to make it even more interesting. It has a few design decisions that mar the overall experience, but that doesn't mean skating around this alien-planet-shaped skatepark isn't really fun.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Star Overdrive is an enjoyable open world experience, but it can become a bit tedious, specifically when it comes to upgrading the hoverboard. While you're shown the recommended stats for each area, they do change depending on the area you're in and if you waste your materials, it can be time consuming to get more. That said though, I still enjoyed my time with Star Overdrive and if you enjoy open world games similar to the Legend of Zelda on the Switch, Star Overdrive might be right up your alley.
It's an exciting journey that of Star Overdrive, a game that, with all its structural limitations, has proven capable of exciting and entertaining, despite the seemingly insurmountable goal that the Roman team of Caracal has placed at the base of the project.
Review in Italian | Read full review
While it could’ve been a bit more fleshed out, Star Overdrive is a genuinely fun version of: “What if Breath of the Wild was Tony Hawk?”
Star Overdrive rides with so much damn heart and style that it's hard not to appreciate its charm. While the combat definitely feels like more than a speed bump, and the camera can be road rage inducing, the exhilarating thrill of movement, unique storytelling and killer retro vibe keeps the somewhat bumpy ride going. Everything is nicely wrapped up in a compelling mystery, and if you're down to drift through the world of Cebet to solve it, Star Overdrive definitely earns a place in your indie collection.
Star Overdrive is one of those games that truly commands attention. The combination of all its elements offers an experience that will undoubtedly remind us of other titles, but that manages to find its own identity. The hoverboard-based movement and its commitment to speed, style, and exploration may make it a title not suitable for everyone, but at the same time, it could be a gem for those looking for something different.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Star Overdrive proudly wears its influences on its sleeve, for better and worse. With around 10–15 hours of main quests and plenty of lore to uncover, there’s something here worth digging into.
Star Overdrive is an ambitious project from Caracal Games, boldly taking cues from some of the best game design lessons of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The result is a product of great personality, a wide-ranging sci-fi adventure of acrobatics, challenges and puzzles. However, the desire to include a great density of play mechanics clashes with their not always well-defined implementation, resulting in an overall experience that is less fluid and dynamic than hoped for. Nevertheless, get ready to strap on your trusty hoverboard and plow through the dunes of Cebete: an amazing journey awaits you.
Review in Italian | Read full review
While the world is visually quite beautiful, it also feels rather empty, which doesn't make exploring it very interesting in the long run. Perhaps "Star Overdrive" should have specialized in one of its gameplay components instead of trying to offer a mix of racing, puzzles, and combat. As it is, everything remains somewhere in the middle of the road.
Review in German | Read full review
Star Overdrive comes as a complete surprise and perfectly fills the gap after Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. The world is cool, huge and full of surprises. Both your keytar and hoverboard are cool additions that really come into their own. The game looks like Breath of the Wild and squeezes beautiful images from the Switch. Unfortunately, it is not a perfect game, the crafting is unclear and clumsily worked out. But hopefully that will become clearer with more playing time, because I just keep playing. After more than ten hours I am far from done!
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Star Overdrive presents itself as an interesting and at times bold game, blending different genres with the ambition of creating something original. Caracal Games' title manages to offer some enjoyable moments thanks to a solid combat system and well-designed dungeons, but it falls short due to an underwhelming narrative, a frustrating progression system, and exploration that often feels tedious.
Review in Italian | Read full review