STARBITES Reviews
With its lighthearted tone, entertaining characters, and charmingly overzealous commitment to world-building, it feels almost mean-spirited to criticise Starbites - like telling a kid full of starry-eyed passion that they're just not good enough to make the sports team.However, to look past the game's glaring technical flaws would require you to avert your eyes from the screen entirely, and we all know that's not how games are played. Even if you can push past the myriad shortcomings of this shoddy Switch port, you'll be left with a middle-of-the-road RPG with an undercooked narrative and simplistic gameplay systems that strive for adequacy and little else.
Starbites is that JRPG that stays true to its promise, delivering exactly what is on the tin. Its turn-based gameplay borrows some formulas and mechanics from other JRPGs, which may feel uninspired to some fans but can be a novelty to others.
While this turn-based RPG has some significant downfalls, developer Ikinagames punches above their weight as Starbites provides satisfying character building mechanics and a fun combat system making it a simple, yet solid RPG.
STARBITES is a great homage to the game design of old. Great cozy grinding, customizing the mechas, and finding your favorite party members to build make it a time worth having. Though it can also feel dated to those who are looking for newer-designed games.
When it wasn't the bugs and performance doing it, it was the repetitive, boring dungeons that nearly had me cast aside my controller. Sadly, Starbites neither aims high enough to get anywhere near the stars, nor does it have enough firepower to even breach the atmosphere. If you do somehow feel compelled to play it, leave the Switch version buried in the desert where it belongs.
There are plenty of enjoyable moments involving the character interactions or when the combat and exploration get into a good rhythm, but it never really takes that extra step needed to stick in the memory. Nonetheless, it’s an enjoyable enough way to spend the time, and there’s a strong base for IKINAGAMES to be able to build upon going forward.
STARBITES delivers a charming cast of characters, satisfying mech customization, and nostalgic turn-based combat. Despite technical hiccups, this sci-fi RPG feels like a hidden gem for old-school RPG fans.