Ahead of the Game - Star Blaster is a roguelike auto-firing shooter in spaaaaace
Where are all these bots coming from?
- Auto-fire and move around to dodge incoming attacks
- Unlock randomised perks with each run
- Now in Android early access
It's all about surviving the stars and space by auto-firing in this week's Ahead of the Game series, where we tell you all about a new mobile endeavour that's playable in one form or another despite its unofficial launch.
When there's a genre that's already stood the test of time, why fix it if it ain't broke (as they say), right? The roguelike auto-shooter is nothing new, but Star Blaster splashes a cute, space-ified coat of paint onto it to give it a fresh feel.
You'll play as a lone space warrior trying your best to survive the hostile environment in outer space, with all kinds of futuristic robot aliens charging your way for some reason. Thankfully, you've got a full arsenal of weapons to choose from and perks to unlock - if they manage to pop up during your randomised run, that is.
True to the roguelike experience, each run will feel distinct as you never quite know which booster you'll get. You can unlock a new weapon, have a drone fight alongside you, or simply get a welcome boost of HP on your journey - all to help you keep going as you fight off enemies and big bosses across a limited field.
What's interesting is that your foes will signal to you just when and where they'll launch their attack, so if you're quick enough, you'll manage to clear each level unscathed.
The problem is that I think I might have overestimated just how efficient my reflexes are, because despite that handy warning, I still get pwned eventually. That'll teach me to get overconfident - but at least I can start from scratch and try all over again, because that's what roguelikes do (and I am all for it).
So, how do you play Star Blaster?
This colourful new space adventure is currently in early access on Android, but it's totally free to try so you can give it a go if you're curious. There's no word on an official launch just yet, but from what I've seen, I'd say it's pretty polished enough as it is!
