StarVaders

StarVaders is a fantastic game, combining roguelikes with tactical RPGs to create an incredible final product.

- By Jacob Sanderson

I'm not the biggest fan of this genre, but StarVaders has managed to not only change my mind but also make me desperately hope for more of its kind. There's an insane amount of variety here, and combined with its beautiful art style, multiple difficulties, and challenges, it makes for a brilliant game.

The story is incredibly simple but has some small quirks which make it far more interesting. The Earth is under attack by Aliens, and it's up to you as a Mech Pilot to take the fight to them and save the world. That's pretty much it as far as the actual story goes, but the Pilots themselves have massive amounts of style and charm. While they all have interesting visual designs, thanks to the game's stellar artwork, each of them has unique quirks, both in story and in gameplay, which I'll tackle later. Upon completing a run, you'll get a small snippet of conversation between the Pilot you were playing as and other characters, helping to deepen their personalities. It's not necessary, but I'm really glad they're here. In a lot of other titles, I'll choose exclusively because of their kit and playstyle, without giving much thought about their personalities, but here I'm finding myself more invested in the characters themselves.