Star Girls is a lewd visual novel and shoot-’em-up about a fledgling captain’s search for true love.
At-a-glance
(Adult) Content?
No.
Censorship?
Not applicable.
Hours of Game-play?
Two or three hours.
Modding Support?
No.
Patch Available?
Download from Steam.
Foreword
Attention!
This article is pending review. It is either incomplete, out-of-date, or I feel the need to disclaim my shame for a something I’m not proud of.
Gameplay
. . . in a nutshell
I need to make some revisions.
out the shell. . .
Most of the game is clicking through text boxes and reading. Depending on your choice of dialogue, your relationship(s) and ending will change drastically. There are three types of responses you can make, each tieing in with one (of three) personality types. They are badass, charm(ing), and smart. Each character dislikes one of three personality types, so plan your responses accordingly. You can talk, train and date characters, which expends energy. Energy is replenished between days, and via gifts.
Speaking of days, each playthrough will end in sixty (in-game) days, assuming you haven’t found a lover yet. There are two forms of currency in the game, Fame and Credits. Fame represents how well the protagonist is known by others, and can be used to upgrade his companions’ stats. Credits are the primary in-game currency, exchanged for a variety of goods and services.
The shoot-’em-parts of the game each consist of five stages (with the exception of bosses). Though you only have to beat the first stage leave a “Combat Zone”, each completed stage grants bonus rewards. However, your health does not regenerate between battles, and if you die you lose everything. It is imperative to consider the risk versus reward when pursuing more stages than neccesary.
Star Girls can be used as “co-pilots”, enhancing your Fighters’ stats and allowing you to further their relationships during combat. Additionally, the closer you are (to your co-pilot), the stronger they will buff your planes. You can also purchase new fighter planes, each with varying stats. When the game ends, following the credits is an epilogue which details the fate of each species and their respective worlds. The diffilcuty can be adjusted from the “Extra” menu, under “Settings” and “Gameplay”.
Story
The protagonist has just completed his four year training at Star Command Academy. He’s got one last test before he can become a full fledged starship captain. His trainer Commander states that he has the Captains’ Spirit, an aspect all of the best captains share. It allows them to win otherwise unwinnable situtations. However, with the Captain’s Spirit comes the Curse. It threatens to turn one into a loveless, materialistic shell of a man. Fortunately, there is a way to stop the Curse.
A spirited captain must earn a Star Girl’s love in sixty day’s time, or else he’ll become cursed.
. . . and Commander says that Star Command will not allow a Cursed captain to lead a crew. This is the protagonist’s final test. He and Commander set off to Echo one, a solitary satelite which orbits Colony 7. The protagonist is also joined by Vox, a robotic companion tasked with finding Star Girls (and managing his inventory and relationships.) It is here that the story is put into the player’s hands, and the fate of each planet is left up to you.
Visuals
The tutle screen features and attractive character line up, though I wasn’t fond of the animation. Under “Options”, you can tweak a variety of settings. You can adjust the controls, difficulty, resolution, and sound. From “Rewards” you can enjoy a very fleshed out gallery. Achievements, CGs, and music can all be reviewed from the Rewards section. Additionally, you can enjoy select (previously encountered) story segments from the game.
I did see at least five spelling errors. The transitions between days was slow and tedious. The “Combat Zone” screen would regularly show up when there was in fact nocombat zone. When viewing CGs, you can’t hide the user interface (which I always think is total BS). The ships felt very stock, as if they were assets taken from somewhere else. The shoot-’em-up segments just felt artistically out of place.
The Goods
I stepped into this game expecting sexual content. What I got was innuedos and sexy anime girls. Unless I missed something, this title focuses less on goodies and more on the story.
Verdict
This game is rough on the edges, but I was honestly impressed by the number of mechanics and story tidbits. The game progressed slower than I would have liked, but even if you powered through you’d probably still rake in about nine hours of content. If you want a nice space themed dating simulater, give this title a try.
– Words for the Devs –
Hey! Thank you for giving me a copy of your game. I’m sorry I didn’t get to it sooner, but I was honestly intimidated. I knew I was in for a big project, and well. . . I spent my day off for this game and review. I think there’s room for improvement, and if you want to discuss game development and the like, I’m open for discussion. Oh! And reviews too.
