Star Overdrive is an action-adventure recreation for the Nintendo Change. We first caught a glimpse of this speedy indie title throughout a Nintendo Accomplice Showcase in 2024. Now that it’s right here, how does this hoverboarding sci-fi fare? Seems it fares fairly properly.
You play the position of a younger adventurer touring via area. A misery sign compels our hero to land on an alien planet to discover a lacking woman. Wielding a keyboard guitar and a hoverboard, it units the scene for exploration because the participant follows the clues to the woman’s whereabouts.
This sci-fi intro is neat and quick, offering simply sufficient data to information you into the proceedings with out being overbearing. Particulars emerge by way of additional messages found as you progress, unfolding the story piece by piece. It retains the tempo of narrative flowing properly.
Your preliminary aim is to energy up a number of websites dotted across the map. These create a easy puzzle mechanic as you confirm the supply for every cable. As soon as activated, you dive into an underground space that’s strongly harking back to these quite a few Shrines in Tears of the Kingdom and Breath of the Wild. Every presents some easy 3D platforms to navigate, enemies to defeat, and puzzles to resolve.
There are extra Zelda vibes on provide. One of many first powerups found is a magnetic grabber, which feels so much like Ultrahand. It even sports activities the identical eerie inexperienced glow as Hyperlink’s energy. In a approach, this makes it simple to make use of because it feels so acquainted. Fortunately, Star Overdrive provides sufficient of its personal in different methods to maintain it feeling contemporary whereas nonetheless paying homage to outings like The Legend of Zelda.
The primary mechanic that units Star Overdrive aside is the hoverboard, acquired early within the recreation. This contraption serves as a enjoyable and quick approach to journey throughout terrain. It appears so apparent, it’s a marvel we haven’t seen one thing like this earlier than. A easy faucet of the R button units you up for browsing the sand dunes of this desolate planet in fashion. It may be cumbersome to regulate at first, however the fluidity and leap methods make it an pleasant expertise. You possibly can soar over cliffs and rotate your board Tony-Hawk-style earlier than you land to achieve a lift. What’s extra, your board is totally customizable because of a sturdy crafting mechanic.
Wherever you go, you’ll discover objects to select up. Amassing these is important to upgrading your board, carried out at varied crafting stations. Throw in a mixture of elements and also you’ll improve your board throughout 5 areas: velocity, enhance, gravity, energy, and bond. You possibly can even goal sure bodily components of your board, just like the engine or wings. Plus, you possibly can customise the look to make it actually distinctive with colours and prints. These are terrific parts that additional assist convey this recreation to life.
The audio is a deal with, notably in the event you take pleasure in guitars. There’s a rocking soundtrack to accompany your browsing. You may as well uncover cassette tapes (how old-fashioned!) and play these everytime you like to modify issues up.
The fight is slightly lacklustre. Enemies—even early on—current a tough state of affairs. It’s exhausting to place a finger on, however combating on the whole feels slightly hit or miss. It’s not horrible, it’s simply not Star Overdrive’s power. When you unlock extra skills, issues do turn into simpler. I’d relatively simply keep away from the enemies, however they maintain at you till you eliminate them. Plus, it’s well worth the dispatch to earn these upgrades.
Graphically, Star Overdrive is spectacular. Given the fast-paced nature of this title, there’s all the time the query of efficiency on the common-or-garden Change. Fortunately, issues transfer alongside quickly and easily with no noticeable decelerate or stutter. The surroundings additionally appears to be like beautiful, with wonderful use of texturing that creates a clean impact with out shedding an excessive amount of element. Total, coloration me impressed with this indie dev’s prowess of the Change’s capabilities.
Total, Star Overdrive is a enjoyable journey with some cool mechanics. Regardless of some apparent homages to different titles, there’s sufficient on provide right here to make this one stand out. The fast-paced motion and puzzle parts make this an journey value taking part in.
