Stars Reach – A Game of Hope and Optimism that Doesn’t Shy Away from Serious Themes

The third main aspect of Raph Koster’s and the Stars Reach team‘s work at Playable Worlds is now under discussion. I have dedicated quite some time to both publicly and privately conversing about the game with friends in the same industry. It’s often challenging to harbor enthusiasm for a new MMO laden with marketing jargon, but I have a keen interest in Stars Reach. The game aims to maintain a perpetual sense of hope, which aligns with my perspective.

Several weeks ago, I shared a viewpoint on a video presented by the team, highlighting game techniques incorporated into Stars Reach. I intentionally chose not to focus on aesthetics as the pre-launch footage would undoubtedly change vastly. Nevertheless, social media exploded in response to the revealed art style, causing a bit of an uproar.

In Koster’s most recent post, he discusses the importance of art style when focusing on setting, content, and style, the “third pillar” of the Stars Reach project. Gamers may be pleased to hear that the graphics are not finalized and will undergo enhancements to achieve a more polished look. However, the cheerful and colorful theme will persist, as opposed to a more “realistic” style.

The reasons for this decision include cost, wide-ranging appeal, and the significance of a bright and colorful palette to reflect Playable Worlds’ desired “hopeful” approach to the lore and backdrop of Stars Reach. Hence, it doesn’t need to look entirely cartoonish, but it should transmit the team’s special vision of a brighter future. As part of the game’s narrative, your character comes from a race that has made mistakes in its native worlds and is now in search of new habitats. The abundant use of bright colors underpins this hopeful theme, thereby offering broad appeal and cost-effectiveness.

Setting-wise, think of a universe that honors the nostalgic sci-fi era, filled with ray guns and space rockets. Even though Stars Reach’s setting and art may delve into darker narratives or mature ideas, it will always maintain its essence of hope, regardless of whether you’re on an outer-space expedition or reassessing the consequences of over-extraction.

When it comes to content, the team has plans to introduce fresh content. Nevertheless, they are also focused on getting Stars Reach to self-create content and encourage player content creation. Stars Reach operates on a 100% player-driven economy where combative play is completely voluntary. While systems focusing on collectibles, crafting, and personalized spaces tend to engage players for longer durations, there’s a risk that the “players make the content” apparatus becomes dull if player activity is low.

It is certain that the extra emphasis on the “sandbox” approach will be appreciated by fans like Noobfridge.

Now that you have more insight into the team’s aspirations, what’s your impression of Stars Reach so far?