Starlink: Battle for Atlas Critic Reviews

Regardless of which version you purchase, Starlink: Battle For Atlas will provide one of the best console space shooters in years, and is now my favorite Star Fox game of all time.

Visually, Starlink: Battle for Atlas is beautifully presented on the Nintendo Switch from its high quality cut-scenes to detailed in-game graphics from the diverse planets which are a true joy to visit. The visual detail on these planets is quite impressive and more importantly, they do look different and do look alien in origin. There’s also some great special effects employed from sun-flares to massive dust-storms that just makes the whole experience a very immersive one and the frame rate is very stable on the Switch.

With its exclusive use of some substantial Star Fox content, you’re getting the best version of Starlink: Battle for Atlas on Nintendo Switch. And with a more accessible and ultimately enjoyable version of No Man’s Sky's gameplay mechanics and Mass Effect’s original vision, you’re getting one of the best dogfighting/space exploration games you can buy outside of Elite: Dangerous. Its gameplay loop does run out of steam after a while thanks to the required grind, but with a surprisingly ungreedy approach to content access and toys-to-life integration, Starlink really could be the spark that reignites the genre’s renaissance.

A great game of exploration.

There’s no other title with quite the same approach as Starlink has taken and it’s easily the best integration of toys to life that has been done so far.

Starlink: Battle for Atlas is a stellar achievement. Through its fun and accessible cast of characters, solidly made toys-to-life component, and beautiful graphics, Ubisoft has hit the ground running. With the addition of a healthy amount of Star Fox content, the Switch version is definitely the preferable way to go, but regardless of your system Starlink is a remarkably entertaining game, and an auspicious launch for a new gaming universe.

Starlink: Battle for Atlas is a fast-paced and gorgeous space adventure that offers the toys to life option for collectors and a strong digital edition for those who just want to play. With fantastic controls and epic music, the game is marred by a drop in texture from time to time and unfortunately repetitive and stale dialogue outside of the campaign. Building and leveling up ships is a lot of fun, and some of the battles can be truly epic. Starlink has quickly become a game hard to put down and I hope this is the beginning of a growing franchise.

Starlink as a new franchise isn't perfect, but it's still a whole lot of fun.

Ubisoft has managed to create a really great title. It has a good story and a great gameplay that will make us play it for many hours. Its graphic and sound section will delight science fiction fans. However, you may not like the price of additional ships and if you do not buy them, you will not be able to enjoy the full game.

As an open-world game, Starlink lacks of creation, which probably reminds you some former Ubisoft games. But still, it has great combat experience, and allows you to explore different planets with your starship. So if you are a fan of space theme, Starlink is obviously a good choice for you.

A great space opera for kids, which includes fast combat, deep exploration and some strategic elements. The use of toys and split screen multiplayer fits perfectly in the game. Switch version adds Starfox (with his own campaign, starship and allies).

Once you put aside Starlink’s somewhat confused nature and design, what you’re left with is a genuinely enjoyable open space adventure. It offers a fun little story (boosted by the presence of the Star Fox crew), enjoyably exotic worlds to scoot around, and tight, clean, and efficient combat. Remembering that ultimately Starlink is aimed at a younger audience, it’s hard to argue that the development team have in any way gone wrong in delivering both something new, and something that recalls the nostalgia from their own childhoods.

Starlink: Battle for Atlas is an ambitious action and exploration game for the Nintendo Switch that brings with it an array of toys which will be required to fully unlock every element in the game. Featuring a great degree of customisation, lengthy exploration and even the presence of Nintendo’s own Fox McCloud, its visual environment feels like a bit of a let down and the overall cost to obtain everything will be higher than for other games but this is certainly an interesting and worthy adventure to engage with.

Even without the toys, or even in spite of the toys, Starlink is a great game. Add in couch Coop and this is a fun way to get younger players into RPGs of this scope. It’s also one of the few RPGs of this style that deal with space an technology and aren’t just pure fantasy. With an interesting story to tell and compelling game systems Ubisoft has built a solid new IP. Hopefully they can continue to expand upon it into the foreseeable future.

A fantastic sci-fi game that’s well worth playing no matter how old you are. The physical toys are attractive enough to adorn any shelf, and robust enough to actually be played with, while a large collection of ships isn’t essential for completing the game, and there’s even an option not to use them at all. It’s a shame then that the story doesn’t quite live up to rest of the game’s promise, but you might be having too much fun to notice.

One surprising but welcome feature is an option for split-screen, local cooperative play. At any point another player can hop in and play right alongside you.

At its core, Starlink: Battle for Atlas is a fantastic space exploration game, with solid flights, fights and enemies, but can be a complicated toys-to-life proposition to recommend, and understand.

Crammed with gorgeous worlds, thrilling combat, and engaging mysteries, plus an arching plot that doesn’t speak down to its audience, Starlink is toys-to-life, all grown up.

While Starlink shot for the moon and missed, it still managed to lands amongst the stars.

Starlink Battle For Atlas revives the ‘toys to life’ concept but making a step forward in the process. Ubisoft Toronto achieves their intention to conjugate both exploration and flight phases with a true sense of wonder from the very start until the end. Recommended not only for children but also for hardcore players.