Darkstar One (2008)

Developer: Ascaron Entertainment ltd.
Publisher: Strategy First
Genres: Action
Rating: 4.2 of 5, 621 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 18 hours
Where to get it: Steam

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A methodical, lone-wolf space journey where you steadily upgrade a single ship while trading, fighting, and exploring at your own pace.

methodicalopensatisfyingslow-burncustomizableexplorativedeterminedlone-wolf

What players say

Players call it a linear space shooter disguised as an open world, with a single upgradeable ship and no reason to revisit old sectors. The difficulty is widely mocked, with one reviewer noting impossible missions become trivial on the hardest setting. Many recommend it only on sale for a single playthrough driven by nostalgia.

Screenshots

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More by Ascaron Entertainment

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.