Caster

 PC
User Score
4.2

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 23 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 23
  3. Negative: 12 out of 23

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  1. dajhorn
    Mar 10, 2014
    2
    The unusual gamepad controls in Caster made the game unenjoyable, and nothing in the tutorial or first level made me want to continue playing. The modern standard for video games is so high that Caster feels like an old Nintendo demo.
  2. suneater
    Dec 17, 2012
    4
    This game makes me nostalgic for older arcade shooters with the blocky graphics. Fun but short; the devs have been working on extra content and there are custom maps. Pretty good for an iOS port but nothing amazing.
  3. JonesR
    May 12, 2012
    1
    Caster is a bad shooter in just about every way possible. Extremely primitive--I would have expected something of this caliber to be released 10+ years ago.
  4. CaKeS
    Jun 14, 2015
    3
    While Caster can be fun some of the time, there's really no other value there. If all you want to do is spam overpowered weapons while sprinting around at mach speed, this is probably the game for you. But if you like your games with actual value in them, actual story, playability, difficulty, challenge or what have you, then look elsewhere, because Caster lacks all of those and then some.While Caster can be fun some of the time, there's really no other value there. If all you want to do is spam overpowered weapons while sprinting around at mach speed, this is probably the game for you. But if you like your games with actual value in them, actual story, playability, difficulty, challenge or what have you, then look elsewhere, because Caster lacks all of those and then some.

    The graphics are very outdated and the textures/models can be glitchy as they clip a good amount, but even if they don't they're still not pleasant to look at. The character isn't even aesthetically pleasing and that's the one thing you have to stare at the entire game. Not to mention his/her face is just down-right creepy at some angles. The balancing is dreadful, as you get a game-breaking weapon at about level two, and the difficulty spikes up and down more than a heart monitor. Also, once you max out your health and sprint ability (which can be done very early game, mind you), you can just sprint back and forth to avoid every projectile, while spamming you're broken weapon that shoots as fast as you can click (and if you're like me, that means it can be spammed at speeds that will melt bosses in no time).

    So there's no balancing and the graphics are bad, what else? Well, the story is worse than both of those cons combined. The easiest way to describe the story is by saying that there just isn't one. You're a new recruit and you're sent on missions to combat what seems to be an evil creature-empire that's expanding and trying to take over the world(?). You go place to place and just clear each level, there's no more objectives than that. Also, there's only like two themes of levels, and they're repeated over and over.

    Later game you run into a few levels that are almost impossible given the game's engine, where you have to keep a small ship out of the water even though it goes way faster than you can terraform the ground in front of it, and a boss battle that just drags on so long no matter how much damage you deal per second, and you just have to spam and dodge for like five minutes straight. The game is also very short.

    And last but not least, the developer decided to incorporate a destructible environment... everywhere. Weapons that deal a little bit of area damage will also chip away at the ground on every level, so if you max out your weapon and you're spamming like hell (as is the custom) the ground will basically meltdown out from under where you're aiming. It breaks the map and it breaks the game, even though it was already broken from all the other previously mentioned problems.

    When it's all said and done, I would not recommend the Caster to- well, anybody. The only reason it's not getting a 1/10 is because sprinting back and forth at mach speed while spamming your blaster like you have some sort of turrets is actually quite enjoyable in a weird way. So because I ran into a little bit of fun there, I give Caster a generous 3/10. That being said, do not buy this no matter what, not only because you'll waste money, but mostly because you'll just waste your time. I got it on sale for pocket change and I feel like I still got ripped off.    … Expand
  5. Nerokin
    Nov 24, 2015
    4
    Terra-Morphing Action Shooter

    Overall: 43% (51.9/120)

    Atmosphere 5.0/10
    Graphics 1.5/10
    Level Design 2.2/10
    Sound 3.7/10

    Balance 7.0/10
    Controls 3.0/10
    Mysteries 4.0/10

    Animations 5.0/10

    Replay Value 5.0/10
    Story 3.5/10
    Tutorial 4.5/5
    Variety 5.5/10

    Cost-Benefit Ratio 1/4
    System Requirements 1/1
  6. celestialViscer
    Mar 26, 2015
    1
    This game was boring right off the bat, but it seemed to be getting more interesting so I kept playing. I finished the entire first campaign. It actually managed to get worse.

    Nothing in this game is done well. The combat requires no skill, just persistence. Instead of actually ramping up difficulty, the designer just made a tonne of bullet sponges. The various attacks and upgrade    This game was boring right off the bat, but it seemed to be getting more interesting so I kept playing. I finished the entire first campaign. It actually managed to get worse.

    Nothing in this game is done well. The combat requires no skill, just persistence. Instead of actually ramping up difficulty, the designer just made a tonne of bullet sponges. The various attacks and upgrade system are horribly imbalanced, with some things being almost completely useless. For example, the stun ability has an incredibly short effect time. The levels are horribly designed. There was one level where the mission briefing told me to eliminate all the enemies while climbing what was essentially a huge spiral staircase around a tower. It then allowed me to just run straight up the side of the tower, ignoring every enemy, and complete the mission by reaching the top. Of course, I'm sure I don't need to tell you that it looks like **** too. After all, you have eyes.

    I really cannot see how anyone would have terrible enough taste to recommend this. It's slow, easy, tedious, unoriginal, and ugly.
    It's trash.    … Expand
  7. LT_Gruber
    Dec 12, 2022
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Terrible game.

    This review is maybe not fair because of the low price of the game but i write it anyway because it still has the worth of a loaf of bread.

    Caster is an extremely short game that is not finished. It came out in 2009 and for what it is, it had nice graphical effects, good upbeat music and fast action game play.

    However, every level is the same, a big sandbox in which you collect some orbs or kill some enemies. There is no story, no character bonding, you are a puppet with a scary blend face, shooting stuff.

    The campaign is incredibly short and the levels are super, super easy. The upgrade system is pointless because there are not enough levels to reach max stats and repeating earlier levels is the last thing i want to do. You reach max stats when you finish the game, at which it has no use anymore.

    The controls are somewhat clunky and in the big "fall into a pit and trying to get back out" levels, the camera is horrible.

    Like I said, it is extremely cheap and if you have 2-3 hours to spend, why not. But the message "coming soon, check casterthegame.com" will kill all satisfaction you might have when you reach the end. I feel that I did not complete the game.

    It is this kinds of games, bold initiatives with some potential that bleed out into obscurity and are left to rot, that I hate the most.

    So even for 1 miserable dollar/euro, it has nothing to offer.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

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No score yet - based on 2 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 2
  3. Negative: 2 out of 2
  1. PC Gamer UK
    46
    The result is the entire game feeling like a tutorial, with only one proper level to play at the end. [June 2009, p.93]
  2. PC Zone UK
    41
    The levels are uninteresting, the enemies unsatisfying, and the story non-existent. [Aug 2009, p.76]