Cosmic Star Heroine

 PlayStation 4
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
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  1. PSNStores
    May 2, 2017
    90
    Cosmic Star Heroine is simply an incredible JRPG inspired adventure that’s even more impressive when you consider how small the team is that made it. Aside from a story that didn’t completely pull me in, my only real complaint is that the game’s UI can, at times, be a little unclear. In battles an AoE attack sometimes wouldn’t highlight multiple enemies (even when it’d still hit them) and in shops there didn’t seem to be a way to compare equipment. I also ran into a couple small glitches, one that forced me to reload a save file, which is a bummer, but luckily Zeboyd Games have been quick to patch out these issues. Ultimately, Cosmic Star Heroine really shouldn’t be passed up, it’s a fantastic throwback to games like Chrono Trigger and Phantasy Star that, like Shovel Knight before it, presents a modern twist that makes it a clear standout indie release.
  2. PlayStation Country
    May 1, 2017
    90
    Cosmic Star Heroine is a great game that succeeds in its goal of providing an old school JRPG experience on pretty much every level. The battle system is an interesting and enjoyable one and the ability to save anywhere and retry instantly from deaths is very welcome. I can’t recommend it enough.
  3. RPG Fan
    May 23, 2017
    83
    While the 16-bit-RPG-throwback genre is certainly not lacking for participants, Cosmic Star Heroine stands near the head of the class in terms of accurately capturing the audiovisual essence of the era. It falls short on invoking the character and captivating allure of the worlds imagined by the forebearers it aims to honor, however. It's a solid game in its own right, but going in understanding it's more homage than classic will temper expectations and enable you to appreciate it for what it is rather than what it is not. After all, even the best cover bands aren't able to completely emulate the enduring magic of their source material.
  5. GameSpew
    May 3, 2017
    80
    Cosmic Star Heroine’s excellent combat system and well-executed retro stylings make it a must for those who hold the classic JRPGs of the past close to their hearts.
  6. 4P.de
    May 3, 2017
    77
    Inspired by classics like Chrono Trigger, Phantasy Star, or Suikoden, and filled with dynamic turnbased battles, this is a gem for any aficionado of 16-bit-roleplaying.
  7. Game Informer
    Apr 24, 2017
    75
    Cosmic Star Heroine has a lot of great ideas, but they never develop into anything that leaves you fully satisfied. The game is still fun and worth playing, though; as someone who grew up with Phantasy Star, Suikoden, and Chrono Trigger, seeing some of their elements collected and compiled is charming. I just wish Cosmic Star Heroine was better-rounded and the rest of the game had as much depth as its battle system.
  8. Video Chums
    May 5, 2017
    74
    The robust world and intricate combat system are Cosmic Star Heroine's shining stars but neither aspect is without flaws. Still, it's an enjoyable and accessible game that will appeal to both the JRPG faithful and casual genre fans alike.
  9. GameSpot
    Apr 25, 2017
    60
    Cosmic Star Heroine is still an enjoyable sci-fi RPG with a classical spirit. It's shameless in its celebration of its inspirations, and the soundtrack goes a long way to sell every moment. Though it has more than its fair share of flaws, none of that stops this game from being exactly what it sets out to be.

User Reviews

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User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 47 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 47
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 47
  3. Negative: 7 out of 47
  1. SlidingSiv
    Apr 11, 2017
    9
    If your going in and looking for a classic 16-bit style JRPG, then this is the game for you my friend. Everything about the game oozes sci-fi,If your going in and looking for a classic 16-bit style JRPG, then this is the game for you my friend. Everything about the game oozes sci-fi, from the artsy environments to the almost trance like techno music. This is a great game, combat is challenging and addicting.

    Highly Recommend!    … Full Review »
  2. kuehnau
    Apr 11, 2017
    5
    Cosmic Star Heroine is a JRPG from the makers of Cthulhu Saves the World and Breath of Death 7. Designed to resemble a 16bit SNES RPG, CosmicCosmic Star Heroine is a JRPG from the makers of Cthulhu Saves the World and Breath of Death 7. Designed to resemble a 16bit SNES RPG, Cosmic Star Heroine is clearly inspired by other classic JRPGs such as Chrono Trigger. Just looking at it causes the nostalgia to drag me back into my childhood.

    With that being said, there are issues that bothered me as I played the game.

    One of the first things that really bugged me was interacting with NPCs. You can walk through (most) NPCs and for whatever reason you have to be in a perfect spot to trigger dialog, which can be really frustrating, I often found myself walking around in circles around a NPC until I could actually get the chance to open dialog with them.

    The combat, while it didn't really seem to be a big issue at first, ended up being one of the most frustrating factors of the game. I am sure the developers thought they were doing something "cool" or "unique", but all it really did was make fights longer and more annoying.

    Characters have skills, abilities, items and "programs", all of these things have like a cooldown on them, so while in the midst of combat you can't just spam one thing. The issue is, not all characters have a basic attack to rely on while in combat, so eventually you are going to find some of your party members have nothing else to offer besides waiting a few turns to recharge their skills or abilities. It's stupid and poorly thought out.

    Besides that, you can't really "grind" in this game, because from what I've seen, monsters are not recurring, they are scripted, so while you might encounter a monster in a area, you can't simply walk around to continue to fight it for more money or experience. And grinding is one of the biggest draws to RPGs, it's watching numbers go up.

    The writing is yawn inducing. With RPGs of this nature there should be a balance that you strive to achive as far as it comes to dialog, unfortunately I often found myself just autoscrolling through mounds of text because I really couldn't find the energy to care about their poorly written story.

    The map layouts are really forgettable, for the most part they take a fairly linear path, which may occasionally branch out for a few steps or walk back up upon itself, but it never really goes far enough to actually encourage exploration.

    The game is mostly fine, even with it's tedious combat, terrible writing and uninspired maps. I just feel like it was really overhyped and as a direct result, the end product just doesn't look as good.    … Full Review »
  3. Dokiir
    Apr 17, 2017
    10
    The game has bugs, and glitches, yes, it's also not polished, least not as much as it should be. That said, it's not a cash-in, it's aThe game has bugs, and glitches, yes, it's also not polished, least not as much as it should be. That said, it's not a cash-in, it's a heartfelt, and well thought out game, that harks back to an era that makes my nostalgic muscles twitch to no end. Phantasy Star, Lunar, Chrono Trigger, Suikoden. I could keep listing, if you've been around for long enough, or haven't but still loved these games, this game is for you, no question about it. The battle system is excellent; interesting to work with, at Heroine difficulty (the 3rd of the 4, which I recommend playing it on) - it really pushes you to think a few moves ahead with each character, and as a whole team, to ultimately get extremely satisfying results once you figure out that tactic for each fight. It's not just the boss fights that are interesting, every fight is, and as you progress, level up, get more gear and get wiser, you enjoy it more, you're rewarded for being a good player and a tactician in the field of battle. I love it.

    The characters are charming, with a zany sense of humor that is reminiscent of that in the Lunar series. Zeboyd know how to handle subtle references, and they know how to handle humor, so there are a few good times I've both smiled and laughed out loud. There's a wealth of NPCs with funny tidbits here and there to share, as well as being useful for tips on battle, items, techniques, and quest clues. It's all in the world around you, you just need to look.

    The resolution at 1920x1080 is NOT blurry - i'm playing on a 43" TV at 1080 and it looks terrific, so I can wholeheartedly say that's not true at all. I've not had any stages where my game save has become corrupt, nearly 16 hours in now and I've not encountered any bugs, actually. That said, they're there, I've spoken to others, and I've seen them. However the developers have patched since these other rancid reviews were posted, and are working to another patch extremely soon. Rather than slate the developers in to the ground, these users could have reported the bugs, yes stil be annoyed because a buggy game is an annoying game, but at the very least communicate that frustration to the developers. They're not trying to get away with anything, they're 4 years in on a labor of love and they could have used more time, yes, but they didn't have it, so whatever small bugs are being encountered, and big ones, they've tackled most of them already and are weeding out the remainders.

    The story is good, characters are charming, the artwork is fantastic and the overall aesthetic will pull you in if you've a nostalgic bone in your body. At an estimated 15-20 hours gameplay, for the price of $14.99 (currently $11.99 for another 24 hours I think) you cannot ask for better value for money. People raging on this game at the loud minority, and I only wish people who have played and enjoyed the game thoroughly would speak up for their experiences, both good and bad, but at some way to support the vision of CSH and the development team, tiny a team as it is.

    If you're not sure, watch some playthrough of it on youtube, but if you are liking it, stop watching, and go grab it, to avoid spoilers.    … Full Review »
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