StarMade Review

Overview:
StarMade, a voxel-based sandbox game, has the potential to be the "Minecraft of Science Fiction." However, it seems the community has let the developer down by not providing constructive feedback and often disagreeing with the developer's direction.

Gameplay and Mechanics:
StarMade has faced issues with balance. While not game-breaking, the contradictions in its mechanics have held the game back from its true potential. It appears that the creator might have been ready to move on to a second iteration but lost interest after the community's backlash to the rebalanced game mechanics.

Survival Mode:
Before the rebalance, Survival mode felt more like a semi-creative mode. It was easy to reach end-game status within a few hours, reducing the need for resource harvesting and crafting. The rebalance aimed to address this by limiting the ability to obtain infinite resources and currency without significant gameplay.

Community Feedback:
The remapping of controls after the rebalance posed a challenge for long-term players, who struggled with muscle memory. This sudden change made the game feel unplayable for some, contributing to the community's frustration.

Current State:
Despite these issues, StarMade remains a recommended game, especially since it's still available for free. The developer distributed it for free for over five years before marketing it on Steam, where it unfortunately lost momentum.

Conclusion:
StarMade is a fun and challenging game worth revisiting. Even after owning it for years for free, the enjoyment it offers is worth the purchase. If you have some free time, it's definitely worth giving StarMade another shot.