Sixtar Gate STARGAZER

If there's one genre I wish I was better at, it's rhythm-action games. Not that I'm terrible at it, but over the years I've seen some amazing players that really put me to shame and I know I'll rarely, if ever, get that elusive S-rank. That won't stop me trying though.

Sixtar Gate: STARGAZER is a pleasing mix of visual novel and rhythm-action game, following the story of young busker Dorimi who is trying to realise her ambition as a musician and taking a detour as an apprentice on a starship. To progress the story, you'll need to pass various musical tracks by pressing in the right buttons as the prompts race from four directions in time to the beat.

You can play the game in "Adventure Mode" or just go straight for the music

Presentation of the game is bright and lively, the animations cute and appropriate to the story. The tone is comedic and rebellious as Dorimi shows her enthusiastic and often blinkered determination to succeed.

The game is a spin-off from the popular Sixtar Gate: STARTRAIL game (indeed there's a collaboration DLC in the pipeline) but the gameplay mechanics, while both beat related, are markedly different - STARTRAIL favour the traditional DJ Max column approach, while STARGAZER has prompts coming from all 4 directions.

You can use the d-pad and the buttons in combination in order to make splitting the notes easier, which is a perfect setup for newcomers and it felt very comfortable to play on Steam Deck. The game is also available on Switch so on either handheld console, the game is a great fit. There's something a bit more instinctive about pressing a direction instead of using columns and I managed to pass all the songs I tried on medium difficulty on the first try (albeit not perfectly). The music is on the rock side of things, with lots of punchy and fun tunes to tap in time to. Nothing I came across grated and thanks to that presentation, the whole package came across as friendly and enjoyable.

As with all such games, there's enough here to get you started, but the money-spinner Starlike Inc will be the uptake in DLC. Two are currently available; the Flower & Destiny pack (11 tracks), along with the Cyber & Diver pack (14 tracks), which retail for £5.89 and £8.50 respectively. This seems pretty reasonable but not all songs are original and there will be some crossover from STARTRAIL, which isn't an issue for me as this is the first game of the series I've come across, but if you've been playing STARTRAIL, you may find some duplication, so be warned.

I can recommend the game for a quick blast every now and then, it's a classic score-chasing game of repetition and familiarisation, but a pretty delightful example of its type nevertheless. Dorimi is a lot of fun, the pace is brisk and the menus really get you in the mood. Whether you're a veteran looking for a new and slightly different take on the genre, or a complete novice looking for an intuitive entry point, Sixtar STARGAZER is an excellent choice.