“Starbound” Xbox Review – A Universe of Possibilities with Console Limitations

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For nearly a decade, Starbound has been a beloved sandbox adventure for PC players, offering boundless exploration, deep crafting systems, and procedurally generated worlds that let players carve out their own galactic journeys. However, its long-awaited arrival on Xbox brings a mix of excitement and frustration. While Starbound retains its core charm, its transition to console is hampered by poor optimization for a couch-and-TV experience, clunky UI navigation, and the unfortunate lack of mod support.

“Starbound” Xbox Review – A Universe of Possibilities with Console Limitations

At its heart, Starbound is an open-ended sci-fi adventure that encourages exploration. Players take on the role of a space traveler who, after a catastrophe, sets off to explore the universe, hop between planets, and establish bases on distant worlds. With procedurally generated planets teeming with unique biomes, underground caverns, and alien civilizations, the sense of discovery is one of Starbound’s strongest assets. The pixel-art aesthetic and charming, quirky alien designs hold up well on Xbox, maintaining the whimsical feel that made the game a PC classic.

The core gameplay loop revolves around gathering resources, crafting weapons and tools, and progressing through missions that introduce players to the game’s lore. There is a storyline involving an ancient menace, but it largely takes a backseat to the sandbox elements. The freedom to play as you wish—whether as a nomadic explorer, an intergalactic trader, or a warrior battling hostile aliens—is what makes Starbound stand out.

Unfortunately, Starbound struggles to fully adapt to the Xbox ecosystem. One of the most glaring issues is that its UI feels designed for a PC monitor rather than a television screen. Font sizes are frustratingly small, making reading item descriptions, quest logs, and menus a challenge unless you’re sitting up close. This problem is compounded by a cluttered inventory system that lacks the intuitiveness needed for controller-based navigation. Moving between menus with a gamepad feels sluggish and unwieldy, which detracts from the otherwise smooth gameplay experience.

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A major appeal of Starbound on PC is the level of control players have in customizing their experience, particularly through mods that introduce new biomes, items, weapons, and quality-of-life improvements. The lack of mod support on Xbox means console players are stuck with the vanilla experience, missing out on a vibrant modding community that has continually refreshed the game with new content over the years. Given that other games, such as Skyrim and Fallout 4, have incorporated mod support on consoles, Starbound’s omission is particularly disappointing.

Despite these issues, Starbound is still fundamentally enjoyable on Xbox. Exploring planets, digging through caves, and discovering hidden dungeons remain engaging. Combat, however, is another aspect that suffers from the console transition. The game’s melee weapons and firearms have a decent variety, but aiming with a controller feels imprecise, especially in frantic encounters with multiple enemies. While melee combat is more forgiving, ranged weapons require precise aiming that feels far more fluid with a mouse and keyboard.

Base-building and crafting, two major components of Starbound’s appeal, remain intact but also highlight the UI struggles. Placing blocks and navigating through crafting menus can feel clumsy, and the game does little to streamline these processes for a controller setup. For players used to building effortlessly on PC, this aspect may feel like a step backward.

Multiplayer remains one of the best ways to experience Starbound, allowing friends to explore the universe together, build shared bases, and take on enemies cooperatively. However, the Xbox version suffers from connectivity issues, with occasional lag and inconsistencies in performance. This isn’t a dealbreaker, but it does dampen the experience for those hoping for smooth, cooperative space adventures.

Longevity is both Starbound’s blessing and curse. There’s an almost limitless amount of content to explore, and for players who enjoy open-ended crafting games, it offers dozens (if not hundreds) of hours of gameplay. However, without mod support, the game lacks the additional layers of creativity and depth that PC players have enjoyed for years. Over time, this could lead to burnout, as players eventually feel like they’re repeating the same gameplay loops without fresh new content.

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Starbound on Xbox is a game of unfulfilled potential. The core experience is still engaging, with an expansive galaxy to explore, fun crafting mechanics, and a charming aesthetic. However, poor optimization for console players, awkward UI navigation, and the absence of mod support hold it back from being a truly great port.

For newcomers, Starbound remains an enjoyable, albeit flawed, experience that still offers plenty of fun if you’re willing to push past its shortcomings. However, for long-time fans who are used to the enhanced experience of the PC version, this console iteration may feel like a downgrade. If Chucklefish ever considers refining Starbound for console with improved UI scaling and mod integration, it could easily become one of the best sandbox experiences on Xbox. Until then, it remains a game best suited for players eager to explore space but willing to deal with some turbulence along the way.

RATING: 3.0 out of 5 stars.

Starbound is now available for PC and Xbox Series S/X.

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  • Super Mario RPG

    Wish I could watch these movies everyone else gets to see but I'm too busy playing games 24/7. Thanks Dad for the trust fund!

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1 Response

  1. Tangerine says:

    Starbound is such a fun game to get lost in, but the controls on Xbox feel a bit clunky compared to PC. Still, it’s awesome to explore all the planets from the couch!

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