Fabuloso Games is an independent game developer that is based in Madrid, Spain. They have created a unique orbital runner that is set in a lavish and richly detailed world. Whereas many orbital runners use similar game mechanics, Astra by Fabuloso Games throws in a twist or two that keep this game fresh. The controls are spot on and the music is engrossing. What you have in Astra is an amalgamation of different textures and themes that make this game worth playing.
We see a lot of games at DroidGamers. We are always searching for the next best game that we can tell you about. I came across Astra a few months ago, and was immediately intrigued by the artwork that was presented with the game. It always starts there for me. What kind of unique presentation can the game developer create that will draw me in? Fabuloso Games achieved that with Astra. Of course I learned that Astra would be heading to iOS first, but finding out that an Android version was in the works was good news.
The next question was what type of gameplay would be involved. When I learned that Astra was an orbital runner, my expectations were dampened a bit. However, it has been said that you should never judge a book by the cover. Unfortunately many book covers first impressions are that great, so I wonder how many great books have I missed out on. Nevertheless, Astra is more than a pretty first image. The story that accompanied Astra was a bit different, so along with the artwork that first caught my attention, there was enough to make me delve into the game a bit more.
“Hemera upholds the balance between day and night, between light and darkness. Creatures of the night steal the light in their quest for eternal darkness, and Hemera embarks on an adventure to restore the balance, this is the starting point of Astra.” – Fabuloso Games
Astra is a one-touch platforming game. Whereas it would seem that this would make the game easy, it is anything but that. That is not to say that the game is not immediately accessible, because it is. The game lures you into thinking that it will be easy, based on the first few levels, but the difficulty and brilliance of the game begins to show up quickly. As I mentioned previously, the artwork in the game is beautiful. Your main character rapidly walks around the different worlds. Each level is considered a different earth. Hemera speed walks, but when necessary, you tap the screen once to cause Hemera to jump. If you tap the screen twice, Hemera begins an ascent to the nearest world. You have to calculate your jumps because there is a gravitational pull you need to account for. If you don’t account for it, you will find your main character floating away to other worlds that you may not want to access. Each level you play has three goals. You should be able to grab all of the miniature suns, complete the level without losing a life, and complete the level in a certain amount of time. The time challenge is the one that will test your gaming abilities, as some of the levels expand in various directions, and have obstacles that deter you from grabbing those suns.
Each level has multiple worlds/planets to explore. Some of them have miniature suns that must be collected, and others just have fantastical beasts and unusual flora and structures within the landscape. Your only defense for taking out the beasts that rotate the worlds is jumping and bouncing off of them. Some of the beasts are huge and will take multiple hits. While it is good to be able to take the beasts out or defend yourself, you have to keep in mind that the clock continues to count down. When you throw in being pulled in unusual ways by gravity, a large number of suns to collect, platforming puzzles and no map to tell you where the suns are, gaming dilemmas ensue… and this is not a bad thing. Astra has what some orbital runners do not, a deep sense of exploration.
Astra Features:
- Arcade action.
- Unique art, music and gameplay.
- Designed for touch screens. Simple one touch controls.
- Auto-runner platformer with space physics.
- Go explore, solve small puzzles, and discover secrets.
- 30 levels to explore (more to come as free updates).
Astra has received several awards for its art, music and gameplay. The game designer is Pablo Molina who handled the programming, production and level design. Laia Arqueros was behind the conceptual art and graphics design. Rounding out the team, and what is a integral part of the games’ experience, is the music which was created by Juan Molina. Astra is a game that you really should experience. Fine details from shooting stars to spaceships drifting lazily through the sky, show the creativity and the level of immersion that Fabuloso Games undertook to attempt to place the gamer firmly in Hemera’s world. There are two modes of gameplay, normal and hard, which means you won’t finish this one too quickly, especially if you are a completionist and feel like you have to three star every level. In a novel approach, there is even an off button on the menu screen that allows you to exit the game easily. It is a simple detail, but one that shouldn’t be overlooked. Thank you Fabuloso Games. A back button is nice, but I definitely prefer your power off button to exit the game.
Astra is a free to play game, but there are no in-app purchases. You can enjoy playing this challenging game without the worries of pay walls or purchasing items to upgrade your character. Now is the perfect time to dive into Astra’s engrossing world. If you enjoy platforming games, or orbital runners, then Astra shouldn’t be missed. I am looking forward to see what other types of games Fabuloso Games will create. Astra is a wonderful title and it makes Fabuloso Games a game developer to look out for in the future.
