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Star Traders: Frontiers Review – Has it survived the journey to Android?

Star Traders: Frontiers Android

Star Traders: Frontiers is a very well-received sci-fi RPG that, until now, was a PC exclusive. If you wanted a test of its charms, you’d have to grab it on Steam.

But that all changed this week when it launched on mobile. We’re not going to waste your time by reminding you that it’s a good game. Instead, we’re going to talk about how it works on mobile.

Fortunately, it’s all good news. This was primarily a mouse-driven experience, so a move to the touch screen has left the experience largely intact.

In fact, we’d argue this is now the best way to play this intriguing RPG. It’s just so nice to sit back on the sofa with your tablet and lose yourself in the realms of the galaxy.

Star Traders: Frontiers is an excellent game, but how does it work on mobile?

Let’s talk a little about how the game works though. You build your own character out of one of four pre-set roles of Pirate, Bounty Hunter, Explorer, and Smuggler. This isn’t really set in stone though, as you can adapt your character as you progress. It’s more of a jumping off point.

You’ll customise your character’s appearance then get thrown into the galaxy onboard your own ship after a brief cutscene that explains who you are and what you’re doing.

Your crew will then give you a (welcomely brief) tutorial explaining how the game works. The UI does a very good job of this on its own though, as its very minimal and you can tap and hold on pretty much anything to get a brief explanation.

Early on, you’ll largely be funnelled between planets tapping your way through well-written story segments that breathe life into the galaxy. The plot is intriguing as you can make choices throughout that affect the outcome. Or, you can just ignore all that nonsense and crack on with doing whatever the heck you want to.

There’s an insane amount of content on offer in this sci-fi RPG

Seriously, the wealth of options on offer here are truly astounding – particularly when you consider that this is in indie RPG. You can trade goods between planets, attack traders and sell their stuff, or go after pirates yourself.

Or, you can simply explore the depths of the galaxy, where a wealth of different factions are on offer for you to appease or frustrate. There’s pretty much a faction for every role so it’s not difficult to choose the one you want.

Finally, you have to manage your ship. That involves refuelling, repairing, upgrading, and hiring crew members. At first, this aspect is a little overwhelming – there are just so many options – but once you’ve figured out what you want to do, hiring new members and upgrading previous is just a breeze.

This is all without even mentioning the combat, which is split up into ship battles and foot combat. Your crew will change depending on your combat approach too. If you’re too bloodthirsty, your crew members will be too.

Is mobile the best way to play Star Traders: Frontiers now?

Overall, we’re super impressed with Star Traders: Frontiers – both as a game and as a mobile port. There’s so much content on offer that it offers insane value for money despite being a premium app, and the jump to mobile hasn’t at all damaged the experience.

If anything, this is now the best way to play it. We’d much rather sit on the sofa with a massive tablet in our hands tapping our way across the galaxy, and we’re sure many of you feel the same way.

An RPG of galactic proportions

Star Traders: Frontiers is an awesome sci-fi RPG that's chock full of content and works great on mobile.

8.3
Aesthetics:
7
Gameplay:
9
Innovation:
8
Value:
9

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