Starband Troopers Review

Starband Troopers is a testament to the power of music. Just like how a good song can radically improve the way we emotionally respond to what we see on film, this game’s use of music ties together and raises up and otherwise rote RPG.

Music is central in Starband Troopers, and it expresses itself in various creative ways. The plot follows a group of intergalactic musicians trapped on an alien world and rocking their way to survival. The art isn’t amazing but the character designs have an appropriately funky style not unlike the Crescendolls - that other space band from Daft Punk’s Interstella 5555 cartoon. In combat, the band members use their instruments as weapons. Some are offensive, like the trumpet and the guitar; some provide defensive buffs, like the drums and the piano; and others, like the saxophone, cause damage over time. Players can customize their arsenal like a battle-ready roadie to find a fighting style that works for them.

But the game’s biggest use of music is its special attack system, which takes the form of a full-blown rhythm game. As players progress they gather new songs that require certain instruments to activate. During a battle, players can link the right instruments together once their party members are charged-up to unleash their sonic fury. From there they tap and hold on-screen icons to the beat. It’s clearly inspired by games like Elite Beat Agents and Final Fantasy: Theatrhythm, but those are both great touch-screen rhythm games to look at for inspiration, anyway. Songs vary from jazzy slow jams to epic RPG battle themes, and players earn new songs at a pace that allows them to still return to older ones and get better at performing skillful, critical hit performances.

The focus on music really is the only thing keeping Starband Troopers together, though. The interface isn’t the most intuitive, the progression is super straightforward, and the other systems are standard JRPG fare.

However, the music injects so much life into the experience that these problems become inaudible.