Individually each of the art assets are at least passable by my standards, with some I would even call excellent, but mixed together as a single product it leaves a lot to be desired. The presentation in Sunrider is more notable than the story, but it’s still a mixed bag. On a semi-related note, this might actually be appropriate since the Cera Space Force uniform seems to be a schoolgirl uniform. This will appeal to some, but given the dire setting, having the characters all behave like lovesick school girls seems… mismatched. Sunrider plays out like a harem anime, with the cast of heroines (for the most part) all head over heels in love with Captain Shields. While on the subject of romance, and as a commentary on the characters of Sunrider as a whole, it isn’t anything handled with nuance or even believability. It is yet to be seen how important these choices will be in the final installment, but my suspicion is that it will largely just tie into who you’ll end up romancing. In spite of weak writing, I did end up enjoying the story for what it’s worth.Īs for choices, the reader is presented with a large number of them throughout the length of both First Arrival and Mask of Arcadius, but the impact seems mostly minimal (with perhaps a couple of notable exceptions on gameplay) in each respective part. Mask of Arcadius gets a little more interesting, ramping up the stakes and having the Sunrider take a more important role in the galactic conflict. There are some twists and turns along the way, but nothing I would call exceptional. First Arrival (obviously) serves to introduce the reader to the world of Sunrider, its cast of characters, and to familiarize the player with the game’s mechanics. Overall, the game does get more interesting as it progresses. This is something I always personally appreciate in a science fiction setting. Furthermore, the game does a solid job at world building, giving the reader a lot of context regarding the universe of Sunrider. The emotional beats it takes have some impact and it does a good job in conveying a sense of uncertainty in the politicking surrounding the allegiances you must make. That said, the story of Sunrider isn’t without merit. The writing can seem amateurish, with no hint of originality or even an interesting take on what you just might exactly expect from a space opera. This actually serves as a decent sample of the quality of writing you’ll find across the length of the game and is Sunrider’s biggest fault. In this abrupt way the stage is set, tossing the reader into the world of Sunrider with an on the nose, just a little too hastily characterized summation (a quick “this isn’t the end”) of the main character’s motivation. Narrowly escaping the utter destruction of the Cera Space Force and conquest of his home Planet, Captain Shields must retreat into the protection of space to gather crew members, supplies, and develop a plan in order to strike back against PACT. After assuming command of the ship, Cera is suddenly attacked by the PACT main fleet. You assume the point of view of Kayto Shields, a green starship captain of the Cera Space Force, who has been trained to command the newly minted, highly advanced assault carrier Sunrider. The People’s Alliance for Common Treatment (PACT) has toppled the tyrannical New Empire and is now cutting a swathe of conquest across the neutral rim. The plot of Sunrider kicks off hard and fast. But does Sunrider read like a love letter to the space operas it tries to emulate or does it fall short and come across as a shallow imitation? Warning: This review contains spoilers for the first 10 minutes of Sunrider. You assume the role of Kayto Shields, captain of the starship Sunrider, as he embarks on a mission to avenge his home planet of Cera and stave the galactic threat of the People’s Alliance. Sunrider is a multi-part, English-language visual novel filled out with segments of tactical RPG gameplay.
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