What if a split second was the difference between infinite energy and total annihilation? Nullstar: Solus is a precision platformer that casts you as a scavenger drone in a race against time and physics.
In this article we’ll be giving a full review of the game and ranking it from decaf to fully caffeinated.
story:
In Nullstar: Solus, you play as a scavenger drone navigating through the bones of dead worlds to collect Nullstars. These are a volatile source of near-infinite energy, and in this futuristic world, they are the most precious resource left. The story isn’t told in your typical cinematic way with long cutscenes or heavy dialogue. Instead, the narrative is baked directly into the world itself and the different environments you progress through as you scavenge. Every new area you enter tells a piece of the story through its ruins and design.
While the story is good and adds a massive amount of atmosphere to the game, the focus here is definitely on the gameplay. However, the world-building is really interesting and truly brings the game to life. It makes the world feel lived-in and dangerous rather than just a series of abstract levels to clear. You feel the history of this futuristic world as you zip through it and it’s definitely one of those narratives that rewards players who pay attention to their surroundings.
Because the lore is a bit more of a background element and focuses more on environmental storytelling than a direct script, I’m giving the story a rating of Buzzed.
gameplay:
This is a game where going faster and taking risks really pays off. At its core, it is a precision platformer, but the way the mechanics are implemented makes it feel like a completely different type of game. The movement is super fluid, and while the controls are hard to master, they add so much dimension to how you navigate each level. You aren’t just jumping between platforms; you’re managing momentum and physics in a way that feels incredibly rewarding once it clicks.
Technically, you only need to collect all the Nullstars to progress, but there’s a heavy emphasis on the underlying speed challenges. Each level has different speed ranks you can try to hit. Some levels have goal scores of only a second or two, which sounds short, but it’s by no means a short game. The real challenge comes in working out the perfect lines, shortcuts, and maneuvers to hit those top-tier speeds, and it almost becomes a puzzle of movement. There’s a ton of different hazards to avoid like time sensitive cameras, and intermittent lasers, and the difficulty spikes significantly the further you get. There are different drone types you can unlock, each with unique skills or features that change how you approach a level.
I feel like the movement is definitely a massive standout feature, that is difficult to master, but so rewarding when you do, and found myself pleasantly surprised at just how addictive this game can be.
For it’s innovative twist on a precision platformer, I’m rating the gameplay as Fully Caffeinated.
design:
The design is absolutely stunning and is easily one of the highlights of the game. It features a pixel art style that showcases some really intriguing and varied world environments. The developers have captured this dark, futuristic world in such a cool way, making every level feel like a piece of a larger, dystopian puzzle. The attention to detail in the pixel work is incredible, managing to convey a sense of scale and decay that you don’t often see in this genre.
The soundtrack is equally impressive and does a lot of the heavy lifting for the game’s vibe. It’s super atmospheric and sets the scene perfectly for the world you’re navigating. When you combine that music with the specific sound effects made by the drone and the various hazards, it creates a really intense, immersive environment to navigate. Hearing the mechanical whirrs of your drone and the threatening hum of the obstacles around you adds a whole lot of intensity to your runs. It’s a visual and auditory treat that fits the “high-speed drone” vibe perfectly and keeps your heart rate up during those tighter speed runs, so for design, I’m rating it Fully Caffeinated.
originality:
I wouldn’t call myself an expert on platformers or speed-focused games, but Nullstar: Solus feels really unlike anything else I’ve played. The combination of fluid, flowy movement mixed with the harsh, sharp edges of the environment creates an interesting dynamic that feels totally unique. It’s a game of contrasts where your movement feels like water, but the world is made of jagged metal and glass that creates a specific kind of tension that is hard to find elsewhere.
The team hasn’t just made a game that feels unique to play; they’ve also honed in on a different kind of story that I haven’t seen portrayed this way before. Having a scavenger drone as the protagonist gives the game a fresh perspective and it’s refreshing to see a game lean so hard into its own identity and mechanics without relying on standard genre tropes.
They have created a gameplay loop that feels entirely their own, so for originality I’m rating it Fully Caffeinated.
The Final Brew:
Nullstar: Solus is an absolutely stunning game that feels thoughtfully and intentionally constructed. It’s definitely not a game to play unless you’re prepared to die again and again, but if you’re up for the challenge, there’s a whole world for you to explore. It’s a game that respects your time but demands your best.
We’ve ground the beans, we’ve carefully weighed and pressed the grinds, and brewed this game down. Now it’s time for a taste test….
Nullstar: Solus is Fully Caffeinated!
Nullstar: Solus is available on Steam, Xbox, Switch and PlayStation now. Check it out here!