With the exception of a few projects, we could argue that despite 2022 being a busy year for the crypto gaming industry, there haven’t been many high-quality productions yet.
The Star Atlas project, however, published a trailer in October 2021. In terms of crypto gaming, it was claimed that Star Atlas was still under creation due to its unique gameplay and design.
Anyone who enjoys gaming or the crypto industry will find Star Atlas to be quite exciting.
After exactly one year since the game was released, I decided to watch that trailer again and felt compelled to write this review. So, we will look at how Star Atlas was made, what kind of game it is, and all the other relevant details in this review.
Now, if you’re ready, let’s begin our journey through the galaxies with Star Atlas.
What is Star Atlas? General Information and Developers (7 Points)
Michael Wagner and his buddies created the P2E strategy game Star Atlas on the Solana network.
Inspired by the enormous size of the universe, game developer Michael Wagner set out to make a strategy game in which you may conquer even galaxies. So, we can begin the game with a spaceship in the year 2620, which we can purchase with an NFT.
Everything a player gains in the game can also be traded in NFTs. This feature makes it much more evident that Star Atlas was based entirely on a decentralized concept.
The cryptos that make up Star Atlas’s tokeconomy are another critical part of the game. Players in the game can use two separate tokens called ATLAS and POLIS.
Owners of POLIS tokens are eligible to vote on the project. The fact that those who own POLIS tokens have control over the game is an excellent example of how the decentralized concept I just described is supported.
Star Atlas Developers
As I said before, Micheal Wagner, who has a significant background in banking and cryptocurrency industries, designed Star Atlas.
Other team members are also well-known figures in the industry and have great skills in game development.
For now, I’ll give 7 points to the Jedi council who designed Star Atlas and the general outline of the project.
The reason why I gave it only 7 points is because the team was insufficient. Why? Well, when I took a look at Star Atlas’s website, I came across a lot of active job postings. Although it has been a year since completing the team, there seem to be problems.
- Michael Wagner – Chief Executive Officer.
- Danny Floyd – Chief Product Officer.
- Jacob Floyd – Chief Technology Officer.
- Pablo Quiroga – Chief Revenue Officer.
Website Contact: https://pabloiquiroga.com
Finally, one year after the game’s introduction, its pre-alpha version was released in the fourth quarter of 2022.
Therefore, I chose to review the game from the perspective of a gamer rather than a crypto enthusiast. So, let’s dive deeper at the game’s features and gameplay.
Gameplay – Graphics & Design Review (8.2)
I believe that to interpret the gameplay of the game more appropriately, we must first comprehend the mechanics.
Now I’d like you to imagine the 3 following games: The first is Destiny 2, No Man’s Sky is 2nd, and EVE Online is 3rd.
If you’re wondering why I’m making you think of these games, well, it’s because Star Atlas targets the exact same game structure as these other 3 games. However, it is attempting to diversify it by using NFTs and tokens.
I carefully analyzed the game’s Pre-Alpha while many questions are running through my mind.
First of all, the game’s first entry point is designed to be the same as it was during the previous part of the game 1 year ago. The only change has been an increase in variety with the addition of a few more items.
When playing from the TPS (Third Person Shooter) perspective, the game begins at a hangar on the outskirts of a big city. Like in Destiny 2, the game’s ambiance is unique and gives you the feeling that you are in space.
As you may know, at the time the game was announced, it was stated that Star Atlas would cover strategy, politics, wars and many additional subjects as part of its gameplay.
The game’s atmosphere supports these claims, to be honest. The rooms and design of the hangar where your spaceship is located appear to be quite smooth and intricately designed.
Even minor things like the elevator are well-designed. This shows that the Star Atlas team carries out meticulous work, and pay attention to the smallest of details.
Those who want to access the pre-alpha can purchase various spaceships using ATLAS tokens. The marketplace on the Star Atlas website can be used for this purpose.
I noticed dozens of various spaceships and the resources each spaceship would use when I casually checked at the market.
In other words, while traveling in Star Atlas with a spaceship, you need supplies like ammunition, food, fuel, and a toolkit.
And when all these resources are gone, you’ll have to spend ATLAS tokens if you want to buy more. It’s a pretty well thought out idea for the tokeconomy of this game.
Another detail is the increase in the number of resources that ships will spend according to their size.
One of the key gameplay elements I looked at was spaceships. There are numerous different spaceships, just like in EVE Online.
When I summoned a small spaceship, the details weren’t all that exciting. However, the details appeared fantastic when I summoned a big spaceship to the hangar.
I can confidently say that Star Atlas is quite incredible when it comes to spaceships as someone who has played Destiny 2 and EVE Online.
When I saw the details and designs of large spaceships, I wondered what would happen if Star Atlas could be played with VR in the coming years.
I’m sure I’m not the only one excited at the thought of joining the Metaverse of such a strategy-based and space-themed game.
As a result, I give Star Atlas a score of 8.2 out of 10, even though it is Pre-Alpha, with the similarity to other games and great designs.
Even yet, I must add that there is something that disturbs me, even though that I enjoy the in-game graphics.
How long will it take to develop such a large-scale game? How will investors be retained as this process takes longer? If I had to make an even harsher critique, what would keep Star Atlas from suffering the same fate as Star Citizen?
Tokeconomic Structure of Star Atlas (7)
Take a look at Star Atlas’ partners if you want to understand the tokenomics structure. The first partner is the Solana Network, which is already the Ethereum killer, that the game was built on.
The FTX exchange, one of the biggest exchanges in the world, is the other partner. SerumDEX, the third partner, provides Star Atlas with cutting-edge smart contract features.
You might have overrated Star Atlas when you heard about these companies for the first time. To be honest, we can say that there are great partnerships for the future of Star Atlas.
Atlas Token
All in-game items can be purchased using the currency known as Atlas Token (ERC20).
With this token, players can purchase spaceships, crew members, equipment, resources, and many other virtual goods to maintain the Star Atlas ecosystem.
When players successfully complete tasks and events in Star Atlas, they are rewarded with tokens.
At this time, there are 36,000,000 Atlas tokens available worldwide. Currently 2,160,000,000 of these are in use. Naturally, this enables players to profit financially from Star Atlas.
POLIS Token
The POLIS token, on the other hand, allows players to have a say, as we mentioned at the beginning of our review.
Players with POLIS tokens can have a say in real-life Star Atlas economic policies. They also have a say when it comes to policies in the game.
One of the best aspects of the game is that players with POLIS tokens can receive taxes from the regions they hold in the game. They will even have the authority to impose laws, rules, and in-game policies on other players.
Of course, I would like to say that there is a political system with voting rights in the Star Atlas metaverse, since the dictatorship did not occur.
Last but not least, 360,000,000 POLIS tokens are currently in circulation. The remaining 40% of these assets are put aside for usage by the development team, public sales, liquidity pools, and in-game prizes.
Token Burning
Star Atlas offers some really impressive features when it comes to token burning.
For example, it is advantageous for ships to constantly purchase refueling and other resources.
Players also face the possibility of losing their NFT assets by taking part in battles. For instance, part of the player’s NFT assets will be lost if a battle is lost. The reward for the player who win the battle will be the other player’s lost NFT assets.
All of these details, in my opinion, are highly beneficial in sustaining the economic viability of Star Atlas.
All things considered, I assign the Star Atlas tokenomics structure 7 points. This is due to the concern about how sustainability will function after the game is released.
Storyline Review (3)
What makes a good game is its story, design, and passion for the player. If you make your game only for people who want to earn Crypto earnings, your chances of success are zero.
If you make your game for gamers and Crypto lovers, you will achieve a more innovative goal. The team behind this game, not only produced a game based on this concept, but they also managed to create a unique space experience in Star Atlas.
The story of Star Atlas begins in a virtual metaverse dating back to the year 2620, where 3 mighty communities rule the universe, reflecting the far future of humanity.
- The territory of the MUD over which humankind has control.
- ONI, a consortium region jointly established by alien races.
- The Ustur sector, managed by Androids with conscious artificial intelligence.
You must select one of these three regions before you can start the game. You will battle for that community when you make your decision, and you will win and lose.
Unfortunately, there is no background story to give the game the depth it needs, despite the fact that it works well as an introduction story.
Currently, I can only give the story 3 points, which is disappointing. The story has missing details, such as how human destiny was formed or how Androids gained their own conscious intelligence. Or perhaps it’s because it hasn’t yet been written.
Conclusion
Star Atlas, a game with distinctive Space designs, was the focus of our review today.
I had to give the Pre-Alpha of the game a thorough review because it had just been released. Analyzing how much the game had changed since the trailer was released a year ago was extremely enjoyable.
My main thought for this entire review was that Star Atlas needs to improve significantly. Although the game’s economy and gameplay structure sound fantastic, there are still some serious flaws.
To be completely honest, even though Star Atlas appears to be extremely successful on paper, we should all ask ourselves whether it would it still be respected as a fascinating project after years of development? It’s hard to answer that.
Still, I prefer to believe that Star Atlas will meet with VR technology in the coming years and will give us a unique Metaverse adventure experience. I’ll end my review here, while wishing the development team all the best, and hoping it won’t end like Star Citizen.
Vova Feldman
Entrepreneur, inventor, investor, crypto believer. Always trust the process, persist, and don't let the a-holes get you down.
