Time to hit the bargain basement
At the end of each stage you receive a ranking, but I have no idea, nor does it give any indication of how it is calculated. I killed all the baddies, so surely I should receive an ‘A’ ranking, but I consistently received a ‘B’ ranking. Perhaps it’s something to do with the speed in which you finish the level or how full up your metres are? By the time I’d reached this point I didn’t really care. Still, it’s pretty crucial to know, because based on your ranking you receive points which can be spent on extra weapons, incendiary devices, armour, gun recharge packs and melee boosts, all of which aid you in defeating the increasingly powerful enemies.
I didn’t get anything from The Red Star apart from feeling slightly nostalgic about the past, when I used to play similar games. Even the trashy techno music that blares out should be an indication early on that The Red Star is a bargain basement game.
The Red Star is released in a few weeks, but even though this was preview code, I can’t see how the game is going to improve before release. The game mechanics are fine, but the levels are dull and the ideas are dated. Christian Gossett’s graphic novel may be exciting and full of new ideas, but The Red Star videogame certainly isn't.
