[Note: Originally a recommended review. Updates below.]

Early Access Reviews are very hard to make when you don't know what the final product will be. It's a good thing that Starbound is one of those titles that at this point, are shooting straight upwards to 1.0 release. I can probably make my say as to where it's at now (as with the combat update), and what it'll become on release (which at the time, still needs a revamped quest system and the like).

So it's definitely getting better now that we really are getting all these changes that improve the play, and things that hampered it in the beginning are starting to vanish. However, enough elements on the screen at once, Starbound will feel slow, and this may be one damning reason why it really needs some optimization before coming out. Because of the way Starbound uses assets, nothing is pre-processed, and this can really deteriorate how the game operates.
On the bright side, it makes Starbound easier to mod, to the point you could use a free program that does alpha channel PNGs (Paint.NET), and notepad. Also with JSON formatting for dead simple programming of objects, you can even take old mods and update the darn things yourself.

I'd like to see some Workshop for Starbound as well. I mean it's just one folder, right? Get the people going with the mod scene, and if it's not easily implemented, that's fine, but community content will keep it thriving, and that's definitely one thing I want to see now, and further on in development.

But besides all that, where's the meat? Exploration, mostly? You'll never find that perfect planet, because I still can't find time to build myself a nice hut in the middle of the ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ nowhere, all because my ship may be a little... TOO useful? I don't know. You do run out of space fast in that tin can, but upgrades make it so you don't. But dungeons are rad, bosses are pretty cool, and if you break the game, it'll tip it's hat and close itself FOR you, so what's not to love?

TL;DR - I recommend this game on the principle of "IT GETS BETTER!" - and it does. It has. It can. It will. Cheers.

[NOV 2017 UPDATE]

So. Golly. The game is done, I feel kind of accomplished. Does everything I say hold up? I'm not very sure. I actually kind of hate everything I said because I was kind of dumb back then. Starbound definitely got the "it gets better" that I was talking about, but very incrementally. After 1.0 all bets were off. Starbound was a complete experience for the time. And it was good. Despite some of its major flaws, it's still great to waste time with. You go at your own pace. I guess that matters to me a lot to be perfectly honest.

So yeah. Play Starbound. It might fit you. I can't say. You'd have to give it a shot.

[SEPT 2019 UPDATE]

... Jesus Christ.

Let's just take a minute here to say that I loved this game. I loved the work everyone had put into this, and it's gotten me to sharpen my own talents as a result. I originally wanted to make a race mod for the game that I started back in mid-2017. I thought because Starbound had moderate success and yet bursting at the seams with potential that it was worth playing that I would make it one of my favourite games of all time.

Tiy is a hypocrite if he thinks all this review bombing means people care about his company and his creation. People are *pissed*. You have several artists and developers (as of this addendum, an unknown number) who Chucklefish writes off as volunteers just, absolutely discounted and left uncompensated for.

So what now, I keep asking myself? I do continue to play the game despite the audacity Chucklefish had? Do I just scrap all of my work now that I no longer feel comfortable being associated with Starbound? Well I'll say this. Go support some of the people who worked on this directly. Let Tiy know that he's a jackass and he should apologise for his actions not only as the "game designer" he is, but as the CEO of Chucklefish.

Let's hope next time I have to edit this review, things will be different.

[2022 Update]

Despite everything said, I still love Starbound. I was badly tempered at the time, and have actually gone out of the way to make changes to the above as, I didn't feel comfortable with the current state of my ongoing review. To be clear, I was not swayed to change my opinion by any means. I still think Starbound has issues that will probably never get addressed because the game in its current state is stuck in port hell until the Xbox version is out. I don't really have any ill-will to CF anymore as they're spread thin, and rely on a lot of contributors even still, but I think they're less exploitive about it. I can't say for sure. Just be aware of the history, even if it isn't an ongoing factor.

[Note: Originally a recommended review. Updates below.] Early Access Reviews are very hard to make when you don't know what the final product will be. It's a good thing that Starbound is one of those titles that at this point, are shooting straight upwards to 1.0 release. I can probably make my say as to where it's at now (as with the combat update), and what it'll become on release (which at the time, still needs a revamped quest system and the like). So it's definitely getting better now that we really are getting all these changes that improve the play, and things that hampered it in the beginning are starting to vanish. However, enough elements on the screen at once, Starbound will feel slow, and this may be one damning reason why it really needs some optimization before coming out. Because of the way Starbound uses assets, nothing is pre-processed, and this can really deteriorate how the game operates. On the bright side, it makes Starbound easier to mod, to the point you could use a free program that does alpha channel PNGs (Paint.NET), and notepad. Also with JSON formatting for dead simple programming of objects, you can even take old mods and update the darn things yourself. I'd like to see some Workshop for Starbound as well. I mean it's just one folder, right? Get the people going with the mod scene, and if it's not easily implemented, that's fine, but community content will keep it thriving, and that's definitely one thing I want to see now, and further on in development. But besides all that, where's the meat? Exploration, mostly? You'll never find that perfect planet, because I still can't find time to build myself a nice hut in the middle of the goddamn nowhere, all because my ship may be a little... TOO useful? I don't know. You do run out of space fast in that tin can, but upgrades make it so you don't. But dungeons are rad, bosses are pretty cool, and if you break the game, it'll tip it's hat and close itself FOR you, so what's not to love? TL;DR - I recommend this game on the principle of "IT GETS BETTER!" - and it does. It has. It can. It will. Cheers. [NOV 2017 UPDATE] So. Golly. The game is done, I feel kind of accomplished. Does everything I say hold up? I'm not very sure. I actually kind of hate everything I said because I was kind of dumb back then. Starbound definitely got the "it gets better" that I was talking about, but very incrementally. After 1.0 all bets were off. Starbound was a complete experience for the time. And it was good. Despite some of its major flaws, it's still great to waste time with. You go at your own pace. I guess that matters to me a lot to be perfectly honest. So yeah. Play Starbound. It might fit you. I can't say. You'd have to give it a shot. [SEPT 2019 UPDATE] ... Jesus Christ. Let's just take a minute here to say that I loved this game. I loved the work everyone had put into this, and it's gotten me to sharpen my own talents as a result. I originally wanted to make a race mod for the game that I started back in mid-2017. I thought because Starbound had moderate success and yet bursting at the seams with potential that it was worth playing that I would make it one of my favourite games of all time. Tiy is a hypocrite if he thinks all this review bombing means people care about his company and his creation. People are *pissed*. You have several artists and developers (as of this addendum, an unknown number) who Chucklefish writes off as volunteers just, absolutely discounted and left uncompensated for. So what now, I keep asking myself? I do continue to play the game despite the audacity Chucklefish had? Do I just scrap all of my work now that I no longer feel comfortable being associated with Starbound? Well I'll say this. Go support some of the people who worked on this directly. Let Tiy know that he's a jackass and he should apologise for his actions not only as the "game designer" he is, but as the CEO of Chucklefish. Let's hope next time I have to edit this review, things will be different. [2022 Update] Despite everything said, I still love Starbound. I was badly tempered at the time, and have actually gone out of the way to make changes to the above as, I didn't feel comfortable with the current state of my ongoing review. To be clear, I was not swayed to change my opinion by any means. I still think Starbound has issues that will probably never get addressed because the game in its current state is stuck in port hell until the Xbox version is out. I don't really have any ill-will to CF anymore as they're spread thin, and rely on a lot of contributors even still, but I think they're less exploitive about it. I can't say for sure. Just be aware of the history, even if it isn't an ongoing factor.