Game Classification

Inside a Star-filled Sky is a top-shooter set inside maze-like environments. The player controls a creature that can be guided in any direction. The mouse is used to aim and a single button is used to shoot. Near the top of the screen a number of indicators are shown: a picture of the creature, a health bar and slots for three power-ups. The goal is to progress through a near-infinite amount of procedurally generated levels by hovering over tiles with an up-arrow. When moving up however you start playing as a different creature in a different maze. Power-ups extend the health bar or provide bonuses such as larger bullets, bouncing bullets, sticky bullets, homing bullets, a greater range, and many more. Picking them up however does not effect your current creature, but the next one you move into, by going to a new area. This can be tracked through the same indicators as mentioned before, but in the upper left corner, which display the next creature.

While playing three important game mechanics are revealed, accessed by holding the Shift-key and clicking:you can dive into opponents;you can dive into power-ups;you can dive into yourself.This way, you can dive into power-ups to make them stronger and then return, or dive into opponents to weaken them by collecting worthless power-ups. Diving presents a creature and a maze just like the starting situation. When you die, you go down a level and because of the different possibilities it quickly becomes difficult to keep track of what your diving originally meant to achieve. The technique allows you to resolve difficult situations by going back, altering the starting situation and then return. The general progress can be followed through the level number in the top right corner. The difficulty also gradually increases, as well as the effect of power-ups (shown in the bottom left corner of items). [source:mobygames]

Distribution : Retail - Commercial
Platform(s) : PC (Linux) - Macintosh - PC (Windows)

Links

• http://www.mobygames.com/game/inside-a-star-filled-sky/