Starstruck: Hands of Time Reviews

Starstruck: Hands of Time is a polished love letter to Yoshiro Kimura's cozy yet mysterious world building, inventive rhythm games such as Parappa/Gitaroo Man and Keita Takahashi's whimsical arcade fun. It's a mix of underused sources of inspiration and rather niche games with crazy potential for sequels and spiritual successors. An easy way to describe Starstruck's story is "Coraline if she and Wyborn were aspiring rockstars in a town that lives and breathes music". The complex simplicity behind the antagonist is, perhaps, my favourite part. In one hand, it really alludes to Coraline's simple "Be careful what you wish for". But on another, it's full of philosophical reflections regarding an artist's inner workings and coming to terms with the past. In general, the plot points are highly focused on topics such as creativity, explored on the storytelling in multiple ways that really add to the experience. While Starstruck doesn't necessarily surpasses any of its inspirations, the mix turns out very worthwhile and unique.