MoveModo Review: StarDrone (PSN)

The structure of failure in gaming isn't what it used to be. Limited lives and dwindling continues are dying out, instead making way for ever-replenishing health bars and multiple re-spawn points. Simply put, our video games are getting easier. While some titles certainly stray from this convention, for the most part, streamlined experiences have become the new industry standard, and being forced to restart a game due to permadeath just doesn't fit with the flow. Our characters are disproportionally powerful to the hordes of foes they face, and success comes more from determination than memorisation or reflexes. Take away a player's incentive to survive unscathed, and you take away the incentive for mastery.

But that is exactly what StarDrone demands — mastery. The game starts off simply enough, teaching you the basics in some incredibly easy tutorial levels, but by the end of the journey you'll be cursing the controller and playing the same area twenty times over before sussing it out. There is even a trophy awarded for this. It's called “Epic Fail”.