Today, Playism has announced Starr Mazer: DSP is coming to Steam Early Access on August 26, 2016. The prequel to the original Starr Mazer is a side-scrolling space shooter where players form a team of assault fighters to take on hordes of enemies in the great war against the G’ell.
According to the development team at Imagos Softworks (via the Steam page), the first three levels of the nine that are planned will be included as part of the Early Access experience.
The Early Access launch features Act One of Starr Mazer: DSP, which consists of three levels meticulously polished and punctuated with a ferocious boss at the end. Two more levels will be available in a work-in-progress state to those who are interested in helping beta test as we develop the game for Early Access updates.
When complete, Starr Mazer: DSP will consist of 9 levels across three acts. Each act will culminate in a boss fight that only immaculate skill and the expenditure of numerous human lives can overcome.
We will be involving the Community in a number of contests and campaigns that will directly affect the development of Starr Mazer: DSP. The first of these, a contest to design a ship with two new weapons has already been undertaken by the DSP fanbase. It’s been an excellent, truly motivating experience for the development team and we are looking forward to tackling the challenges that await with our loyal fans flying in formation with us.
Starr Mazer: DSP levels should feel unique every time they are played since the enemies use different flight patterns whenever they appear. Rather than dying when wiped out, players can use enemy drops to recruit new pilots for their squadron. Pilots come in human, alien, and even dog form with their own distinctive ship and weapon setup. There are also some special legendary pilots that can be unlocked along the way, like Slimo and Bunny Killmaster. The announcement trailer offers a glimpse of the gameplay.
