Pros:

• Excellent physics on liquids and certain solids.
  
• Graphically nice for a 2D sidescroller with a fitting artstyle.
  
• Combat is fluid albeit a tad dull mechanic wise.
  
• Energy system allows players to utilize their items/tech at will.
  
• Soundtrack is nice.
  
• Multiplayer works fairly well.
  
• Wiring system seems well fleshed out.
  
• 3D Printer is useful and interesting.

Cons:

• The difficulty never really changes throughout.
  
• Bosses are quick and easy to defeat.
  
• Gameplay is grindy and shockingly linear.
  
• No reason to build a base on more than the designated "home" planet.
  
• No real threat means no need for a defensive structure.
  
• Most tech is borderline useless.
  
• Instanced missions feel out of place, drag on, and culminate is disappointment either through death or through a swift victory. They also don't scale the rewards in multiplayer.
  
• No story.
  
• Plenty of cosmetic gear that either has to be thrown out or dropped off on a planet which can be a problem in multiplayer unless playing with trusted friends. I suggest a system similar to the 3d scanner for cosmetic gear.
  
• Quests are mundane tasks.
  
• Pet and farming system feel pointless.

Overall, I would call this game an unworthy Terraria clone. I know even comparing the two may offend fanboys on both sides, but this game ultimately is a more expensive Terraria with less content to offer. Side by side, we see similar concepts across both games but Starbound ultimately falls short where you think it would shine best. In Terraria, you struggle to survive, create a defensive structure (or don't), and slowly (or rapidly) expand outward encountering what you want when you want with few restrictions. In Starbound, your hand is held and you are lead through a linear series of quests to progress at a predetermined pace with any noteworthy encounters at preset intervals. Starbound is never difficult due to the restrictions on progression and while the energy system shows promise, a lack of variety/usefulness in weaponry/tech until the very end leaves the player bored with combat through most of the game. While I intially enjoyed my time spent with starbound roughly a year ago, in that time I would say the development decisions have left the game in a fairly mediocre state and I would not recommend this game to anyone looking for a similar experience to Terraria. Yes, the game is still in early access, but another rehaul of game design is highly unlikely at this point so I think it is safe to assume the game will simply build on it's current foundation (which has potential). If the game was less linear/grindy but more dangerous/eventful it would be a solid recommendation, but its current state leaves you wanting a reason to explore new planets and waiting for random events as a reason to utilize it's building features (which never happens).

6/10

Pros: [list] [*]Excellent physics on liquids and certain solids. [*]Graphically nice for a 2D sidescroller with a fitting artstyle. [*]Combat is fluid albeit a tad dull mechanic wise. [*]Energy system allows players to utilize their items/tech at will. [*]Soundtrack is nice. [*]Multiplayer works fairly well. [*]Wiring system seems well fleshed out. [*]3D Printer is useful and interesting. [/list] Cons: [list] [*]The difficulty never really changes throughout. [*]Bosses are quick and easy to defeat. [*]Gameplay is grindy and shockingly linear. [*]No reason to build a base on more than the designated "home" planet. [*]No real threat means no need for a defensive structure. [*]Most tech is borderline useless. [*]Instanced missions feel out of place, drag on, and culminate is disappointment either through death or through a swift victory. They also don't scale the rewards in multiplayer. [*]No story. [*]Plenty of cosmetic gear that either has to be thrown out or dropped off on a planet which can be a problem in multiplayer unless playing with trusted friends. I suggest a system similar to the 3d scanner for cosmetic gear. [*]Quests are mundane tasks. [*] Pet and farming system feel pointless. [/list] Overall, I would call this game an unworthy Terraria clone. I know even comparing the two may offend fanboys on both sides, but this game ultimately is a more expensive Terraria with less content to offer. Side by side, we see similar concepts across both games but Starbound ultimately falls short where you think it would shine best. In Terraria, you struggle to survive, create a defensive structure (or don't), and slowly (or rapidly) expand outward encountering what you want when you want with few restrictions. In Starbound, your hand is held and you are lead through a linear series of quests to progress at a predetermined pace with any noteworthy encounters at preset intervals. Starbound is never difficult due to the restrictions on progression and while the energy system shows promise, a lack of variety/usefulness in weaponry/tech until the very end leaves the player bored with combat through most of the game. While I intially enjoyed my time spent with starbound roughly a year ago, in that time I would say the development decisions have left the game in a fairly mediocre state and I would not recommend this game to anyone looking for a similar experience to Terraria. Yes, the game is still in early access, but another rehaul of game design is highly unlikely at this point so I think it is safe to assume the game will simply build on it's current foundation (which has potential). If the game was less linear/grindy but more dangerous/eventful it would be a solid recommendation, but its current state leaves you wanting a reason to explore new planets and waiting for random events as a reason to utilize it's building features (which never happens). 6/10