I'm going to level with all of you right off the bat. Roguelites: not my favorite genre of video game. Do I see the appeal of a game that has so many different iterations of play due to the RNG Gods? Absolutely – who wouldn't like a game that has so many combinations? Am I good at roguelites? *insert meme of Pablo Escobar from Narcos staring sadly in various locations*. I'm horrendous at them, in my opinion. I know that a huge part of it is that I definitely don't have the reaction times for such fast-paced gameplay. But I want to be a gamer, though! And Starlight Re:Volver has definitely made that desire of getting good more apparent.

Starlight Re:Volver launched into Early Access on August 27th, 2025 via Pahdo Labs. Pahdo Labs, based in New York, is presenting Starlight Re:Volver as their first foray into the game development world. The game itself, however, is presenting a unique twist to the roguelite genre. What if such a game also incorporated online co-op play with three other individuals?

Gamer Social Club was able to get in on the Early Access for the game. That being said, let's dig into what Starlight Re:Volver is bringing to the table, as well as our initial impressions.

The World and Story

OK. Buckle up. There's a LOT going on here. So, in Starlight Re:Volver, you will be assuming the role of a magical Diver. These individuals have the power to access dreams and retrieve their secrets (and of course, treasure). There's a few options here, but we'll dive into that later.

The Divers themselves inhabit Nishi Island Metropolis, or simply NIM. This paradise sits in a location where science and magic blend together. It's also a place to relax, refuel, craft, and fish. Oh yeah, there's fishing too.

The Divers, in their quest to locate the Starlight Revolver, consistently access the realm of So Mi. Rules are bent, or broken, in these locations and span a variety of locations. From floating islands to frozen castles, the different areas of So Mi are almost frozen in time.

The Cast

As we noted, there are four unique Divers that you're able to play as in the Early Access phase of Starlight Re:Volver. Each has their own unique playstyle, and with that playstyle comes higher difficulties.

Let's take a peek at the cast so far (as there definitely seems to be room for more Divers in this game's future).

Kira

With your first "run" in the game, you'll play as Kira. Or at least the game initially launched with me playing Kira. Who knows.

Regardless, Kira is rated as one of the easier Divers to play as. As we can see below, she uses her Gemini Pistols to play with calculated volleys that keep her with a little bit of distance from enemies. I liked her style to a certain extent, but I tend to always want to be up close and personal, especially in a game like this.

Effy

Effy is my girl. Let's just lead with that. She's rated as a Medium Difficulty Diver, and as I said above, plays "in your face". By smacking with you a Nimbus Hammer. Her style relies on getting into the fray and shielding to unleash powerful counterattacks that will clear most of the board. In the several runs I did of this game, I almost always ended up playing as Effy.

Ren

So, Ren's build is a bit unique. A Medium Difficulty Diver, Ren has the ability to change his playstyle from more melee-based combat to more ranged attacks. It really comes down to your preference, hence why he's noted as a "Team Player" style in his use of his Dragon Buster.

One of the aspects of Ren's style that I found unique were the abilities he's able to gain throughout a run. He seems to utilize a lot of different support companions while fighting. Some buff. Others heal. And the most fun ones cause more damage and chaos to the enemies.

Vivi

Vivi I tried only one time. As a Hard Difficulty Diver, Vivi's playstyle is lovingly presented as "set-up and pay-off". By way of Jelly Bombs. Vivi's attacks involve launching out bombs that will bounce across the map. So, think of ranged playstyle, but there's a time limit on the attack delivery.

No joke, I only played as Vivi once. I think if you Dive with a party, Vivi would be a great addition while fighting in So Mi. As a Solo Diver (which we'll get into), it was rough.

The Gameplay

So-Mi and Dives

As we've mentioned earlier, the core gameplay in Starlight Re:Volver involves Dives into So Mi. Think of them as runs in any roguelite you've played. My main comparison that I used a lot was Hades, especially given the designs of how you progress. Once you finish a level, you'll get some rewards of currency and materials. You'll then also have the option to choose your path of what your reward will be in the next level. Here's your options of paths:

• Power Areas – Gain a new Power to use on your Diver. And yes, they do come in gachapon containers.
• Charm Areas – Gain rewards that will grant you bonus effects, like buffs to your Health, Mana, and Crit Chances (to name a few)
• Kendama Areas – Regions that will allow you to upgrade your Powers. The higher the level, the more Kendamas that you'll need.
• Fountain Areas – Glorious healing in the form of a relaxing Fountain
• Sominite Areas – Sominite is the So Mi currency. Go here, get paid.
• Merchant Areas – Use all the Sominite you've gathered to purchase gear from Chimei
• Boss Areas – Use your imagination 🙂

Overall, there are a reported 12+ unique abilities for each character, along with 156 Charms. Couple this with the 33 trinkets that can be equipped on your Diver while in NIM (we'll get to that) and you can see that there is an absolute GLUT of variations of play.

Diving as a Party

While in So-Mi, your end goal is to reach the Boss. Slash, slam, shoot, and bomb your way there – easy, right? If you party up, sure! As we mentioned earlier, Starlight Re:Volver allows for up to four Divers to complete a Dive together. And you'll definitely need all the help you can get, as there are three different levels of difficulty: Pro, Elite, and Superstar. From what I can tell you'll need to complete a run in Elite before you can even queue for Superstar Difficulty. There are also currently two unique biomes to traverse: Sacred Sky and Fia's Mirror.

Hanging Out in NIM

If you're not in So-Mi, your Diver will be stationed at NIM. Think of NIM as the social hub of the game and where the online component also comes out to play. You'll see other Divers in and around the hub, all zipping around in each Diver's unique movement ability. Per their Steam page, Pahdo Labs notes each NIM hub can host up to 50 Divers at a time.

So...what does one do in NIM? There are quite a few options, but the main activity, weirdly enough, is fishing. Catching fish will allow you to purchase various trinkets for your Diver, as well as lures that can be used on your Fishing Rod.

There are also several NPC's present in NIM, all of whom are merchants in one manner or another. Some sell Trinkets, some sell Dekos (or decorations) for your Diver, and some sell other materials that are needed for further customization of your Diver.

There's also the Pop Pop Bunny arcade minigame machines around NIM. There's not too much to explain here – think of it as NIM's version of Suika Game.

We have spent a LOT of time now talking about what Starlight Re:Volver has to offer. But how is the game thus far? We'll, let's get into it!

The Good

One of the initial aspects of this game that grabbed me was the artstyle of the game. The vibrant anime aesthetics are really a nice touch and set the kind of world that we're going to be in as Divers. Each of the Divers also has a very unique "transformation" sequence as they enter So-Mi. I, for one, love Effy's.

Another facet of the game that I enjoyed was the actual flow of combat. It definitely is a roguelite – lots of enemies, and not much room to move around! As I noted, roguelites are not my go-to genre, but the combat style, coupled with the designs, sold me. Additionally, each Diver's playstyle truly felt unique and not just a slight variation from Diver to Diver.

Along with the gameplay within So-Mi were the RNG mechanics of each level. It didn't feel like it was all slanted to one direction or another, which made the choices that much harder. I can truly see how with all the variations that are possible, no run will ever truly be comparable to a prior run.

Fishing was fun. Silly, but relaxing, because sometimes the frantic nature of So-Mi can be a bit much. The mechanics of the fishing were really simple – hook the fish, reel the fish in. The rarer the fish, the smaller your "range" of keeping the fish on the hook. I didn't, however, spend too much time fishing. I had your standard rod, no bells, no whistles. As I understand it though, there are lures that will make the process of landing a fish easier.

The Bad

I waxed poetically about Starlight Re:Volver in the prior section. But it can't all be perfect, right? You can bet your bottom dollar – there are hiccups, growing pains, and definite changes that will hopefully be made.

Diving Difficulties

One of the primary, and in my opinion largest issues, was Diving. Not the process of completing the run itself but the process of getting a group to do so. I completed about ten or so runs in the game during this Early Access period. I always set the party to Auto Fill as I ventured further into So-Mi. And not ONE time did I actually ever get even one other Diver pulled into my run. Now, is it possible that everyone was Solo queuing and expecting that backfill? Possibly. Likely? Probably not.

Coupled with this was that there were definitely times when I would be in NIM waiting to enter So-Mi and could not help but notice that the NIM hub seemed... empty. Given that the game is in Early Access, yes, there won't be as many players. But that being said, why are there multiple servers, all of which seem somewhat empty? Taking that into account, I spent all my Dives alone... all the way to the Final Boss. And let me tell you, those Final Boss' are no cakewalk. I think in all the instances where I was able to actually make it solo to the Final Boss (and trust me, there weren't many), I only managed to eke out a completion once.

Variety of Enemies

There also did not feel like much variety when it came to the enemies you encountered. And even as you progressed further in your dive, there weren't different enemies – the enemies just got more and more armor/hit points. I almost would rather the enemies got stronger, which would force you to be better about your dodges and Skill usage, as opposed to just having to wail on enemies endlessly because they're dense meat sacs.

Crafting

One last nit that I will pick is the matter of crafting materials. There seems to not be much rhyme or reason as to who drops what and how much they should be dropping. And given that some Dekos and Trinkets are quite costly, it would be nice to know where I should be focusing my farming efforts. The cost of these Dekos and Trinkets is also an issue – the number of materials you require for even the lowest tier items requires easily five runs (or more, depending on your skill). I picked up one or two Dekos, and two Trinkets – only because I didn't care to farm more.

The Overall

Is Starlight Re:Volver going to change the face of roguelites as we know it? No. Was it fun for what it was, which at the end of the day is a Hades-like MMO? Sure. However, is such a game (which is only in Early Access) worth $20? Ay, there is the rub. Especially given that after completing a few runs, the gameplay gets a little stale, it's a hard sell.

My sincere hope is that Pahdo Labs gives the attention to Starlight Re:Volver that is warranted. What do I mean by that? More story, more biomes, and more unique enemies. What I don't want to see are just more and more Dekos and Trinkets that don't add anything new to the game itself. And given that Starlight Re:Volver is running itself as an MMO, it's already in somewhat of a precarious situation, given how many MMO's rise and shutdown in the space of only a year. Hopefully, that is not what we see in Starlight Re:Volver.

Starlight Re:Volver is currently available on Steam for $19.99, but this introductory offer will only be available until September 10th, at which time the price will be hiked to $24.99.

Gamer Social Club was provided an early access code for the purpose of this review and was played on PC.