Lovingly crafted by indie studio, Nova Driftworks, Star Overdrive is a game that confidently promises two things from the off: speed and style. Set on an alien world, Cebate, you play as a solitary explorer, armed with nothing other than a hoverboard, a key-tar (insert eye-roll emoji) and an unhealthy disregard for the laws of gravity. The game’s premise surrounds your following up on a distress signal and sees you flying through the strange world of Cebate on your hoverboard, solving puzzles and fending off angry plant life and other such wonders.

In a proverbial nutshell, Star Overdrive is a mix of open-world exploration, lighting fast traversal with some run-of-the-mill combat thrown into the mix and it works….mostly.

A Hoverboard That’s Actually Fun to Use

The hoverboard in Star Overdrive is the real star of the show, it handles like a dream. Switching seamlessly from walking to boarding feels smooth and without any noticeable transition between the two. It’s fast and yields the perfect weight to make stunts and tricks feel satisfying as you chain together flips and spins while propelling yourself across the alien terrain. It kind of reminded me of the classic title, SSX Tricky, in parts; only without the dulcet tones of Run DMC informing me just how “T-T-T-TRICKY” it was.

Furthermore, the movement is fluid enough that you’ll likely find yourself ignoring the actual objectives for a while, just to see what you can pull off and this is where Star Overdrive shine like…well, a star. There’s a real joy to be found in exploring Cebete’s varying regions from its ominous caves to its sun-scorched deserts, all without ever touching the ground for too long.

Xbox Series S is Up to the Task

I played this wonderous title on my Xbox Series S and I’m happy to report that performance was consistently solid, with no frame drops to mar the experience as I carved trails through the landscape.

With that being said, visually, the game sometimes felt a little too exposed for my liking. Lighting effects that were there to create the illusion of sun-bathed lands often came across as a little harsh or blown out, washing out the finer details of an otherwise beautiful scenery.

The Keytar Combat: Great on Paper, Middling in Practice

On paper, using a key-tar to battle alien enemies sounds gloriously over-the-top. In practice, however, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. Your key-tar lets you fire sonic blasts, bend gravity and interact with environmental objects to solve puzzles or defeat adversaries. There’s a solid range of abilities to unlock along the way and the puzzles that leverage your powers are clever enough to keep things interesting.

Combat, however, is where Star Overdrive begins to falter. The floaty physics that make traversal fun end up becoming a thorn in your side when trying to utilize the precision needed in battle. Fights can sometimes feel a little chaotic with attacks missing their mark because your character is mid-flip.

Secrets, Upgrades, and That One Rock You Swear You Saw Move

Exploration is rewarded with plenty of collectibles, hidden upgrades, and lore tidbits tucked away in the corners of the map. There’s a real incentive to stray from the beaten path, especially when doing so nets you parts to enhance your hoverboard’s speed, handling, or trick potential.

Customization isn’t massively deep – don’t expect Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater levels of tweaking but it’s enough to give you some control over how you approach the world.

One minor gripe: navigation can occasionally be confusing. The minimalist HUD and lack of detailed map markers mean you’ll sometimes feel like you’re chasing your own tail looking for the next objective. On the plus side, that just means more accidental discoveries.

Final Thoughts

Star Overdrive isn’t without its flaws, combat could use a tweak, the lighting could do with dialing back a notch, and some of the audio work misses the mark. But when it clicks, it’s an exhilarating blend of speed, style, and alien landscapes that’s hard not to love. If you’re looking for something fresh, fast, and just a little bit weird, this is well worth putting on your wishlist.