Ubisoft’s Open-World Sci-Fi RPG That Blends No Man’s Sky With Star Fox Is Criminally Underrated

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Okay, so Ubisoft gets a lot of flak sometimes, but honestly, they’ve made so many amazing games. A lot of them you probably already know and love. Even their lesser-known titles, like Beyond Good and Evil, have a really dedicated fanbase. It makes sense, though – they’re one of the biggest developers out there and are constantly releasing new stuff for us gamers to play!

While most Ubisoft games manage to become at least somewhat well-known, there’s one that rarely gets talked about – it feels like most people have either forgotten it or never knew it existed. This fantastic, yet underrated, open-world sci-fi RPG deserves a lot more attention, and it’s one of the few games that tried to do what No Man’s Sky did, but on a smaller scale. I’ve always been impressed by how ambitious Starlink: Battle for Atlas was, and I’d love for more people to play it, especially since it’s very affordable now.

Starlink: Battle For Atlas Is What Starfield Should Have Been

Released in 2018, Starlink: Battle for Atlas feels surprisingly modern despite borrowing some design elements from older Ubisoft games. It came out shortly after No Man’s Sky and successfully captured the feeling of traveling seamlessly from space to planets, with diverse environments and exciting spaceship battles. However, Starlink focused on a smaller number of carefully designed planets instead of relying on endless random generation. Each planet is packed with interesting locations, plants, creatures, quests, and characters. In many ways, Starlink delivered the experience Starfield aimed for, but five years earlier.

Despite offering a huge universe, smooth transitions from space to planets, and diverse environments, Starlink: Battle for Atlas didn’t sell well and remains an overlooked gem of the last ten years. A major reason for this was its reliance on physical toys. Players had to purchase spaceship models and pilot figures to use in the game, attaching them to a controller. You could even swap out parts on the physical ships, and those changes would instantly appear in the game – a concept that only briefly worked for the Skylanders series.

The gameplay itself is genuinely enjoyable and remains so even after extended play. The ability to swap out ship components to improve combat performance or combine elemental effects for increased damage adds a unique layer of strategy and personalization to an already strong combat system. Unfortunately, the accompanying physical toys never gained traction, proving too costly to manufacture. Because the game depended on frequently releasing new characters, the amount of downloadable content became excessively expensive, which is understandable given why people stopped buying it. Ultimately, Starlink: Battle for Atlas ended up being the downfall of this toy-and-game format, and also the end of Starlink itself – a result I find disappointing.

Ubisoft Should Return To Starlink: Battle For Atlas

Starlink: Battle for Atlas had a lot of promise and could have been much more than it was. The characters were engaging and well-made, and the story was enjoyable, setting up a universe ripe for further exploration in a sequel. The game’s customization options, fast-paced combat, and beautiful planets were truly special – even better than what Ubisoft delivered with the surprisingly good Star Wars Outlaws. While Starlink wasn’t flawless – it suffered from some of the common issues found in Ubisoft’s open-world games – it was a fantastic experience, and arguably one of the best games in the Star Fox series, which hasn’t had many great entries in recent years.

A sequel to Starlink: Battle for Atlas that expands on its digital features could be very successful, particularly now that Starfield isn’t fully meeting players’ expectations. There’s a clear demand for large-scale space adventures, and Starlink delivered that experience well. It even managed smooth transitions from space to planetary surfaces, something few other games – especially those with less impressive graphics – seem able to accomplish.

Despite being a bit of a hidden gem, a sequel to Starlink: Battle for Atlas hasn’t been announced, which isn’t surprising. There was talk of one after the game first came out, but Ubisoft has changed direction and canceled many projects since then, making it unlikely. Even if Ubisoft abandons the Starlink name, they should consider creating another open-world, or open-universe, game like it. No Man’s Sky does this well, but it sometimes lacks the direction found in games with more carefully crafted worlds. With Starfield and Star Wars Outlaws not focusing on that kind of experience, Ubisoft could fill that niche – maybe without all the collectible toys, though I personally enjoyed them.

Are you interested in a sequel to Starlink: Battle for Atlas? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-05-07 21:13