New for 2018 is a video game that is on the top of everyone’s wishlist – young and old (believe me, my husband has been talking about it for weeks). Keep reading to see if Starlink Battle for Atlas is appropriate for your kiddos and what we think of the modular toy technology.

Disclosure: Best Buy has compensated me for my time in providing you with this review but my opinions have not been swayed because of that.

Starlink: Battle for Atlas Nintendo Switch Review

First thing first, What is Starlink? Starlink: Battle for Atlas is an open-world (AKA you can explore and progress the story when you want. You aren’t forced to do certain things unless you want to) space saga that features modular toy technology.

This allows players to assemble and customize real-world physical starships, link the starships to their game controller, and then launch into an epic adventure across the Atlas star system, either in single player or with a friend in two-player split-screen local co-op. Online gameplay with friends on a different system is not available at this time.

What is Included:

Starlink Battle for Atlas Available on Nintendo Switch, the PlayStation®4 and Xbox One. You must purchase a Starter Pack to play the game. Included in the pack you will receive the game, 1 starship, 1 pilot, 2 weapons, and controller mount (Seen above on the left. Compared to regular Switch controller. Regular controller is NOT included. Shown for comparison only).

When you purchase the Nintendo Switch Starter Pack as we have, you will also receive the Starfox pilot. The other gaming systems do not have StarFox included because Starfox is a Nintendo owned character. Also, you should note the starship is different in the other two packs. I’m not exactly sure why that is but it’s an awesome looking ship so everyone will be happy regardless.

How To Play:

To begin playing you simply turn on the game, choose a pilot to attach to the mount, then attach your starship and weapons. That’s it! The game features Easy, Normal, Hard, and Very Hard game styles. The bad guys become increasingly harder depending on which mode you choose.

You can mix and match weapons or take them off completely to play because the starship comes with built-in lasers for fighting! The cool thing is when you change things out on the mount you see the changes instantly on the game screen. The changes were seamless and we didn’t notice any lag whatsoever. The graphics are out of this world. So crisp, clean, and almost movie-like.

The storyline is pretty straightforward. In Starlink Battle for Atlas, a heroic team of interstellar pilots is on a mission to free the Atlas star system and their captain from the Forgotten Legion. You travel in your starship to and from seven unique alien planets, each with its own ecosystem, wildlife, and secrets to uncover. No bad words are used in the game so it’s perfect for all ages. Younger kids will have a hard time understanding the dynamics of flying the ship and going to storyline waypoints but their little ears can safely watch siblings play.

What we especially love about the travel is that there isn’t a load screen! If you are a gamer you know how annoying a load screen can be. When want to go to another planet you simply fly up toward space. The ship continues until you are in orbit and you can continuing flying. One thing I did find annoying was the distance between planets and how long it can take to get to there but that gives the game the opportunity to create wormholes for you to avoid, and bad guys to fight off during your travel.

All About Digital:

The Starlink starter pack, the extra pilots, starships, and weapons packs can all be purchased digitally. If you live a minimal lifestyle or you’re afraid of the pieces getting lost this is the route for you. My kids enjoy having the physical starter pack but any additional packs we purchase will most definitely be digital. Pilot packs, starship packs, and weapons packs range from $7.99-$24.99.

You can save by purchasing at Best Buy, just in time for your holiday shopping. Below are the two sales. One is current and one is for the following week.

12/2-12/8/2018: Save $25 on Starter Packs (only $39.99!) Plus, buy one get one 50% off all Starlink toys.
12/16-12/22/2018: Save $25 on Starter Packs. Plus, save 30% on Starlink toys.

Unfortunately, the savings above does not apply to the digital versions. But, if you do go the digital route the savings are much better. You can also purchase the digital Starter Pack on Bestbuy.com or in-store to make your shopping easier.