Topic: Starlink: Battle for Atlas

Hey dude. Please see my post right above this to @HobbitGamer. I definitely want to know your thoughts on my questions to since you said you love this game, and do you still play it to this day? Thanks! @backinthegame

@CTmatic So, I bought it the digital deluxe originally, but snagged a physical starter kit for $10 later. My experience should be the same though. Everything included in the starter can be played with digitally without the toys. IIRC, when playing without the controller attachment the game will ask if you want to play digitally.
Where it gets finicky is additional physical toys. It has a “check in” feature not unlike the NES app. I’ve got a toy weapon I bought, and if I don’t attach it to the controller after (7? 10?) days, the ability to use that weapon digitally locks temporarily until I attach it again. Hopefully that makes sense.
The pricing for the collection dlc is grossly inflated over the constantly discounted toys, and the story of the game can be completed in its entirety with only the starter pack. The game also now has its own weekly challenges that let you have a weekend or something with a weapon that’s not in the starter pack, for free. Kind of similar to Ubisoft Club challenges for UPlay rewards.

I’ll say this, the game is definitely worth a go at $10, and it’d be criminal not to nab that. The story is similar to Mass Effect: Andromeda or Lost In Space, so it can feel a little derivative at first. But the combat is very fun, and modding your ships to your own play style can give it nice depth.

Gotcha. Yeah I’m aware of having to link your additional bought physical toys every 7-days. An that’s exactly why I don’t want to, on top of not wanting to buy all physical toys (just me). Sounds like it’s pretty much answered...I need to do the digital toy collection packs or bite off slowly picking the $5 ones-a-piece. @HobbitGamer

Sorry, last question. Is everything useful in the packs? Or is it safe to cherry pick from the individual packs? What I’m trying to say is let’s say roles were reversed and I beat the game and you were asking me about this. If there were just 5-6 important additional bought items and the rest in the pack are just “fluff” I’d want to know what those small few of important additions I should buy and maybe just skip the collection packs that will cost me over $100, for a $10 game. Insane!

Before I asked you, I was reading on Reddit last night and saw people bickering over the need to buy anything more on top the starter pack. Some said you need to cause of some encounters but others said he was wrong...?

@CTmatic There’s a couple towers (think of viewpoints in assassins creed) that require a gravity weapon type to unlock, and I’m unsure if one comes in the starter. It’s some ‘shoot this with that’ mechanic. The towers give you certain mods, but there are better ones.

Got it. Yeah that’s exactly what they were talking about! Haha. A guy said you need the gravity gun, but right away people piled on him with comments saying no you don’t, you just need to use the “gravity canisters” that are all over the place. Someone else said yeah just line up a group of canisters next to each other for it to work. Does that makes sense and/or rings any bells with you? @HobbitGamer

So what’s the advantage of having all those other weapon types and ships if they’re not needed? Is the game harder without them? Thanks for all your help answering my questions, sorry if I’m being a pain.

This game is on sale for $10 on Gamestop right now, would have already bought it if it was physical.

@CTmatic Yep, grav cans would work for sure. Never even thought of that. They’re kind of like the infamous red barrels, and they’re littered everywhere, as are other elemental canisters.
There are some enemies that are immune to certain elements, but nothing is immune to standard kinetic weapons or arwing lasers. Some of the extra weapons can make it more fun; vortex launcher fires off a salvo of gravity well missiles, a ramming weapon coats your ship in a fire shield and propels you into an enemy, etc.
happy to help! Keep any questions coming

Yeah it is physical. I have my new $10 starter pack on hold to pick up today at GameStop. @DAHstroy

Thanks you’ve been very helpful for sure. So simply put, it sounds like I need to buy the collection packs and will NOT experience the game to its fullest potential just sticking with the small amount of starter pack items. Correct? I want you to say no because I’ll have to spend around $110 for them but I don’t know how they’re not needed to maximize the fun of the game. @HobbitGamer

@CTmatic Honestly, just wait for Ubisoft to lower the deluxe price again, if you want tons of stuff. It will probably happen with the holidays. It’s a very fun game, but unless you were already excited, $80 is hard to justify. If you’re a fan of Mass Effect 1, though... it’s hard to say no.
That being said, it’s still worth $10. You can choose to hide the ‘locked’ items in the menu so you don’t get FOBO 😂

Gotcha. We’ll see if I cave in or wait. Thanks! @HobbitGamer

@CTmatic But there's no game cartridge...

I asked and they said yes, it comes with the physical edition starter pack, are you 100% positive? Are you saying it’s a physical plastic case but no cartridge? @DAHstroy

Is there really no cartridge for the physical version? @HobbitGamer

That changes everything for me if so.

@CTmatic @DAHstroy The starter pack sold in stores has a game cart. An additional data download is required, similar to LA Noire (not nearly as large, though).
There are some items included digitally that are not represented in the package by physical counterparts, but there is a cartridge.

Nice. I just bought it on my lunch break, installing it now at my desk at work. Shhh. Lol. @HobbitGamer

So, I think I have 2 final questions and I’m good to go.

1) The physical toys in the starter kit box that’s sitting in my car now. The game automatically will recognize I bought the starter kit and they will be unlocked for good as digital form, correct? I may squeeze in some playing soon at my desk if I can.

2) I’m more than likely going to cave in and buy the digital collection packs 1 & 2. Once I do and install them, since I’m using my physical cartridge copy do I have to do anything in settings for my game to know I’m using a cartridge copy, but ALL digital counterparts?

Thanks a million @HobbitGamer

@CTmatic 1) Correct, the cartridge version knows it’s the starter package and allows digital play with all physical parts out of the box without requiring any interaction. (A used copy of the game without starter toys act identical to what you just bought)
2) if you purchase anything digitally, you would just start your game up without the controller device and the game should know you are playing digitally, or prompt you. (You can’t use a digital-only weapon on a ship physically attached to your joycon, unless this has been updated)

Welcome to Atlas, now do a barrel roll!!

Ps- the additional starfox dlc is great, and unlocks a racing planet with other extras.

Lol (your Barrel Roll comment) @HobbitGamer

Perfect, makes sense. I wouldn’t have to worry about what you said with not being able to put a digital ship part on my physical ship attached to joy con because I’m never going to use the physical toys or attachment. So I’m good there.

You’re probably so sick of my questions by now, of course, I have another. Works been slow so I been reading up a lot on this. I saw the “digital deluxe edition” on the eShop stating it includes the entire FIRST collection pack but nothing about the SECOND collection pack at all, I thought it had both. I was contemplating buying that BUT only installing the collection packs, 1 & 2 to save some money at $80. Versus getting them separately for $50 and $60, but unless you can definitely correct me. Looks like that’s my only option, to buy them both separately to get ALL content. I know the Star Fox DLC is $11.99 separately as well.

Yet again, thanks in advance! I truly never thought my questions would continue this long.

@CTmatic Yep, I forgot that Deluxe does include all Collection 1 DLC. Collection 2 isn’t really that great imho. It came out 6 months later and nothing really drew me to it. It was essentially because they weren’t going to make any more toys.
I’m just sailin the Caribbean, so ask away.

So, I played about an hour an a half tonight. Pretty darn cool game. I’m slightly scared that it could get repetitive, but then again, I don’t care what anyone says, all games are repetitive at the end of the day IMO. So it’s not as much of a knock to me as others would think.

Had a blast tonight to start it off. How different is the game using other pilots and ships? A lot-little-or the same pretty much? @HobbitGamer

@CTmatic The ships are pretty similar at first, but their different stats begin to stand out as you ‘master’ the weapons and apply better mods. The pilots each have their own perks and special ability, and the main character’s passive ability actually helps everyone. I’d level that up early on. The game encourages you to not get too comfy with just one ship, pilot, or weapon with the way it doles out mastery experience.
Like you said, it’s no more repetitive than other genres, so I’m glad your having a blast. Just wait till you get to flagship fights!!