Review: 8-Colors Star Guardians + Feels More Like a Puzzle than an RPG

8-Colors Star Guardians + is one of those games that makes you think you know what it is and how to approach it at a glance. However, this relatively short game from Andrea Demetrio and Flynns Arcade instead is more about strategy and picking the right moves even before you head into its turn-based battles.

Like any super sentai sort of series, 8-Colors Star Guardians + begins with the world in danger. Taking healthy doses of inspiration from both Sailor Moon and Power Rangers, players pick and choose characters to form a three-person squad to fight bosses while the remainder “hold down the fort.” All eight monsters are attacking at once, providing an excuse for why you can choose the order in which you fight foes, and your goal is to eventually wipe them all out.

While 8-Colors Star Guardians + does rely on turn-based battles like ones plucked from party-based JRPGs, the most immediate inspiration is the Mega Man series. In this boss gauntlet, you get new abilities for characters by defeating bosses. So, for example, you need Bree’s Bubble Shield ability to beat the Becue boss fight, due to the flames. So that means Bramba always needs to be beaten before that other opponent. This means that in both the first and second chapters of the campaigns, you need to pay attention to elemental weaknesses, who you can tackle, and dialogue between characters if you retreat or fall in a fight to plan.

Speaking of which, that flavor text is how any insight about the game’s world appears. 8-Colors Star Guardians + is a simplistic sort of affair that only offers hints at character dynamics in these brief segments. It’s at its best when it comes to hinting at how you should proceed, I found. While some of the other quips can be funny or offer insight into how the team and Earth are surviving due to the assistance of the alien princess V’iri, some of it doesn’t land well because it comes across so briefly. For example, after defeating Bramba, there are some lines bringing up Rhea’s feelings toward V’iri. But because we don’t really know these people, I felt it (and some other lines) did more to paint characters in a poor light due to the brevity of things, rather than feel funny or quirky.

All this means that while each battle consists of choosing attacks and abilities to survive and take down foes, it really becomes about knowing exactly what to do and when. Both the Story and Arcade modes focus on doing things in the smartest, most efficient, and fastest method. That means keeping track of the turn order, knowing what each attack does, and being certain you picked one of the correct orders to tackle each enemy. A part of me really appreciated it, because it is a challenge I know I can win if I pick wisely. However, I will admit being frustrated a few times in Story Mode when first working things out and failing when one more strong attack would have done the boss in. 

Especially since I generally love the aesthetic. There’s a minimal color scheme in play, as indicated by the title. It’s also clearly inspired by NES-era games. This means character designs need to be as effective as possible while working within strict limitations, and I really appreciated that when it came to the bosses. 

8-Colors Star Guardians + is a novel indie approach to the boss-rush concept that makes players experiment and think about every move. While the humor and flavor text might not always land, the concept is an interesting approach to offering a grind-free take on RPG fights. Those who enjoy plotting out battles who have an afternoon free might want to check this budget challenge out.

8-Colors Star Guardians + will come to the Nintendo Switch on January 11, 2024. It is immediately available for PCs via Steam.