What Starlink: Battle For Atlas Did Right For The Star Fox Franchise (MAJOR SPOILERS)

Starlink: Battle For Atlas is far from a great game, and it is certainly not a Star Fox game, but it does have a few good ideas that it implements or at least suggests that could help the Star Fox series get back on the public's good side. This video runs through some of those things. #NintendoSwitch #Starfox

[GoodOldDaysGaming]

To summarize:
No, Starlink did not outright save Star Fox and is not even a Star Fox game, but it did utilize the characters well, copying the type of narrative banter first used in Star Fox Assault. It also suggested some good ideas (open world, character-specific boss phases/missions), and the cutscenes were by far the best part. The core Starlink gameplay, however, is little more than strafing around on the ground firing elemental weapons at repetitive monster-type enemies, and an exhausting amount of mindless fetch quests.

To defend that as good gameplay is sad, in my opinion. It is my hope that the good ideas and presentation are used for the future, but the core heart of Star Fox 64 and Star Fox Assault are used as the foundation of the next actual Star Fox. I personally will never call Starlink a Star Fox game, but I applaud them for the presentation and suggestions for the franchise.

[facepwnagewtf]

This is what's so painful about being a Star Fox fan, and you hit the nail on the head. There's is an absolutely amazing game waiting to be released, it just takes someone to grab the bull by the horns, and flesh out all of these scattered ideas and form it into one cohesive experience. Starlink in a lot of ways was that Star Fox experience the fans have been waiting for, it just got bogged down by a boring story, repetition, toys to life, and the typical Ubisoft grind. I truly believe the future of Star Fox is a combination of Starlinks ability to freely explore the solar system, interspersed with on rails and all range combat of traditional Star Fox. I just hope we one day see this realized, and that the franchise hasn't been put on ice like F-Zero or Earthbound.

[LEXICON-DEVIL]

Star Fox Assault + Starlink = best Star Fox game ever

[stardogsmasher]

With what Starlink did for Star Fox, I now just wait for the return to the timeline of the gamecube games so they can be give better treatment. I'm ready to return to that time line and fed up with the Lylat Wars timeline. That and a return to Assault's on-foot mission gameplay it's the right step for the series at the time before devolving in Command and Zero.

[gabenmcfry]

I hate to be that guy, but I think a good next step for the franchise would be to allow the next game to be developed with out Shigeru Miyamoto's involvement. No offense to him but I think the franchise's history shows that even he can make mistakes.

[rossruss]

I wouldn't mind another Star Fox game that was like Starlink but I'm with you on going more in the assault direction.

[BaselardFE]

It wasn't perfect, but I love this game. The StarFox bits were done so well and there were so many good ideas/suggestions too. I don't think it's happening, but boy do I want a StarFox game with the presentation of Starlink. Actually perfect.

[maravreloaded]

Ubisoft by themselves: 🪲😱🥶🤮
Ubisoft with Nintendo: 🥇⭐😎😎

[LDHulll]

I was actually hoping you would play this game just for the Star Fox crew. I still hope for a new Star Fox game someday.

[TheGamePixelz]

Imo this is the natural evolution of Star Fox. There's just no market for the kind of gameplay that Star Fox 64 tried to do in the modern world. Most people would beat it in a couple hours, not do any replays, and complain that it's short and shallow. If you've played games like No Man's Sky and Elite Dangerous, Starlink is easily the best game in the space exploration genre and I don't find that the repetition bogged down such an amazing game as it usually does with ubi sandboxes.

[SorcererLance]

honestly I've treated Starlink being an unofficial sequel to Starfox Zero... as Wolf did escape leaving the Starfox crew to focus on Andross and ending the war he started, so them later hunting Wolf down was kind of a loose end that worked surprisingly well for this game

[DANthefoxx]

If only they could have gotten Krystal too. And had her special ability be....i don't know eavesdrop on enemy comms or see them through walls?

[claycowan]

There was nothing wrong with the one liners in Star Fox 64 and they did a good job with establishing the characters' personalities. Slippy as the rookie pilot, but also the tech guy. Peppy as the wise mentor. And Falco as the ace pilot with attitude. The dialogues in Assault and Starlink help flesh out their personalities more and I love their banters, but sometimes even a few lines of dialogue is just as good if not better. But with that being said, I'd love to see a new Star Fox game in this style

[thisnamehaschangedthanksto]

The plotline developed across SF64, SFAd and SFAs has so much potential, and it still can be given a well-deserving end in the next installment. Also, I think Assault has all the best ideas for core gameplay, just needs to be ironed out and even incorporate some of Starlink's (such as playing with every character and their unique abilities). I mean, it shouldn't be that hard to pull this off - both the animation and the DLC proved the franchise still have potential for becoming a best-seller. I hope Nintendo is actually working on it

[EclipseHedgehog]

No joke this seriously had a lot of what I wanted in the next starfox game from free roaming (in the ships of course) around space and going to and from planest, ship customization, leveling up, multiple characters to play as with their own attributes and specials and skill tree's, and bounty hunting and racing on the side. What i'd like to see them try next is go mass effect with conversation tree's, and of course; bring back krystal, Miyu and Fay. Maybe even Fara Phoenix if thats asking too much.

[maybetoby]

I still play the hell out of this game. Completed it more than once with each member of Star Fox.

[ZHeadHunter]

StarFox Assault and StarFox 2 are my favorite games and the model of what I think the series should have been. I guess that's a departure from what most people want. Naturally Zero was a subversion to what I was hoping for in every possible way with change. However, I don't dislike 64, so seeing a hollower imitation of it be dropped on the WiiU a year after it stopped being relevant soured an already bitter experience for me.

StarLink was a step in the right direction for me, and overall far better executed. I was shocked that Ubisoft of all studios could do better than a game developed and led by Miyamoto and Platinum Games. Though it didn't expand the cast or progress the universe, the gameplay and open exploration lends a loving hand to people that might prefer the GameCube games while still trying to appeal to traditional StarFox fans as well. That goes well with the characters being more involved and the tone being more serious, focused and lively unlike Zero. I agree with this evaluation, and I hope Nintendo learns from this example.

[DJWoozie]

Assault was just too short!! amazing game all around

[xelthos]

I love this game, so glad I got the digital version so I didn't have to deal with the toys. Just wish I had gotten the store exclusive models when I had the chance. Definitely not the best Star Fox, but really made the game better because if the team. Still want a new game and a new adventures game as well, I actually enjoyed that one too.

[vito]

Love this game so much, when playing this game I just realized the interaction between the star fox team is exactly what the franchise needed long ago and Ubisoft did that right. Rare almost accomplish this with Adventures but the ending with Andross really mess all up for me, since I was hoping to fight scales. Wish Nintendo share the franchise more often, Ubisoft did honor the franchise more than Nintendo ever did.