Haruka: Beyond the Stars

Haruka: Beyond the Stars is an action adventure game with RPG elements. It was developed by Atelier Mimina, also responsible for Giraffe and Annika.

Plot

Haruka: Beyond the Stars is set in a sci-fi universe. The game is set in an unusual future, in which, having explored every corner of the cosmos, mankind has begun to stagnate, their lives depending on special energy capsules.

The main protagonist is a boy named Yuuki, a resident of the village of Spica, a base where energy capsules are stored. One night he makes a new friend - Miya - who crashlanded near his home after her ship malfunctioned. When he learns Miya's trying to find her missing father, he joins her to provide help.

Mechanics

Haruka: Beyond the Stars makes use of the third-person perspective. The game is set on various planets, sections of which are presented as extensive maps. While traversing them we complete quests, solve clever puzzles, search for secrets and face enemies. Across the planets there are also cat photos to find; they unlock special rewards.

During dynamic enemy encounters we can freely switch between characters and use them to their full potential; to succeed, we must juggle their combat skills to counter enemy attacks. In addition to regular enemies, there's also a mighty boss fight at the end of each stage.

Technical aspects

Haruka: Beyond the Stars makes use of a colorful manga artstyle/ Special cutscenes in form of an anime mini-series deserve a special mention here.