'Starbound' reviews roundup 2016: 'Starbound' finally exits Early Access; game's combat falls short but soundtrack is impressive

After languishing in the development section of Steam since 2013, "Starbound," the action-adventure video game from Chucklefish Games, is now finally a complete game.

The game's developers have released its 1.0 patch for the millions of "Starbound" gamers who are currently trying to make sense of the new and improved "Starbound v1.0."

"Starbound," which was first announced in 2012 as a "spiritual successor" to the popular "Terraria," now has new characters, quests, pets, tools, crops, items, transport systems, and biomes. But the most significant change to the game is that it now has an actual story.

After a short initial quest, gamers will find themselves dubbed "protectors" before being dumped on a random planet. They will then have to find materials to fix their ship so that they can embark on various missions.

The game, which is available for OS X, Microsoft Windows, and Linux, has three modes: casual, survival, and permadeath. There is also a co-op mode that allows gamers to play alongside friends.

According to The Escapist, what makes "Starbound" worthy of its reputation as the "spiritual successor" to "Terraria" is the game's impressive scope. While "Terraria" was confined to a lone planet, "Starbound" is chockfull of planets to be explored, ships to be designed, villages to be built, and weapons to be collected. There is a nearly unlimited number of things to do in the game.

The Escapist also commended "Starbound" for its soundtrack, which the outlet said matches the game perfectly. The "Starbound" soundtrack was described as "calming and soothing" in certain places and "dark and unnerving" in others. It can also be "fast and upbeat" in certain scenarios.

Meanwhile, PC Gamer said that while the game is lacking in terms of combat and ship customization options, it is nonetheless a "great pleasure" that a player can lose himself in.