‘Morningstar: Descent to Deadrock’ Review: Somewhat Mobily Satisfying

Developed by Red Herring Labs, “Morningstar” is a point-and-click (or tap, technically) adventure game set on a desolate, sandy planet referred to as Deadrock. According to the U.N., no one has ever returned from Deadrock, and the small crew aboard the Morningstar isn’t exactly sure how its routine job became a confusing scramble for survival.

After crash landing on the desert planet, Powell — that’s you — is left to single-handedly repair the ship and assist the physically unhelpful captain, Novak, get the hell out of there. Why is he by himself? Well, the only other survivor from the crash is the captain, but he wasn’t as lucky as Powell. A rod impaled and crippled him.

However, he isn’t useless. In fact, he’s almost more useful than you are. The puzzles in “Morningstar” can be a bit on the tough side, and it’s likely you’ll get stuck often. While scratching your head and taking a moment — or two or three or five — to think is always an option, Novak’s hints and directions generally speed up the process. Most of his suggestions aren’t exactly transparent, so it won’t feel like cheating if you radio him in.

“Morningstar” is a visually pleasing mobile game. (We reviewed it on an iPhone 5S.) Occasional cutscenes play throughout the game, with cool animations that make it feel less stiff; these usually happen in short bursts, but there are longer, even cooler, cutscenes for the intro and outro.

The story is nothing exceptional, but it’s satisfying. Its biggest issue is it never successfully fleshes itself out. There’s something mysterious about Deadrock, and it’s explored a bit throughout the game, especially toward the end, but it seems as if Red Herring took the easy way out. The ending doesn’t carry the same weight as the rest of the game, and it leaves you feeling cheated.

But for a game that should’ve been longer, Red Herring does manage to create a decent-sized world. The first item in your inventory is a map, which you will ultimately use to fast travel around Deadrock — a feature you’re likely to use a lot as you try to solve each puzzle. Generally, puzzles require a merging of two or more items found throughout the multiple shipwrecks and ominous sites you’ll encounter.

“Morningstar: Descent to Deadrock” delivers a forgettable experience with nothing to encourage a second playthrough — even all the achievements are unlocked through story progression. It’s a nice-looking mobile game with not-so-nice voice acting and a storyline that doesn’t feel like enough.