I started one game on a pretty normal planet, but when I started another game I found myself on a planet full of freaking holes. In the end it was the sheer amount of exploration that kept me coming back because I knew that I'd always find something different, even at the start of the game. The modding community has hundreds of mods that'll keep you entertained if nothing else will. Multiplayer allows you to play with friends or pummel other players into oblivion.
So, what kept me coming back over and over again? For starters, the pixel graphics are beautiful in their own unique way and complete with extra detail. There's a great deal of crafting, combat, and exploring that'll keep you occupied for hours on end. Oh, there's also a hard mode where when you die Space Jesus doesn't bring you back. Some will be heavily armored and charge at you to attack, meaning that you better put your butt into gear and move out of the way. There's a casual mode where you'll only lose a bit of money upon death, then there's the survival mode where you lose items upon death and you have to eat to survive. You'll find yourself having to dodge enemy attacks because certain enemies have their own means of attacking. Starbound has a heavy arsenal of weaponry ranging from hammers and swords to guns and bows with the addition of shields to protect you from incoming attacks. When it comes to combat, I'm a button masher kind of player.Unfortunately for people like me, Starbound doesn't play by those rules. If you don't like traveling alone, you'll quickly find that you can travel with a friend through multiplayer or tame a wild monster to bring along as a fighting companion. If you like exploring and discovering new places, you'd probably like this aspect the most out of everything else that Starbound has to offer. A weather system is placed on most planets and you get anything from relaxing rain droplets to hail to falling space debris and meteor showers. Planets can increase in threat level from harmless to hazardous biomes, and enemies can quickly go from cute and cuddly to ugly and terrifying. You'll find procedurally generated planets and creatures, which means that at times you're not going to know what you're going to get. Starbound doesn't limit you to a handful of planets with a welcome brochure to each and every one of them. We could have cotton candy filled planets and we'd never know. Much like real life, we really don't know everything that lies beyond our Earth. (Yes, you can own your own spaceship.) If for some reason you find that none of the customizations available suit your fancy, you'll be happy to know that Starbound has a large modding community. While you're out hunting for junk cool things, you'll soon find that you can build your own special colony and even have tenants come to wander about your place when the right settings are met, not to mention you can customize your own spaceship.
You're free to equip your character with the clothing of an average Joe or make yourself battle-ready with gear that'll prepare you for monster hunting and scavenging into the unknown depths of the universe. There's a hefty character customization system that includes 7 unique races, from your everyday human to a rather gassy group of humanoids called Novakids. Starbound has a lot of things going for it - especially things that should be necessary for those who love to explore. There's a few things that kept making me come back for more, and I'll tell you why. I bought and returned it on Steam two times before finally going back for the third and final time (because apparently 3 is a magic number) and sticking to it. I personally had an awkward start with this game.