Comparison

R vs Star Force

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

R

Relive a classic horizontal scrolling shooter arcade experience. Pilot an advanced ship against the returning Bydo Empire, utilizing new weapons and power-ups across six challenging levels. Enjoy customizable graphics and controls for a nostalgic or enhanced gameplay session.

Highlights
  • Six unique levels with bosses
  • New Search Laser and Shotgun Laser weapons
  • Power-ups and attachments
  • Adjustable difficulty settings
  • Customizable touch and D-pad controls
  • Original and improved graphics options
  • Game Center achievements and leaderboards
Features
Read full description

A CLASSIC OLD-SCHOOL GAME R-Type II is a horizontal scrolling shooter arcade game developed and published by Irem in 1989. This classic old-school game is the sequel to R-Type and the story takes place two years after. The player controls a ship called the R-9C which is an improved version of its predecessor, the R-9. The Bydo Empire is back! Take it down with power-ups, two new types of weapons, the Search Laser and Shotgun Laser, and a new anti-ground unit bomb. WITH ORIGINAL FEATURES •Unlock six levels each with its own unique boss. •Upgrade to new weapons, power-ups, and attachments to fight wave of enemies. •Keep original graphics or choose improved ones thanks to filter and scanline options … AND NEW FEATURES TOO! •Choose between three difficulty settings: unlimited (unlimited lives), normal (same as original) & insane (more challenge!). •Two control modes: Touch and virtual D-Pad •Customizable controls •Auto Fire ON/OFF •Available in 10 languages: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Portuguese. •Play in full-screen, or keep the game’s original screen ratio •Game Center: 11 unlockable achievements + online leaderboards (normal & insane modes only) •Universal version •Support iOS 7 controllers Are you looking for challenge? R-Type II is the perfect game!

About

Star Force

Engage in thrilling space combat with realistic graphics and sound. Explore diverse environments, collect and upgrade star fighters, and battle alien invaders. Features include PvP, turret defense, and idle modes for continuous progression.

Highlights
  • Immersive 3D space combat
  • Multiple game modes including exploration
  • Collect and upgrade star fighters
  • Roguelike skills and strategies
  • PvP battles and turret defense
  • One-handed controls and auto-battle
Features
Read full description

Star Force is a casual space action game. Its epic, realistic graphics and ultra-realistic sound effects can bring you an unprecedented immersive experience. There are not only passionate and cool battles here, but also interesting exploration gameplay. What are you waiting for? Come and join this future science fiction war! Join the adventure to save the galaxy in this epic Space shooter! ※Game Features※: [Immersive 3D Space Shooter] Battle across stunning environments, from forests and deserts to the far reaches of space. Control your fighter plane and face off against giant alien shooter bosses like tanks, helicopters, and drone carriers! Experience ultra-realistic sound effects that put you in the heart of the fight. [Multiple Game Modes] Explore the NOVA planet, trade resources, solve challenging puzzles, and respond to emergencies in a deep space exploration adventure. Discover limited-time events and hidden treasures as you navigate through an unpredictable galaxy. [Collect & Upgrade Star Fighters] Assemble the ultimate space fleet! Choose from different fighter planes, gather 12 unique wingmen with powerful weapons, and collect 108 parts to create endless strategies for battling the alien invasion. [Roguelike Skills & Strategies] Enhance your starship with powerful roguelike skills! Collect mysterious power chips to unlock special abilities and turn the tide of battle. Combine three chips of the same color to unleash devastating effects. [PvP Battles & Turret Defense] Break free from traditional PvE shooters! Engage in intense PvP space shooter, attack other players' bases, and build your own turret defense system. Compete in real-time duels to dominate the galaxy in a shooting action game! [One-Handed Controls & Auto-Battle] Take on enemies with simple, one-handed controls, perfect for gaming on the go. Use full-screen skills to unleash chaos on your enemies, and hang up after completing levels to gather resources in idle mode! The galaxy is under attack! Take command in Star Force, the ultimate space shooting game, and save the universe from alien destruction! This shooting game brings you the ultimate sci-fi adventure. If you encounter any problems in the game, don't hesitate to get in touch with customer service email: support@teebik-inc.com Join the Star Force community on our official Discord: https://discord.gg/ax9C3Yuj

Screenshots

R4 screens
Star Force4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Star Force at Free against R's $1.99. Star Force also leads on rating (4.9 vs 3.5) and ratings volume (1.6K vs 23). R's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 17) and review sentiment (68% vs 56%). On update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Star Force is free to download; R costs $1.99 up front. Star Force sells 17 one-off in-app purchases. R asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Star Force holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Star Force has 1.6K ratings behind it against 23, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 68% of R's written reviews are positive against 56% of Star Force's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
R versus Star Force: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRStar Force
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating3.5 (23 ratings)4.9 (1.6K ratings) — better
Positive reviews67.7% of reviews — better55.6% of reviews
Number of ratings231.6K — better
Update frequencyMonthlyMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size45 MB985 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperDotEmuTBG LIMITED

Customer experience

R

All ratings27 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral3.7%
Negative29.6%
Written reviews319 reviews
Positive67.7%
Neutral9.4%
Negative22.9%

Star Force

All ratings1,556 ratings
Positive97.1%
Neutral0.9%
Negative2.0%
Written reviews142 reviews
Positive55.6%
Neutral7.0%
Negative37.3%

User reviews

R

From 23 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Nostalgic gameplay
  • 👍 Faithful port of the original
  • 🎮 Good controls with controller support
  • 💎 Classic arcade shooter experience

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy controls and performance issues
  • 📱 Difficult to play on small screens
  • 🕹️ Suboptimal touch controls
  • 🕰️ Outdated graphics and sound

Star Force

From 1.6K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Smooth gameplay
  • 👍 Enjoyable experience
  • 💡 Nostalgic feel
  • 🤑 Free-to-play with no pay-to-win

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs and crashes
  • 🔒 Lack of account/data security
  • 💰 Excessive ads and in-app purchases
  • 🕹️ Difficulty progression issues

Bugs and requests

R

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Unresponsive controls
  • Graphical glitches and performance problems
  • Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

Requested features

4 requests
  • Difficulty settings and accessibility options
  • More levels and content
  • Improved compatibility with modern devices
  • Sensitivity and control customization

Star Force

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Sudden game shutdowns
  • Lost progress and purchases
  • Login and data access failures
  • Compatibility issues on some devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Multiplayer and co-op modes
  • Better navigation and UI organization
  • More frequent content updates
  • Customer support and communication

In-app purchases

None

R

No in-app purchases

17 purchases

Star Force

One-time17
  • 0.99$Gems$0.99
  • Pack3$0.99
  • Pack1$0.99
Show 14 more
  • 1.99$Pack$1.99
  • 7-day Privilege card$1.99
  • 4.99$Gems$4.99
  • 4.99$Pack$4.99
  • Gold Privilege Card$4.99
  • 9.99$Gem$9.99
  • 9.99$Pack$9.99
  • 14.99$pack$14.99
  • 19.99$Gems$19.99
  • 19.99$pack$19.99
  • 29.99$pack$29.99
  • 49.99$Gems$49.99
  • 49.99$pack$49.99
  • 99.99$pack$99.99

Questions

Is R free?
R costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Star Force free?
Star Force is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, R or Star Force?
Star Force is rated higher. R averages 3.5 out of 5 from 23 ratings, while Star Force averages 4.9 from 1.6K ratings.
Do R or Star Force have ads?
Neither R nor Star Force shows ads.
Which is updated more often, R or Star Force?
R ships an update monthly, and Star Force monthly. Most recently, R was updated on November 1, 2026 and Star Force on October 30, 2026.

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