Lifeless Planet (2014)

I don't even know where to start honestly. Everything in this game just sucks. Except for the story I suppose, which is okayish at best.

The controls are clunky (and I've never played a game where "clunky" is the PERFECT description) which is already GREAT for a game with platforming elements. The Graphics look like from 1900, the soundtrack?? or whatever it is is awful, the checkpoints are completely broken (I lost my progress several times for some reason), the environment is absolutely terrible. You don't even know where to go half of the time because the awful graphics make it really confusing if an area is reachable or not. I also encountered game-breaking bugs and glitches.

Overall, I am absolutely disgusted by this game. If I could burn it, I would. How they can even charge money for people to play it I will never understand. I hate myself for every minute I spent in this abomination and I highly advise you to stay as far away from it as you possibly can. Even if you got it for free like I did, RUN. AWAY.

Lifeless Planet is a walking simulator, later turned jet pack simulator where you explore, you guessed it - a lifeless planet. The environments are pretty dull and offer little to no free exploration, at least it's nothing there when you're trying to find new spots or paths. Your goal is basically to get to the end, make a few difficult jumps, suffer a few cheap deaths, collect some files or whatever and then ultimately conclude the shallow story. It was over in a few hours and I liked the solitude, but there's more interesting games like this out there that deserves a closer look.

[3] / [5]

This game has so much love put into it! The story is fairly simple, but elegantly presented, and the mechanics are flawless; the game is very good about introducing new mechanics, showing you approximately where you need to go, and giving you the tools you need to progress. That said, apart from some platforming throughout, I'd largely consider this a walking simulator, which stifles the replay value for me, at least. I played it on Epic Games, so there were no achievements, but looking at the ones that exist on other platforms, I can't imagine getting through it without dying, for example. Again, excellent game, but I'm glad I don't have to worry about completion and multiple replays.

As for the graphics, they're not stellar, but they gave me plenty of nostalgia for older games! And the environments are lovely and atmospheric even with the modest graphics, so it's not an issue at all.

Sound-wise, also excellent, though simple. It was a lot of environmental sounds, and then some cool noises from the alien structures that were really cool. Footsteps weren't too obtrusive, which was good. And the music was A+, really fit the entire game fantastically.

The only reason I'm not giving it five stars is because of the replayability and engagement for me personally. In the last hour of the game I was already tabbing out and getting distracted because I was tired of all the walking and jumping (though the ending imagery was :chefskiss:). There was just so much walking between bits of story, and scenery that, while exotic and alien at times, didn't really have much in it to distract from being able to see where I needed to go - and how far away that was.

It is definitely not for everyone. And I suspect that most under the age of 30 or so will be bored because it doesn't give you a reward after 2 minutes. Or really 20 minutes. But after an hour or two, the rewards come. Not in ways you expect. They are subtle. But you are relaxed. Bingo.

I enjoyed this game for the art, the story, the simple mechanics and controls. I can return to it two months later and after about three minutes I can keep on going. No need to relearn the key bindings or what crazy mission I'm supposed to do. For those who are often busy with things other than gaming, it's a breath of fresh air. I don't have to waste an hour to remember what is going on. For me, that's glorious. Not everyone falls into that category. I understand. If I wanted to play something more aggressive I can always boot up any of several hundred other adrenaline games I've played.

This game is kind of a mess. It has its fair share of bugs, but I never found them game-breaking. No, the mess is really more in the narrative and game design. There are jarring narrative jumps that can be disorienting, and your character sometimes makes intuitive leaps that seem illogical. In terms of game design, enemy types are introduced, seen only a couple of times, and then never seen again; mechanics are introduced, you do them twice, and then never again; the game physics can be a bit unpredictable, which can lead to some frustrating platforming; the puzzles are sometimes unintuitive, but simple enough that they can be solved by random poking.

Having said all of that, there is something here. There are interesting environments and impressive vistas. Although movement can be unpredictable at times, there is a fun sense of momentum when you get the upgraded jet pack. And even though the story is sometimes presented in weak or awkward prose, and even though it fumbles a couple of story beats that should have been much more powerful, there is something compelling about the story. In the end, this feels like an awkward first attempt by a young game developer who might actually have something interesting to say if he learns the right lessons from making this game. I'll definitely keep my eye out for his next one.