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0 Revenge of the Savage Planet follows Journey to the Savage Planet, a sleeper hit from 2020. Raccoon Logic, a studio formed by developers from the now-defunct Typhoon Studios (the original developer), created the sequel. The game released across PC and consoles on May 8th. For this review I took a look at the PlayStation 5 version.
Story
Revenge Of The Savage Planet sees you wake up from a cryogenic slumber, having been sent lightyears into the future. However, things turn sour when you wake up and you discover that the corporation that sent you Alta, has fired you, leaving you to fend for yourself with the limited resources available to you. You’ll find the rest of you equipment scattered across multiple other planets, where you’ll catalogue a vast array of flora and fauna as you piece together the bigger picture.
Journey to the Savage Planet gained attention for its corporate satire, featuring cringy adverts, slogans, and over-the-top characters. The sequel’s humour walks a fine line and isn’t for everyone. Personally, I found the comedy to be more miss than hit. The excessive live-action skits grew tiresome, although some gags on consumer culture and familiar corporate archetypes still provided enjoyment. Live-action video messages and your robotic assistant EKO deliver the story, with EKO offering quips and commentary along the way. You can adjust how much help EKO provides in the settings.
Gameplay
The core loop of platforming, crafting, and exploration is a refined version of the first game. Combat starts off with a terrible pistol, but I found the game more enjoyable after I unlocked the Power Hose, which really helped with crowd control as it felt at certain points, you engage in combat every minute which can be overwhelming with a rubbish loadout. Improvements include a functional map, the ability to track objectives, and better management of collectables, addressing criticisms of Journey to the Savage Planet.
Revenge of the Savage Planet is of a Metroidvania persuasion, with a touch of Dark Souls. You can only access some areas through optional upgrades, and death sends you on a long trip to recover your supplies. While not every tool is essential, their inclusion satisfies that exploration itch. Unfortunately, the constant return to base to watch video messages that progress the story feel more like an interruption than a reward. The game does include some accidental accessibility through the scan mode, which activates a high contrast aesthetic.
Dave?!
When I loaded up the game I was nicely surprised to see that I’d not been given access to the standard edition of the game. But rather the Cosmic Hoarder Edition. This included a Dave the Diver skin which was a nice gameplay bonus! If you haven’t checked out Dave the Diver do yourself a favour and read our review of it to see why you should definitely give it a play! This bonus skin definitely added an extra layer of fun to the game.
Graphics & Audio
Revenge of The Savage Planet makes a big change from Journey to the Savage Planet as it is now in third person with results in more personality of your character. Firstly, sprinting shows an overexaggerated strut while stepping on goo causes them to slip like a giraffe on roller skates. The game stands out visually with a hyper-saturated visuals, absurdly beautiful creature/plant designs and names. Some of these for instance include the “Bombegranate,” a bomb-creating fruit plant, the balloon-like raccoon called the “Raccocco,” and the acid-spitting penguin “Toxwin.” The game certainly punches above its indie weight class in the graphics department.
The sound design complements the game’s aesthetic perfectly, with wacky sci-fi synths and added electric guitars during combat. The soundtrack takes on an atmospheric tone in the later levels, fitting the unfolding mystery. Each creature and plant’s unique sounds adds life to each encounter, especially when coupled with the score.
Longevity
You can expect 12-15 hours to finish the story, with an additional 5 hours for completionists. Not only can you customise your living quarters and spacesuit colours but you can create a zoo with captured creatures. Each of the four planets has it’s secrets—hidden shrines, environmental puzzles, and platforming sequences. These offer a steady stream of rewards with new upgrades, cosmetics and materials being some of the prizes on offer. Furthermore scanning creatures and objects contributes to your in-game “Kindex,” unlocking additional blueprints and perks that further encourage thorough exploration.
Final Thoughts
To sum up, Raccoon Logic didn’t reinvent the wheel but added some shiny new spokes and rims when it comes to the game. The vibrant environment, exploration, and side content make it easy to lose many blissful hours in its world.
This is why I give Revenge of the Savage Planet the Thumb Culture Gold Award
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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