Exploring a Savage World: Core Gameplay
What if the most dangerous thing about exploring an alien world wasn’t the hostile creatures, but the utter incompetence of your employer? Revenge of the Savage Planet dares to ask that question, delivering a unique blend of first-person exploration, quirky humor, and surprisingly engaging gameplay. Released in 2020 by Typhoon Studios (later acquired and restructured), this title offers a refreshing alternative to the typical serious sci-fi fare. Revenge of the Savage Planet stands out as a uniquely charming and humorous sci-fi adventure that, even years later, deserves a closer look for its memorable cooperative moments and genuinely inventive gameplay loops.
Exploring a Savage World: Core Gameplay
At its heart, Revenge of the Savage Planet is a game about exploration, plain and simple. You and a friend if you choose to play cooperatively, are thrust onto the seemingly uncharted planet AR-Y 26. Your mission, should you choose to accept it? Catalog the local flora and fauna for Kindred Aerospace, the fourth-best interstellar exploration company. What starts as a simple task quickly devolves into a chaotic scramble for survival, fueled by corporate negligence and the discovery that AR-Y 26 is anything but uninhabited.
The game unfolds through first-person perspective, and controlling your space explorer feels intuitive. You’ll leap across chasms, slide down slippery slopes, and jetpack your way to higher ground. Scanning the environment is crucial, revealing vital information about the planet’s resources, hazards, and indigenous life forms. The creatures of AR-Y 26 range from adorable to downright terrifying, and documenting them is essential for completing your mission.
Central to your survival is the crafting system. Resources are scattered throughout the world, waiting to be collected and transformed into essential tools and upgrades. Need a grappling hook to scale a towering mountain? Find the necessary materials and craft it. Want to enhance your jetpack for greater maneuverability? The same principle applies. The constant search for resources and the satisfaction of crafting new gear create a compelling gameplay loop that keeps you engaged.
Combat is frequent, yet thankfully not overbearing. The alien creatures on AR-Y 26 aren’t always friendly, and you’ll need to defend yourself using a variety of weapons. From a standard pistol to more exotic energy weapons, you’ll fight flying pufferbirds to larger creatures that are reminiscent of dinosaurs. Understanding enemy attack patterns and utilizing the environment to your advantage are key to survival. While combat isn’t the primary focus, it adds a layer of challenge that keeps the exploration from becoming monotonous.
Puzzles in Revenge of the Savage Planet are cleverly integrated into the environment, often requiring you to use your tools and abilities in creative ways. Whether it’s redirecting a stream of water to power a device or manipulating the environment to reach a hidden area, these puzzles add an extra layer of depth to the exploration. Solving them often unlocks new areas or reveals valuable resources, further incentivizing exploration.
The world design of Revenge of the Savage Planet is stunning. AR-Y 26 boasts a variety of distinct biomes, from lush jungles teeming with strange life to desolate, volcanic landscapes. Each area presents its own unique challenges and visual delights. The game makes excellent use of verticality, with towering mountains, deep canyons, and sprawling cave systems. The jetpack and grappling hook are essential for navigating these environments, allowing you to reach previously inaccessible areas and discover hidden secrets. Exploration is consistently rewarded, encouraging you to stray from the beaten path and uncover the mysteries of AR-Y 26.
Progression in Revenge of the Savage Planet is steady and satisfying. As you explore and complete objectives, you’ll earn upgrades that enhance your abilities and equipment. A stronger jetpack, a more powerful weapon, increased health – these improvements make you feel more capable and resilient. The progression system is well-balanced, ensuring that you always feel like you’re making meaningful progress without becoming overpowered.
Kindred Aerospace: Satire and Humor in Storytelling
Perhaps the most distinctive feature of Revenge of the Savage Planet is its comedic tone. The game is filled with dry wit, sarcasm, and slapstick humor that permeates every aspect of the experience. The writing is sharp and self-aware, constantly poking fun at corporate culture, exploration tropes, and even the video game medium itself.
Kindred Aerospace: Satire and Humor in Storytelling
Kindred Aerospace, your employer, is a masterclass in corporate satire. The company is portrayed as a bumbling, profit-driven entity that cares more about its bottom line than the safety of its employees or the accuracy of its information. Corporate advertisements are displayed prominently throughout the game world, showcasing Kindred Aerospace’s outlandish products and questionable business practices. These ads are hilarious and insightful, offering a scathing commentary on the excesses of capitalism.
Adding to the humor is your AI companion, E.K.O. This virtual assistant provides guidance, offers sarcastic commentary, and delivers a constant stream of corporate propaganda. E.K.O.’s deadpan delivery and unwavering loyalty to Kindred Aerospace create a perfect foil to your character’s increasingly desperate situation.
The narrative structure of Revenge of the Savage Planet is relatively straightforward, but it’s the execution that makes it shine. The story unfolds organically as you explore the planet, discover new areas, and complete objectives. While the overall plot is simple, the game is filled with memorable moments and hilarious interactions. The game’s ending provides a satisfying conclusion to your adventure, though it leaves room for interpretation and further speculation. And without spoiling anything, you might find yourself wanting to stay in this quirky world.
Working Together: The Cooperative Adventure
The game’s cooperative experience is a substantial part of the adventure, adding to the chaos. Playing alongside a friend amplifies the humor and creates opportunities for teamwork and friendly competition. Exploring AR-Y 26 with a partner makes everything even more chaotic. From coordinating attacks on enemies to solving puzzles together, cooperative play enhances the overall experience. The game is filled with moments of shared laughter and collaborative problem-solving.
Working Together: The Cooperative Adventure
Revenge of the Savage Planet offers both online and local cooperative play, making it easy to team up with friends regardless of their location. The game scales the difficulty to accommodate the number of players, ensuring that the challenge remains engaging regardless of whether you’re playing solo or with a friend. This makes the game accessible and fun for players of all skill levels.
Cooperative play in Revenge of the Savage Planet isn’t just about helping each other out; it’s also about friendly competition. You can compete to see who can scan the most creatures, find the most resources, or solve the most puzzles. This adds an extra layer of replayability and keeps the game fresh even after multiple playthroughs.
The Good, the Bad, and the Alien: Evaluating the Game
Revenge of the Savage Planet has many strengths. Its originality and humor are refreshing in a market saturated with serious sci-fi games. The engaging exploration mechanics encourage you to explore every nook and cranny of AR-Y 26. The world design is charming and visually appealing, creating a sense of wonder and discovery. And the memorable cooperative experience enhances the gameplay.
The Good, the Bad, and the Alien: Evaluating the Game
However, Revenge of the Savage Planet is not without its weaknesses. Some players may find the combat repetitive or the tasks monotonous. The game also suffers from occasional technical issues. Finally, some may find the humor to be a little too cheesy or over-the-top.
Lasting Influence: A Hidden Gem’s Legacy
Revenge of the Savage Planet was generally well-received by critics and players. Many praised its originality, humor, and engaging exploration mechanics. However, the game was not a massive commercial success, perhaps due to its quirky nature and limited marketing.
Lasting Influence: A Hidden Gem’s Legacy
Despite its modest sales, Revenge of the Savage Planet has had a subtle influence on other games in the exploration genre. Its emphasis on humor, its unique world design, and its engaging gameplay mechanics have all been cited as inspirations by other developers.
Currently, Revenge of the Savage Planet is available on multiple platforms, including PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. The game has been re-released in various editions, including a physical release with additional content.
The end of Typhoon Studios and the acquisition and later divestment, by Google, of the studio makes the game all the more significant. Its survival is a testament to the quality of the core experience.
Even now, Revenge of the Savage Planet is worth playing. Its unique blend of humor and exploration remains fresh and engaging, offering a refreshing alternative to more serious sci-fi games. If you’re looking for a fun and quirky adventure, Revenge of the Savage Planet is definitely worth checking out.
Final Thoughts: A Savagely Funny Adventure
Revenge of the Savage Planet stands out as a uniquely charming and humorous sci-fi adventure, leaving players with a lasting impression of a truly special game. It may not be perfect, but its unique blend of humor and exploration makes it a memorable and worthwhile adventure for those seeking something different. Even with its imperfections, Revenge of the Savage Planet successfully captures the spirit of discovery and fun, making it a hidden gem in the exploration genre. Its cooperative play only amplifies the experience. So, if you’re ready for a hilarious and engaging adventure on a savage planet, this game is definitely worth your time. You might just find yourself laughing out loud while exploring a world that’s both dangerous and delightfully bizarre.