When a beloved indie darling gets a sequel, there’s always a collective holding of breath. Will it be a lazy cash-in or a genuine evolution? Raccoon Logic,clearly had something to prove with Revenge of the Savage Planet. After Google pulled the plug on their Stadia-exclusive Journey to the Savage Planet, this plucky team, backed by Tencent, snagged the rights and decided not just to make a sequel, but to rethink core aspects. So, after being unceremoniously fired into the void and spending a few good days charting its vibrant, hostile worlds, what’s the verdict? Strap in 😉
The premise hits a little too close to home for anyone who’s ever received an awkwardly worded email from HR. You, a plucky colonist for the mega-corp Alta InterGlobal, are exploring the final frontier. Suddenly, corporate decides deep space exploration is “too expensive and risky.” Translation: “Wake up, bro, you’re fired!” Left to your own devices, with only a snarky, customizable flying robot companion named EKO for company, your mission shifts from pioneering to simply surviving and finding a way home, perhaps with a dash of revenge. The character creator is hilariously brief – pick a face for your ID badge, a voice color, and you’re done. Your avatar is already a predefined goofball, and that’s part of the charm.
The biggest, most immediate change from its predecessor is the shift from first-person to a third-person perspective. The developers apparently flirted with this during the original game’s creation and finally took the plunge. It’s a game-changer, and mostly for the better. Your protagonist moves with a delightful, cartoonish clumsiness – slipping on water, taking an age to get up to speed like a Looney Tunes character. These slapstick animations, a core part of the game’s humor, simply wouldn’t have landed with the same impact in FPP. Watching your character punt a Pufferbird across a clearing like a feathered football? Comedy gold.
Exploration is king in this game. You’ll be scanning everything – flora, fauna, weird glowing rocks – to fill out your Kindex. This isn’t just for lore; scanning creatures reveals weak points and often unlocks the ability to research and 3D-print new gear or upgrades essential for progression. Think double jumps, dashes, tools to breathe in toxic gas, or even swim. Yes, swimming! And in a delightful nod, you can even craft a Dave the Diver suit, rendered in glorious 3D for the first time. Each of the four main planets (plus a boss-specific one) is a distinct biome, beautifully realized with vibrant colors and often stunning skyboxes. They’re sizable enough to get lost in but not so overwhelmingly vast that exploration becomes a chore. Teleport machines are your best friend for hopping around.
The core gameplay loop involves exploring these multi-layered environments, gathering resources by scanning and sometimes “pacifying” creatures (which usually means shooting them with goo or explosives and then hoovering them up), and then returning to your expandable home base. Here, your 3D printer churns out everything from weapon upgrades to essential traversal tools. The base customization is a neat touch – you can deck it out with kitchen cabinets or a pool table. It’s this constant cycle of explore, collect, upgrade, and access new areas that propels you forward.
Combat is generally light and breezy. You’re mostly zapping quirky creatures like the Raccocco or the Crusher, which often resemble bizarre Earth animals. However, the boss fights are a bit of a letdown. They tend to be repetitive affairs, lacking distinct phases or complex mechanics. This contributes to the game’s overall low difficulty. While not necessarily a bad thing, it means that after a dozen hours or so, a sense of routine can creep in if you’re playing solo. The game practically screams “play with a friend!” Raccoon Logic has included both online co-op and split-screen, and one can’t help but feel this is where the experience will truly shine, turning potentially mundane resource runs into chaotic, laugh-filled adventures.
Visually, the game looks great. Running on Unreal Engine, it’s not pushing graphical boundaries with ray-tracing, but its art style is fantastic. The performance on a modest PC setup was smooth, hitting well over 60fps at 1440p with settings cranked up. The audio is equally solid, with some genuinely catchy tunes, especially during those (albeit simple) boss encounters.
Pros:
- Genuinely funny, with great slapstick humor and witty dialogue from EKO.
- The third-person perspective enhances both platforming and comedic animations.
- Exploration is rewarding, with distinct, vibrant worlds.
- Solid upgrade and crafting loop that keeps you motivated.
- Excellent co-op potential.
- Great art style and smooth performance.
Cons:
- Boss fights are simplistic and repetitive.
- Solo play can become routine after a while due to low difficulty.
- Base customization feels a bit tacked on.
Revenge of the Savage Planet carves its own niche. While you see echoes of Metroid Prime in its scanning and gated exploration, or Outer Wilds in its planetary discovery, the overwhelming tone is pure, unadulterated fun, reminiscent of a more structured, less survival-focused No Man’s Sky if it was written by the Rick and Morty B-team. The humor and movement feel uniquely its own, setting it apart from more serious sci-fi adventurers.
My face genuinely hurt from smiling after some sessions. EKO’s customizable voice options are a small but brilliant touch, letting you tailor the snark. The D.I.A.P.E.R. selfie side-quests for new outfits are pure, silly fun. Discovering the Dave the Diver suit felt like a warm hug from another beloved indie. The sheer creativity in creature design kept me scanning everything, not just for resources, but out of sheer curiosity. There’s a simple, unpretentious joy in its gameplay loop that’s infectious.
Revenge of the Savage Planet: Final Thoughts & Recommendation: Revenge of the Savage Planet could have been a safe, by-the-numbers sequel. Instead, Raccoon Logic took risks, most notably with the perspective shift, and it paid off handsomely. The game is a vibrant, funny, and engaging adventure that respects your time, offering a solid 15-20 hours of content. While some repetitive elements, particularly the boss encounters, hold it back from true greatness, its charm and co-op potential are undeniable. It's not the dark horse of the year, perhaps, but it's a damn fine sequel that knows exactly what it wants to be: a ridiculously good time. If you're looking for a game that doesn't take itself too seriously and will leave you grinning, especially with a buddy, then Revenge of the Savage Planet is an easy recommendation. It's good solo, but it feels destined to be great with a partner in crime. – MarcusRichardson
