It seems every game is a 100-hour plus endurance test these days. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for folks getting their money’s worth. If you can get maximum mileage out of a game then that’s great. But as someone who plays many games a year (both for work and personal enjoyment), insanely long games aren’t so appealing. Because of that, I’m grateful for Journey to the Savage Planet. Typhoon Studios crafted a game you can finish over a weekend yet leaves you satisfied. Journey to the Savage Planet is exactly what I’ve been looking for.
Like last year’s The Outer Worlds, Journey to the Savage Planet takes place in a far-future world where humanity freely explores (and exploits) the galaxy. You land on an alien planet to see if it is viable for human habitation. It doesn’t take long to discover signs of an advanced civilization on this supposed “uninhabited” world. Your primary goal is cataloging the planet’s flora and fauna. The secondary objective is discovering the secrets behind the alien structures.
This isn’t an open-world game but it is expansive and interconnected enough to feel like one. Though there are some areas you can only access by teleportation, you can (mostly) travel from one end to the other. Along the way, you’ll find a wild and varied assortment of animals and terrain. The stylized art design — with its vibrant colors and strange alien architecture and landscapes — makes the environment feel otherworldly. After obtaining the appropriate upgrades, you’re better able to explore the land and uncover all of the hidden gems scattered throughout.
Though there is a story, the thing that’ll keep you playing is searching for items necessary for upgrades. Ingesting orange alien plants gives you extra health, stamina, and makes you harder to kill. Strange alien spheres — along with resources such as carbon, aluminum, and silicon — augment your equipment. Collecting resources can sometimes become a grind if you haven’t collected enough. But generally, there’s plenty out there. Even if you don’t go out of your way for them, upgrades come frequently, giving you a good sense of progression.
Unless you provoke them, most lifeforms are non-threatening. However, there are some who will attack on sight. Your handgun can take out the majority of creatures but you’ll need to get creative to bypass enemies covered in armor or other protections. By using the fruit of certain plants, you can chuck the equivalent of grenades and acid rounds at hostiles. This helps even the odds but you’ll still have to make use of your dodge ability to avoid deadly projectiles. Journey to the Savage Planet is mostly a laid-back experience but combat is satisfying and keeps you on your toes.
Exploration involves a healthy amount of platforming. Despite the first-person perspective, traversing the world is smooth and intuitive. You’ll never find yourself questioning whether or not you can successfully make it to the next platform or end up cursing if you missed a jump. You’ll make heavy use of your rocket boots, grappling hook, and alien fruits as you make your way around. Like a Metroidvania game, there are inaccessible areas you can only reach when you have the right equipment. Thanks to the precise platforming mechanics and the tools at your disposal, revisiting older areas (and discovering new ones) is always rewarding.
Journey to the Savage Planet never takes itself too seriously. Yes, it deals with an immoral corporation more interested in profits than the welfare of its employees, but you’ll be too busy laughing to care. You’ll receive messages from Kindred’s CEO, Martin Tweed, whenever you return to your spaceship. These FMV cutscenes have the eccentric businessman praising you before asking you to put yourself in danger. There are also a number of hilarious commercials. Some include a mind-wipe product, a miniature “human” zoo, and even an alien phone sex hotline. Let’s not forget to mention the silly-looking creatures and your sassy AI companion. This is a genuinely funny game.
You can play solo or co-op. Though playing alone feels like the “right” way to experience the game, it’s good that a co-op option exists for those who want a buddy to tag along. The best reason to play with another person is to take out enemies more efficiently. Some boss battles are downright tough and having a helping hand mitigates the challenge. I still maintain this is a solo experience at heart but co-op is good fun.
Journey to the Savage Planet is my surprise game of 2020. It gives me everything similar titles do while respecting my time. The alien landscapes are as rich and imaginative as the strange creatures populating them. There’s a nice balance between combat, exploration, and puzzle-solving that keeps gameplay fresh and exciting. Upgrades come frequently; incentivizing you to find more. Plus, the game is simply hilarious. If you’re like me and have become tired of overstuffed titles, you owe it to yourself to check out Journey to the Savage Planet.
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