Even though the combat isn't great and there aren't many types of enemies Revenge of the Savage Planet is still a fun Metroidvania game to try.
You can play Revenge of the Savage Planet with a friend in two-player co-op. The story isn't too complicated but it's funny and weird. Your old company Kindred Aerospace got bought by a bad megacorp called Alta. They put you in cryosleep send you to space for a mission and fire you before you wake up. All your gear is spread out across the galaxy. So now it's up to you to find it get back home and maybe even get some revenge on your old company.
The Metroidvania game has three main paths. The first is about getting your equipment back and facing a final boss. The second involves helping Kindred's CEO find proof of Alta's wrongdoings to get revenge for ruining his company. The third is about fixing an old Javelin ship so you can go home.
The story is simple but the world's playful humor creates a unique feel. You’ll see ads for exaggerated financial companies and news about the old bad investment called cryptocurrency. Your robot buddy, EKO keeps commenting on your journey the struggles you face and how you grow from a clueless explorer to a skilled survivalist by eating strange orange goo. The CEO-like leaders of Alta also speak in corporate jargon that’s so realistic. it’ll make you laugh every time they appear.
Each story connects to the Metroidvania gameplay where you explore colorful worlds filled with aliens. These aliens gooey insides add a new look to the areas. As you move forward you unlock new equipment and upgrades that let you access areas you couldn't reach before. These areas usually contain the next upgrade or item you need. From time to time you will fight simple boss creatures to keep things interesting and then repeat the cycle.
It might seem simple but the four main planets you'll visit are full of cool collectibles, hidden paths and colorful plants and animals that make exploring them so fun. On an OLED screen or the bright greens, reds and blues of alien creatures create a stunning visual experience. Each planet is unique from the jungle-covered Stellaris Prime to the desert of Xephyr and the mix of fire and ice on Zenithian Rift. You won't reach the fifth planet until the final boss battle. but I'll leave the rest as a surprise. Most of your time will be spent on the other four planets.
These planets aren’t boring or flat. If you played Journey to the Savage Planet you’ll recognize the same feeling of climbing and exploring. Using a grapple hook to climb platforms and reach the top of a mountain feels awesome. The game gets even better when you unlock the final upgrade for the grappling hook and can turn your EKO into a glider. The game has a fun lighthearted vibe and you can even get an upgrade to stop taking fall damage.
In my last hours I focused on finding the missing parts for my Javelin ship. What would usually feel like a boring task turned into something fun as I collected the orange goo to boost my health and stamina along with other items I had missed earlier. The way you move and explore is freeing and it fits perfectly with the Metroidvania style and space setting.
You'll need to think a bit to solve some puzzles. For example you might have to figure out how to move electricity from a charged mushroom to a wall or how to build pressure in a cave to break the floor and reach a lower level. These puzzles won't take too long to solve but they keep things interesting.
While some floatiness in movement can be fun. it also affects the combat. Aiming is often off and even with upgrades to make your pistol stronger and increase the magazine size. it never feels great to use. You don't often face tough enemies So it's not a big problem but it can be frustrating when shots you think should hit miss. The whip is a good melee weapon but it doesn't work well on all enemies.
The creatures in the galaxy aren't very different from each other. Like the last game Revenge of the Savage Planet uses the same types of enemies on all four main planets just with small design changes. The way to defeat them is the same. I was hoping for more variety in enemies especially because the planets are so different. There are a few unique creatures like the dangerous Wardrill and the Babutt which has a face on its bottom. but having a few more would have been nice.
This time you can catch creatures for research to unlock more upgrades. They will stay in your base and can be petted anytime. Catching creatures also makes combat more interesting as bigger enemies need to be stunned first before you can capture them with your whip. To do this you have to hit weak spots on their body often in hard-to-reach areas which means you will need to get close to the enemy instead of just shooting them.
Steam says it took me 11 hours to finish the main objectives. There are still things to scan on the planets and challenges to do but since there are no big threats left. I don't feel the need to reach 100% completion. It would probably take me another 4-5 hours if I tried.
Revenge of the Savage Planet gave me what I expected the same funny sci-fi action adventure as the first game with a few new features. It didn’t change much but the main experience is still just as good as it was five years ago.
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