Revenge of the Savage Planet Review – Not Down With the Space Sickness

When Journey to the Savage Planet rolled around, it received some interest for its balance of light crafting elements with a focused action-adventure narrative. That, and the closure of Typhoon Studios after Google Stadia’s foregone demise.

You’ll be shocked to learn that its sequel, Revenge of the Savage Planet from Raccoon Logic, formed from the remnants of Typhoon, pretty much follows the same tenets. Same satirical take on capitalism and its harmful effects, in small doses through dialogue from your robotic assistant, Eko, and large, oftentimes disgustingly unfunny chunks courtesy of the live-action TV advertisements.

"If you liked the first game, it’s more of that with new tools, various planets to explore, intriguing new alien wildlife to scan, capture and research, and more colorful visuals."

Same narrative-guided gameplay but set on a relatively open map with all kinds of “Return later” obstacles, collectibles, and challenges. Same combat that starts with a piddly pistol, which is absolutely a chore at first but becomes notably less tedious over time. Same, but different, but still same, alongside numerous other regurgitated memes. Spiderman point? A cheeky Portal reference (which is actually one of the better-executed ones in the game)? It’s all here.

That can really sum up your experience with Revenge of the Savage Planet. If you liked the first game, it’s more of that with new tools, various planets to explore, intriguing new alien wildlife to scan, capture and research, and more colorful visuals. If its brand of over-the-top, explosive (and not always in the best way) satire or the humor didn’t appeal to you, then the sequel might not either. Action-adventure players could perhaps power through and find a game fueled by enjoyable exploration, albeit with several hiccups along the way.

The story begins with you, a former Alta employee, awakening in shipwrecked fashion with no tools and off course from the designated habitat, Nu-Florida. The previous game’s Kindred Aerospace was acquired by Alta, the stereotypical “family” focused business with villainous figureheads that are almost so excessively comical that they end up downright blase.

In the interval between cryosleep and arrival, you’ve been fired and must survive the excesses of this new world. This quickly leads to your previous employer, former Kindred CEO Martin Tweed, phoning in and discussing some potential shadiness with Alta. It’s your job to gather evidence and help him build a case. Of course, repairing and printing parts for a Javelin to return to Earth is also paramount, which can only be done by recovering your tools.

But why are your tools scattered across different worlds and so methodically organized? Why are some species and environmental objects so common, even when the planets have vastly different ecosystems? Amid the so-called “revenge,” there’s a decent mystery at the heart of Revenge of the Savage Planet, even if one key facet of the reveal is telegraphed hours beforehand. It’s funny because the smear campaign against Alta concludes in an underwhelming fashion.

"Each of the four planets is visually striking and environmentally distinct, starting with swamps and rainforests, dotted with canopy-like mushrooms and cliffs."

The Idiocracy-tinged humor also just doesn’t land for me. Humor is subjective, though, and maybe you’ll enjoy the excessive maniacal screaming by the supervillains. After a point, it all felt like noise, and the constant returns to base to watch video messages felt tedious at times. The fact that I can’t just permanently turn the TVs off is also annoying, even if it’s on-brand for the far future corporate dystopia.

Thankfully, there are some redeeming qualities to Revenge of the Savage Planet, primarily the exploration. Each of the four planets is visually striking and environmentally distinct, starting with swamps and rainforests, dotted with canopy-like mushrooms and cliffs. Xephyr is a desert planet whose extensive dunes are intercut with rocky terrain, while Quasadron IX is a mix of volcanic lakes and a snow-covered mountain, with a hazardous cavern lying in wait. Zenithian Rift is perhaps the most appealing – its savannah stretches extensively towards the horizon, highlighting the incredible view distance.

There’s enough freedom to explore these landscapes, discover and devour Orange Goo to increase your max health and stamina, shoot up ore veins for Aluminium, Carbon and Silicon, or discover new outfit pieces to customize your character’s appearance. Challenges also await to upgrade your rank and unlock further Blueprints, not to mention collecting Printer Slurry to craft. Even tasks like filling out your Kindex through scans will unlock rewards.

Then there are the mysterious locations, which lead to game-show-like scenarios overseen by a shadowy, totally mysterious figure. Tools like the Power Hose, Magnetic Fork and Remote Drone Controller facilitate intriguing platforming and puzzle-solving scenarios as you link electrical circuits in the environment, extend or retract metal barriers, and navigate tight spaces while avoiding laser wires. Home decoration is also present and a decent distraction, if only for the different unique animations.

As for the creatures, some are functionally similar across each planet – a hapless, easy-to-capture Raccocco is more or less the same as the hapless Puffer Fox on Xephyr. Nevertheless, there are some standouts, from the teleporting, dramatic Vaperon to the aggressive Wardrill.

"The Power Hose does let you mix things up, like covering enemies in green goo and igniting them, stunning flying foes with water for easier capture, or spraying electric goo to fry a crowd of angry Wardrills."

Capturing certain kinds will benefit you through research and upgrades, which means scanning and targeting weak points. There’s a solid catch ’em-all loop, even if the same humor pervades their descriptions and designs. Keep an eye out for the Tatushkey, which screams in a high-pitched non-stop manner before you kill it and try with utter futility to laugh.

It’s all enough to liven up the narrative quests without bogging you down. Some planets figure more prominently than others in the runtime, but chasing a giant worm across Xephyr, leading to a battle in the underground caverns, and ascending Quasadron IX’s peak by grappling and grinding across energy beams can be fun.

While the plethora of optional upgrades and collectables is fine, few scenarios really mandate owning them. Upgrading the Proton Tether to grapple anywhere and not just on specific points sounds nice but it’s ultimately unnecessary unless you’re returning to places for full completion. At the very least, the controls are responsive, barring some edge-case scenarios where my character wouldn’t properly grab or clamber on some ledges.

Combat is a somewhat mixed scenario. The Blaster’s Charge Shot is potent and augments let it bounce around, but it’s otherwise such a rudimentary weapon. I really didn’t like my movement slowing down on charging or the temporary pause after unleashing a Charge Shot, which often felt like the only way to handle tougher foes.

The Power Hose does let you mix things up, like covering enemies in green goo and igniting them, stunning flying foes with water for easier capture, or spraying electric goo to fry a crowd of angry Wardrills. The boss fights are also enjoyable if rarely challenging (at least on the standard difficulty), with mechanics testing your knowledge of recently acquired tools.

"Between the average combat and solid platforming, Revenge of the Savage Planet offers a solid adventure for those who can tolerate the humor."

By the 10.5-hour mark, I already wrapped up two major narrative threads. The third and final still requires scanning and crafting two more parts, bringing the overall “story” to about 12 hours. You could easily extend this with the amount of optional content available.

Revenge of the Savage Planet is a strange experience. As much disdain as I had for the satire that didn’t offer much beyond the so-called biting commentary and witticisms seen and heard hundreds of times over, I did enjoy getting lost on each planet, exploring nooks and crannies for potential upgrades, and scanning everything to see if any of the descriptions could make me laugh. Between the average combat and solid platforming, it offers a decent adventure for those who can tolerate the humor.

This game was reviewed on PC.