Revenge of the Savage Planet Review - Vengeance Worth Pursuing on PlayStation 5

Journey to the Savage Planet captivated players in 2020 with its unique blend of exploration, resource gathering, and combat set against the backdrop of an inhospitable alien world. Five years later, Revenge of the Savage Planet emerges, building upon that foundation and refining the formula to deliver an experience that is both familiar and remarkably improved. Developed and published by Raccoon Logic Studios, this title, rated Teen, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, successfully expands its scope, offering multiple planets to explore and a more cohesive world design that elevates the overall enjoyment. We believe this sequel stands as a testament to thoughtful iterative design, providing a consistently more satisfying and engaging adventure than its predecessor.

A Deeper Dive into the Savage Frontier: Enhanced Exploration

Stepping back into the role of a plucky corporate employee, tasked with surveying the uncharted territories of the galaxy, players are immediately immersed in a world ripe for discovery. The core loop of scanning every facet of the environment – from the smallest flora to the most formidable fauna – remains a central and incredibly rewarding mechanic. There’s a profound sense of satisfaction that washes over you when your visor illuminates a cascade of previously uncatalogued items, beckoning you to delve deeper. This intrinsic drive to complete your codex is a powerful motivator, pushing you to meticulously explore every nook and cranny.

The alien creatures encountered are as varied as they are perilous. You’ll find yourself facing off against adorable, ball-like creatures that resemble terrestrial raccoons, only to be unexpectedly assaulted by fiery avian lifeforms ready to unleash a molten barrage upon you. This constant dynamic of charming and deadly inhabitants keeps the player on their toes, fostering an environment where vigilance is not just advised, but essential for survival. The sheer diversity of life, coupled with its often-surprising behaviors, makes the act of cataloguing feel less like a chore and more like a genuine scientific expedition, albeit one fraught with immediate danger.

Mastering the Arsenal: Combat and Complementary Tools

Armed with an upgradeable pistol, players will rarely feel underprepared for the myriad of combat scenarios they are thrust into. The feedback from weapon upgrades is palpable, making each encounter feel more manageable and impactful. However, the true brilliance of Revenge of the Savage Planet’s combat lies not solely in its primary firearm, but in the suite of ingenious peripheral weapons and utility items that complement it. These additions transform combat from a simple shoot-and-dodge affair into a tactical puzzle.

Consider the bait; a seemingly innocuous item that can lure unsuspecting enemies into attacking each other, effectively turning their own aggression against them. Or the hose, a versatile tool capable of spewing a variety of substances, from the aforementioned lava to conductive goo, opening up environmental interactions and combat opportunities. Then there’s the magnetic fork, a truly inspired piece of equipment that allows players to turn metallic objects into high-velocity projectiles, adding a satisfying layer of environmental manipulation to the fray. These secondary weapons are not mere afterthoughts; they are integral to navigating the more challenging encounters, offering creative solutions to overwhelming odds.

Navigating Chaotic Encounters and Enemy Variety

These tools become indispensable when you stumble upon enemy nests or find yourself subjected to cunning ambushes. There are moments of genuine pandemonium where the screen becomes a blur of activity. Wasps unleashing barrages of projectiles, exploding monstrosities hurtling towards you, and nimble, tongue-lashing beasts attempting to ensnare you for a gruesome meal – these are the situations where your mastery of the arsenal and your character’s upgraded mobility truly shine. The ability to double-jump, enhance movement speed, or even negate fall damage can be the difference between success and a frustrating respawn.

However, not all enemy designs are created equal in terms of challenge. While many foes offer engaging combat loops, some, like the small, teleporting bees that pepper you with tiny attacks from multiple directions, can lean more towards being an annoyance than a genuine threat. These minor quibbles do little to detract from the overall enjoyment, but they do highlight the subtle nuances in enemy design that can impact the pacing and satisfaction of combat encounters.

The Engine of Progression: Resource Gathering and Upgrades

The upgrade system in Revenge of the Savage Planet is masterfully paced, seamlessly integrated with the exploration and discovery loop. As you traverse the diverse biomes and gather essential resources, you’ll also uncover blueprints and complete quests, each contributing to the unlocking of new upgrade branches. The feeling of accomplishment when you find a hidden resource cache and watch it burst open like a piñata, showering you with the materials you need, is immensely gratifying.

These resources are the lifeblood of your character’s progression. Early game upgrades might focus on enhancing your pistol’s firepower, granting you the coveted double-jump, or mitigating the threat of fall damage. As you venture further into the game, these upgrades become more transformative, fundamentally altering your traversal capabilities. The introduction of a grapple beam that can be attached to virtually any surface, including mid-air, is a prime example. This ability, when acquired later in the game, doesn’t just offer a new way to move; it completely reinvents how you approach the environments, opening up previously inaccessible areas and adding a new dimension to exploration.

The Grapple Beam: A Game-Changer for Exploration

While the grappling ability is undeniably one of the game’s most exhilarating additions, we were particularly pleased with its placement later in the campaign. Its introduction fundamentally changes the player’s interaction with the world, and having it appear after the core exploration mechanics are well-established ensures that it feels like a significant evolutionary leap rather than an early crutch. It’s a testament to the game’s design that an upgrade so powerful and game-altering is delivered at a point where it revitalizes the exploration experience rather than trivializing it.

A Multitude of Worlds: Expanding the Savage Universe

The original Journey to the Savage Planet offered a singular, albeit captivating, planet to explore. Revenge of the Savage Planet significantly expands upon this, presenting players with multiple planets, each boasting its own unique biomes and a wealth of secrets waiting to be unearthed. Whether you choose to embark on this adventure alone or with a friend, the approximately 12-plus hour campaign is densely packed with content and opportunities for discovery.

The shift from a first-person perspective in the original title to a third-person perspective in Revenge of the Savage Planet is a crucial improvement that significantly enhances the act of exploration. Navigating treacherous cliff faces, leaping between precarious floating platforms, and executing precise maneuvers feels far more intuitive and reliable. This change in viewpoint allows for a greater appreciation of the environmental scale and offers a more grounded, visceral connection to the player character’s movements.

Biomes of Wonder and Peril: From Lush Jungles to Volcanic Craters

The diversity of environments is truly a highlight. From the vibrant, teeming lush rainforests of the starting planet, teeming with exotic flora and fauna, to the stark beauty of icy peaks, the desolate expanse of sandy dunes, and the treacherous allure of volcanic craters, each world offers a distinct aesthetic and a unique set of challenges. The meticulous detail in each biome fosters a genuine sense of wonder, encouraging players to deviate from the main path to uncover hidden wonders. We found ourselves constantly drawn to anomalies on the horizon, compelled to investigate every cave, every ledge, and every shimmering anomaly.

The success of Revenge of the Savage Planet in the realm of exploration lies in its ability to consistently reward player curiosity. Many open-world games struggle with the dreaded “empty space” syndrome, where vast swathes of the map offer little in the way of engaging content. This sequel, however, manages to populate its worlds with compelling discoveries nearly everywhere you look. The Metroid-like world design is particularly noteworthy, constantly dangling enticing secrets just out of reach, only to reveal that you lack the necessary gear to access them. This foresight in design creates a satisfying feedback loop, where progress in one area directly unlocks new possibilities in previously explored regions.

The Thrill of Return: Unlocking Previously Inaccessible Areas

We lost count of the number of times we felt a surge of excitement returning to a planet we had already thoroughly explored, armed with new upgrades and the ability to finally access areas that had previously taunted us from afar. This cyclical nature of exploration – venturing out, acquiring new abilities, and then returning to conquer old obstacles – is immensely satisfying and a hallmark of well-crafted progression systems. It instills a sense of constant advancement and ensures that the game world remains dynamic and engaging throughout the entire playthrough.

Corporate Satire and Humorous Undertones

While the core gameplay mechanics of exploration and combat are undoubtedly the primary draw, Revenge of the Savage Planet also offers a delightful layer of corporate satire. The narrative humor is woven throughout the experience, often poking fun at the absurdities of corporate culture and the lives of its often-hapless employees. This is most evident in the player’s customizable habitat, a personal hub where players can spend proprietary corporate currency to decorate and personalize their living space.

The overarching narrative, while not always the most gripping element, provides a framework for the comedic elements to flourish. The checklist nature of the quest log often proved more immediately compelling than the central mystery, but we were still invested enough to see the story through to its conclusion. The developers at Raccoon Logic Studios have clearly embraced a tone of irreverent humor, and it’s particularly pronounced within the habitat, where players can stumble upon and watch satirical commercials that further emphasize the game’s comedic leanings.

Humor That Hits Home (and Alien Worlds)

While not every joke landed perfectly for us, many elicited genuine chuckles and contributed to the game’s unique charm. The blend of sci-fi absurdity and relatable corporate tropes creates a comedic sweet spot that resonates well. This self-aware humor is a refreshing counterpoint to the often-serious nature of survival and exploration games, adding a layer of personality that makes Revenge of the Savage Planet stand out from the crowd.

Conclusion: A Superior Savage Experience

In conclusion, Revenge of the Savage Planet represents a significant and commendable evolution over its predecessor. The consistently rewarding nature of its exploration mechanics drove us to meticulously examine every corner of the alien worlds we visited, ensuring that no secret remained undiscovered. The combat encounters, while occasionally featuring minor design imperfections, were overwhelmingly fun and engaging, keeping the experience fresh and exciting throughout its substantial runtime.

While Journey to the Savage Planet offered a fun, standalone experience, its sequel is a far more complete and satisfying package. It not only expands upon the original’s strengths but refines them, creating a truly compelling and memorable adventure. We found ourselves consistently hungry for more savage planets to explore, more creatures to catalogue, and more upgrades to unlock, a testament to the addictive and well-paced design of Raccoon Logic Studios’ latest offering. For fans of exploration, satisfying progression, and a healthy dose of humor, Revenge of the Savage Planet on PlayStation 5 is an absolute must-play.

Score: 8.5