Posted on: May 7, 2023
Aroshenko
Verified ownerGames: Reviews: 12
Competent but ultimately lacking
There's enjoyment to be had in Lifeless Planet as you explore a barren alien world and investigate the mystery behind its ecological collapse. But, despite the interesting premise, it fails to fully deliver in the end both in gameplay and a plot that serves its purpose, but offers little in the way of explanation or depth. Screenshots alone will tell you that Lifeless Planet doesn't excel when it comes to detailed graphics. It does, however, manage for the most part to create an interesting alien world that features some moments where it's worth just stopping and admiring the vista. The absence of a HUD, or indeed any on-sceen information, is an effective complement to viewing the world as if through your own eyes. The world seems large, yet offers little incentive for exploration. In part, because the linearity of the game means there's nothing to find or do away from key locations, and that same linearity of design leads you back onto the path the game wants you to take by creating impassable barriers that restrict exploration in other directions often because it's too far to jump down to the valley below, or your jetpack doesn't have the oomph to allow you to jump up to the ledge or plateau above. At heart, Lifeless Planet is a platformer. Albeit a not particularly demanding one. For those like me who generally find platformers to be too frustrating to complete, the difficulty level is ideal. Fans of platformers may well find it far too easy a challenge to deliver satisfaction. And it is easy. Yes you can die, but there's no real sense of jeopardy in any situation you encounter. Constant visual clues show you the path to follow, or the dangers to avoid. The puzzles are easily solved. The only real difficulty seems to be a result of an inconsistent physics model resulting in some longer jumps being difficult to gauge when using a boosted jetpack. In conclusion, Lifeless Planet offers a handful of hours of moderate entertainment, but buy when discounted.
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