Revenge of the Savage Planet Review: Return to Absurdity, Now with More Bite

After clocking hours in Revenge of the Savage Planet, I can confidently say it builds on the quirky, irreverent charm of the original while tightening up its gameplay and delivering a sharper satirical edge. It’s not perfect, and there are some technical hiccups, but it’s exactly the kind of offbeat sci-fi adventure that sticks with you long after you’ve closed the game.

More Worlds, More Weirdness

Unlike the first game, which limited you to a single alien world, this sequel opens up four distinct planets, each with its own ecosystem, hazards, and creatures. The environmental design is still top-notch, bioluminescent caves, floating islands, and carnivorous plants all make a return, but they’re more varied and densely packed with secrets. One moment you’re scanning goo-covered relics in a jungle, the next you’re jetpacking between volcanic rock spires while dodging airborne jellyfish.

The game encourages exploration in a very Metroidvania way: you’ll constantly backtrack with new upgrades, and that’s where the level design shines. Hidden nooks, elaborate traversal puzzles, and cleverly placed collectibles keep the loop engaging.

Third-Person Shift: A Risk That Pays Off

One of the biggest departures is the shift to a third-person perspective. I was skeptical at first, part of the immersion in the original came from its tight, first-person view. But after a few hours, I started to appreciate how this change supports the game’s slapstick humor. Watching your character ragdoll off a cliff or flail around mid-air after a bad jump is oddly satisfying. And it helps sell the joke: you’re not a space hero, you’re a barely competent corporate drone trying to stay alive with duct-taped gear. This new viewpoint also lets the art and animation team go wild. Character animations are exaggerated, often hilariously so, and gear changes are more visible now. Armor sets and jetpack upgrades aren’t just stat boosts; they look ridiculous in the best way, like wearing a toaster on your head because it increases your oxygen efficiency.

Combat Still Isn’t the Main Event, but It’s Better

Combat was never Savage Planet’s strong suit, and while it’s still not the main draw here, it’s noticeably improved. There’s more enemy variety, smarter AI, and better weapon feedback. Guns have different firing modes now, which keeps encounters interesting, and the game occasionally throws in mini-bosses that require some actual strategy. That said, it’s still not a shooter in the traditional sense. Enemies are more like environmental obstacles than combatants. The real challenge comes from surviving the traversal and solving puzzles with limited resources. And that’s fine, this isn’t DOOM. It’s a comedic survival-platformer with a sci-fi coat of paint.

Satire Sharpened to a Blade

The first game took potshots at Amazon-style megacorps and toxic productivity culture. This sequel turns those jabs into full-blown satire. You’re no longer a hopeful explorer; you’re a “redundant asset” abandoned by your employer and left to rot on the edge of the galaxy. The company that fired you now sells motivational audio logs encouraging you to “embrace obsolescence” as part of your growth plan.

The writing walks a fine line: it’s absurd, cynical, and often laugh-out-loud funny, but it also hits close to home. One moment you’re watching a parody commercial for meat-flavored toothpaste, the next you’re digging through data logs detailing employee surveillance protocols. It’s social commentary delivered with a clown nose and a sledgehammer. Even the collectibles have something to say. Pick up a glowing cube, and it might recite corporate poetry about loyalty metrics. Hack into a terminal and read emails between two middle managers arguing over who should be blamed for the malfunctioning oxygen dispensers. It’s equal parts Black Mirror and Idiocracy.

Traversal and Upgrades: Still the Heart of the Game

Movement is smooth, snappy, and way more vertical than before. The jetpack now has mid-air dashes and extended boosts, and there’s a grappling hook that turns cliff-scaling into a kinetic puzzle. I never got tired of launching myself into the sky, chaining a boost into a wall jump, then grabbing a ledge just before I hit a lava pool. The traversal challenges aren’t just tests of reflexes; they require thinking about how your tools interact.

Upgrades remain tied to resource collection and exploration. Find a rare mineral, scan enough alien tech, and you’ll unlock new gear. The game respects your time, too: fast travel points are generous, UI is streamlined, and there’s very little hand-holding. It trusts you to figure things out and rewards you when you do.

Story? Sort Of. But the World Tells It Better

There’s technically a plot about revenge, as the title suggests, you’re working your way up the corporate ladder (again) to get back at the people who discarded you. But that’s really just a framework. The real story is environmental. It’s in the absurd wildlife, the creepy abandoned outposts, and the fake inspirational messages plastered across every interface.

You piece things together as you go: what this planet was used for, who built these machines, and why that giant alien skull is smiling. It’s not a deep narrative, but it’s one that encourages curiosity.

Performance and Polish

I played on PC and experienced only a few minor hiccups, occasional texture pop-ins, a couple of weird physics glitches, and one crash. Nothing game-breaking. Load times were short, the UI was intuitive, and the game ran smoothly at high settings. There are still some rough edges, though. Enemy pathfinding can glitch out, and some of the side objectives feel underbaked. But these are nitpicks. The core experience is solid.

Real Talk

Revenge of the Savage Planet won’t be for everyone. If you didn’t vibe with the humor or exploratory pace of the first game, this sequel won’t change your mind. But if you’re into weird sci-fi, smart level design, and biting satire, this is absolutely worth your time.

FINAL SCORE: 82/100