Note: This review contains minor spoilers from the first hour of the game.
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Lifeless Planet is a sci-fi puzzle platformer by Stage 2 Games. Since its successful launch on PC, a Lifeless Planet: Premier Edition has released on Xbox One. This edition is a revamped version of the base game and is currently the only version of the game on consoles. I was given a copy of Lifeless Planet to review by developer David Broad. He noted how much effort he put into the game, and how his heart and soul has been poured into the project.
Broad stated, “Lifeless Planet is more than just a video game. It’s the expression of my passion for creating media that inspires. It’s the culmination of years of learning, experimentation, and ambition. I’m trying to deliver something different from what you usually get from the big studios and publishers. As primarily a one man team I know I have to be realistic with my goals, but I do hope to surprise people with what can be produced by a small team with the desire to create something unique and unexpected.”
The game is set on an unknown planet, where a crew of astronauts have arrived on the surface in search of finding a place for humans to inhabit in order to expand from Earth. This planet is 30 million light years away. The astronauts have been frozen in cryo-sleep to prevent ageing, and the game starts with the key events of this journey. When you step foot in this world, you find yourself alone, abandoned by your crew, and stuck in search of rescue. You have been told that this planet is inhabited with life and is a utopia. However, upon arrival, you find that times have changed. The previous Russian colony has been wiped out, and throughout the course of the title, you explore these remains and discover how this civilisation ended prematurely. This is one of the strongest points of the game, where the concept and premise is a perfect fit for the title’s pace and tone. Sadly, the development of these ideas is not enough to create a pleasing experience.
The story of Lifeless Planet is one of its biggest weaknesses and severely impacts the engagement and my investment in the universe. The game has an interesting and eerie setting, and when I first landed on this world, was excited for the journey ahead. After the first hour, the story stagnates and all that is referenced is past trauma of the character’s deceased wife. Much of the story is delivered through text documents found in the game. Sadly, all audio logs are in Russian, so many players cannot listen to these. When reading these logs, you disrupt the flow of gameplay, and after collecting your first ten, they begin to wear thin. Little voice acting is in the game, apart from occasional lines from the main protagonist, and the strange woman you meet after an hour of play. Much of the story is spent chasing this strange woman. The title teases impactful story moments, but never actually delivers them. By the final scene, little story has been explored, and ends very abruptly. This results in a dull, empty experience.
The atmosphere created in Lifeless Planet is largely due to the quiet and simple sounds. The game has a limited palette of sounds and, while this suits the genre, the overall product can be dull and boring. The sound of the double jump jetpack reuses the same track, and over time can be irritating. While the music for this game is composed perfectly, the way it has been implemented into the game means that it will begin at random points in time or it finishes before you reach a climactic point.
The technical achievements of Lifeless Planet are another of its stronger points. The minimalistic, simple style of the game is an iconic feature, and not seen in any other titles. Running at a high resolution allows the game to look great in videos and screenshots, however when playing the game, the framerate can drop massively. The game runs at 30 FPS, however when in areas filled with puzzles or many obstacles, the framerate can drop, and I experienced dips of sub-15 FPS. This often happens in areas where timing or precision are required, and can end a near flawless run. Many times during my experience I found myself falling to my death after the framerate hit a low point. The game has many elements which stand out, however overall execution lacks and needs more work to be called a polished product.
The gameplay of Lifeless Planet was the biggest letdown during my playthrough. The single-player story, which is the only element of this title, starts off with the player travelling through a desert and into a rock formation. You must use the jumping mechanics in the game, with some minor use of the environmental features to progress, and follow the linear path. This sadly becomes boring and repetitive very quickly, and even with some new features added in each chapter, the core gameplay stays the same. That’s not for the best. These puzzles aren’t challenging, and after solving them, the following five minutes usually involve running through an empty environment, just to arrive at the next puzzle. Each puzzle is loosely held together, and towards the end of my playthrough, I was hoping for the game to end. The game does very well at stalling your progression, instead of introducing new content.
The achievements in Lifeless Planet are mainly collected through playing the game. There are achievements based on collecting items along the journey, variations of deaths, and speed running/deathless runs. Sadly, most of these achievements were not at all challenging, except for the deathless run, which at this point in time, I will never complete. Not due to difficulty, but due to the tedious process of playing the dull levels once again.
Sadly, the overall value of Lifeless Planet is not on par with the asking price. Lifeless Planet: Premier Edition is available right now from the Xbox Store for £15.99/$19.99, and at launch will be 20% off. The enjoyment found in Lifeless Planet is short-lived, and over two playthroughs, all achievements can be earned. I completed the game in less than 4 hours for my first playthrough, and when finding all collectables, a run could be extended to maybe 5. This title may be more tempting at half the price. I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw this as a Games with Gold download over the summer.
Lifeless Planet attempts many great things. Through your journey, you will explore this abandoned planet, and the potential treasures it holds. Sadly, once you break into the gameplay, the product shows its weaknesses. For a game developed by one man, this is a great title. However, with today’s standards being set high (especially on console), the game does not hold up to the asking price. The concept here has high potential but core ideas of the game are lacking the polish they require. If I had bought this game at full price, I would be disappointed not only by the lack of excitement, but the little amount of content. Many other longer, cheaper indie games exist nowadays through the ID@Xbox program. Sadly, this would be better if missed.
^Matt (@RTEnvi)
Matt was a regular ICXM contributor in 2015, publishing 110 articles across game reviews, Windows and PC, and Xbox news. Their work focused on hands-on reviews, platform commentary, and breaking-news reporting during the Xbox One’s first full year of post-launch coverage, including the early days of Backwards Compatibility and Windows 10 gaming. They post on X as @RTEnvi.