Revenge of the Savage Planet review: This sci-fi game is co-op comedy gold

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A star rating of 4 out of 5.

Revenge of the Savage Planet is packed with many great features, representing an improvement upon its fantastic predecessor.

In early 2020, Typhoon Studios – a company recently bought by Google with the intention of creating engaging content for Google Stadia, their streaming service – launched an exceptional sci-fi game titled Journey to the Savage Planet.

Fast-forward to 2025: Google Stadia and Typhoon Studios have ceased operations. Yet, remarkably, the dedicated development team has found a way to release an impressively innovative sequel to Journey to the Savage Planet, despite the obstacles.

After establishing a fresh venture named Racoon Logic and regaining control over the nascent Savage Planet series’ intellectual property, the team is once again diving headfirst into their work. A new contender emerges in this scenario: the Return of the Savage Planet.

The initial game offered players the adventure of traversing a vibrantly hued, sticky-substance-coated, peculiar-creature-populated world. As you delved deeper, you’d accumulate enhanced equipment over time, enabling you to unlock previously inaccessible regions of the planet, following the traditional ‘Metroidvania’ progression.

The Savage Planet Journey proved to be an enticing adventure, captivating players through its immersive gameplay mechanics, enhanced by stunning graphics, a memorable soundtrack, and humorously integrated throughout the entire game.

The assortment of the creature’s appearance, the chatty computer in your spacecraft, as well as a sequence of advertisements in real life, were all crammed with jokes, and the success rate of these comedic elements was quite impressive.

The initial game by this team was enchantingly memorable due to its captivating appeal, and we’re delighted to announce that Revenge of the Savage Planet II builds upon that charm exponentially, offering an even more impressive experience.

In this novel game, not only does it offer a fresh point of view, but it does so quite literally! Unlike Journey which was played from a first-person perspective, Revenge adopts a third-person view. This change allows for an increased amount of physical comedy and eye-catching outfits, many of which I found myself donning throughout the game, including one that resembled a raccoon.

A significant update is that Revenge now offers local multiplayer (couch co-op), a feature we highly suggest experiencing if possible.

In this game, you and your fellow player can freely roam and do as you please, which could result in plenty of enjoyable moments and unexpected confusion (at one instance, I had to hasten to assist my wife during a boss battle — I’d been distracted by the pursuit of collectibles, while she accidentally initiated a fight with a massive sand worm).

Additionally, it’s important to mention that the scope of Revenge surpasses that of Journey significantly. Unlike Journey, which confined you to a single planet, Revenge propels you across not just one but four distinct worlds by launching you from a cannon.

On your journey, you could discover an enhancement on one planet that proves incredibly useful in a completely distinct universe, effectively extending the enjoyable Metroidvania progression to galaxies brimming with possibilities.

Exploring new territories is filled with excitement, and there’s plenty of humor to enjoy throughout the journey. Cooperative games, such as Overcooked and Split/Second, are notorious for causing friendly disagreements among players, adding a touch of competitive spirit to the camaraderie.

Instead of constantly arguing or being irritable with each other, you’re finding pleasure in exploring together, playing games, and engaging in light-hearted humor. Laughter is a common occurrence among you, whether it be with or at each other.

As a devoted fan, I must admit that this game isn’t flawless, but its quirks are endearing. With such a strong focus on humor, it’s hard not to chuckle when my character or even the user interface hiccups (occasionally, it does), or when minor details don’t align perfectly with my expectations.

At any given instant, it’s essential for both of you to be on the same world. If death occurs and you can’t be revived promptly, you’ll typically find yourself respawning at your home base on an entirely different planet.

When there are four planets, two characters, and lots of action happening simultaneously, it can be challenging to present the story in a fulfilling manner. However, Revenge may not excel at this, but if you grasp the essentials of what’s transpiring, you’ll enjoy yourself immensely as you traverse, enhance, and sniff around these meticulously designed worlds.

If this game is the developer’s way of getting back at Google for shutting down their original company, they’ve certainly succeeded in serving their revenge in a chilly and effective manner. If you enjoy science fiction, exploration, or a good chuckle while playing with a friend, I’d definitely recommend giving it a try. You can express your gratitude to us later.

Revenge of the Savage Planet launches 8th May for PC, PS5, PS4 and Xbox Series X/S.

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2025-05-06 11:46