Wireframe - #33 - 2020

wfmag.cc \ 57

Review

Rated

Review

Rated

far away. Savage Planet’s ecosystem is crucial
here, and although it’s rudimentary, there’s
always scope for mischief. Not everything on
ARY-26 is hostile, at least unless it’s provoked, so
sometimes it serves another purpose or is just
fun to play with. And with a variety of throwable
items, from edible space paste, Grob, to organic
tools harvested from indigenous plants, such
as trampoline-like egg sacs, adhesive gunge,
and explosive buds, shooting critters is often
the least imaginative option at your disposal
(although it is tempting).
Direct combat is thus less frequent than in
Metroid games. Some species do always attack,
some collectables are gated behind scripted
encounters, and there are a few proper boss
battles, but the onus is on exploration. When
fighting does break out, it’s usually a case of
timing dodges to expose a weak point, before
quickly lining up a few shots,
maybe chucking some
explosives around to dislodge
armour first. It can be taxing,
especially as the controls
aren’t as tight as most
modern FPSs, but it’s always clear what you have
to do, and the pace is rarely too hectic.
Indeed, Savage Planet excels as an adventure
game that wants you to be adventurous, and to
reward rather than punish your efforts. As you
progress beyond the large solid base of the
landing site, you find yourself atop towering
cliffs, or hopping between fragmented islands
of rock suspended in the sky. And with that
verticality, the game dares you to throw yourself
off ledges, whether jumping to bring a grapple
point in range, cannoning forward towards a
distant platform, or plummeting to lower strata,
using a jet boost to slow descent at the last
second. The more you power up, the easier it
becomes to avoid fatal mistakes, and with so
many hidden routes, caves, and treasures to
discover, it’s usually worth the gamble.
At the same time, your chatty computer
and tiny robot buddies help to ensure you
don’t get lost or stuck. There’s no actual map
in Savage Planet, which seems an oversight at

 An online co-op mode feels bolted

on rather than integrated into the

game, but it works well enough.

VERDICT

A vibrantly subversive

homage to Metroid

Prime that demands

to be explored.

84 %

first, but since everything is trackable, it isn’t

ultimately an issue. When a path is inaccessible

with your current gear, you’ll be told what you

need and roughly where to find it. If anything,

the game gives a little too much away, but it’s

nice to know that whenever you’ve had enough

aimless wandering, a marker will point you in the

right direction.

ARY-26 is an exquisite place to explore (and

exploit), seeking out openings, obscured paths,

and possibilities. In following

that Metroid template,

it doesn’t offer anything

dramatically new, even if the

framing is different. And that

framing – the toilet humour

and ironic social commentary – might grate

as much as amuse. But it knits together into

a coherent thematic whole that adds a fresh

energy to proceedings, and that classic design

still has the power to absorb, entertain, and

satisfy. When they’re put together with such

expertise, the old parts are as reliable as ever.

“Shooting critters

is often the least

imaginative option”

 The colourful, organic

design is undoubtedly

one of Savage Planet’s

strongest achievements.