Lifeless Planet: Premier Edition was developed and published by Stage 2 Studios on Xbox One. It was released on May 13, 2015 for $19.99. A copy was provided for review purposes.

LP5

When putting pen to paper on a fresh review, it’s often easy to determine the standard of a game based on how it compares to its peers, but that’s a major issue with Lifeless Planet, because, as far as I’m concerned, there is nothing else quite like it. Lifeless Planet is in many ways an interactive story, rather than a traditional video game. It features a compelling narrative about the lone survivor of a crash on a distant (seemingly lifeless) planet that is steadily revealed through audio logs and other records as the player progresses.

What immediately struck me about Lifeless Planet is how well it hides the fact that it is so linear. From the outset the player is made to feel like they are exploring a vast and limitless expanse, to the extent that each time the sun shimmers on a distant metallic object and guides them forwards, it feels more like a genuine discovery than simply turning the page of a book. Sometimes the clues are more obvious — like following a trail of green footprints — but most of the time the more obvious nods are woven into the narrative in a convincing enough way. Perhaps more questionable, however, are Lifeless Planet‘s core puzzle and platform game mechanics, so I was interested to see if the game stood up to extended play – let’s find out.

LP4

Here’s what I liked:

Space odyssey — I absolutely loved Lifeless Planet‘s narrative. Like any great sci-fi movie, this is a tale of mystery and intrigue, of alien lifeforms and a vast and unexplored world. We experience the story through the eyes of a single, vulnerable human being who is compelled ever forward by a sequence of events far beyond his control or comprehension. It’s heady stuff, and it’s without a doubt the most rewarding reason to keep playing right until the bitter end.

Uncharted territory — If the narrative in Lifeless Planet is the rope that guides us up the mountain, then the lifeless planet itself is a mountain akin to Everest — imposing, threatening and beautiful in equal measure. And if you fail to look up every so often, you’ll miss much of what makes Lifeless Planet such a unique and interesting experience. The graphics are certainly not fantastic, but each of the 20-something landscapes is lovingly and imaginatively crafted to the point where the world is undoubtedly as vast and majestic as I’m sure its creator wanted it to be.

Sweet music — Creating tense, dramatic moments in cinema is often reliant upon excellent sound production, and this is an area in which Lifeless Planet scores in spades. The voice acting is excellent throughout; it’s convincing and just about hammy enough for the sci-fi themes that the story deals with, whilst the incidental music is of the very highest standard, offering just the right level of creepiness at just the right time.

LP3

Here’s what I didn’t like:

Puzzling platforms — Whilst I enjoy the strong narrative in Lifeless Planet a lot, I was not a big fan of the platforming and puzzle sections that intersperse the discovery of new dialogue and plot elements. Most of the jumping sections are at best dull, and at worst frustrating and/or overly long. Similarly, on the rare occasion when you discover one, the puzzles are pretty boring and for the most part involve moving something from location A to location B and then either jumping on said thing or blowing up something else. All of these elements feel as if they are meant to slow the player down, rather than to tax their brains or fingers in any meaningful way. There’s no combat at all in Lifeless Planet, so if you came here expecting the video game equivalent of Starship Troopers, I’m afraid you’ll need to look elsewhere.

Yellow brick road — This is not a major criticism because it’s quite personal to me, but once you understand how Lifeless Planet guides you forward, it does become obvious just how linear it is. This unfortunately can mean that you’ll rush through certain areas in order to finish them, rather than taking in the majesty of your surroundings. It’s also worth mentioning that there isn’t much replay value to Lifeless Planet — there are no collectables or secrets to revisit. As such, I’m afraid it’s the same experience every time.

LP2

Wrap-up:

I enjoyed Lifeless Planet for what it is — an interesting, tense sci-fi adventure set in a fabulously realised and carefully crafted world. With that said, I would completely understand if most other people weren’t especially interested in playing it. This is a very niche game that will appeal only to a limited audience. If you’re at all on the fence, however, I suggest you check it out.

Score: Try It