Alec is on a mission to explore a strange new world. To seek out new life and new civilizations
Lifeless Planet is the brainchild of David Board from Stage 2 Studios. The game was funded by kickstarter raising just over double the goal amount. Stage 2 Studios have a background in video production and interactive design with a large number of TV commercials, websites and interactive media under their belts. This, however, appears to be their first foray into the commercial games market.
Lifeless planet is a 3rd person action-adventure game set on a barren planet. You play as an unnamed astronaut on a mission to a planet in search of life. The game begins with you waking up after crash landing on the planet, it appears to be completely barren. While searching for the other crew members you stumble across a deserted Russian outpost and begin to find clues about what happened to all the people who used to live here. The suspense is increased when a strange woman begins to follow you around as you search for more information.
The game is all about the story and exploration. There are some magnificent views in the large open spaces of the outside world. This really does contribute to the feeling of helplessness as you trudge alone through these vast landscapes. Then there are the indoor areas which give a sense of claustrophobia compared the outside areas. Music is used sparingly and to great effect to amplify the tension of exploring certain areas.
There is a puzzle solving element to the game. This usually consists of finding a way around or through an object. Finding switches, moving objects with a robotic arm or destroying walls with some dynamite you conveniently found nearby. There is one section where your jetpack boosters become supercharged and you have to time boosts to reach other areas. This was a lot of fun as you leap off a cliff and soar over the deep valleys below hoping you’ve timed the boosts correctly and don’t plummet to your death.
Lifeless planet has a captivating story, I for one can’t wait for the full release to see where that story goes. The fact that it was developed by a single person just makes it all the more impressive. Lifeless Planet is released on June 6th on Steam, other leading digital retailers and in selected UK stores.