Revenge Of The Savage Planet ditches its first-person camera for a third-person action-adventure romp while also cranking things way up with bigger biomes, bigger threats and plenty of irreverent humour that manages to illicit laughs without resorting to too many cheap or dirty jokes that lessen the experience.
I’ll just go ahead and say it: if you’re a fan of the original Journey to the Savage Planet, then Revenge of the Savage Planet is a must-play action adventure game, particularly if you have a friend to play through its co-op campaign with. Revenge of the Savage Planet follows the exploits of intrepid adventurers who are tasked with cataloguing all manner of flora and fauna across four distinct planets (and a final mini-biome) while also uncovering the truth behind some mysterious relics scattered across the game world.
Although admirable in size, the biomes and planets in Revenge of the Savage Planet feel considerably larger than those in the original game, offering players plenty of sections and side content to explore beyond the 10 or so hours it takes to complete the main campaign. The transition to a third-person perspective not only introduces a fresh point of view but also results in a tighter, more responsive gameplay experience when manoeuvring through the hazard-filled alien vistas that span the five planets featured in the adventure.
The new camera also showcases vibrant new animations for the player character, bursting with personality, as if lifted straight from a Saturday morning cartoon. Running, sliding, and dodging all feel solid, enhancing the game’s over-the-top tone and playful setting.
“Revenge Of The Savage Planet feels considerably bigger than the original game, offering players plenty of sections and side content to keep them busy.”
One of the main criticisms of the first game harped on sections that relied too heavily on combat, taking away from the exploratory nature of the adventure. Revenge of the Savage Planet addresses this by offering a more balanced approach to combat and non-violent objectives that progress the story forward, such as a wide assortment of flora and fauna that can be scanned and researched, similar to Metroid Prime’s scan mechanic.
On the topic of Metroid, Revenge of the Savage Planet feels like one of the best examples of a modern Metroidvania offering an assortment of smaller areas that gradually unlock within previously explored biomes once the player returns after acquiring a new ability or power-up. Players can also eventually wrangle most of the enemy characters in the game, transporting them to habitats close to the players’ base of operations, an element that adds a fun monster-catching element to the otherwise familiar feeling of adventure.
Like the first game, the fine people over at Racoon Logic Studios who have designed Revenge of the Savage Planet are acutely aware of how gamers sometimes tend to do their own thing, with the sequel acknowledging players that complete tasks out of order or get to an area that usually requires the use of an upgrade. Small flourishes like this help Revenge Of The Savage Planet stand out and add to the overall charm of the game.
“When you’re not liberating the indigenes of the various planets found in the game, Revenge Of The Savage Planet has a ton of extra unlockables.”
In addition to the standard run, gun and lasso gameplay loop, Revenge of the Savage Planet introduces several new upgrades, including a liquid-dispensing adapter for your gun. This upgrade allows players to shoot various substances that tie into multiple puzzles and produce different effects on both the environment and enemies.
Beyond your water gun, other substances include fire and even an electric ooze, which can be used to bridge or restore connections between locked nodes on the map via bioluminescent electric mushrooms scattered throughout the environment.
Stages or biomes feature a lot of verticality, with some areas featuring grind rails that lead into higher elevation and other platforms, giving the game a Ratchet and Clank meets Sonic Adventure vibe that gels well with the overall package, which in itself feels like a hommage and love letter to many classic 3D era adventure games.
When you’re not liberating the indigenes of the various planets found in the game, Revenge Of The Savage Planet has a ton of extra unlockables, such as costumes for the players in addition to a slew of furniture and background set dressing options that can be purchased using in-game currency to spruce up the player base, which adds an unexpected but welcome sim element to the experience.
Live-action cutscenes, a vibrant cartoon aesthetic, unrestricted co-op, solid writing, and, most importantly of all, fun and engaging gameplay with unique bosses per planet ultimately make Revenge Of The Savage Planet one of the most entertaining games to be released thus far in 2025 and a must-play for fans of the first entry.
