Planetoid Pioneers review

A physics-based Metroidvania where you can absorb objects with an “atomizer” and generate new items with the same device.

When you start the game for the first time, you begin as an elderly astronaut who sooner or later ends up dying to flamethrowers or cave-ins. But you come back as a skeleton, which you can shape with the items you find on these planets.

In Planetoid Pioneers you will cross huge caves and the surface of planets, extracting material and using it to build a solution to the puzzles you meet along the way. For example, if I vaporize these pieces of wood, then I will have enough carbon to materialize some planks to form a bridge over this hole. “Damn it, that wood was holding up part of the tunnel and now it’s raining rocks on my head.”

Put simply, it is about getting from A to B while being a clumsy crash-test dummy who can barely control his own limbs. When I say “physics-based”, I don’t mean it’s like “Limbo”. Your body is completely fascinated with this world’s gravity. Far from feeling responsive or heavy, it is the key to the comedy. You will undoubtedly laugh a lot at the movements of your character, on which the whole game is extremely dependent.

STORY

Your main goal is to build a spaceship and escape the planet where you are currently stranded. You don’t know how to assemble every object right away, so you need to “suck up” some items, one of each type. A large part of the adventure is therefore finding new objects and dissolving them. There are planks, crates, grates, weapons, mine carts, buggies, rotating gears, lamps, turrets and all kinds of gadgets. Enemy robots, for example, can be atomized once they have been turned to scrap with a few rifle bullets.

The maps are very large and well built, and you can zoom in and out at will to see all the pieces you have revealed and where you have been. And rest assured, this giant rock has everything. Caves, rocket items and parts, an industrial mine, an ancient temple, an ice mountain, a lava core (although some of them are still under construction, judging by how things look).

GAMEPLAY

Here is the fun of this game: the movements your character makes are way too funny. The game’s physics makes everything more fun and real. The character’s movement being affected by the planet’s gravity makes him do many bizarre things. The movements are quite reminiscent of the game QWOP, only much easier to control.
Although the game is still in development, it needs some improvements, mainly in bugs and hit boxes. But apart from that, it makes the play very satisfying.
The game can be played in CO-OP with up to 4 people, which makes it better and a lot more fun.

GRAPHICS and SOUND

Graphically the game is very decent, with bright, vibrant colors, and each item is shown in good detail. The planets are very well made, with very interesting puzzles. A highlight is when you are mining the objects: the effect is very beautiful.

In sound and voice acting the game doesn’t disappoint: everything is well synchronized and the voices are very well acted. The game’s music fits perfectly and doesn’t make you sick of it or want to turn the volume down. The weapon effects are also very faithful.

CONCLUSION

If you like a game with clever puzzles and space exploration, and want to laugh a lot at your own misfortune, this game can give you many hours of fun. And with 3 more friends on top of that, which makes everything even funnier. An excellent game to kill time. Although the game is still in development and receiving a lot of community feedback, it has everything it needs to keep getting better.

Narrative: 6
Audiovisual: 6
Gameplay: 8

Version played: PC