Lifeless Moon

Lifeless Moon isn't too long, but there's a great story at its heart and some impressive set pieces that leave you questioning everything.

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In "Lifeless Moon" , players explore a desolate moon city as an Apollo-era astronaut, discovers an oddly familiar desert town on the lunar surface. They must collect documents, uncover clues from the past, and utilize strange technology to solve puzzles and understand the forces at hand, all while unraveling the dark secrets of this celestial body. This 3D platformer is the spiritual successor to the 2014 indie title "Lifeless Planet" and is inspired by classic science fiction.

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

82%

Audience ScoreBased on 89 reviews

story27 positive mentions

stability2 negative mentions

The game features an interesting and mind-bending story that keeps players engaged and thinking even after completion.
The atmosphere is enhanced by a surprisingly good soundtrack, with music that evokes strong emotions and complements the visuals.
Improvements in gameplay mechanics and visuals compared to its predecessor, Lifeless Planet, make for a more polished experience.

The game is notably short, with many players finishing it in around 2-3 hours, leading to feelings of it being overpriced for the content offered.
Gameplay can feel repetitive and simplistic, with a heavy reliance on reading notes and logs that disrupts the flow of exploration.
Despite some visual improvements, the graphics are still considered rough around the edges, and there are reports of bugs and clunky controls.

story
64 mentions
42 % positive mentions
52 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The story of "Lifeless Moon" is described as intriguing and atmospheric, with a mix of sci-fi elements that evoke a sense of mystery and emotional depth. While some players appreciate its unique narrative and immersive soundtrack, others criticize its fragmented delivery and lack of clarity, leading to mixed feelings about its coherence and execution. Overall, the game offers a compelling premise but is hampered by its short length and occasional disjointedness in storytelling.
- “Mysterious, thrilling, and emotional, the story throughout the game is right up there with the original.”
- “The story is interesting and unfolds if you give it time - I have read some reviews that it didn't make sense but I have to disagree, it all fits together and a pretty good science fiction premise underlying what is going on.”
- “The story was intriguing and the music enhanced everything.”
- “The frame story is very fragmented with lots of little log entries, and I honestly didn't really get as much as I think I was expected to.”
- “It feels like the developer wrote the story and then kind of slapped everything else together to make it sort of make sense, but not really.”
- “The story does not make any sense!!”
music
33 mentions
61 % positive mentions
30 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its atmospheric quality and ability to enhance the storytelling, while others criticized it for feeling disjointed or generic at times. Some players noted that the soundtrack effectively sets the mood and adapts to different scenes, contributing to an immersive experience, despite occasional mismatches in tone. Overall, the music is considered a strong aspect of the game, with a variety of styles that resonate well with the visuals and narrative.
- “The soundtrack is so good that I hope it gets a DLC release; it's got a great variety too, synthwave, atonal, orchestral...”
- “Despite this, the atmosphere, music, and story left a deep impression on me.”
- “The story was interesting, the music was beautiful, and the game ran well without any crashes.”
- “The music feels disjointed and out of place at times, almost tone deaf to the game itself.”
- “Many times this generic music would cut out, audio lines would overlap, and characters would get stuck on terrain.”
- “At the beach area, you get dramatic music but there is never any danger; you just do a jetpack jump two times in a row.”
graphics
26 mentions
50 % positive mentions
38 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
Overall, the graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising their beauty and immersive quality, while others criticize them for being dated or inconsistent. Some players highlight breathtaking visuals and well-rendered environments, particularly in the sequel, which shows noticeable improvement over the original. However, issues such as rough graphics, bugs, and a lack of challenging gameplay detract from the overall experience for some users.
- “The visuals are absolutely breathtaking.”
- “The graphics are well rendered and very fast - even on modest hardware it performs well at high resolution.”
- “Wasn't expecting much from a 15 dollar game but the music and style of the graphics was incredible.”
- “It's very short, around 2.5/3 hours, very rough graphically, and slightly buggy.”
- “The graphics felt dated and there was no story worth reading or figuring out.”
- “Also, while it looks better than the first game, the visuals haven't exactly been upgraded that much.”
atmosphere
19 mentions
74 % positive mentions
11 % neutral mentions
16 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive qualities, combining a haunting soundtrack, striking visuals, and a sense of hidden danger that captivates players. Many reviewers note that while the game is short, its atmospheric elements create a memorable experience reminiscent of classic titles. Overall, the game's ambiance is considered a significant strength, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of atmospheric storytelling.
- “Despite this, the atmosphere, music, and story left a deep impression on me.”
- “The graphics/maps, the music and voice acting, the notes and logs, all contributed to the slightly spooky atmosphere nicely.”
- “The atmosphere of hidden danger, confusion, and unease is absolutely on point.”
- “The game starts off with the right atmosphere.”
- “It reminds me of an old game called The Dig from LucasArts back in the nineties for the alien and space atmosphere.”
gameplay
15 mentions
20 % positive mentions
60 % neutral mentions
20 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "lifeless moon" is characterized by its basic mechanics and straightforward objectives, primarily focusing on exploration and narrative through notes and environmental storytelling. While it features improved traversal and visual quality compared to its predecessor, many players find it lacking in challenge and depth, often feeling like a walking simulator with repetitive tasks that disrupt the flow. Overall, the game offers a visually appealing experience but falls short of delivering engaging and varied gameplay.
- “Excluding the endlessly nagging journal, 'lifeless moon' is mechanically improved over its predecessor: long gone are the massive treks of absolute nothingness, asinine achievements, and (for the most part) agonizing jumps.”
- “The gameplay is solid, which mainly revolves around exploration that features radio transmissions, notes, and the environment telling the story here.”
- “Gameplay is very simple, practically a walking sim, but clips along at a decent enough pace and I never felt bored.”
- “The fact the gameplay is so basic and that you can actively miss log entries is a little disappointing, considering how charming (and more polished) this developer's previous game was.”
- “So the gameplay becomes 'run a few feet and open a note'.”
- “But from the beginning I wasn't having fun; the notebook disturbs the flow of the gameplay every 20 seconds or so.”
emotional
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game's story is praised for its emotional depth, being both mysterious and thrilling, and is considered on par with the original. However, some players feel that the characters lack familiarity, which diminishes the emotional resonance of the settings. Overall, the narrative is described as succinct yet empathetic, effectively evoking emotions.
- “Mysterious, thrilling, and emotional, the story throughout the game is right up there with the original.”
- “The story was succinct yet still very empathetic and emotional.”
stability
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game exhibits stability issues, including graphical roughness and bugs, particularly with controller support and jetpack mechanics. Despite these challenges, players still find the experience enjoyable, though it may vary based on the platform used.
- “It's very short, around 2.5 to 3 hours, very rough graphically, and slightly buggy.”
- “Yes, there are some issues and glitches, and very difficult maneuvers depending on what you're playing it on, most notably the somewhat shoddy controller support (I have a PS4 controller) and some issues with using the jetpack.”
grinding
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players note that the sequel has significantly improved the grinding experience compared to the original, with enhanced visuals, streamlined 3D platforming, and clearer objectives. The game is also shorter, allowing for a more engaging experience without the tedium often associated with grinding. However, some feel that the guidance provided can be overly simplistic.
optimization
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game is noted for its good performance, indicating effective optimization that allows for smooth gameplay.
- “The game's optimization is impressive, providing smooth performance even on lower-end hardware.”
- “I was pleasantly surprised by how well-optimized the game is; it runs flawlessly without any noticeable lag.”
- “The developers have done a fantastic job with optimization, ensuring a seamless experience across various platforms.”