Lifeless Moon
- August 10, 2023
- Stage 2 Studios
- 6h median play time
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.
Get on SteamIn "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.
PC
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- The game features an interesting and mind-bending story that keeps players engaged and thinking even after completion.
- The atmosphere, visuals, and soundtrack are well-crafted, providing a beautiful and immersive experience.
- Improvements in gameplay mechanics and clarity of objectives compared to its predecessor, Lifeless Planet, make for a more enjoyable 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 an over-reliance on reading notes and logs that disrupts the flow of exploration.
- Despite some visual improvements, the graphics and overall polish still feel dated and rough around the edges, which detracts from the experience.
- story128 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. However, many reviewers noted that the narrative can feel fragmented and underdeveloped, often relying on scattered notes for exposition, which may leave players confused. While some appreciated the game's unique ideas and immersive soundtrack, others criticized its brevity and lack of clarity, suggesting that the story could benefit from a more cohesive structure and deeper exploration.
“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 - have read some reviews that it didn't make sense but have to disagree, it all fits together and a pretty good science fiction premise underlying what is going on.”
“The story is well written and the planet that you traverse on is beautiful.”
“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!!”
- music66 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 5 % 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 criticize it for feeling disjointed or generic at times. Some players noted that the soundtrack effectively changes with the context of scenes, creating an immersive experience, although there were instances where the music felt out of place. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a highlight, contributing significantly to the game's atmosphere and emotional impact.
“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 good: just like with LP, Lifeless Moon has a fantastic soundtrack that really sets the mood for the story and the level as you set out across the moon.”
“Music feels stock.”
“The music feels disjointed and out of place at times, almost tone deaf to the game itself.”
“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.”
- graphics52 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising their immersive quality and breathtaking visuals, while others criticize them as dated or rough, particularly in comparison to modern standards. Many players appreciate the atmospheric design and detail, though some find the reliance on signposting and hotspots frustrating. Overall, while the graphics are generally considered good for a lower-budget title, they vary significantly in quality and execution across different aspects of the game.
“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.”
- atmosphere38 mentions
- 74 % positive mentions
- 18 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive qualities, combining eerie visuals, a haunting soundtrack, and a compelling story that evokes feelings of hidden danger and unease. While some players find the game too short, they agree that the atmospheric elements create a memorable experience, reminiscent of classic titles. Overall, it is recommended for those who appreciate slow-paced, atmospheric gameplay.
“Despite this, the atmosphere, music, and story left a deep impression on me.”
“To me, just the combination of the visual style and the atmosphere is a more than sufficient reason to try this game out.”
“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.”
- gameplay30 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Lifeless Moon" is characterized as basic and straightforward, primarily focusing on exploration with minimal mechanics, akin to a walking simulator. While it features improved traversal and visuals compared to its predecessor, the frequent interruptions from the journal and the lack of challenge detract from the overall experience, leaving some players disappointed despite the game's intriguing narrative potential.
“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.”
“Eerie, beautiful, and well-driven story just like 'lifeless planet', but big improvements on removing unfun mechanics like the air refills + the jumping and traversal is more polished than 'planet'.”
“The gameplay is solid, which mainly revolves around exploration that features radio transmissions, notes, and the environment telling the story here.”
“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.”
“But from the beginning I wasn't having fun; the notebook disturbs the flow of the gameplay every 20 seconds or so.”
“So the gameplay becomes 'run a few feet and open a note'.”
- emotional6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its mysterious and thrilling narrative, which evokes strong emotions and empathy. However, some players feel that the characters lack familiarity, preventing the emotional resonance of the settings from fully impacting them. Overall, the story is noted for its succinctness and emotional depth.
“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.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game exhibits stability issues, including bugs and glitches, particularly with controller support and jetpack mechanics, which can affect gameplay. Despite these challenges, players still find the experience enjoyable, though the overall graphical quality is considered rough.
“It's very short, around 2.5/3 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 shonky controller support (I have a PS4 controller) and some issues with using the jetpack.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players note that the sequel significantly reduces grinding compared to the original, offering improved visuals and streamlined 3D platforming that enhances clarity and engagement. The game is shorter yet more packed with content, making the experience feel less tedious and more rewarding.
- optimization2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game is generally praised, with users reporting good performance throughout their experience.
“The optimization in this game ensures smooth performance, allowing for an immersive experience.”
“I was impressed by the game's optimization; it runs flawlessly even on lower-end hardware.”
“The developers have done a fantastic job with optimization, resulting in minimal lag and quick load times.”
