Lovely Planet

A great, merciless speedrunning platformer and twitch shooter with a mediocre presentation.

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"Lovely Planet" is a first-person shooter game that takes players through vibrant, colorful levels. With a focus on precision and speed, players must quickly eliminate enemies and reach the end of each level. Featuring a minimalist art style and upbeat soundtrack, the game offers a charming and challenging experience for fans of the genre.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

79%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,134 reviews

music275 positive mentions

story17 negative mentions

music
495 mentions
56 % positive mentions
41 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its upbeat, catchy, and charming qualities, often compared to the soundtracks of beloved titles like Katamari Damacy. Many players find the soundtrack to be a highlight, enhancing the overall experience and helping to mitigate the game's challenging aspects, although some note that it can become repetitive over time. Overall, the combination of vibrant visuals and a delightful soundtrack creates a joyful atmosphere that keeps players engaged, even during frustrating moments.
- “The music really brings you into this simple but challenging game about running through a level and shooting enemies/targets to finish.”
- “The bright atmosphere and bubbly music make it genuinely pleasant to play, even when you get frustrated.”
- “The soundtrack is superb and keeps the energy flowing.”
- “Came here for the music, and left when the game got too agonizing.”
- “The upbeat music that drew me to the game has come to reinterpret itself as mocking due to how dreadfully out of place it sounds when you’re desperately trying to focus.”
- “The basic game premise is good but is hindered by awkward graphics, sound, and music.”
graphics
303 mentions
40 % positive mentions
58 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming, low-poly aesthetic reminiscent of titles like Katamari Damacy, featuring bright colors and a simplistic design that enhances gameplay clarity. While many players appreciate the cute and quirky visuals, some criticize the optimization and detail, noting that the graphics can feel overly simplistic or inconsistent at times. Overall, the art style is polarizing, with some finding it delightful and others viewing it as a hindrance to the experience.
- “This game is absolutely bursting at the seams with charm, but don't let the pastel low-poly graphics fool you, this game can be brutal.”
- “The graphics are my favorite thing about this game; it has such a weird abstract style with every enemy and friend being very distinct, and the minimal style really suits the game.”
- “The visuals are quirky and fantastic.”
- “I hate this art style with a passion; Operation Centerboard didn’t go far enough.”
- “The graphics need some more baking, even for a budget Katamari Damacy / Nobi Nobi tribute.”
- “The graphics are terrible.”
gameplay
243 mentions
41 % positive mentions
53 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Lovely Planet" is characterized by its minimalistic design, combining simple mechanics with challenging twitch-based decision-making, reminiscent of classic arcade games. While many players appreciate the gradual difficulty curve and engaging mechanics, some criticize the later levels for introducing frustrating elements, such as unfair mechanics and a lack of guidance, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the game is praised for its addictive nature, vibrant aesthetics, and a fun soundtrack that enhances the fast-paced gameplay.
- “The game does an excellent job slowly ramping up the difficulty, incorporating new mechanics and skills throughout.”
- “Super interesting and challenging gameplay with unique level designs that ramp up the difficulty slowly while teaching you new things.”
- “The gameplay is fun, fluid, and consistently harder with each level and area.”
- “However, I found the core gameplay to be too simplistic for my liking and thus I can only very weakly recommend it.”
- “The gameplay of this game isn't too complex; you defeat all enemies, don't shoot any buddies, and get to the end of the level. However, as World 4 comes around, homing bullets spawn in thin air and you have to react to them, which I found very irritating and didn't enjoy at all. The game never really explains mechanics, just throws them in without much guidance, leading to confusion.”
- “With unfair level designs and mechanics, cheap deaths around every corner, and unreasonable learning curves, 'Lovely Planet' is a game only for the 1% of players capable of actually completing it.”
story
70 mentions
13 % positive mentions
63 % neutral mentions
24 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely absent, with many reviews noting that it lacks any meaningful narrative or character development, making it more of a challenge-focused experience. While some players appreciate the straightforward gameplay and engaging mechanics, others feel that the absence of a story detracts from their motivation to progress. Overall, if you're seeking a rich narrative, this game may not meet your expectations.
- “It's amazing from its quick-paced FPS shooting to its not obvious in-your-face, but certainly there story line.”
- “A story about exterminating the reds to create Lovely Planet.”
- “If you like to take your time and enjoy a bit of a storyline, you should definitely look elsewhere.”
- “Basically, there is no story or any meaning behind it at all, as it seems.”
- “As the game states, there is no story or purpose as to why what is happening in the game is happening.”
- “Very repetitive, very unforgiving, instant death for any mistake, push, push, push and absolutely no story or development of any kind to give you any reason to care.”
humor
26 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its surreal and upbeat nature, featuring funny sound effects, cutesy art styles, and amusing gameplay elements like killing "angry boxes." Players appreciate the combination of a hilarious soundtrack and simple yet engaging mechanics, which contribute to a lighthearted and entertaining experience, even as the difficulty ramps up. Overall, the game is described as both funny and charming, making it a standout in the first-person shooter genre.
- “The feel is incredibly surreal and hilariously upbeat.”
- “Funny and cute FPS where you can kill angry boxes, lol.”
- “Boy was I surprised, probably the best first-person shooter experience I have had in a long time; it's fast, interesting, funny, and has an incredible soundtrack, for what is it, £3?”
replayability
20 mentions
30 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
15 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability, driven by the challenge of achieving perfect scores, uncovering secrets, and optimizing completion times. Players are encouraged to refine their skills and explore different routes through levels, making it suitable for time attack and speedrun enthusiasts. Overall, the combination of engaging level design and various gameplay incentives ensures that players can invest many hours into replaying the game.
- “There's lots of replayability; there are many secrets to be found in each world if you look hard enough.”
- “I feel like the game has an insane amount of replayability due to the fact that despite the levels being quote-unquote linear, you can basically take your own route to complete them.”
- “Plenty of replayability to achieve better times, find secrets, and 3-star every level.”
- “Lots of replay value (obviously made for time attack and speedrun).”
- “Smooth and fast paced with lots of replay value.”
atmosphere
19 mentions
47 % positive mentions
37 % neutral mentions
16 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a charming, wholesome vibe enhanced by a cheerful soundtrack and simplistic graphics, creating a relaxing and pleasant experience. However, while the bright and colorful environments initially captivate players, the lack of variety across worlds can lead to monotony, and the game's challenging nature contrasts sharply with its cheerful presentation. Overall, it successfully evokes a sense of childlike wonder, though this may diminish as gameplay progresses.
- “I get the appeal of it at the start, it has a very charming wholesome atmosphere and the gameplay is solid.”
- “The bright atmosphere and bubbly music make it genuinely pleasant to play, even when you get frustrated.”
- “Don't let the colorful cheerful atmosphere of the game fool you, you'll die several hundred times before ever completing the game.”
- “The answer is that it is the most hardcore intense shooter ever created and one of the most colorful and cheerful atmospheres I have ever had the privilege to play in.”
- “The basic graphics and the cheerful soundtrack come together to create a very happy atmosphere.”
grinding
18 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is described as a mix of frustrating repetition and challenging gameplay, often leading to a tedious experience due to unclear mechanics and difficult objectives. While some players appreciate the balance of trial and error and the satisfaction of mastering levels, many find the relentless nature of the grinding, particularly with the shooting mechanics and tight challenges, to be aggravating and detracting from overall enjoyment. Overall, the grinding can feel like a chore rather than a rewarding experience, with some players preferring more engaging alternatives.
- “Add-on the terrible aiming/shooting and the relentless grinding for extremely (sometimes ridiculously) tight stars, and the game becomes a frustrating, anti-fun experience.”
- “So close to being fun but just ends up being tedious with shooting falling apples making up 80% of the challenge.”
- “For others (like myself) it is a tedious exercise in rote learning and negative reinforcement.”
optimization
14 mentions
29 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
21 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is inconsistent; while some players report excellent performance with no frame drops, others experience issues even on low-spec machines despite the simple graphics. The focus on speedrunning and precise execution highlights the need for better optimization, as players aim for high scores based on performance.
- “The game is to be played like a speedrun where the main goal is to get from start to finish with the best overall performance you can achieve.”
- “The game doesn't seem particularly well-optimized, especially considering how overly simple the graphics are; I was surprised my laptop was actually having issues running it at 120fps when it doesn't have issues with games that are way more graphically intensive.”
- “Lovely Planet is an unexpectedly difficult game that is all about precise execution and optimization.”
- “A challenging platformer/shooter with a focus on speedrunning and optimization.”
emotional
14 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its charming and wholesome atmosphere, enhanced by vibrant colors and a delightful soundtrack, creating a comforting experience. Players report a strong emotional impact, with some expressing that it has made them cry multiple times, highlighting its ability to evoke deep feelings and serve as an emotional roller coaster. Overall, it is celebrated for its unique blend of joy and poignancy.
- “Made me cry a consecutive 8 times.”
- “This, the quirkiest and indiest of shooters, is a wonderful emotional roller coaster that picks you up as soon as it puts you down.”
- “Best emotional roller coaster 2014.”
stability
6 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Users report mixed experiences with stability, noting issues such as freezing mechanics that can immobilize characters temporarily and input problems with certain controllers and trackpads. While these bugs can lead to frustration, many find them manageable and solvable.
- “Even with a slightly buggy copycat PS2 controller and a somewhat buggy laptop trackpad, the trackpad doesn't register numerous left mouse button clicks in-game for some reason, making the firing mechanism a tad frustrating.”
- “Hell freezes over and you begin to lose your way.”
- “Ice that freezes you in place for a couple of seconds.”
character development
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game lacks depth in story and character design, offering little in terms of character development. However, it compensates with engaging gameplay and challenging levels.