Planet Explorers
- November 8, 2016
- Pathea Games
- 28h median play time
Planet Explorers is an open-world sandbox adventure game set on a distant planet. Players can build and customize their own tools, vehicles, and structures, while also gathering resources, completing missions, and fighting alien creatures. The game features a dynamic story generation system, allowing for a unique experience with each playthrough.
Reviews
- The creation system is complex and allows for a high degree of customization for weapons, vehicles, and buildings.
- The game offers a vast open world with various biomes to explore, providing a sense of adventure.
- The story mode is engaging and provides a unique narrative experience compared to other sandbox games.
- The game is riddled with bugs and performance issues, making it feel unfinished.
- Multiplayer functionality has been removed, leaving the game primarily as a single-player experience.
- The user interface and controls are clunky and unintuitive, leading to a frustrating gameplay experience.
- story1,406 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting that while the narrative is engaging and offers a unique sci-fi premise, it suffers from numerous bugs and incomplete quests that can hinder progress. Players appreciate the freedom to explore and build within the story, but often find the escort missions and quest mechanics frustrating due to AI issues and unclear objectives. Overall, while the story has potential and is enjoyable for some, it is marred by technical problems and a lack of polish, leaving many players hoping for future updates to enhance the experience.
“The story mode is engaging, the characters memorable and relatable.”
“The story is interesting, the world is immersive, and it's just plain cool.”
“The story mode has the feel of classic sci-fi novels such as 'Dragon's Dawn', with a story of surviving on a new alien world while trying to develop a colony, yet there are large threats looming that will threaten all you work to build.”
“This 'game' is little more than a sandbox with broken entities, half-baked towns, and a very short and broken story that doesn't make sense.”
“The main story is a buggy mess and things will often go wrong or just not really make sense.”
“The story mode is nothing like the trailer movies here on Steam; you can't really explore without getting your followers or escort NPCs stuck all the time, and in story mode, 90% of the missions are just that: escort missions, run here and pick up that NPC and run there to pick up that other NPC and then back here, getting really boring after a while.”
- graphics394 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting that they appear dated and lack polish, often comparing them unfavorably to more modern titles. While some appreciate the unique art style and find the visuals charming, others criticize the performance issues, graphical glitches, and overall lack of optimization, which can detract from the gameplay experience. Despite these shortcomings, there are players who enjoy the aesthetic and believe the graphics are adequate for the game's creative and expansive sandbox elements.
“The graphics are beautiful and unique, the story flows well and I never seem to get tired of mining and crafting.”
“The graphics are great, it is very well optimized (at least single player), and the combat isn't amazing but is still fun.”
“The graphics are stunningly beautiful, and the gameplay is largely intuitive.”
“This game feels very empty, the landscapes are very bare even on the highest settings, it is clunky to control the character and camera, and the animations and graphics are very rough.”
“Graphics are just so terrible that it hurts; it's so badly optimized I had to put everything to the lowest setting available to get 30fps (and I have a Xeon 6 core with a 750ti and 24GB of RAM).”
“The graphics are monotonous and look like they are 10 years old.”
- gameplay328 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this game has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its creative building mechanics and potential for exploration, while others criticize its clunky controls, unfinished systems, and lack of polish. Although some mechanics are engaging and offer hours of fun, numerous bugs and tedious tasks detract from the overall experience, leading to a perception of the game as incomplete or frustrating. Overall, while the game shows promise and can be enjoyable, it requires significant improvements to reach its full potential.
“The gameplay is enticing with a great work-to-reward ratio.”
“Overall, the gameplay is vast, rich, and addicting.”
“The gameplay is fun; even the crafting isn't bad.”
“Unfortunately, I bought this game, got stuck within minutes, and had to deal with the worst music and gameplay I have ever seen to date. Just go mod Minecraft; you'll have more fun and more updates than this game will.”
“A fundamentally flawed game; everything you do feels painfully slow, its mechanics are uncreative and clunky, and it's just not a fun game to play.”
“What looked like a promising game turned out to be a total gameplay disaster, early access game or not.”
- stability226 mentions
- 4 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 96 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous users reporting it as "buggy," "unfinished," and "abandoned." Many players experience frequent glitches, crashes, and game-breaking issues, particularly in multiplayer and questing, leading to frustration and a sense of being misled about the game's readiness. While some users note that certain modes, like the main story, are less buggy, the overall consensus is that the game remains in a rough state, lacking the polish expected from a completed title.
“Runs great, immersive, great quality, and entertaining.”
“With that said, the one 'campaign' that ships with the game, while not 100% bug free (and how many games are 100% bug free these days?), is pretty well done. The terrain is well made, the progression is steady, and it doesn't take long to learn how to play and to reach your goals.”
“Unlike a lot of Steam Early Access games, this isn't too buggy.”
“This game is an unfinished buggy mess and abandoned; I feel ripped off by this company since they made it free to play.”
“Game was never finished; no self-respecting developer should release an unfinished, buggy, unpolished mess like this.”
“It's still a buggy mess; you've got a launcher that has some ugly default UI too.”
- music165 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its beauty and atmospheric qualities, particularly in the title screen and biome-specific tracks. However, many criticize the repetitiveness and lack of variety, leading to a desire for more diverse soundscapes. Overall, while the soundtrack has its highlights, it often detracts from the experience due to its monotony and occasional poor execution.
“The title screen song is one of my favorites of any game.”
“The soundtrack is well-composed, the gameplay is smooth and fun, and the missions in story don't get too boring because multiple characters get introduced.”
“The music is beautifully amazing, full orchestra.”
“Unfortunately, I bought this game, got stuck within minutes, and had to deal with the worst music and gameplay I have ever seen to date. Just go mod Minecraft; you'll have more fun and have more updates than this game will.”
“The music is extremely loud and drowns out everything else, even if you turn it down.”
“The music is repetitive, and I hope it's a placeholder - but the choice of music, even if it's sparse, at least was a good one.”
- optimization104 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 36 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with many users reporting significant performance issues, including stuttering, low frame rates, and poor resource management, even on high-end systems. While some players manage to run it reasonably well, the overall consensus is that it remains unpolished and requires substantial improvements to enhance gameplay experience. Despite its potential and unique features, the lack of optimization detracts from the enjoyment, making it difficult for many to recommend without reservations.
“With a fair bit more polish, optimization, content, and general improvements, this game really shows a lot of promise, rocketing past its slow period.”
“If you're looking for a game where you can explore, gather, craft, design & build at your own pace without worrying about frantic optimization and balance, this game is for you.”
“The game is good; it's not the best, it's not well optimized, and it will appeal to a certain audience, so yeah.”
“The game was left in a janky state, with performance problems, lack of final polish, easily broken quests (though they are also in turn easy to fix, no game breakers here), a story that's left forever in a cliffhanger, and so on.”
“Horrible stuttering, on a good PC with graphics set to minimum, fps goes from 90 to 30 - which is a lie, everything stutters; that's not 30 fps, that's zero for a second.”
“This game is not optimized; it is poorly optimized, making your average gaming PC perform poorly.”
- grinding82 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 1 % neutral mentions
- 99 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience. While some appreciate the balance in resource gathering and crafting, many criticize the tediousness of mining and farming mechanics, which can feel overly repetitive and time-consuming. The game offers a variety of activities, but the grind can detract from the enjoyment, especially when it comes to completing quests and managing resources.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Grinding is an essential part of the game that keeps you engaged.”
“The grind is rewarding and makes the journey feel worthwhile.”
“The grinding is annoyingly long and boring but somewhat fun at the same time.”
“The amount of grinding and digging for what ore you actually get is a joke.”
“There is way too much grinding, too far distance between objectives, and way too much micromanaging.”
- atmosphere31 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is frequently praised for its enchanting and immersive qualities, with vivid graphics and a captivating soundtrack that enhance the experience. However, some players note inconsistencies, such as moments where sound and ambiance drop out, detracting from the overall immersion. While many find the atmosphere engaging and reminiscent of other beloved titles, others feel it lacks life and activity, leading to a somewhat dull experience at times.
“The atmosphere is amazing.”
“With gorgeous visuals, solid gameplay and an eerie, engrossing atmosphere, Planet Explorers is an adventure I urge you to undertake!”
“More than anything, I love the atmosphere of this game, kind of like the equivalent of a 'feel good' movie without getting overly sappy.”
“World has no atmosphere, as in no life, nothing happening.”
“Nothing really happening in the atmosphere.”
“For all its alpha-stage clunkiness, the game regularly pulls off moments of sheer wonder (the art design does triumph over the so-so graphics) and somehow manages to throw survivalist challenges at the player while still maintaining a serene, natural atmosphere that tugs at your curiosity.”
- humor23 mentions
- 96 % positive mentions
- 4 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding it genuinely hilarious due to absurd character interactions and quirky bugs, while others criticize the cheesy voice acting and poorly executed mechanics as unintentional comedy. Many reviews highlight moments of laughter stemming from clunky animations and ridiculous scenarios, such as NPCs getting stuck and needing to be "teleported." Overall, the humor can be entertaining for those who appreciate its chaotic and often flawed nature, though it may not resonate with everyone.
“After laughing to the point that I nearly died, I had to end the stream.”
“The game is just ridiculously funny.”
“I find it interesting, different, and quite funny that you begin the game with meat as the currency until your colony is built.”
“The game is filled with funny bugs that often distract from the overall experience.”
“While the humor attempts to be quirky, it often falls flat due to poorly executed jokes.”
“The comedic elements feel forced and fail to resonate, making the humor feel more like a chore than a delight.”
- replayability22 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- 86 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability through its world generator and adventure mode, which provide unique experiences with each playthrough. While some players find the solitary nature of certain modes limiting, the inclusion of multiplayer options and mod support enhances the overall replay value. However, there are concerns about the sustainability of quests and the need for more content to fully realize its potential.
“It's just an extension of the main story mechanism, without the constraints of the story beats, and infinitely replayable thanks to the world generator.”
“The creatures are amazing and story mode actually provides a good story while adventure mode generates unique maps for replayability.”
“No other game I have seen on Steam is as good as this; it has everything the average gamer needs, and the possibilities are almost endless with great replayability.”
“The replay value, however, still needs quite a bit of work.”
“This solitary player presence affected the replayability of this mode since it gets boring to play around as the only living creature in these huge worlds.”
“The quests are typical 'do my laundry then find 800 copper,' which actually isn't so bad at the start but clearly it's not a sustainable model of replayability.”
- monetization14 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 86 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has been heavily criticized, with many users labeling it a "cash grab" due to its unfinished state and the developers' focus on creating a sequel instead of improving the current game. Players express concerns about potential microtransactions and the transition to a free-to-play model, which they perceive as a tactic to attract new players while neglecting existing ones. Overall, the sentiment reflects frustration over perceived exploitation and lack of accountability from the developers and the platform.
“No wrap-around, and no microtransactions needed; anyone can quite literally build (or download) for themselves anything they can imagine while in the game.”
“I'm waiting for the microtransactions and an in-game shop to drop at any moment now...”
“Another cash grab game, abandoned so they can make a sequel and sell that instead, which will obviously be in early access for 3 years and then abandoned to make a third installment.”
“Unfinished crap that was another early access cash grab.”
“To add insult to injury, in their statement about the lack of interest in fixing the lobby-based multiplayer, they even announced they will soon start work on a sequel... ('Hey, we killed multiplayer for this game... but make sure to buy the next part!') and as 'compensation' for their previous players, they switched the game to free-to-play, which sounds more like an advertisement to newer players to play the first game so they buy the sequel when it comes out.”
- emotional7 mentions
- 86 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
Players express a mix of disappointment and nostalgia regarding the emotional aspect of the game. While some find joy in its vibrant visuals and the emotional connection it fosters, others feel let down by the gameplay mechanics and lack of content, leading to a sense of frustration rather than fulfillment. Overall, the emotional experience is described as uneven, with moments of beauty overshadowed by clunky gameplay and a lack of engaging narrative.
“Made me feel like Tony Stark... sans the drinking problem.”
“Points given back because of the emotional connection I have with the game, with its vibrant colors and beautiful sights.”
“This left my character emotionally and physically unbalanced, which forced me to build him a hospital to recover in.”
“With a name like Planet Explorers, you would expect more than one planet, but there's only one, and it's boring. The story mode is broken, and free roam is instantly over; either you can find all the resources you need in 30 minutes or less, or you can't find anything at all.”
- character development5 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, the character development in the game is praised for its engaging design, interesting voice acting, and a compelling storyline that surpasses expectations for a sandbox title. However, some players feel that the story mode lacks depth and immersion, suggesting that the dialogue could be improved to enhance the overall character experience.
“Great story and character development not normally found in a sandbox... the storyline in many ways is even better than Firefall's.”
“Personal opinion: the game has nice character development and interesting voice acting.”
“+ great character design and graphics.”
“The 'story' mode needs more narrative depth and character development; I cannot stress enough that there needs to be more story in story mode.”
“Character development feels shallow and uninspired, leaving me disconnected from the characters and their journeys.”
“The lack of meaningful character arcs makes it hard to invest in the story or care about the outcomes.”