Planetship
- September 24, 2015
- LaserWzzrd Games
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam"Planetship" is a single-player action game with striking visuals, where you embark on a 4-hour journey to find a new home for humanity. As the ship's consciousness, navigate through chaotic space to locate a habitable planet, while battling unforeseen challenges. The game offers a unique blend of excitement and relaxation, with a dash of dark humor.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- The game features unique and trippy visuals that create an immersive experience.
- There are interesting encounters and a quirky sense of humor that some players find enjoyable.
- The game has potential for deeper resource management and crafting mechanics, which could enhance gameplay.
- The game suffers from poor menu design and a lack of clear instructions, making it confusing for players.
- There are significant bugs, including issues with saving progress and interface glitches that disrupt gameplay.
- The gameplay loop is repetitive and lacks substance, leading to a feeling of aimlessness and boredom.
- graphics11 mentions
- 73 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are praised for their trippy visuals, vibrant colors, and interesting effects, creating an engaging aesthetic that draws players in. However, some reviewers note that the visuals can become repetitive and may distract from gameplay due to the complexity of information players must process. Overall, while the game showcases a strong artistic vision, it struggles to balance its visual appeal with gameplay mechanics.
“Overall a good experience with neat visuals and a lot of potential.”
“Particularly as a VR title, this had a pretty good aesthetic to it that drew me in.”
“This game is wonderful primarily for its trippy visuals.”
“I really wanted to like this game based on the trailers, my appreciation for abstract science fiction, and some of the review comments, but there's too much of a disconnect between the gameplay and the aesthetics for me.”
“If a game wants to indulge in trippy visuals, I would prefer it to limit both the amount and complexity of information that needs to be digested in order to make choices in-game.”
“Definitely has a great amount of trippy stuff, nice colors, and nice effects, though they are a bit far in between (as are some of the random events) if you're expecting one after another visuals.”
- gameplay9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay is criticized for being bland and lacking substance, with a frustratingly simplistic loop that fails to engage players. While the writing and random events are appreciated, the game suffers from inadequate tutorials and guidance on mechanics, leading to confusion during play. Despite an interesting premise and visuals, the overall experience is hindered by overly complex mechanics and a lack of meaningful gameplay depth.
“Some tutorial levels and more guided instruction as opposed to the single panel prior to gameplay would have helped.”
“Overall, a good idea and premise with some interesting visuals that's bogged down by overly rigorous game mechanics for my taste.”
“Gameplay is so simple (I deduce after .5 hours of playtime) but Mr. Lawrence's dedication to this game emanates from the planetship.”
“The grinding aspect of the elements might have had a redeeming value in there, but unfortunately the gameplay loop is just too bland and the overall experience is just not very substantive.”
“But to me that just covers up the very boring gameplay.”
“I can appreciate the need for trial and error as part of the learning curve for games, but there is a serious lack of breadcrumbs regarding some basic mechanics in this game: the single screen with instructions informs players of how to operate weapons on the ship, yet pressing the mouse key did nothing when the planetship was under attack.”
- humor5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its quirky writing and clever references to classic sci-fi literature and films, often poking fun at outdated perceptions of space travel from the 60s and 70s. Players appreciate the unique blend of humor and engaging gameplay, highlighting the fun and interesting encounters throughout the experience. Overall, the game's comedic elements contribute significantly to its charm and appeal.
“The writing is quirky, funny, and the music is 10/10.”
“Not only that, but there are very cool references to old school (and I mean old school) sci-fi books and films, as well as funny jokes regarding how humanity thought space travel would be back in the 60s-70s.”
“It is a fun and unique space exploration game with procedural generation, good humor, and interesting encounters.”
- story4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's story is criticized for its lack of depth, coherence, and meaningful plot hooks, leaving players feeling disconnected from their actions. While there are random encounters and some humorous references, they feel arbitrary and do not align well with the initial premise, resulting in a disjointed narrative experience. Overall, the story serves merely as a backdrop for resource management rather than a compelling driving force.
“With no real story to speak of, plot hooks, or any reason to your actions that I could identify.”
“I'd have preferred if the spontaneous (and seemingly arbitrary) random encounters had a similar feel to the introduction story (something more like 2001 or Solaris), but the reference-filled humor felt out of place with the premise that had been set up.”
“This is one of those gather resources to keep the colony alive with some random story elements.”
- music4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for its immersive and trippy qualities, reminiscent of Boards of Canada, making it a perfect fit for fans of psychedelic art. Reviewers highlight the quirky writing and the way the soundtrack enhances the gameplay experience, with the planet and sun pulsing in sync with the music. Overall, it receives a perfect score for its captivating audio.
“The writing is quirky and funny, and the music is 10/10.”
“It's really a trippy solo player game; I like how your planet and the sun pulse to the awesome music.”
“Great immersive soundtrack.”
“The music feels like it was designed for stoners and fans of psychedelic art, but it lacks depth and variety.”
“The soundtrack is reminiscent of Boards of Canada, but it doesn't capture the same magic or emotional resonance.”
“While the music attempts to create an atmosphere, it often falls flat and becomes repetitive.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and unengaging, with a bland gameplay loop that detracts from the overall experience. The requirement to perform repetitive tasks, such as translating with aliens, adds to the frustration, especially in the absence of a save feature, making the grinding feel even more burdensome.
“The grinding aspect of the elements might have had a redeeming value, but unfortunately the gameplay loop is just too bland and the overall experience is not very substantive.”
“There's a slider you have to use to translate with aliens; I'd say it got a little tedious.”
“I'm not certain there's a way to save at this point, which makes grinding less palatable.”
- stability1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviews regarding stability are mixed, with some users suggesting that the game may run smoothly, though there is a lack of definitive consensus on its overall performance.
