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 psychedelic experience.
- There are humorous and quirky random events that add charm and entertainment to the gameplay.
- The crafting system and resource management have potential, allowing for exploration and experimentation in a procedurally generated universe.
- The game lacks a clear tutorial or guidance, leaving players confused about objectives and controls.
- There are significant bugs, including issues with saving progress and interface glitches that disrupt gameplay.
- The gameplay loop can feel repetitive and unengaging, with limited direction and a lack of meaningful progression.
- graphics17 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 24 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by trippy visuals and a vibrant color palette, which many players find appealing, especially in a VR context. However, some reviewers note that the indie-level graphics can feel repetitive and may distract from gameplay due to their complexity. Overall, while the aesthetic is praised for its creativity, it can be overwhelming and may not resonate with all players.
“Particularly as a VR title, this had a pretty good aesthetic to it that drew me in, and I had an interesting two sessions of about 30 minutes each.”
“Visuals are excellent.”
“This game is wonderful primarily for its trippy visuals; however, the game does not save where you've left off, causing you to have to start a new search every time you choose to play this game.”
“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.”
“It feels very crowded even though it really isn’t, and I’m not a fan of these sorts of visuals unless it’s for a short period or if I feel that it actually adds something to the game.”
- gameplay11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been criticized for being bland and lacking substance, with a repetitive loop that fails to engage players. While some appreciate the writing and random events, many feel that the mechanics are poorly explained, leading to frustration, especially with freezing issues during extended play. Overall, the game presents an interesting premise but is hindered by simplistic gameplay and insufficient guidance for players.
“Some tutorial levels and more guided instruction as opposed to the single panel prior to gameplay would have helped.”
“Gameplay is so simple (I deduced after 0.5 hours of playtime) but Mr. Lawrence's dedication to this game emanates from the planetship.”
“Worldship/planetship enhancements -- some already exist, but I mean visible changes that could also affect gameplay, such as satellites which could increase scanning time and expand mineral radar radius, among other things.”
“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.”
- humor11 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is characterized by a quirky, postmodern style reminiscent of classic B-movie sci-fi, featuring intelligent and cryptic writing. Players encounter a variety of funny events and references to old-school sci-fi, all while navigating a psychedelic universe filled with randomness and charm. Overall, the humor adds a unique and entertaining layer to the space exploration experience.
“A distinctive writing style that is highlighted with a cryptic and always intelligent sense of humor.”
“The meat of the game is 6 degrees of freedom movement through a bunch of psychedelic procedurally generated solar systems, collecting resources, encountering random events, and stumbling into lots of B-movie sci-fi stuff played mostly for humor.”
“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.”
- music9 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives high praise for its immersive and mesmerizing quality, particularly the electronic soundtrack by Erik Kowalski (Casino Versus Japan), which enhances the dreamy landscapes and overall experience. However, some players find the repetitive sci-fi radio signal annoying, especially during longer play sessions. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's atmosphere.
“A creative use of light for imagining dreamy landscapes that works in conjunction with a mesmerizing electronic soundtrack composed by Casino Versus Japan, the artistic name for Erik Kowalski.”
“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.”
“Music and sound effects are okay, but the random repetitive sci-fi radio signal gets annoying really quickly since this game is quite long, even on the lowest difficulty.”
“...now for stoners, fans of psychedelic art, or big fans of music that sounds like Boards of Canada?”
“The electronic soundtrack composed by Casino Versus Japan, the artistic name for Erik Kowalski, is mesmerizing, but it may not appeal to everyone.”
- story7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The game's story is criticized for its lack of depth and coherence, with players noting the absence of a compelling plot or meaningful context for their actions. While the premise involves piloting a ship after losing one's body, the narrative is largely conveyed through disjointed dialogue and random encounters that feel arbitrary and disconnected from the initial setup. The use of nostalgic sci-fi references adds humor but detracts from the overall thematic consistency.
“In this game, your whole body was destroyed, leaving you just the brain so you can pilot a ship to survive space travel in a procedurally generated universe.”
“In the background, there's constant chatter taken from old sci-fi movies (Shatner features prominently, of course) and what sounds like real-life NASA mission control recordings.”
“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.”
“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 because all you are shown is a dialog window with a little story and then a few options you can choose from.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and lacking in substance, with a bland gameplay loop that diminishes its redeeming qualities. The requirement to perform repetitive tasks, such as translating with aliens, adds to the frustration, especially in the absence of a save feature that could alleviate the grind.
“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.
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players generally find the game's replayability to be high, citing various factors such as multiple endings, diverse character choices, and dynamic gameplay elements that encourage repeated playthroughs. The length of the game also contributes positively, as many feel that the time invested is rewarded with new experiences upon replaying. Overall, the game offers substantial replay value that keeps players engaged long after the initial completion.
“The game lacks meaningful choices, making replaying it feel like a chore rather than an adventure.”
“Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to dive back in; the side quests are repetitive and uninspired.”
“Despite the initial excitement, the game offers very little variation in gameplay on subsequent playthroughs.”
