Shattered Planet
- July 3, 2014
- Kitfox Games
- 18h median play time
A simple, bite-sized game that will still eat your face, but many levels shallower than its rivals.
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Android
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Reviews
- The game features a charming sci-fi setting with beautiful graphics and a humorous tone, making it visually appealing and entertaining.
- Shattered Planet offers a simple yet addictive gameplay loop, where players can enjoy exploring randomly generated levels and discovering new items and enemies.
- The clone system allows for a unique mechanic where players can learn from their deaths and improve their chances in subsequent runs, providing a sense of progression.
- The game lacks depth and complexity, with limited character customization and repetitive gameplay that can become boring after a short time.
- Many players feel that the game is overly simplistic, with a grind-heavy progression system that does not reward skill or strategy effectively.
- As a mobile port, the game suffers from a lack of content and features compared to other roguelikes, leading to a feeling of emptiness and limited replayability.
- gameplay142 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Shattered Planet" is characterized as simple and repetitive, often described as a standard roguelike with a basic loop of exploration and item collection. While some players appreciate its casual nature and unique mechanics, many criticize the lack of depth, variety, and meaningful choices, leading to a grindy experience that can become tedious over time. Overall, the game offers a visually appealing but mechanically shallow experience that may not satisfy fans of more complex roguelikes.
“Shattered Planet is a fun distillation of game mechanics with just enough story to provide motive and add to the fun.”
“Simple in concept but surprisingly deep gameplay.”
“The core gameplay loop is simple - click to move, click to attack, and wander around the map discovering new items, enemies, and events.”
“Yes, it has tons of weapons and items, but they have no purpose and have nearly 0 impact on gameplay.”
“This basically means that the main gameplay loop is: buy crap, start a run, die and repeat step one over and over until you just throw up your hands and uninstall the game out of sheer disgust and boredom, and the game doesn't provide enough variety to prevent that from happening.”
“In the end, the game relies a lot on grinding and doesn't offer enough variety or gameplay depth to back it up.”
- story106 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The story in "Shattered Planet" is generally considered minimal and lacking depth, serving primarily as a backdrop for gameplay rather than a driving force. Players take on the role of expendable clones exploring an alien planet, but many find the narrative unsatisfying and repetitive, with no significant conclusion or character development. While some appreciate the simplistic lore and the concept of cloning, the overall consensus is that the game prioritizes mechanics and engagement over a compelling storyline.
“Shattered Planet is a fun distillation of game mechanics with just enough story to provide motive and add to the fun.”
“The story is interesting, and the concept of playing as a series of clones, sent to your sure death in the name of science and exploration, is pretty great.”
“Setting: from your starship orbiting a strange unsurveyed planet, you take on the role of an expendable clone created to conduct exploration missions and discover what is on the planet below.”
“There are a total of 5 campaigns you can pick from: a daily challenge, the main exploration mode, and 3 story-based 'dungeons' presented in a quasi-episodic format, but none of them bring it to a satisfying conclusion, meaning that the whole thing is left completely unsolved, and the search for the cure becomes nothing more than an excuse for there to be a game to begin with.”
“The story is basically nonexistent, and those hungering for some sort of story to latch onto will find themselves clinging to the pathetic shreds of the missions.”
“Now I do think, however, that the game lacks a driving plot that gives the player the initiative to move forward.”
- graphics72 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their clean, well-drawn art style and charming aesthetics, contributing positively to the overall atmosphere. While some reviewers note that the graphics are basic or lack depth, many appreciate the polished visuals and unique design elements, suggesting that with further development, the game could reach its full potential. Overall, the graphics are considered solid for the genre, though they may not stand out in a competitive market.
“The graphics are delightfully clean, and the storyline, whilst simplistic, is a nice change from the genre's usual dark lord in a dungeon clichés.”
“Graphics: clean isometric environments come together with soft, painterly-esque textures and crisp characters to make for an interesting but pleasing-to-the-eye adventure.”
“The engine and art style are fantastic, so they really could do great things with this game if they continue to support it.”
“It's a bit of a cheap-feeling game as well, with stiff vector graphics animated in flash style and a pretty limited spread of enemies to face.”
“And that graphics and sound are, in my personal opinion, bad, sealed the deal for me.”
“The graphics are what they look like in the pictures.”
- grinding62 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight that grinding is a central aspect of the game, often leading to a repetitive and formulaic experience. While some players find enjoyment in the grind as part of the rogue-like charm, many express frustration with the excessive grinding required to progress, which can feel tedious and lacking in variety. Overall, the game appeals to those who appreciate grinding for character advancement, but it may deter players seeking a more dynamic gameplay experience.
“Repetitive, grindy, formulaic, not fun.”
“In the end, the game relies a lot on grinding and doesn't offer enough variety or gameplay depth to back it up.”
“Overall, I can't recommend this game to enthusiasts of rogue-likes because this game is too grindy.”
- humor44 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its humor, featuring witty item descriptions, amusing boss dialogues, and a light-hearted tone that enhances the gameplay experience. While some find the humor to be subtle and clever, others criticize it as overly obnoxious or cringy. Overall, players appreciate the blend of humor with engaging mechanics, making it an entertaining roguelike adventure.
“It's 'smart humor' for the most part: stuff that doesn't jump out and smack you in the face, but that strikes you about three minutes after you see it, causing you to facepalm and laugh.”
“The game has some humorous aspects to it in the form of your boss’ dialogue and the zany items.”
“A simple, fun roguelike with excellent art and a sense of humor.”
- music30 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, described as tranquil and fitting the game's atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience. While the ambient tracks are enjoyable and appropriately match the environments, some players noted issues with looping and volume inconsistencies during combat. Overall, the soundtrack is considered decent, contributing positively to the gameplay despite some minor flaws.
“The sound design is fine, especially the music which fits the coffee break chill of the game perfectly.”
“Tranquil and sometimes ominous music follows you on your travels, each pretty decently set to match your current environment which changes every few levels you progress through to mix it up and give you different enemies and events to find.”
“While its story isn't the most appealing, the gameplay aspect definitely compensates for any lack of background, and on top of that, the soundtrack is really good for this genre.”
“The fight music does sometimes make a jarring jump in volume compared to the other tracks, however.”
“Soundtrack & audio: a simple repeating melodic tune which changes when combat starts is the mainstay of the game's sound.”
“I would rate the game a 5/10, just for the art, music, and the experience I had in the first few hours.”
- replayability22 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The reviews present a mixed perspective on replayability, with some players praising the game for its significant longevity and satisfying rougelite experience, while others criticize it for lacking depth and variety, which are essential for roguelike games. Overall, while there are elements of customization and some replay value, many users feel that the game's simplistic mechanics limit its long-term appeal.
“Having a seemingly endless (and thoroughly satisfying) roguelite experience in spite of dying at steady intervals makes room for quite a bit of replay value that isn't likely to get stale.”
“A fun roguelike that gives you some feel of continuity and has a bit of replayability.”
“There is a massive amount of longevity and replayability in this game.”
“First of all, it lacks any kind of depth and replayability, which is a must for roguelike games.”
“But I still do not recommend it because of the lack of replayability and shallow mechanics.”
“This game, however, is very simplistic and is not a deep game with lots of variety or replay value, which is a hallmark of roguelike games.”
- monetization8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game features no microtransactions, which users appreciate, especially in contrast to other mobile games that rely heavily on them. Players enjoy the free tablet version, despite the presence of ads, and some have opted to purchase the PC version to support the developers. Overall, the monetization approach is seen as favorable, avoiding the pitfalls of excessive in-app purchases.
“I liked playing it on Android; since you can't use in-app purchases on the app, I decided to show my support by buying the PC version of the game.”
“- No microtransactions (like some candy-based match 3 games I won't mention by name).”
“While roguelike in the sense that you die and start over, it feels more like something that was meant to have microtransactions to add more to it but didn't, which would have been even worse.”
“While roguelike in the sense that you die and start over, it feels more like something that was meant to have microtransactions to add more to it but didn't (which would have been even worse).”
“I liked playing it on Android, since you can't use in-app purchases on the app. I decided to give my support by buying the PC version of the game.”
“The free tablet version of this game is amazing, definitely worth picking up if you don't mind ads.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its engaging sci-fi setting and pleasing graphics, which enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the randomized islands and the sense of exploration, noting that despite repetitive gameplay, the unique environments keep the experience fresh and satisfying.
“I like the atmosphere and the sci-fi setting, and although you keep doing the same thing over and over again, it is different every time and it feels satisfying to make progress.”
“The atmosphere is well done.”
“The graphics are pleasant, actually adding to the atmosphere of a game that would be almost just as enjoyable in ASCII.”
“You beam down from your tiny survey ship onto randomized islands suspended in the atmosphere, and wander around looking for the teleporter to the next bunch of islands.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The stability of "Shattered Planet" has been widely criticized, with many users reporting numerous bugs and glitches that hinder gameplay and prevent 100% completion. While some players find the game enjoyable despite these issues, the lack of updates and fixes from the developers has left many feeling frustrated and disappointed.
“To put it bluntly, Shattered Planet is one of the worst roguelikes I have ever had the displeasure to play. It's not worth the price at all, especially considering this is the first game made by Kitfox. They straight up abandoned it, leaving some items impossible to collect (making 100% completion not achievable if you are into that) and not fixing lots of bugs and glitches that plague the experience, either as minor annoyances or outright impeding your progress.”
“The game is riddled with bugs and glitches that significantly detract from the overall experience, making it frustrating to play.”
“Stability is a major issue; frequent crashes and unresponsive controls make it hard to enjoy the game.”
- character development2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is facilitated through a currency system earned during dungeon runs, allowing players to invest in upgrades and enhancements in a waiting area. Additionally, players can engage with a random item wheel to potentially acquire new items, adding an element of chance to character progression.
“When the player succumbs to their inevitable death, all items found in the dungeon are lost, though currency is found on each run to spend in the waiting area on upgrades and character development, or the player can spin a random item wheel with 3 potential tiers.”
“When the player succumbs to their inevitable death, all items found in the dungeon are lost, though currency is found on each run to spend in the waiting area on upgrades and character development.”
