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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Reviews
- The game features a charming art style and engaging graphics that enhance the overall experience.
- It offers a fun and addictive gameplay loop with a focus on exploration and discovery, making each run feel rewarding.
- The humor and quirky item descriptions add a lighthearted touch, making the game enjoyable and entertaining.
- The game lacks depth and complexity, leading to repetitive gameplay that can become tedious over time.
- There are significant balance issues, particularly with the effectiveness of certain items and the overall challenge level.
- The progression system can feel grindy, as players may need to repeatedly play to gather resources and upgrades, which can detract from the enjoyment.
- gameplay71 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 like the blight, many criticize the lack of depth, variety, and meaningful choices, leading to a grindy experience that can become tedious over time. Overall, it offers a visually appealing but mechanically shallow experience that may appeal to casual gamers but leaves genre enthusiasts wanting more.
“Shattered Planet is a fun distillation of game mechanics with just enough story to provide motive and add to the fun.”
“The core gameplay loop is simple - click to move, click to attack, and wander around the map discovering new items, enemies, and events.”
“Adorable art style and object references, smooth and interactive gameplay and UI, solid mechanics and RPG elements, it is a very enjoyable game.”
“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 items, start a run, die, and repeat until you throw up your hands and uninstall the game out of sheer disgust and boredom. 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.”
- story53 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 engage in missions as clones exploring a mysterious planet, but many feel the narrative is repetitive and unsatisfying, with no significant conclusion or character development. While some appreciate the simplistic sci-fi premise, the overall consensus is that the game prioritizes mechanics and challenges 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.”
- graphics36 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the clean, charming art style and polished visuals that enhance the overall experience. While some players appreciate the well-drawn and cute aesthetics, others note that the graphics can feel basic or cheap, lacking depth compared to competitors. Overall, the game's visuals are considered solid and enjoyable, contributing positively to its casual gameplay.
“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.”
“Graphics: the graphics are well-drawn and cute, if rather basic.”
- grinding31 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate that grinding is a central aspect of the game, often described as excessive and repetitive, leading to a tedious experience for some players. While some enjoy the grind as part of the fun and character advancement, many feel it detracts from the overall gameplay, lacking variety and depth. Overall, the game appeals to those who appreciate grinding in rogue-like settings, but may frustrate players seeking a more balanced 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.”
“The game's challenge really has nothing to do with how good you are at any point; it mostly has to do with grinding out scrap metal and crystals until you randomly purchase good enough gear to make it further, rinse, and repeat.”
- humor22 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is described as a blend of subtle and overt elements, featuring witty item descriptions, amusing boss dialogues, and a light-hearted tone that enhances the overall experience. While some players find the humor to be cringy or uninspired, many appreciate its cleverness and the way it adds charm to the gameplay. Overall, the humor is seen as a significant and enjoyable aspect, contributing to the game's addictive nature and entertainment value.
“It is easy to pick up, surprisingly humorous, and endlessly entertaining.”
“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.”
- music15 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, described as tranquil and fitting for the game's atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience without being intrusive. While the soundtrack features a simple, repetitive melodic tune that changes during combat, some players noted issues with volume inconsistencies and looping. Overall, the sound design complements the gameplay effectively, contributing positively to the game's ambiance.
“The sound design is fine, especially the music which fits the coffee break chill of the game perfectly.”
“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.”
“I would rate the game a 5/10, just for the art, music, and the experience I had in the first few hours.”
“The fight music does sometimes make a jarring jump in volume compared to the other tracks, however.”
“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.”
- replayability11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The reviews present a mixed perspective on replayability, with some players praising the game for its significant replay value and customization options, while others criticize it for lacking depth and variety, which are essential for roguelike games. Overall, while some find it enjoyable and satisfying for repeated playthroughs, others feel it falls short in providing a compelling reason to return.
“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.”
“Not much replay value.”
“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.”
- monetization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game features no microtransactions, which users appreciate, especially in contrast to other mobile games. Players enjoy the free tablet version, which includes ads, and some have opted to support the developers by purchasing the PC version. 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 support the game by buying the PC version.”
“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).”
“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.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its engaging sci-fi setting and pleasing graphics, which enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the randomized islands that create a sense of exploration and satisfaction, despite the repetitive gameplay.
“I like the atmosphere and the sci-fi setting; although you keep doing the same thing over and over again, it feels different every time and satisfying to make progress.”
“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.”
“The graphics are pleasant, actually adding to the atmosphere of a game that would be almost just as enjoyable in ASCII.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The stability of "Shattered Planet" has been criticized for being quite poor, with numerous bugs and glitches that can hinder gameplay and prevent 100% completion. While some players still find the game enjoyable despite these issues, the lack of updates and fixes from the developers has left many feeling frustrated.
“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 that significantly detract from the overall experience, making it frustrating to play.”
“Stability issues are rampant, causing frequent crashes and making it difficult to enjoy the game.”
- character development1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -300 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is facilitated through a currency system that allows players to spend resources on upgrades in the waiting area after each run, despite losing all items upon death. Additionally, players can enhance their characters by spinning a random item wheel, which offers three potential tiers of rewards.
“When the player succumbs to their inevitable death, all items found in the dungeon are lost. However, currency is earned on each run, which can be spent in the waiting area on upgrades and character development, or the player can spin a random item wheel with three potential tiers.”
“Character development feels shallow and uninspired, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
“The progression system is frustratingly limited, leaving little room for meaningful character growth.”
“I expected more depth in character development, but it feels like a missed opportunity.”
