3 years after Google shut down the studio behind this cult Metroidvania, they're back with a bigger, bolder sequel featuring a legally distinct evil megacorporation

GamesAdventure3 years after Google shut down the studio behind this cult Metroidvania, they’re back with a bigger, bolder sequel featuring a legally distinct evil megacorporationWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. GamesAdventure3 years after Google shut down the studio behind this cult Metroidvania, they’re back with a bigger, bolder sequel featuring a legally distinct evil megacorporationWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Raccoon Logic) The original Journey to the Savage Planet spent much of its runtime satirizing corporate overreach, which makes the ultimate fate of developer Typhoon Studios more than a little ironic. It was, after all, one of the initial acquisitionsGooglemade to build content under the Stadia banner - and one of the studios to be unceremoniously closed once the massive corporation decided to shut down the entire Stadia initiative it had invested so much money in. During a tour of the Raccoon Logic studio in Montreal, the devs emphasized a few times that the corporate entities in this universe are quite “legally distinct” from any of their own past employers. But it’s tough not to see years of frustration with big-scale game development pouring out in Revenge of the Savage Planet. No padded playtime, no games-as-a-service hooks, just a straight-up solo (or co-op) adventure that you can play through to a definitive ending. Per my last email (Image credit: Raccoon Logic) Revenge of the Savage Planet abandons the original game’s first-person perspective in favor of a third-person camera, but it’s still a 3D action-adventure game with Metroidvania-style progression, where you collect and craft upgrades that let you make it past the various obstacles in your way. But this time around, the devs have tried to offer more dynamic game systems to create some emergent chaos. There are, for example, slime monsters who’ll leave big trails of ooze wherever they go. You can slip on that ooze and so can other creatures, turning big fights into ridiculous skating sessions. You can also set the slime on fire, which has its own combat applications. The devs say they wanted to de-emphasize guns here, and while you can still very much shoot aggressive monsters, you’re going to be encouraged to find more creative ways to deal with problems. More like savage planet…s (Image credit: Raccoon Logic) These are just lists of features, though, and I’ve only seen a relatively brief, hands-off demo of Revenge of the Savage Planet, so I don’t know how they’ll all feel when they’re working together in concert. But it’s clear that the devs are doing everything they can to make this sequel bigger, broader, and deeper than the previous game. Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more The planets are more open-ended this time around, as rather than going down linear paths and finding dead ends there, you’ll instead be able to poke and prod at far more varied ways of moving forward – it’s like an ever expanding circle of explorable space. You’ll always have an objective marker pointing you toward your next big goal – and, in a major upgrade from the original game, you’ll also have a map – but you’re going to be strongly encouraged to explore every possible nook and cranny. The devs compared it to an N64-era Rare platformer, where the joy of the game is in exploring the world and finding all the hidden collectibles. (Image credit: Raccoon Logic) The sequel is being developed with a much larger budget, and it shows with how much more expansive and detailed the locations all appear. In contrast to the discrete zones of the first game, each planet has a fully contiguous map to explore, so while these aren’t full open-worlds you’ll have a lot more opportunity to see something neat in the distance and try to forge a path there. All the charmingly goofy humor is still in place here, from the Looney Tunes-level violence you inflict on the local wildlife to the occasionally grim corporate satire that hangs over everything. Then there are, you know, baboons with butts for faces – creatures that apparently had to be excised from the cover art thanks to ESRB restrictions. And most importantly – to me at least – the live-action FMV is back in full force, so look forward to a whole lot of utterly disgusting and extremely entertaining commercials. Check out all thebest Metroidvania gamesyou can play today, and don’t miss any of the most notableupcoming indie gamesfor 2024 and beyond. 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3 Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5 Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as 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first place” 5 Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”