Planet Alpha

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I play many platforming games, and although I am terrible at landing in the right places and staying alive, there is a certain appeal to the challenge that I can’t quite put into words. When I first saw the trailer for Planet Alpha, I knew that I had to try it out. I thought to myself: “This game is going to be spectacular if it is anything close to the graphics in this trailer”. And, let’s just say I was pleasantly surprised because it was really just as good.

Simply put, it’s colourful and spectacular, well worth the play-time.

Ultimately, Planet Alpha is a visual feast, featuring a fantastical sci-fi world and backed by a hauntingly atmospheric musical score. While it’s an old tale that treads over familiar ground, there’s plenty of new tricks to make it a rewarding playthrough.

For fleeting moments, Planet Alpha ran the risk of outstaying its welcome. There were times when areas felt too familiar, and sneaking past enemies got a little repetitive. It also felt a little unforgiving at times; with creatures a little too hostile, and areas a little too obtuse to navigate. But the moment a new scene unfolded before me, and I had to stop in awe to take a screenshot, all was forgiven. Absolutely, Planet Alpha puts style over substance, but that doesn’t mean what’s there isn’t worth experiencing. It doesn’t have the best platforming you’ve ever experienced. Nor does it have...

Back to the beginning

We all know the difference between day and night on Earth, but do light and darkness cause similar transformations on alien worlds? This is the question driving Planet Alpha, a 2D platformer featuring an unnamed spaceman, stranded on a mysterious planet. To escape, our lost astronaut is going to have to delve deeper into an unknown world, face alien threats, beat creative puzzles, and master innovative abilities.

Whilst an enjoyable and undoubtedly beautiful game, Planet Alpha never quite makes the leap into classic territory. There is an admirable sense of vision here and the commitment to a non-verbal narrative is striking, but Planet Alpha remains a functional game under the gorgeous aesthetic. The fusions of cinematic platformer and endless runner often feel at odds with one another as the game pushes you forward when you most want to stand back and enjoy the view. Life here comes at you fast; blink and you’ll be vaporised or crushed by a mile high leviathan.

Hostile reception.