Journey to the Savage Planet is a game that, in some ways, is shockingly similar to No Man's Sky . They both share a similar conceit: the player is dumped into an unknown planet with only their wits and several high-tech pieces of exploration gear to determine whether or not this particular world is fit for human consumption. There's lifeform scanning, harvesting, the construction of more tools, and survival, too, all the elements that were part of what made No Man's Sky so tantalizing before it was launched in 2016. The elevator pitch for Journey to the Savage Planet begins like a rehash of the same ground.
During our hands-on with the title at E3 201
We found more than just laughs on AR-Y 26, though. At its core, the heart of Journey to the Savage Planet is a charming but detailed exploration game, the kind that unravels slowly and satisfyingly. We started out just looking for some fun, punching small aliens along the way, but as we deepened into our almost hour-long look into the game, we found something unexpected: investment. Something about the world grabs you and does not let go. There's so much to scan, more to observe, and mysteries that leave players with just enough details to make them want to look harder.
The actual gameplay is also more intricate than it appears at first glance. In combat, dodging enemy attacks can be crucial, with some of them only exposing weakpoints after a successful dodge. It's kind of like a slower and less-detailed Monster Hunter in that way, since enemies are often an easy way to harvest the necessary components of whatever upgrade is needed. Collecting materials is dynamic, with the most enticing ones in dangerous areas that require wit and reflexes to reach. There is an upgrade system that lets players prioritize which elements of the game they want to focus on, and there is an underlying story about terraforming and human greed at play, though we are not sure how deep that runs our limited time with the game
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