WhileJourney to the Savage Planetwas a first-person adventure,Revenge of the Savage Planetgives us a new perspective on surviving an alien planet. Thethird-person perspective, to be precise.
It didn’t take long for the proportional style of my funny little astronaut to remind me of a certain Lombax, but as I continued playing, the similarities with Insomniac’sRatchet & Clankcontinued - to the point where I find myself missing the classic space-faring series more than I have in the years sinceRift Apart.
A Game Filled With Nostalgia-Adjacent Charm
The first thing I’ll mention is the first thing you’ll notice, too, and that’s the movement animations. Walking and running here is hilariously exaggerated and robotic, which is just… wonderful, honestly. While Ratchet is notably more agile, Revenge’s movement feels very in keeping with the visual tone of Insomniac’s games.
Then we have the combat, which is only a backflip away from recalling my muscle memory of playing as Ratchet growing up. Firing off that little pistol to fight some silly, gooey aliens (including slimes that split in two when hit,sound familiar?) is so good that I’m just one RYNO away from having the time of my life, before I sprint away with a janky, stiff run that is just brilliant.
Or if you don’t want to run, there’s a grapple tool that, once again, feels nostalgically familiar to the furry little lombax.
The way it plays and the world it lets us exist in feels like it could be ripped straight out of a new Ratchet & Clank. And then we have the humour…
A Mix Of In-Game And Live-Action
The humour in Journey to the Savage Planet was very similar, but in Revenge, it keeps the slapstick satire and bizarre characters and takes them to new levels. As you play, you’ll be accompanied by your company-issued drone, which delivers dry jokes and references as you play and discover the world. In contrast, you’ll also get the story through the live-action videos you watch back in your habitat, focusing on bizarre characters talking to you over long-distance communications.
TV commercials play on your habitat display when you go back home, and they’re as wacky and over-the-top as you’d expect. Exploitative products, dangerous toys for kids, or some disgusting-looking name-brand food - perfect for average consumers like us!
While there are plenty of games that utilise humour in this way - The Outer Worlds comes to mind - Revenge of the Savage Planet has a lot in common with Insomniac’s classic series, more so than I was prepared to feel. As someone who grew up playing Ratchet & Clank games on the PS2, this is a welcome direction for the series to venture in, and while it makes me excited for another Ratchet & Clank game someday, I’m equally happy to have this game fill that void now.
