Lifeless Planet (PC) (2014)

Lifeless Planet (PC) (2014)

Overview: You're an astronaut who's landed on another planet and it's supposed to be filled with life, but it's quite deserted. Stranded on the planet, you set out on a path to find some answers.

Stranded.

Relevant Links:
Lifeless Planet Website
Lifeless Planet (Wikipedia.org)
Lifeless Planet (PC) (MetaCritic.com)
Lifeless Planet Premier Edition (Steam Store Page)

The place looks deserted.

20160106: [20160211]
Lifeless Planet is among one of the first games I tried to play using a Steam Controller. Unfortunately, I was having trouble with configuring the controller at the time, and decided to move on. That is, my interest to use the controller had taken precedence over my interest to play Lifeless Planet.

Water effects.

Steam: 12 minutes (session game time)

20160211:
A month has passed since I first opened Lifeless Planet and today I gave it the attention it deserved, sans Steam Controller.

The same scene used for the game's Title Screen

Using my laptop's keyboard and touchpad, I went through the game and initially thought the game would be a typical adventure game with platforming elements. However, the game began to present a mysterious and unsettling atmosphere which I enjoyed.

Steam: 40 minutes (session game time)

I dig the flashlight.

20160212:
While perhaps recently I would have started some other game, I opted to play some more Lifeless Planet, because it's story is just too mysterious to let go.

I am, however, a bit under the weather and my ability to play has been capped by my need to rest.

More flashlight action.

Steam: 1.8 hours (session game time)

Thoughts:
Pros:
+ Appropriate music
+ Great story
+ Atmospheric

Crossing a chasm using some power cables.

Minor Con:
- Occasionally slow and boring

Con:
- Save system does not correspond with checkpoint system. When you die, you will respawn at a checkpoint close to where you died. When you exit to save and exit, I suspect you return to the beginning of the level you were in.

Found a new and useful accessory.

Recommendation:
While Lifeless Planet is a puzzle-platformer and action-adventure game, it occasionally feels like a simple exploration game (e.g., Dear Esther (PC) (2012)), except slower. However, aside from this pacing issue, Lifeless Planet is a solid game and worth at least an hour of gameplay.

A good portion of the game has been spent following this woman and if anyone is being creepy it's her.