Planetoid Pioneers
Planetoid Pioneers wobbles out of early access
Still wobbling
News by Alice O'Connor Associate Editor
Published on Feb. 8, 2018
Wobbly physics-y build-o-metroidvania Planetoid Pioneers today launches properly, following nine months in early access. It sends a wobbly old man inside circular planetoids, digging, building, destroying, piloting vehicles, and generally dying terribly. From what I've heard, it's a bit of a lark.
Here's a description from our Brendy when he played it in early access:
"To describe it simply, this is a physics-based Metroidvania where you can gobble up objects with an atomiser and spawn new items with the same device. You traverse the caverns and surface of circular planetoids by hoovering up material and using it to build a solution to whatever impasse you've encountered. For example, if I evaporate these wooden struts, then I'll have enough carbon to materialise some planks to form a bridge over this gap. But oh no, those struts were holding up a part of the tunnel and now it is raining rocks on my head.
"To put it another way, it's about getting from A to B while being a clumsy crash test dummy who can barely control his own flailing limbs. When I say "physics-based" I don't mean "it's like Limbo". I mean "not a single twitch or shuffle will go unseen by this wobbly, Caligulan physics engine". Your body is completely enthralled to the gravity of this world. Far from feeling responsive or weighty, it's the comedy keystone upon which the whole thing is shakily reliant. Some people will doubtless despise the controls – they are undeniably cranky, erratic, and unreliable – but for those who enjoy the botched athleticism of QWOP and GIRP (or those who glimpsed the studio's previous game, the chaotic warfare of Cortex Command) it's some fine slapstick. I can't help but find even the simplest animations funny."
Wacky antics, let's go.
Planetoid Pioneers is out now on Steam for £15.49. That's a fair bit more than it was in early access but the editor tools, which were previously exclusive to the pricier Contributor Edition, are now in the regular version too.
Data Realms
Alice O'Connor
Alice is likely in the sea.
More On Planetoid Pioneers
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