“There’s only so much I can do with hands.”
Raccoon Logic creative director Alex Hutchinson attributes this quote to his animation director, Mike Menillo. It’s a funny line, but it’s also a short-and-sweet elevator pitch for one of the biggest changes for Revenge Of The Savage Planet, the follow-up to 2020’s Journey To The Savage Planet.
Revenge is taking players out of the head of their characters and placing them over the characters’ shoulders, as the first-person view gives way to a new third-person format. For players of the original game, this is a radical change, but for the team at Raccoon Logic, it was the perfect way to stretch their creative legs as they try to one-up the last journey.
GameSpot sat in on a hands-off demo during a recent online press event, and while the change in viewpoint is jarring, based on the team’s reaction, it’s a move that could pay off immensely when it’s again time to travel to the stars.
Shifting perspectives
The change from a first- to third-person perspective is not indicative of either option’s quality, according to the team; it’s simply a matter of preference. “First-person feels more immersive, but third-person is more appealing to a mainstream audience,” Hutchinson said. “It’s a balance. Neither is better or worse–just different.”
From the jump, the switch to third-person felt, from a development standpoint, like a whole new world of opportunity was opening. Third-person allows the team to focus on things like physical comedy, status effects, and even emotion. The player-character shown in the demo walks, jumps, slides, and dodges around the world with personality, and in a way that only this viewpoint can show off.
“Third-person is really exciting because it gives us the opportunity to add a ton more character to the player’s avatar,” Hutchinson describes. “We can add personality to their walk and runs, and we can have them exude charm with every action.” Platforming becomes easier too, as a player can actually see a platform as they jump on it–or, as Hutchinson described it, “you can see your feet!”
Player agency also gets a boost from the perspective change, as costumes will now be available for a little bit of intergalactic dress-up. These costumes may look familiar, but Hutchinson assures us that these costumes are “legally distinct,” with “Temu Star Trek,” “Temu Power Ranger,” and “Temu Han Solo” among the terms used to describe them.
Two-player co-op and the “sweet spot”
Revenge Of The Savage Planet will feature co-op, with two players being able to journey through the wild worlds together at a time. The team makes clear that this is not due to any technical limitations; the team is actively choosing to limit co-op to two people in one session.
Hutchinson says that, in his experience, co-op games with two players hit the “sweet spot.” When only two players are paired up, they’ll engage each other more through banter or light-hearted jokes. It’s not just about the task at hand; duos tend to be more willing to explore, mess things up, and laugh about what’s happening in real time. Any more than that, however, and those groups stick to talking about the objectives rather than allowing themselves to live in the moment, or what Hutchinson refers to as a “shared space.”
“I’ve directed a bunch of two player co-op games, from Army of Two: the 40th Day, to Far Cry 4, to Savage Planet, and I love the idea of you and your best friend, or kid, or partner, versus the world,” Hutchinson says. “I want people to have the experience I had growing up; on the couch with a pizza, sitting next to your best friend, sharing your day.”
“Poop jokes and corporate satire”
One major returning element from Journey To The Savage Planet is its levity: The first game was inherently silly, with over-the-top fake advertisements playing on TVs and radios within the game world. Those are coming back along with some new ones to seek out, but the game also contains a more biting commentary on the state of the world, particularly in a corporate setting. This is, as Hutchinson calls it, “a game for all ages.”
Some of the silliness does come through in our demo, as the hero can kick any enemy away with the push of a button, sending them flying into the air. At another point, they defeat a small enemy that leaves behind some red goo, which then sets a small woodland creature on fire on contact. We even get a brief glimpse of one of the aforementioned in-game ads, where Shama Lama’s Ding Dong Academy is offering classes, but with a warning that “parkour and pottery may result in permanent injuries.”
“I think with enough density, people skate over the bits that they don’t find funny, and dwell on the bits they do,” Hutchinson says. “We try to keep the game moving fast, we don’t belabor a joke, and we let people cause their own chaos for what we like to think of as ‘interactive slapstick.’ But jokes are always poking a bit and taking a risk; we hope we find an audience who appreciates it!”
A new journey
Ultimately, Revenge Of The Savage Planet is a bigger version of its predecessor, and the team at Raccoon Logic hopes those who enjoyed it the first time will continue to do so.
“You liked co-op?” Hutchinson asks. “Now you can play split-screen on your couch or cross-play with your weird friend from Sweden.”
“You like jokes?” We have more systemic chaos that will let you slip on green goo then set yourself on fire while trying to battle an alien crab with human eyes.”
“You liked one alien planet? Now we have four!”
Along with those changes, though, comes a bold new perspective thanks to the third-person view. By cranking up the first game’s best bits, and throwing in the extra character elements and customization that third-person allows, Revenge Of The Savage Planet is shaping up to be a bigger and better journey–poop jokes and corporate satire included.
Revenge Of The Savage Planet is scheduled to launch in May 2025 on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC.
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