Space Oddity: The Abandoned Planet
Find a way off the planet in this retro adventure sci-fi.
‣ The Abandoned Planet
From: Dexter Team Games, Snapbreak
Platforms: PC
Release: 2023
Steam Page • Demo Video
An astronaut crash-lands on a mysterious planet. Her ship is beyond repair, and she must explore this world to figure something out. It's soon apparent that an ancient yet advanced civilisation once inhabited the place. But maybe they figured out a way off the planet? Find out in this Myst-style first-person adventure game. But watch out—you are not alone…
That statement sounds ominous. Fortunately, The Abandoned Planet is an easy-going adventure game. Navigate from scene to scene, discovering clues and using objects to solve puzzles. The world is rendered in a very pleasant pixel art style that feels at home with the golden era of adventure games, a nod to the genre's nostalgic fans. But it's also modern, with excellent voice work, good designs and a familiar interface. The Abandoned Planet is due in 2023.
Best Demo Moment: A puzzle leads to new areas…
AIIG's Take: Honestly, they had us with the art style. The combination of retro pixel art with modern sensibilities works very well. This style of scene-based adventure game needs lush and inviting visuals to work. The Abandoned Planet got that note, then pulls it off with a lower-resolution art style. Aside from Myst, it's also reminiscent of games like Heart of China and Rise of the Dragon.
This is the developer's second title listed on Steam; the first is a more mainstream point-and-click adventure game. But switching to the first-person format was a good move and allowed them to build an impressive game, at least as far as the demo reveals. The excellent voice work—all chatter from your character— and ambient sounds also deserve credit.
The Abandoned Planet demo is really fun. We were sad it ended, and look forward to its full release this year.
Explore The Game with Youtube Chapters:
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