Five and a bit years after the release of Journey to the Savage Planet, developer Raccoon Logic Studios has made it their mission to release a sequel that expands upon a quirky formula and offers new and returning pioneers the opportunity to survive a savage world.

It’s an interstellar, co-op romp that leans into a vibrant aesthetic and a silly energy. Revenge of the Savage Planet aspires to do things bigger and better than its predecessor, and in many ways succeeds, though pesky glitches and some rough edges hold the experience back.

Abandoned on an alien world and left to your own devices, Revenge of the Savage Planet is first and foremost a game about exploration and realisation. You begin your journey with little to no resources, which you slowly build up through discovery. Scanning your surroundings will give you more information as you’re tasked with exploiting the planet’s natural resources to build up your catalogue of tools to help you reach new areas.

With pistol in hand, whip attached to the hip, and a strong sense of wonderment empowering your every move, the title does an excellent job of building the foundations for an incredible journey. Add a co-op partner to the mix, and things get even more entertaining as you encounter peculiar beasts, complete objectives, and build your understanding of the world around you.

Revenge of the Savage Planet refuses to take anything too seriously, and it was likely its predecessor’s strongest aspect, too. The original contained ludicrous elements, such as many of the creature designs, the dialogue, the in-world satirical advertising, and allowing the player to pick a dog as their protagonist. The sequel ups the ante, adding an extra layer of camp and cartoonish tomfoolery to the player’s movement animations and the characters you encounter.

The silly running animations are great, admittedly. However, outside of that, Revenge of the Savage Planet didn’t resonate as strongly with me as Journey to the Savage Planet did when it comes to the jokes and gags. This is perhaps because the second time doesn’t land as hard, and because the game does have a slight overdependence on utilising the same punchlines. Or perhaps I’m just not in the same headspace as I was in 2020, now finding deeper impact from media that is earnest and committed to its messaging. I also absolutely hated the character of Shama Lama, who plays on the overly obnoxious influencer trope that simply does not land. It turns what could have been a game well-received for its humour into an experience that’s a little more mixed.

The gameplay offering is more broadly appealing than the tone and story. It’s a mix of Metroidvania ideas with survival, third-person shooting and platforming. Your interactivity with the world is varied, with the game borrowing from multiple genres to make something that’s engaging and unique. The vibrant environments help with that sense of amazement as you explore vastly different locales and terrain. The creatures are all peculiar and intriguing, and the way you slowly scan the world and unlock upgrades means you’re always making new discoveries. Those upgrades then let you return to past areas to see what new things you can access.

The game is played across multiple planets, which helps with that variety. The lush forests of one planet could make way for ice-cold tundras on another. Your quest log will take you across these areas chasing big battles and new finds, or you’d be absolutely within your power to explore unguided. Going off the beaten path is crucial to discovering everything the game has to offer.

Where Revenge of the Savage Planet falters is in its glitches and rough edges. When it comes to conversations on glitches, it’s always important to note that your experience will likely vary. But for me on PC, I was met with a string of oddities that really impacted my enjoyment, perhaps the most troubling being a voice-over that played on a loop and never stopped, even after quitting and reloading. The game also doesn’t perfectly telegraph objectives, nor does it allow for the rebinding of controls, which seems very antiquated. It all added to an experience that felt somewhat underbaked, despite a fantastic premise.

Playing co-op also felt like somewhat of an afterthought, with the second character often not being involved in cutscenes and interactions like the grapple hook, requiring one player to simply wait until the other player has finished grappling before they are allowed to join in. These small details add up, but certainly don’t ruin what is an overall enjoyable game.