I played it in 2015, and I was fascinated from the first scenes, especially because I wasn’t clear on the controls, everything seemed upside down and out of control, as if I were a real astronaut out there, crashed who knows where.
A Melancholic Journey Through Dreams and Dust, it was engaging. Search for oxygen, and for truth, on an alien planet which turns out to have already been colonized in the past by the Soviets, and now an almost empty wasteland.
I think I completed it in a week, and afterwards I congratulated the developer who reciprocated.
Lifeless Planet, released in 2015, isn’t just a game; it’s a poignant poem whispered across the desolate landscapes of a forgotten world. Stepping into the spacesuit of an unnamed astronaut, we embark on a mission to a distant planet teeming with life, only to find a barren wasteland mirroring the emptiness within ourselves.
The game’s beauty lies in its simplicity. The stark, yet stunning visuals of the red sands and crumbling ruins evoke a sense of loneliness and loss. The melancholic soundtrack, punctuated by the astronaut’s heavy breathing and the whisper of the wind, further amplifies the feeling of isolation.
Lifeless Planet isn’t about combat or adrenaline-pumping action. It’s a contemplative journey of exploration and discovery, where the environment itself becomes a character. The remnants of a failed utopia tell a story of ambition, hope, and ultimately, despair. As we unravel the mystery of the vanished civilization, we confront the fragility of our own existence and the fleeting nature of human endeavors.
The platforming elements, while basic, serve to navigate the emotional landscape as much as the physical one. Each jump across a chasm, each climb over a crumbling wall, feels like a step closer to understanding the planet’s secrets and the astronaut’s own inner turmoil.
The game’s narrative unfolds like a fragmented memory, leaving room for interpretation and introspection. The ending, bittersweet and open-ended, stays with you long after the credits roll, prompting reflection on our place in the universe and the legacy we leave behind.
Lifeless Planet is not for everyone. Its slow pace and introspective nature may deter those seeking instant gratification. But for those willing to embrace its quiet solitude and delve into its melancholic depths, it offers a uniquely profound and unforgettable experience. It’s a game that reminds us that even in the most desolate of places, there is beauty to be found, and even in the face of oblivion, there is hope for something new to bloom.
The theme of the astronaut lost on an alien planet has been taken up several times in recent decades by Hollywood, from films about “desperate” and “improvised” first colonies on Mars to Ad Astra, but returning to the game, what really inspired me from this adventure is having accomplished, albeit simulating, the task, understood as a mission, that every thinking being should always have in mind. Wherever we go and arrive, our emotions will not change and can only amplify and reveal themselves as destiny.
The lucky few of you who will play it, or who have played it, until the end will understand why from the ending.
Goodbye Lifeless Planet….
[Buy at Website]
or on
[GOG-Lifeless Planet]
