Start Here
Posted: 10 weeks ago.
Author: @LadyLexUK and @GeekDadGamer.
Overview
Planet Alpha is a running and jumping game. You're a wounded hero hobbling across an alien planet, but how did he get into this state? Travel across beautiful, mysterious and often deadly landscapes, you unfold the story of your marooned astronaut. Manipulate time and space in unusual ways to progress through difficult terrain and avoid the unwanted and violent attentions of the resident robots and giant beasts that live on this world.
Planet Alpha is played over 10 chapters featuring slightly different terrain, puzzles and enemy encounters. The gimmick is that the world contains ancient contraptions that allow you to manipulate time. By doing this you manipulate the environment to your advantage. Reposition massive machines or allow flowers to bloom so you can jump on them.
Play involves working to the right with wall climbs and huge leaps in gravity altered areas. There are stealth sections, puzzles to complete and difficult terrain. There are regular checkpoints so when you die you are not returned to the start, which is very welcome as some sections are pretty devious.
The result is a beautifully designed planet with magical flora and fauna and challenging gameplay. The time manipulation mechanic is cleverly designed and adds a unique element to an otherwise straightforward obstacle course game and makes it more of a puzzle.
Planet Alpha is played over 10 chapters featuring slightly different terrain, puzzles and enemy encounters. The gimmick is that the world contains ancient contraptions that allow you to manipulate time. By doing this you manipulate the environment to your advantage. Reposition massive machines or allow flowers to bloom so you can jump on them.
Play involves working to the right with wall climbs and huge leaps in gravity altered areas. There are stealth sections, puzzles to complete and difficult terrain. There are regular checkpoints so when you die you are not returned to the start, which is very welcome as some sections are pretty devious.
The result is a beautifully designed planet with magical flora and fauna and challenging gameplay. The time manipulation mechanic is cleverly designed and adds a unique element to an otherwise straightforward obstacle course game and makes it more of a puzzle.
Game Details
Content Rating: PEGI 12
Skill Rating: 9+ year-olds
Release Date: 04/09/2018
Platforms: PC, PS4, Switch and Xbox One
Genres: Action, Adventure, Platform and Puzzle
Accessibility: 11 features
Lists
View our choice of games like Planet Alpha. This game is good if you want to:
Commitment
Costs
Does not offer in-game purchases, 'loot boxes' or 'battle/season passes'.
Age Ratings
Content Rating
Rated PEGI 12 for non-realistic violence towards human characters and realistic looking violence towards fantasy characters. Player’s character can be attacked by robots of varying sizes using laser and projectile firing weapons, when hit the character turns black, shimmers and disappears. No vocal response. Fantasy characters can also attack and kill other non-human characters e.g. a flying mammalian type character can be shot down, this is accompanied by some blood effects.Skill Rating
9+ year-olds usually have the required skill to enjoy this game. Still, it's important for parents and guardians to consider the maturity required to process the game content. Although there are some tricky jumps and lateral thinking about the time-shifting puzzles younger children will enjoy the fantastical experience.
Accessibility
Most of the gameplay involves pressing one button and moving the joystick. Pressing buttons quickly are used for multiple jumps, and holding buttons are used for grabbing and activating the game at the beginning. The controller rumbles to indicate falls and attacks, and this cannot be turned off.
The game is very colourful with very busy backgrounds with multiple moving objects that are decorative and not required for the gameplay. They cannot be turned off. Colour is used as indicators of moveable and climbable objects.
There is no speech in the game, either written or spoken, and no instructions other than button indicators.
Our Planet Alpha Accessibility Report documents 11 accessibility features:
The game is very colourful with very busy backgrounds with multiple moving objects that are decorative and not required for the gameplay. They cannot be turned off. Colour is used as indicators of moveable and climbable objects.
There is no speech in the game, either written or spoken, and no instructions other than button indicators.
Our Planet Alpha Accessibility Report documents 11 accessibility features:
Games Like Planet Alpha
Our experts have hand-picked the following similar games for you. These offer a similar way to play to Planet Alpha or are games with a similar theme or topic. These are good alternative games to Planet Alpha, or are a younger rated alternative for players not ready for PEGI 12 or ESRB TEEN games.
