How Revenge of the Savage Planet addresses player choice

Revenge of the Savage Planet follows in the footsteps of its predecessor as a silly, exploratory Metroidvania full of humorous gags and complicated off-the-beaten-path secrets. Developed by Raccoon Logic, a studio consisting of Wild planet journey developers after Google Stadia shut down, this sequel aims to deliver much of the same humor and satisfying exploration that made the original such a success.

Game Rant sat down with Raccoon Logic co-founder and creative director Alex Hutchinson, along with game design director Steven Masters, to discuss the team's approach Revenge of the Savage Planetelements of Metroidvania. Just like in the first game, players can choose to head for the main objectives and complete the game quickly, or they can explore every corner to find additional secrets and upgrades. In their minds, both approaches are entirely correct.

Revenge of the Savage Planet responds to player choices like the Stanley Parable

Like any good Metroidvania, Revenge of the Savage Planet It constantly gives players multiple paths forward and plenty of options in between. Masters points out that it's not only important to give players options, but also to recognize and celebrate them. This is universally appreciated in gaming, especially noticeable in choice-based RPGs such as Dragon Ageso expanding into the Metroidvania genre seems like a wise move. Giving players choice is great, but it has the greatest impact when the game responds to those choices. As Masters said,

One of the things I find most fun about this design challenge is responding to and recognizing the player's path through the world. Take scanning as an example. One of the first things you'll find is a health herb, right? You start off slightly damaged and there's a health plant nearby so you can fill up. Your robot companion will say something like, “Hey, you should probably check out what that plant is and see if it's useful for you.”

If you choose to scan it or not, you will get different results from the bot. This is just a simple example. If you eat the herb without scanning it first, the bot might recognize that you're being a bit adventurous and say something like, “You probably should have scanned it first!” Then you take that idea and apply it to the rest of the game.

Revenge of the Savage PlanetHis particular comedic combination is also appropriate for acknowledging these player choices. Careful players can scan an unfamiliar plant before eating it, while adventurous ones can dive in and take a bite right away. These are both recognizable approaches, and the robot companion can have a humorous remark depending on the choice. This taps into what players have come to love Stanley's Parable so much: the feeling that the game is reacting to the player's actions.

There's no wrong way to play Revenge of the Savage Planet, say the developers

Hutchinson believes it is important that these recognitions are always encouraging. While some developers may not be happy with a player speeding through painstakingly crafted levels and wasting countless hours writing dialogue, Raccoon Logic recognizes these as valid approaches and that the game is enriched by validating those players. A fast moving player Revenge of the Savage Planet they might get a cheer from the robot companion who admires their laser focus on the main objective. As Hutchinson explained,

It's about making them feel like they've always done the right thing. Whatever path they chose is the right one; it's just the flavor they chose. If someone is very cautious and scans everything, we recognize that. Or, if someone is in a hurry, we celebrate that too – Wow, no time to waste!

Hutchinson, meanwhile, notes that this also helps inform players of other possibilities. When in-game feedback suggests to players that they've done something unusual, it might inspire them to consider new ways to solve problems. This back and forth between game and player should do Revenge of the Savage Planet a highly replayable Metroidvania as players return to explore each alternate outcome. As Hutchinson said,

It's all about recognizing the player's decisions. I think especially when we're trying to be a little bit systemic—although obviously it's not a fully systemic game—we want to have enough systemic breadth to be able to solve a problem in different ways. We want to celebrate that for the player.

If they realize, “Oh, I could have done it differently,” that encourages them to think about the environment differently. It's a lot more fun than going from point A to point B and pressing X when you're told to press. X.