Revenge Of The Savage Planet could be one of 2025’s best surprises

There are a great many video games that attempt to philosophise over the nature of violence and the consequences of our violent urges.

The Last Of Us Part II is a complex exploration of the cycle of revenge and senseless aggression. Spec Ops: The Line aims to make its violence a meaningful and affecting part of the narrative. God Of War and God Of War Ragnarök show us how deep trauma can run, and asks if we can ever escape our past mistakes.

Fine games, all. But I daresay no video game has ever made me grapple with the true nature of violence as much as when Revenge Of The Savage Planet tricked me into kicking an adorable raccoon/alien hybrid to death. Reader, if you see a really cute little alien on a strange planet in a video game, do not automatically assume there is a button to pet said creature. And definitely don’t attempt to pet it on the edge of a cliff.

Raccoon Logic’s sequel to 2020’s criminally underrated Journey To The Savage Planet is really, truly funny. Laugh out loud funny. And I think it could be one of 2025’s best surprises.

Revenge Of The Savage Planet’s dystopian future is clearly inspired by Rick And Morty in that it’s very, very silly and absolutely unhinged. Glassy-eyed middle management offer fake platitudes in glossy corporate videos. Adverts with purple two headed lawyers screaming utter nonsense play in the background of your makeshift home. Adorable raccoons explode in a shower of green slime that covers you, and reminds you that while you can wash away the slime you’ll never truly be free from the stench of death.

Revenge Of The Savage Planet follows a similar set-up to the first game. It’s your job to explore and tame an uncharted alien world while crafting new gear that can open up new paths and allow you to build and create bigger and better things. It’s No Man’s Sky crossed with Ratchet and Clank, with a dash of Metroid Prime thrown in for good measure. It’s a heady cocktail, all wrapped up in a gorgeous, sugary bright world of vivid colours and bizarre creatures.

While Journey framed the action via first-person, Revenge makes the jump to third-person. Within seconds of playing, you’ll understand why this was one of the best decisions Raccoon Logic could ever have made.

This switch immediately allows players to revel in the glory of the game’s incredible animations. Your character’s exaggerated run is inherently funny, as is the way they wade through water, slip on slime, or boot enemies. It’s an absolute joy to simply watch your character move around the world, and the level of detail leads to so many genuinely hilarious moments.

At one point I came across a towering alien tree, its roots blocking my path forward. The solution? To pick up a stupidly cute fluffy alien slug-thing and toss it towards the tree. In an instant the tree unhinges its jaw and catches the slug with a long tongue, before chomping it down in a flurry of screams and chaos. Brutally violent and laugh-out-loud funny all at once. This is a line Revenge Of The Savage Planet seems adept at towing.

I should also stress that the game feels as good as it looks. The movement is absolutely fantastic, with a sliding tackle you can make your character do after a sprint that hits like a fistful of ectasy every time. Meanwhile, the run-and-gun nature of the combat calls to mind Ratchet & Clank, which is the highest praise I can think of.

My brief time with the game absolutely left me wanting more; it’s clear I’ve barely scratched the surface of what it has to offer. There are huge biomes to explore, secret cosmetics to unlock, and a base that can be fully customised via a surprisingly robust building system. There’s also the promise of multiplayer, which in a game like this should lead to some truly ridiculous shenanigans. And who doesn’t love shenanigans?

I admit I never spent much time with the first game, but so far Revenge Of The Savage Planet is ticking all my boxes. This is a metroidvania at its core, clearly, but one that really just wants to make you laugh as much as possible. If you have even an ounce of whimsy in you, I think you’re gonna love this one.