Planet Alpha....

Planet Alpha was(still is this week) free on Xbox Games with Gold. Of this month's games(July'21) it looked the most interesting to me; So I tried it out and haven't looked back. 

Planet Alpha in my view, is a cross between Abzu's art and storytelling style of journey; While also being a puzzle platformer. One I can 'get into' and be happy about(unlike me and the Ori games). I don't/haven't felt frustration in progressing through the game on normal. For the most part it's balanced. The type of game you can start to speed run once you've played it once. Playing it first the gameplay advances through player failure. This reveals context and clues; Which in turn brings answers and progression. Subtle at times but there are plenty of light-bulb moments which are satisfying for solving problems as you go.

Long story short, it's worth the effort(imho).

The time shifting mechanic is interesting. Some plants come out/bloom depending on if it's day or night; Which can then provide cover or be used as platforms or weapons etc. 

The background art(art overall) and animations are really good; really immersive and storytelling. Camera angles and perspectives shift unobtrusively. Telling as much of the story as your gameplay. Which can all be see or missed in the moment of a puzzle or the distraction of avoiding a laser. 

I've found myself at the start of some area's 'just' looking at the world.

It does have flaws. Like the Ori games (for me) the jumping/platforming can be imprecise; But Alpha planet masks that in lavish physics. If your close to grabbing/landing/jumping it 'can' be forgiving. Sometimes not but that all adds to the I can try and do again motivation. It doesn't feel oppressively punitive. I've not felt that in a 'pure' platformer in some time. Then again I don't play platform/puzzle games so I'm pretty clueless about the genre. I do know what I like and seeing the games trailer intrigued me; It being free made all the difference. I had to try it and see for myself. Glad I did.

The other downside to the game, a glitch. Sometimes on reloading a checkpoint some of the destructible terrain may not reset and some of the lighting may not light. Exiting the game and reloading fixed this for me. I maybe had to do that 3 or 4 times but it was annoying when it did happen. Yet for me not a reason to dislike the game. 

It's a journey of a game, a game about a journey. I can forgive it a lot as what it does well really clicks with me. 

I really like the 1960's-esque alien and his spacesuit..... Kind of reminds me of Earthworm Jim, especially the way he jumps.

It's a game worth the experience of the journey. While I may not replay the game again anytime soon it does have replayability, just not immediate replayability for me. The game expects you to do it. It's how the story goes. There are also choices made and avoided in my playthrough(like not getting all artifacts); But as much of a completionist as I am I'm not compelled to do so in this game. Not yet anyway. 

The more I think of the game, the journey and the ending the more I think of two things.

Sisyphus's story...

&

The Beginning is the End is the Beginning from The Smashing Pumpkins(but also the other side of that song The End Is The Beginning Is The End).