The Revenge of the Wild Planet Transforms Google Stadia's Trauma into a Brilliant Comedy.
The study currently known as Raccoon Logic was acquired and later discarded by Google, but is now enjoying success with the launch of Revenge of the Savage Planet.
The news cycle in the video game industry is so hectic that stories embedded within it often get forgotten. While testing a demo of Revenge of the Savage Planet, the new game from Racoon Logic, I came across a satirical introduction. A corporate video welcomed me as an employee on a dangerous mission, and the developer in charge of the demo made a comment about Google that I didn’t fully understand at the time.
Going back to 2019, Google acquired Typhoon Studios, which was integrated into what was expected to be its first-party game studio, Stadia Games and Entertainment. However, two years later, the project was canceled, and Typhoon Games was returned, becoming Racoon Logic and returning the team to its roots as an independent developer. This story not only serves as an intriguing chapter in the history of video games, but also provides the backdrop for the new title. Revenge of the Savage Planet is a corrosive comedy that directly targets its former superiors and seems to be the humorous commentary that Google's management likely deserves after the Stadia fiasco.
This adventure game is the sequel to Journey to the Savage Planet, a first-person sci-fi title that clearly drew inspiration from Metroid Prime. It combined action, environmental scanning, and anti-capitalist satire to tell the story of an employee of Kindred Aerospace tasked with assessing whether an alien planet can be colonized. This, of course, involves eliminating a lot of local wildlife and pillaging the planet's resources. The sequel presents a similar premise, where players control an employee awakened from a long cryogenic sleep to explore five different planets.
During my demo, I had the freedom to explore two distinct planets, choosing to either follow the main story or simply explore spontaneously; I opted for the latter and discovered a wide variety of activities. At one point, I found a chest hidden behind invisible walls that could be revealed by shooting a viscous substance, and on another occasion, I found myself in a cave where I used conductive gel to transfer electricity from a stunned plant to a natural door covered in vines. I also accidentally stumbled upon a boss fight against a character named Wormzilla, where I had to return saliva balls to inflict damage. Each activity I engaged in was unique.
The explorations rely on two key systems: an exaggerated combat system, where I can perform sliding kicks on adorable alien enemies or throw explosive plants, and a crafting system. Players have a base of operations equipped with a 3D printer, from which they can collect materials to print upgrades for their suits and furniture. This is reminiscent of Subnautica, but without survival mechanics.
The true vision behind Revenge of the Savage Planet is revealed in my conversations with the studio head, Reid Schneider, who mentions that, like its predecessor, this installment dives into labor security violations in space, ridiculing poor corporate management and the uncritical fascination with colonization games. The experience of being acquired by Google resonates in the game’s development and allows them to use their recent history as inspiration. Schneider reflects on the experience: “The reality is that this game shouldn’t exist.” The studio's brief foray into Stadia didn't result in anything tangible, and before they could develop a title, the experiment was canceled, leaving the team to struggle to reclaim the intellectual property that belonged to the megacorporation.
The return to independence led Schneider to appreciate the flexibility that comes with being an independent studio, exemplified in one of the funniest jokes during my demo: a planet called Nu Florida, which satirizes everything about the state. Ideas like this, which would likely have been difficult to approve in a rigid corporate environment, can now flourish in the game.
Revenge of the Savage Planet showcases an independent spirit, with sharp satire and a variety of ideas in its open world. Although the experiment with Google Stadia was a failure, at least there’s a good laugh to be had from it. The release is scheduled for May 2025 on PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.