''Lovely Planet'' is a

first-person shooter First-person shooter (FPS) is a sub-genre of shooter video games centered on gun and other weapon-based combat in a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action through the eyes of the protagonist and controlling the pl ...

platform Platform may refer to: Technology * Computing platform, a framework on which applications may be run * Platform game, a genre of video games * Car platform, a set of components shared by several vehicle models * Weapons platform, a system or ...

video game developed by Indian indie developer Quicktequila and published by

tinyBuild tinyBuild Inc. is an American publisher of indie games based in Bellevue, Washington. The company was established by Alex Nichiporchik and Tom Brien in 2011 to expand Brien's game '' No Time to Explain'' into a commercial release. Building fro ...

. It was released for

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and

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in July 2014, for

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in January 2016, and the

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and

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in April 2016. The game received mixed reviews from critics, with praise given to its visuals and soundtrack, but criticism for its presentation and level of difficulty.

Gameplay

The game is a

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ning focused

where the player must complete the level as fast as possible to progress. There is no plot, but rather "micro-levels" contained within larger areas. Being hit by a bullet, falling, or touching enemies causes the player to die instantly, and the player must memorize the levels to win. The player's gun does not have an aiming reticle, and bullets move slowly, forcing the player to lead their shots. Players can earn up to 3 stars depending on how fast they beat a level, with the third star requiring perfect accuracy. Certain level hazards also force the player forward, for example, apples that must be shot out of the sky or they will kill the player when they reach the ground.

Development

The game's art style and music has been compared by several critics to ''

Katamari Damacy () is a third-person puzzle-action video game developed and published by Namco for the PlayStation 2. It was released in Japan in March 2004 and in North America in September 2004. Designer Keita Takahashi struggled to pitch the game to Namco' ...

''. Andras Neltz of

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found the dissonance between the game's graphics, music and shooting mechanics to be "unsettling".

Reception

The game received mixed reception, according to

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. Tyler Wilde of

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rated the game 82/100, calling the gameplay "great" despite being "merciless", but saying the presentation was "mediocre", as it was too "abstract" to be appealing. Tim Latshaw of

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rated the Wii U version 6/10, comparing the contrast between its "cute" graphics and "technical" mechanics "like opening a

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backpack and finding nuclear launch codes within". He stated that while "dedicated speedrunners" would enjoy it, its appeal was otherwise "limited". James Cunningham of Hardcore Gamer rated the game a 2/5, saying that the necessity for extremely precise gameplay "leech dthe joy out of the action".

Sequels

Two sequels were created following the game's release, ''Lovely Planet Arcade'', a more puzzle-oriented first-person shooter, which released on July 22, 2016, and ''Super Lovely Planet'', a third-person platformer in which the player controls a bouncing ball without any attacks, which released on July 28, 2017. Another sequel, entitled '' Lovely Planet 2: April Skies'', was released on June 18, 2019.

References

{{Reflist 2014 video games First-person shooters Indie games Linux games MacOS games Platformers PlayStation 4 games PlayStation Network games Single-player video games TinyBuild games Video games developed in India Video games scored by Calum Bowen Wii U eShop games Windows games Xbox One games