You’re probably familiar with the bright, garish, and deeply cynical world of ARY-26. If you played the original Journey to the Savage Planet, you know the drill: Kindred Aerospace—the "4th best interstellar exploration company"—drops you onto an alien world with no fuel, barely any equipment, and a sarcastic AI that mostly mocks your inevitable death. It was a sleeper hit. Now, Raccoon Logic (the team that rose from the ashes of Typhoon Studios) is doubling down with the sequel. Specifically, the buzz around Revenge of the Savage Planet Up Up and Boom has fans wondering if the frantic, slapstick energy of the first game can actually translate to a bigger, more ambitious stage.
Honestly? It's looking like a glorious mess in the best way possible.
The game doesn't just ask you to explore; it demands you survive the corporate negligence of a company that clearly doesn't value your life. You aren't just a pioneer. You're a pawn. A very mobile, very expendable pawn. This sequel takes that premise and cranks the dial until it snaps off.
What Exactly is Revenge of the Savage Planet Up Up and Boom?
Most sequels try to be "grittier" or "more cinematic." Raccoon Logic decided to go the other way. They went weirder. Revenge of the Savage Planet Up Up and Boom is the core identity of this new entry—a focus on verticality, explosive physics, and the kind of "accidental" chain reactions that make for great clips on social media.
The story picks up with Kindred Aerospace essentially firing you. You’re redundant. In the eyes of corporate, you're a line item that's been deleted. But you aren't going quietly. Instead of a sanctioned mission, this is a scrap-heap revolution. You're building your own gear, scavenging from multiple planets this time, and trying to stick it to the man while not being eaten by a Pufferbird.
It’s personal.
The "Up Up" part of the title isn't just flavor text. The developers have emphasized that the movement systems are revamped. We're talking more than just a double jump. It’s about momentum. It’s about using the environment to launch yourself across massive chasms. And the "Boom"? Well, that’s your primary method of problem-solving. If a door is locked, blow it up. If an alien is looking at you funny, blow it up. If you're bored, you get the idea.
The Shift to Third-Person and Why it Matters
One of the biggest talking points—and something that initially worried the hardcore fans of the first game—is the shift from a first-person perspective to a third-person camera.
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Why do this?
Initially, it feels like a risk. The first game was a tight, immersive FPS platformer. But once you see the character customization and the sheer amount of physical comedy involved in the movements, the choice makes sense. You need to see your explorer ragdoll through the air. You need to see the ridiculous gear you’ve cobbled together from space-trash.
Third-person also allows for more complex platforming. When the game title is literally Revenge of the Savage Planet Up Up and Boom, you're going to be doing a lot of aerial gymnastics. Seeing your character's position relative to a ledge or a deadly caustic plant makes the high-speed movement feel less like a guessing game and more like a skill-based challenge. It changes the "vibe" from a lonely explorer to a chaotic action hero.
Managing the Chaos: New Mechanics and Co-op
The original game was great solo, but it truly sang in co-op. The sequel keeps that alive. You and a friend can run through the entire campaign together, which is where the "Boom" part really starts to shine. Imagine one person baiting a massive, territorial beast while the other sets up a chain of explosive plants.
- Cross-play is a massive focus. Raccoon Logic knows that nothing kills a co-op game faster than platform gates.
- The Hub World is actually useful now. It’s not just a menu; it’s a space to showcase your loot and plan your next planetary raid.
- Procedural-ish elements? While the main path is handcrafted, there’s a much heavier emphasis on systemic gameplay—stuff happening because the AI interacted with the physics engine, not just because it was scripted.
Alex Hutchinson, the creative director (and one of the minds behind Far Cry 4 and Assassin’s Creed III), has been vocal about making games that are "toys." He wants you to poke the world and see how it reacts. If you kick a creature into a laser grid, it shouldn't just die; it should cause a power surge that opens a secret door three rooms away. That’s the level of reactivity they’re aiming for.
Why "Up Up and Boom" is More Than a Subtitle
In the current gaming market, we see a lot of "Map-o-Games." You know the ones. You open a map, and it's covered in 400 icons of the same three activities. It's exhausting.
Revenge of the Savage Planet Up Up and Boom seems to be the antidote to that. It’s dense rather than large. Every planet—and there are several this time around—feels like a curated playground. The "Up Up" signifies the move toward vertical exploration. Instead of walking five miles in a straight line, you might spend two hours trying to figure out how to reach a floating island directly above your head.
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It uses a "Metroidvania" structure. You’ll see a ledge you can’t reach or a material you can’t harvest, and you’ll have to come back later with a better jetpack or a more volatile explosive. It rewards back-tracking because the world changes as you progress. It’s satisfying. It makes you feel smart for remembering that one weird cave you saw three hours ago.
The Satire Hits Harder in 2026
When the first game launched, the "evil corporation" trope was a bit of a cliché. But in the years since, the reality of corporate downsizing, AI-driven management, and the gig economy has made the humor in Revenge of the Savage Planet Up Up and Boom feel much more pointed.
You aren't a hero. You're a "Contractor."
The game leans into this. Your equipment is constantly breaking because it was made by the lowest bidder. Your AI assistant gives you "helpful" tips that are actually just legal disclaimers to protect the company from lawsuits. It’s funny, sure, but it’s also a little too real. That biting satire gives the game a soul that other colorful shooters lack. It isn't just "wacky" for the sake of being wacky; it's a critique of the very industry it exists in.
Technical Ambition: Does it actually run well?
Running a physics-heavy game with multiple planets and high-speed movement is a nightmare for developers. Raccoon Logic is using Unreal Engine 5, but they aren't going for "photo-realism." They’re going for "stylized complexity."
The benefit here is performance. By keeping the art style bold and saturated—think 1950s pulp sci-fi covers—they can push more objects on screen. When the "Boom" happens, the particles don't just disappear. They interact. Smoke lingers. Debris has weight. It creates a sense of tactile reality that makes the cartoonish world feel grounded.
Things to Keep in Mind Before Jumping In
Not everything is going to be perfect for every player. If you hated the "cringe" humor of the first game, the sequel isn't going to change your mind. It’s louder. It’s brasher.
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- Complexity Curve: The new movement mechanics have a steeper learning curve. You might spend the first hour face-planting into rock walls.
- Resource Management: It’s still a survival-lite game. You have to manage your oxygen and fuel. If you just want a mindless shooter, the constant need to scavenge for "Alloy" might annoy you.
- The Third-Person Camera: As mentioned, it’s a big shift. Some first-person purists might find it less immersive, though the mechanical benefits are clear.
How to Prepare for the Savage Journey
If you're looking to dive into Revenge of the Savage Planet Up Up and Boom, you shouldn't go in blind. The game rewards curiosity over speed.
Stop rushing.
The biggest mistake players made in the first game was trying to finish it in a weekend. If you do that here, you’ll miss 60% of the content. Look up. Look behind waterfalls. Use your scanner on literally everything—not just for the lore, but because scanning reveals elemental weaknesses and hidden interactions that the game doesn't explicitly tell you about.
Also, don't be afraid to fail. The game is designed around the idea of the "glorious failure." Dying because you tried to grapple onto a flying creature and it dragged you into a volcano is part of the experience. It’s meant to be funny.
Actionable Steps for New Explorers
- Master the Slide-Jump: Early on, practice the timing of sliding into a jump. It builds momentum that the game's physics engine preserves, allowing you to clear gaps that look impossible.
- Invest in the Scanner First: Your first few upgrades should always go toward your scanner and your storage. Knowing what you’re looking at is more valuable than having a bigger gun in the early game.
- Experiment with Elemental Combos: Don't just shoot. See what happens when you hit a frozen enemy with an explosive. The game tracks these interactions, and some of the best gear is locked behind "discovery" milestones.
- Play with a Friend: If you can, grab a buddy. The game is specifically balanced to allow for "emergent gameplay"—basically, things going wrong in hilarious ways—and that’s always better with an audience.
Ultimately, this game is a middle finger to the polished, sanitized "AAAA" games that have dominated the market recently. It’s messy, it’s loud, and it doesn't care if you get a little bit of alien goo on your suit. It’s about the joy of the explosion and the thrill of the climb. If you're tired of the same old mission structures and want something that actually feels like a game, this is it.
Get out there, explore the planets, and try not to get fired. Or eaten. Actually, getting eaten is probably fine—Kindred Aerospace has your DNA on file anyway. Just make sure you record the footage before you go.