Lifeless Moon

Lifeless Moon isn't too long, but there's a great story at its heart and some impressive set pieces that leave you questioning everything.

Toning down the puzzles this time around wasn’t the best idea, but otherwise Lifeless Moon delivers more of what made its predecessor enjoyable for the most part, gorgeously presenting its well-told story of a scientific experiment gone wrong, and the peril and promise of the unknown.

Players won’t find combat in Lifeless Moon, instead this game is made for fans of classic sci-fi, the stuff from Rod Sterling’s Twilight Zone, the kind of sci-fi that makes you think about it after you turn it off. And for all those reasons I really enjoyed this game, while I did find it overly easy at times moving through the world and the various biomes and figuring out its story was the real payoff, and if you like that type of sci-fi then you should check this one out before you get lost in Starfield.

Have you ever come across a game where you weren't completely sure what you just saw? Was there a scene that made you think, or was there a game that blew you away? Sometimes there are games that after you have played them, your attitude towards video games changes. Lifeless Moon does not shine with any beauty, mind-blowing interaction, or story, but it will awaken the desire to explore and overcome all obstacles in its path. And then try to figure out what happened.

In other words, Lifeless Moon spends way too much time telling, and not nearly enough time showing. And on one level, I get it: a small indie studio isn’t going to have the budget to show how a civilization on the moon fell apart. But at the same time, when you’re this good at creating an atmosphere, it can’t help but feel a little disappointing when the rest of the game doesn’t quite measure up.

Despite the name, Lifeless Moon has a lot of atmosphere. Its magnificient desolation gives way to colourful environments and an interesting story. Unfortunately, the gameplay has been pushed to the background with unchallenging platforming and puzzles that never quite explore their own mechanics.