Lifeless Moon is the spiritual successor to the popular 2014 indie game Lifeless Planet. It is a 3D platformer where you find yourself in strange circumstances after a Moon expedition goes wrong. You play as one of the crew members sent to the Moon during the Cold War. In this game you will explore many odd locations and unknown anomalies, all the while following the fading silhouette of your lost partner that always seems just out of reach. What will happen along the way and will you ever make it back to earth? That and more is for you to find out is this surreal indie game.
The game takes place near the end of the Space Race during the Cold War era when Americans made it to the Moon. During your exploration on the Moon a rift opens up sucking you and your partner inside. The first two chapters are the same as in the demo, first you come across this small earth town that has been mysteriously transported to the moon. Following in the footsteps of the last people in the town, or well the scientists who survived the initial teleport, you discover more about the circumstances of the town’s displacement and how it was teleported here after an explosion on earth. In an effort to teleport back to earth the people of the town had found a way to teleport but it takes you to a different dimension entirely. The next area is also in the demo and features a small cabin in a weird forest next to a small lake. You meet a lady that you find out is the biologist from the town you found. She warns you that there is more to what you are seeing and that you are in danger. Beyond these two areas there is far more to discover in the full release from a dried up ocean to a foggy wasteland. You hear odd voices and noises around you all the time, experience weird time jumps and distortion as well as chasing the echoes of your lost companion. The music really nails down the atmosphere of each area contributing to the eerie settings as well as the intense moments in between. Overall the surreal nature of exploring lifeless and abandoned places and trying to piece together the story that was left behind by time is a very interesting experience.
The full release definitely touched up on a lot of the issues I had in the demo preview. The movement is more refined and less laggy while still maintaining the feel of being in low gravity. You move faster and the jumping isn’t as floaty making some of the back and forth less annoying to deal with. The graphical errors were also touched up and happen a lot less other than a few areas that still have some of the textures that glitch in and out. The only real issue I still have is that the textures are grainy and hard to look at for too long but that’s something that is more of a personal preference than an issue with the game, that and there is still just a lot of open space that while adds to the atmosphere of being alone also just makes the game itself feel a little empty. Overall the full release has touched up many of the issues the demo had and makes the experience a lot more cohesive and interesting.
Lifeless Moon is an exploration game about a moon expedition gone weird. Explore various anomalies in different dimensions, get lost in lifeless displaced towns and old cabins in the woods. Search for your missing companion and try to piece together the puzzles of these strange locations and try to find a way to get back to earth if you can. This game is a really interesting experience as you roam eerie landscapes and anomalies. I am giving this game a 7 out of 10 because while the game feels a bit empty at times it is a surreal experience that I enjoyed playing through.
Lifeless Moon is available for PC via Steam.
Related: Reviews by Brianna Keller
I enjoy a wide variety of games from intricate survival/adventure games to simple platformers. I am also a sucker for a good story game.
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