planktOs Reviews

A beautiful exploration game.

lovely visuals. relaxing gameplay.

Short, different, chill game.

Broken controls, sluggish perfomance. 0/10

[url=https://cthulhuscritiques.com/2019/01/08/video-game-review-planktos/]Link to Full Review[/url] [h1]Major Pros:[/h1] [list] [*]Beautiful world [/list] [b]Minor Pros:[/b] [list] [*]Simple yet multi-step puzzles [/list] [h1]Major Cons:[/h1] [list] [*]Movement controls are limited and unresponsive [*]Camera angle has trouble when intersecting the environment [/list] [b]Minor Cons:[/b] [list] [*]Graphical performance had issues [/list]

Cute exploration game. Controls play best with a controller - having tried both ways. If you can't move with controller at first, and you see the mouse cursor, click in the game window with mouse once first. Store page blurb text should really say "Controller Recommended". Played on Medium graphics settings, and was only about as clunky as I'd expect a slightly slow, non-agile, jellyfish swimming to be. ;) (Remember to use BOTH joysticks - left for movement, right for camera, use both while rotating) A good buy on sale - I got it for 80% off. At time of review, I've unlocked 2 of the seemingly 4 different fish. Cons: only one save-file & no confirmation dialog - so be careful not to select "New Game" instead of "Load Game". I confirmed this when deliberately re-starting after my first 8 minutes. (out of 26 minutes total at the time of review)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhhKN7A8Lxg Definitely different. The graphics are very nice for a game at this low price point. More of a puzzle game then action for sure. I got stuck on where to go as you can see in my first impressions video, but looks like it might easily be worth the money if you enjoy these kind of casual, relaxing games. It's a hard game to explain, but you essentially swim around possessing different types of nearby fish as you progress and release captured special "elder fish" by connecting energy lasers in crystal formations that you find. There doesn't look to be any real threat of death or any enemy fish, its much more of a leisurely exploratory type of game. Not for everyone, but I think some people will really enjoy this one and it is certainly unique.

The only part of the background story for the game I know about is from the Steam store page. No back-story or purpose is explained in game so far (via text or visual cues etc.) I understand the game is trying to be different but why am I clicking on these crystals? (I can look it up but why not help me along to get me interested?) Controls feel a bit awkward. And the "cleansing" process (whatever it is for...) seems needlessly to involve long and click/hold button sequences. Visuals are fine (but no full screen?). Sound is good. Overall I don't feel the urge to fuss with the game any longer in order to understand or experience any more of it. Not reviewing based on the cost as there are 1000's of inexpensive games on Steam, but being inexpensive doesn't make them a good use of time. I cannot recommend a game I do not feel is worth spending your time on. As always not an attack on the developer (their skill or intentions or resources etc.) or fans of the game, just my impression.

A very short (2 hours playtime) story in a special and beautiful world, in a colorful underwater empire. Really-really very spectacular! You can float, swim freely around, but you cant die, you can just watch the plants, the colorful fish. Its calm and peaceful. Of course you have a mission: activating crystals to free a little green ghost, who will show the way to the next area. To activate those crystals it is necessary for your the hero (a little purple ghost) to posess fish, what swim around. Different fish have different skills: one brings lightness to the dark cave areas, other eats sea urchin and thus open up the cave entrances, another again is strong and can swim against the currents, etc. Recommended!