![]() The controls are obviously intentionally rage-inducing, but that’s kind of the point of the game. The sound effects are equally impressive, and the various hums, beeps, and alarms perfectly capture the otherwordly feel of the space station. The soundtrack is there when something interesting happens but fades into the background when you are trying to focus on solving the challenges in your way. Fortunately, it is possible to orient the camera again with just a tap of a button, provided you can get your cosmonaut to stay pointed in the right direction long enough.Īs with the visuals, the developers of Heavenly Bodies have done a great job with the sound design. Heavenly Bodies is a 2D game, but the camera can twist as your cosmonaut changes orientation. In addition to cosmetically contributing to the chaos, these objects can also hinder your efforts to get from point a to b. However, since it is a physics-based game, there’s also plenty of debris along with wires and whatever is not tethered swirling about. The result is a game that captures the clean and clinical look of a space station and the vastness of space. Visually, Heavenly Bodies is a great-looking game, and the developers used archival space photography and technical illustrations as inspiration for the style. Not only does each level have a secret collectible to find, but to complete the challenges, players might have to complete levels within strict time limits or use the Newtonian mode. Even with the stiff challenge, the seven missions on offer don’t take too long to complete, but thankfully there are some optional objectives for players to sink their teeth into too. Once all the objectives have been completed, players must return to the command console to radio in their success. Thankfully, the game also has an “assisted” mode that allows cosmonauts to float in the direction they are pointed without struggling too much. This is challenging enough on the default “classic” mode, but opting for “Newtonian” mode makes it even trickier. The only way to move around efficiently in Heavenly Bodies is to push, pull and twist your astronaut in the right direction. Accomplishing any of this with debris swirling about, players crashing into each other, or momentum sending players careening off in the wrong direction is as challenging as it is funny. For example, players have to attach the top and bottom solar panels, receiver, and processor to assemble the space telescope while unpacking the cargo delivery and removing the lens cap after attaching the lens. #HEAVENLY BODIES SWITCH SERIES#Each mission is broken down into a series of smaller steps. These objectives can range from launching a telescope into space, establishing a healthy garden to replenish oxygen supplies, or even retrieving mineral samples from an asteroid field. The result is a game that can be toe-curlingly, teeth clenching frustrating, but somehow highly entertaining and addictive at the same time.Īt the start of each mission, players receive a guidebook with clear instructions on what needs to be accomplished. It obviously takes a while to get used to the controls, and the lack of gravity also increases the challenge exponentially. Players can also use the shoulder buttons to pull up their cosmonauts’ legs, but this feels a bit cramped, so it’s a good thing the buttons can be remapped. Each analog stick is dedicated to an arm while the triggers are used for grasping. This is also the reason why the game was very much designed with a controller in mind. Instead of being given complete control of their cosmonauts, players can only control their limbs. While the missions in Heavenly Bodies are all very straightforward, the big draw for this title is the control scheme and physics. It is still perfectly playable in solo mode, but mishaps are never quite as hilarious, and there’s nobody else to blame when things invariably go very wrong. Although players can tackle the game alone, it is clear that the missions were designed with local co-op in mind. Heavenly Bodies opens with players arriving at a space station and immediately tasked with restoring power to the facility. Heavenly Bodies by 2pt Interactive perfectly captures this feeling of being a 1970s space cosmonaut who has to rely on their own skill and ingenuity to complete a series of challenging missions in zero gravity. But, of course, if something did go wrong, there was very little that could be done from earth for the brave souls risking life and limb in the name of scientific progress. Perhaps it’s the unfathomable depths of space or the looming sense of dread that something could go wrong at any moment. There has always been something a little eerie about watching those grainy vintage films about early space missions. ![]()
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