Control

ESRB Rating: T
MSRP: $39.99
Platforms: XB1, Series X|S
Get it on:

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• Amazon (XB1, Series X|S Physical)
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• Microsoft Store (XB1, Series X Digital)\n
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  • Currently included in Game Pass Ultimate
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Control may very well be on of the greatest games of the last generation. Developed by Remedy Games — who also brought us the incredible Alan Wake, as well as Quantum Break and Max Payne — Control wows with super slick gunplay and super power usage.

It's a game that pulls players into an engaging world with engaging combat.  The Federal Bureau of Control is under siege and supernatural abilities are commonplace. Fans of the X-Files or sci-fi horror should not miss out on this action-adventure game.

We couldn't help but gush about it in our review, saying that "Control is undoubtedly Remedy's biggest and weirdest game yet. In many ways, it's also their best, all while it paves the way for a Marvel-like connected universe." Yeah, it connects to all of their previous games in some fashion, creating a video game universe unlike any other. 

Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning

ESRB Rating: M
MSRP: $39.99
Platforms: XB1, X|S
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• Amazon (XB1, X|S Physical)
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• Microsoft Store (XB1, Series X|S Digital)
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Kingdoms of Amalur didn't get the fairest shake with its original release on the Xbox 360, but the Re-Reckoning version of the game on modern platforms brings this much-talked-about RPG to life — and with a wealth of additional content on top of the original version's already robust world and gameplay.

This is one of those re-releases that original fans dream of, but also one that's accessible to new fans. Thankfully, many of the hiccups from the original game have been ironed out here, so it's both faithful and the best way to play the game. 

If you're a loot hound — or know someone who is — and like RPGs, Re-Reckoning is a no brainer. 

In our review, we said that "Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning feels like a breath of fresh air. Just like the game's protagonist, it rises from the ashes, with a blank slate and zero expectations, to deliver a powerful story, addictive gameplay, and a shockingly stylish world that's pulsing with personality and is ripe for exploration."

Wasteland 3

ESRB Rating: M
MSRP: $59.99
Platforms: XB1, Series X|S
Get it on:

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• Amazon (XB1, Series X|S Physical)
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• Microsoft Store (XB1, Series X|S Digital)\n
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  • Currently included with Game Pass Ultimate
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After waiting for a sequel to Wasteland 2 for six years — and suffering through a few delays along the way — fans finally got their hands on Wasteland 3 earlier this year. Luckily, it was all well worth it. Mixing tried and true CRPG mechanics with modern sensibilities, Wasteland 3 is an unmitigated success. 

There's no surprise that there's a lot to do in Wasteland 3, a game that can take upwards of 71 hours to beat for those looking to uncover everything. Sure, a single playthrough isn't as long as some other RPGs on the Xbox platform, but there are so many different builds and ways to play the game, that multiple playthroughs are almost essential. 

There's story, there's strategy, there's combat. It looks absolutely fantastic, and it's funny, to boot. 

We said that "Wasteland 3 is, without a doubt, one of the best games of the year. Despite its dark, gloomy atmosphere, it manages to shine through humor and characterization. The world-building is second to none, with a wide range of locales to visit, creating a sense of epic-scale and adventure. It’s a game where your choices have real consequences as you play judge, jury, and executioner."

Streets Of Rage 4 

ESRB Rating: T
MSRP: $24.99 - $34.99
Platforms: XB1, Series X|S
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• Amazon (XB1, Series X|S Physical)
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• Microsoft Store (XB1, Series X|S Digital)\n
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  • Currently included with Game Pass Ultimate
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They say you can't keep a good fighter down, and with Streets of Rage 4, developer Dotemu proves that one of the best beat em' ups of the 1990s is still one of the beat em' ups of 2020s. 

The most obvious change is the game's updated coat of paint, which looks absolutely gorgeous on last- and current-gen consoles. Peel back the surface just a bit, and you'll find a game that pays respect to the franchise but makes enough thoughtful changes to forge its own path. Combat is as you'd expect it, though that doesn't mean it's any less effective. 

After playing Streets of Rage 4 earlier this year, we said "Streets of Rage 4 is the best kind of revival. It absolutely revels in the franchise’s roots, but the designers have put a lot of thought into what does and does not work in the old arcade beat-‘em-up formula." Read more here. 

Maneater

ESRB Rating: M
MSRP: $29.99
Platforms: XB1, Series X|S
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• Amazon (XB1, Series X|S Physical)
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• Microsoft Store (XB1, Series X|S Digital)
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Maneater may be one of the most surprising games of the year, and if you like action-packed chaos and mayhem, one of the best.  

Fans of Jaws and Shark Week will revel in the chum-filled waters of Maneater, which follows an orphaned bull shark out for revenge. As your growing shark swims from the alligator-filled swamps of Fatwick Bayou to the sailboat-clogged harbor of Prosperity Sands and beyond, you'll chomp down on everything from fish and turtles to swimmers and bounty hunters. 

You'll even unlock new skills, evolutions, and deadly shark skins along the way, giving you extra bones to rip your prey to shreds or electricity to shock them when they fall in the water. 

We gave Maneater a 9 because of all of the things it does so well, with our review saying "In a time of global crisis, however, a game where you can turn your brain off and eat anything and everything in sight is just the kind of detachment we need. Even if it wasn’t on your radar at all, Maneater is a title that will gobble you up for a few hours of blissful escapism."

Dirt 5

ESRB Rating: E
MSRP: $59.99
Platforms: XB1, X|S
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• Amazon (XB1, Series X|S Physical)
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• Microsoft Store (XB1, Series X|S Digital)
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Dirt 5 isn't to be overlooked if you've got the itch for a good racing game, especially if you enjoyed its predecessor, Dirt 4. It improves on many of that game's mechanics and systems, even if the Xbox versions aren't able to use the awesome haptic feedback features available in the PlayStation 5 version. 

Dirt 5's varied terrain, comprehensive career mode, and lush visuals are a feast for anyone who enjoys the genre even a bit. But don't go into this thinking it's Gran Turismo: this is a rally racer through and through. 

You can read more about Dirt 5 and all it has to offer in our review, where we said it's "a huge racer with tons to do," has "gorgeous presentation," and comes packaged with "tight, responsive controls." 

Ghostrunner

ESRB Rating: M
MSRP: $29.99
Platforms: XB1, Series X|S
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• Microsoft Store (XB1, Series X|S Digital)
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Ultra fast-paced and brutal, Ghostrunner can put even the highest skilled players to the test with its cutthroat swordplay and silky smooth maneuverability. An action-packed platformer set against a neon cyberpunk futurescape, Ghostrunner is part Mirror's Edge, part Ninja Gaiden where precise timing and movement a strategic keys to success. Get hit, and you die. You'll have to start from the checkpoint. 

This is a solid buy for anyone who's all about gameplay and isn't too worried about story, at least in the traditional narrative sense. If you pay attention, there's a lot to learn from its world.

We gave Ghostreunner a solid 8, saying, "it's fast, frenetic, and, even in the face of its weaker moments, endlessly satisfying."

Cake Bash

ESRB Rating: E
MSRP: $19.99
Platforms: XB1, Series X|S
Get it on:

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• Microsoft Store (XB1, Series X|S Digital)
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There's nothing better for the soul and bad for your interpersonal relationships like a good, old-fashioned party game. Cake Bash doesn't just make you compete with friends in its minigames, campaign, and multiplayer modes — it makes you hungry too! You are trying to become the tastiest treat around, after all.

Our review for this indie darling perhaps says it best: "With a variety of entertaining games, some lively stages, and good replayability, it’s a fun experience, especially with friends. We only wish there was more of it on offer. Though some minigames feel a little finicky, it’s otherwise a sweet treat all around." Read more about Cake Bash here. 

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2

ESRB Rating: T
MSRP: $39.99
Platforms: XB1, Series X|S
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• Amazon (XB1, Series X|S Physical)
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• Microsoft Store (XB1, Series X|S Digital)
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There's no series that does skateboarding better than Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. Sure, there's the Skate series, which has received favorable marks over the years, but nothing holds a candle to the prolificness of the THPS franchise, or its grip on the cultural zeitgeist 21 years after the launch of the first game. 

This faithful remake of the first two games in the series can't be beat — even compared to more recent entries. it makes you forget that 2012's Tony Hawk's HD ever existed. 

Featuring absolutely no cut content from the first two games in the series and even some new additions (skaters, boards, and online multiplayer), as well as tricks from later games, Pro Skater 1 + 2 isn't to be missed.

That doesn't mean it's perfect, but we gave it high marks for its graphics, faithfulness, and old-school arcade feel. Read more about it in our review.

Immortal Fenyx Rising

ESRB Rating: T
MSRP: $59.99
Platforms: XB1, Series X|S
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• Amazon (XB1, Series X|S physical)
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• Microsoft Store (XB1, Series X|S Digital)
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Immortals Fenyx Rising may look like just another open-world Ubisoft game, and while it may share certain aspects with games like Assassin's Creed Odyssey, such as its Greek mythology trappings, it takes some of those elements and flips them on their head. 

As expected, there's a lot to do here, with plenty of places to explore, myriad items to discover, and tons of skills to unlock. There's "breezy combat and excellent writing," and the art style is inviting. It helps that the game is funny too. 

For us, "Immortals Fenyx Rising has undeniable charm." It's well worth the price of admission for fans of Ubisoft, open-world games, or just plain ol' well-made games.  

Journey to the Savage Planet

ESRB Rating: T
MSRP: $29.99
Platforms: XB1, Series X|S
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• Amazon (XB1, Series X|S Physical)
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• Microsoft Store (XB1, Series X|S Digital)\n
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  • Included with Game Pass Ultimate
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You may not have heard about Journey to the Savage Planet since it had a relatively quiet launch way back in the beginning of 2020, which was about 624 years ago at this point. But that doesn't mean it isn't a 3D action-adventure game well-worth checking out. 

Zany, satirical, and totally bonkers, Journey to the Savage Planet sends you to planet AR-Y 26 as part of an exploration expedition meant to find a habitable planet for humanity. It's a tale we've played through before, but the character behind Journey to the Savage Planet — not to mention its creative design choices and fun gameplay — make it stand out. 

Players can explore and conquer solo or in co op, though co op is relegated to a purely invite-only system. There's unfortunately no couch co op or online matchmaking here. 

We gave the game an 8 for getting "exploration and traversal" right, as well as it's "colorful and light-hearted" world. We said that "Journey to the Savage Planet is an amalgam of many genres in a single 15-20 hour experience" that stands as a "charming debut from a promising new studio."

Star Wars: Squadrons

ESRB Rating: T
MSRP: $39.99
Platforms: XB1, Series X|S
Get it on:

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• Amazon (XB1, Series X|S physical)
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• Microsoft Store (XB1, Series X|S Digital)\n
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  • Part of EA Play through Game Pass Ultimate on console
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Star Wars fans have waited a long, long time for a proper space-flight combat simulator — since the days of the legendary X-Wing and Tie Fighter series. Star Wars: Squadrons delivers (in spades) a thoughtful and respectful modern take on that classic gameplay. recent updates to the game have added the much-requested B-Wing, custom multiplayer matches, and new starfighter armaments. 

Between a campaign worthy of the storied series and the intensely immersive flight and combat to the blood-pumping multiplayer that serves as a nice middle ground between the old games and Battlefront 2's Starfighter Assualt mode, Squadrons is not to be missed by any fan.

In our review of the game, we said "Star Wars Squadrons is an instant classic and an ode to the space combat sims that came before it. It's the closest thing to a new X-Wing or Tie Fighter we're going to get."

Watch Dogs: Legion

ESRB Rating: M
MSRP: $59.99
Platforms: XB1, Series X|S
Buy it from:

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• Amazon (XB1, Series X|S physical)
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• Microsoft Store (XB1, Series X|S Digital)
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Watch Dogs: Legion is the third installment in the Watch Dogs franchise that began back in 2014. While it features similar gameplay and world-building as its predecessors, the most interesting mechanic Watch Dogs: Legion brings to the table is the ability to recruit any character in London to the grander cause. Such an ambitious addition works extremely well, too, adding a sense of depth unseen in the first two games and a whole heck of a lot of character types to dive into.

Never before has being a part of a rebel hacker group been so slick, so much so in our review, we said that WDL "throws out a decade of Ubisoft's cluttered-map open worlds in favor of exciting systems that deliver unique emergent moments consistently."

It's not perfect — as of this writing, there's still a pesky game-breaking bug near the end of the game in the Series X version that Ubisoft is working to fix — but it's a solid entry in the series all fans should check out. 

Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War

ESRB Rating: M
MSRP: $59.99 - $69.99
Platforms: XB1, Series X|S
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• Amazon (XB1 Physical)
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• Amazon (Series X|S Physical)
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• Microsoft Store (XB1, Series X|S Digital)
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This year's Call of Duty should be a given for any FPS player with an Xbox Box One or Xbox Series X|S. The perennial first-person shooter's newest offering brings with it a ton of multiplayer gameplay and plenty of weapon customization options to keep any fan busy. There's a sizeable campaign mode, to boot, not to mention the always-popular Zombies mode. 

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is on both Xbox One and Xbox Series X natively, though owners of the Xbox One version is backwards compatible with the Series X, or it can upgrade to the Xbox Series X version at no additional cost. So it's really a win, win, win. 

In our review of Black Ops Cold War, we gave it top marks for a "tight, high-action campaign mode, tons of weapon customization options in multiplayer, [and for having] plenty of content right away." We also said that, unsurprisingly, "zombies mode is hard to put down."

Grounded

ESRB Rating: T
MSRP: $29.99
Platforms: XB1, Series X|S
Get it on:

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• Microsoft Store (XB1, Series X|S Digital)\n
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  • Currently included in Game Pass Ultimate
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If you've ever wondered what it would be like to play in the backyard of Honey, I shrunk the Kids, you'll want to give Grounded a look. It's a survival adventure game where you're small and the world is big — literally. 

Grounded may only be in Early Access through Xbox Game Preview with its story and systems still in development, but it already has a lot to offer. You'll craft spears and shovels, hunt bugs, build shelters, and survive myriad dangers — all while trying to get un-shrunk. 

On top of what's currently available, Obsidian has been dutifully adding new elements and mechanics to the game since it released in July. The extensive development roadmap can be seen over on the Grounded website. 

In our Early Access review, we said that "Grounded proudly reveals its unique take on the well-tread survival genre by injecting familiar mechanics with a youthful spirit. With Grounded, Obsidian walks back years of survival games moving ceaselessly toward dreary post-apocalyptic worlds and instead imagines a colorful little-big sandbox where insects are intimidating behemoths."

Gears Tactics

ESRB Rating: M
MSRP: $59.99
Platforms: XB1, Series X|S
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• Amazon (XB1, Series X|S Physical)
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• Microsoft Store (XB1, Series X|S Digital)\n
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  • Currently included in Game Pass Ultimate
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Xbox One actually has a surprising number of good tactics games in its catalog: XCOM and XCOM 2, Wargroove, Battletech, Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun, Mutant Year Zero, Battletech, and Into the Breach are just a few. But fans can add Gears Tactics in as one of the best entries. 

As with other similar genre games, there are squads, there are over-head perspectives, there are action points, and there are abilities like overwatch. Since Gears Tactics is a prequel to the original Gears of War, the story gives Gears fans another look at the franchise's universe, 12 years before the first game. 

We played the game when it released in early 2020, saying "Gears Tactics takes the intense third-person action of the console game into the realm of PC-centric turn-based tactical strategy. Thanks to intuitive controls, Gears Tactics is easy to get into even for players who have never played a turn-based tactical squad game before. It’s just a shame there’s not more here."

Ori and the Will of the Wisps

ESRB Rating: E
MSRP: $29.99
Platforms: XB1, Series X|S
Get it on:

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• Microsoft Store (XB1, Series X|S Digital)\n
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  • Currently included in Game Pass Ultimate
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Ori and the Blind Forest is one of the best platformers to launch on any platform in recent memory. Released in 2015, it currently has an 88 on Metacritic and a commanding 90 on OpenCritic. So how would Moon Studios and Microsoft Studios follow that? With a sequel that's just as good — if not better. 

Ori and the Will of the Wisps takes most everything fans love about the original game and improves upon it. It's draw-droppingly gorgeous world is only rivaled by its tight platforming mechanics and fulfilling Metroidvania design. There's a lot to do in Will of the Wisps, making it a game fans can come back to again and again. 

In our review of the game, we said "Ori and the Will of the Wisps is another triumph return for the series — a beautiful game with only the smallest blemishes to its luster. If you want to play a beautiful, often difficult Metroidvania with some of the most satisfying combat and traversal mechanics the genre has to offer, Ori and the Will of the Wisps will give you plenty to be excited about."

The holiday shopping season is here, which means it's time to stock up on games — or buy them for other people, of course. 2020 marked the launch of Sony's PlayStation 5 and Microsoft's Xbox Series X and Series S, all of which are backwards compatible with their respective prior platforms.

Although Halo Infinite was delayed out of the Series X|S launch window, leaving the consoles without a launch exclusive title, there are tons of great games ready to fill the void, some third-party, some first-party. 

In making this list, we tried to avoid overlap with our other list marking the essential games for the PlayStation 4 and PS5. Maybe it's a misguided endeavor because so many great games launched for both platforms, but we had to draw the line somewhere for each list or both would go on and on. 

Here's that list so you can find even more great Xbox One and Series X|S titles, like FUSER, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, Doom Eternal, Resident Evil 3, and more. 

Here we're focusing on some of the other essential titles for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S owners to pick up this season and into 2021, from shooters and space flight sims to everything in between. There's something for any sort of gamer in this list, so let's get started.

The Epic Games Store Mega Sale is on now through June 11. There's a new free game every Thursday — including Grand Theft Auto 5 if you can get it — plus a free $10 Epic Coupon that, if you use on eligible games or add-ons costing $14.99 or more, you'll get another $10 Epic Coupon for the same purpose.

There's a ton of games on offer during the Epic Games Store Mega Sale, and a fair few that meet the coupon criteria as well, including Control, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, The Outer Worlds, and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.

Here's a taster of what you can expect to find.

This is just a small sampling of what's on offer. There are easily more than three times as many games on sale in the Epic Games Mega Sale, and you can check out the full list on the Epic Games Store website. Stay tuned to GameSkinny for more Epic Games Store and game sale news as it develops.

Sony is keeping the PS4 sales coming with PlayStation 4's Hidden Gems Sale, which is live now through May 20 at 11 a.m. EST. 

There are several hundred games on sale, spanning almost every genre one can think of, from action-adventure to strategy, RPG, shooters, and VR. Some are incredibly obscure, while others are household names. 

Almost all of the discounts are worth checking out, while some are 75%, making them quite the steal. Here's a list of just a few of the bargain-bin games, with a link to the entire sale at the bottom of the page. 

Note that the Destiny 2 discounts below are only available until May 13. 

That's just a very small sampling of what's on offer during the PlayStation Hidden Gems sale. Head over to the sale's PlayStation Store page for more. The store's Big in Japan Sale and Games Under $20 are also live as well for even more savings. 

PlayStation's big March sale just ended yesterday, but that doesn't mean Sony isn't keeping the deals coming. The PlayStation 4 spring sale is live now through April 28. 

Including games and DLC, there are 600 items on sale, such as Death Stranding, A Plague Tale: Innocence, NBA 2K20, Dark Souls 3, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, The Outer Worlds, Days Gone, Vampyr, MGS5, and Doom (2016). 

DLC packs and season passes for games like Marvel's Spider-Man, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, and Grand Theft Auto 5 are also available. 

Both games and DLC are currently upwards of 50% off, with quite a handful of offerings coming in below $15. Here's a larger list of what you can expect to find over on the PlayStation Store. 

Additionally, there's a smattering of movies and TV shows available as well, including X-Men Dark Phoenix, Doctor Sleep, Resident Evil, Joker, Jojo Rabbit, and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

The sale was announced over on the PlayStation Blog. Nathan Clark, Associate Digital Promotions Manager for PlayStation, said that the sale will be refreshed with new deals on April 15. In a move reminiscent of Valve's long-dormant flash sales, Clark did not specify what games, films, or television shows would be added to the list. 

Guess we'll just have to check back and see. 

For more on PlayStation's spring sale, as well as other gaming sales like Humble Bundle's "Conquer Covid-19" bundle, stay tuned to GameSkinny. 

There are three green cubes in Journey to the Savage Planet. Each of them contains one Alien Alloy, which you'll need to grab to unlock all of the game's upgrades and get The $600 Man trophy and achievement. Thing is, it isn't exactly clear how to kill a green cube. 

After several hours of trial and error — shooting it with my pistol, ground-pounding it, slapping it off cliffs, and peppering it with bombegranates — I finally figured it out. 

How do you kill/open/blow up a green osmotic cube in Journey to the Savage Planet? By making it eat too much. 

Slap the green cube to a location with a bunch of fauna. It doesn't matter what type, though killing Pufferbird is obviously easier than killing Kapyena. Once you kill the fauna around the green blob, it will eat the carbon and silicone the fauna drops. 

The green cube will sometimes try to slowly crawl back to where you originally found it. Just slap it toward the resources dropped by the fauna, and it will gobble them up. Do this a few times (three to four) and the green cube will explode, giving you the resources it consumed as well as any Alien Alloy. 

Green Cube Locations

There are three osmotic green cubes in Savage Planet. Below are the areas and biomes in which you can find them. 

Cliffs of Mt. Gazarfyn

Fast travel to The Cliffs of Mt. Gazarfyn in The Landing Zone biome. Go diagonal and right toward the edge of the cliff. You will pass through the herd(?) of Pufferbird and a few roaming Jellywaft. 

Go off the side of the mountain and land on a small cliff below. You won't likely see the cliff before you jump, but be ready to move backward once you start falling to catch it. 

Look down again to see the green cube on another cliff below. Slap the cube off the cliff to area below. 

Fungi of Si'ned VII

Fast travel to the Fungi of Si'ned VII in The Itching Fields. When you spawn, go straight ahead and through the rock archway. Drop down into the pit and land on the first platform (the one with the Vitality Plant). 

There is an opening in the cave wall opposite the Vitality Plant. Jump across the small gap and go inside. The green cube is in the back of the cave. 

Pillars of Xzorgana

Fast travel to the Pillars of Xzorgana in The Elevated Realm. At spawn turn right and go past the stone archway. Jump over to the island across from you; it's the one with the two Skipper on it. 

Once you land, stay to the right and pass a small cave opening on your left. Jump over the rocks to the right of the cave opening to find the green cube.

You can slap it down to the area below and hope enough Floopsnoot spawn, but you may have to push it down one more level to the area with Pufferbirf and Schonozo. 

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That's all you need to know about how to kill/open/blow up the green cubes in Journey to the Savage Planet. For more on the tongue-in-cheek exploration game from Typhoon Studios, be sure to read our official review. 

For more tips and tricks, head over to our Journey to the Savage Planet guides page. Here are a few to get you started: 

• How to Quickly Find Orange Goo
• How to Quickly Find Alien Alloy
• The Best Upgrades to Get First

There's been a trend in gaming for a while now. It's one where successful AAA game devs eventually split off from their publisher overlords and set out to make something less secure, but when done well, often more interesting.

Such is the case with Typhoon Studios and their debut game, Journey to the Savage Planet. Years of making open-world games in series such as Assassin's Creed and Far Cry seem to have instilled in some of them the same fatigue reported regularly by players of the bloated sandbox genre.

So they said their goodbyes, kept what they learned along the way, and, through some equation of subversion and application, birthed a colorful and concise middle finger to those worlds they used to build, all while giving players a new one worth scanning every inch of.

Journey to the Savage Planet Review: Flipping Off Your Bosses (For Science)

Landing on planet AR-Y 26 after Earth has been rendered uninhabitable, space exploration company Kindred, who proudly boasts of being "fourth-best in space," asks you to scan the world and weigh its merits as a Plan B for the disgusting, wasteful humans seeking refuge elsewhere in the universe. But upon arrival, you find the uninhabited planet perhaps has a richer history than Kindred knew about before you got there.

Journey to the Savage Planet is an amalgam of many genres in a single 15-20 hour experience. Typhoon says the game is designed to respect players' time by trimming the fat weighing down so many bigger games. At different times, it feels like a metroidvania, an RPG, a platformer, and with the constant dual-wielding of guns and special items, it can even feel like a much less self-serious BioShock.

Its core principle is exploration, which also happens to be its best attribute. To get around, players move through a metroidvania world full of flora and fauna that each alternate between passively pretty and extremely hazardous. Along the way, you'll catalog everything you find with an addictive scanner tool that helps you understand how to use and/or defeat what's in front of you.

Upgrades come early and often, and the game constantly rewards straying from the critical path to find vital upgrades to health and stamina, as well as stumbling on combat or puzzle sequences that unlock the game's most precious crafting resource.

Though the skill tree allows for new touches to your throwables, HUD improvements, weapon buffs, and more, it's the new traversal elements that feel the most rewarding, like a grappling hook and multi-jump that are so awesomely reliable in tandem, or Sunset Overdrive-like rails to grind. You'll rarely move more than a few steps without dashing, double-jumping, ground-pounding, and much more, and it keeps the game very active, like an amusement park ride you get to direct. 

While early combat moments seem far too simple, it's merely because the earliest enemies are some of the prey of the world. Once you start to bump up against some of the bigger, faster, deadlier creatures on AR-Y 26, the titular savage planet quickly earns its adjective, most of all during the game's several boss battles.

Unfortunately, shooting doesn't feel great for a few reasons. Mainly, aiming just feels a bit off, but your singular blaster is also very weak to begin with. It doesn't feel up to many challenges until you improve it a bit more. Early on, this leads to some frustrations, and for some, the poor ADS means it will likely never feel great.

Savage Planet is in many ways built like a nostalgic dream of 90's game design. Glowing-spot bosses quickly instruct players how to overcome the odds while health pellet pick-ups, infinite ammo pistols, and adolescent humor all cement the game in shades of decades gone by.

For the most part, these aren't bad things. Even the joke commercials and satirical emails, as immature and off-the-mark as most are, still provide a few laughs and, at the very least, a dismissive smirk and scoff combination. It's a world where pufferbirds liberally fart and you're bombarded with ads for phone sex with some of "the galaxy's hottest slimeforms." 

A singular point is ultimately made when you see and read all the game's ads and emails. It's one that says, essentially, "if you're rich and in charge, you probably suck." Everyone in the world of Savage Planet is selling something, and the cynicism runs deep when it comes to how trustworthy or admirable those salespeople should be considered.

It's a reminder of Typhoon's roots as some folks making some of the biggest games in the world, and even in its often puerile punchlines, it feels like the sort of cathartic punching-up worth rooting for. Then again, this is also the same studio that just got bought by Google. Go figure.

With its constant resource-scavenging, colorful landscapes, and planet-scanning, Savage Planet is a bit like a zoomed-in-to-a-single-planet No Man's Sky as written by the absurdists behind Adult Swim advertising. There's little story to be seen, and the combat is merely fine, even frustrating at times. But the game's best aspect is exploration, and weirdly — and welcomely — I found I had even more fun in this regard after the credits.

Polishing off the skill tree, locating alien artifacts, and gathering the planet's scarce fuel for departure is the post-game carrot I thought I'd not care about (I usually don't), but as moving around is so much fun and by the end combat is hardly an obstacle, I've found sweeping up secrets is the game's best part. I don't know whether the game's true ending I've yet to see will make for a worthwhile destination, but I'm still enjoying the journey anyway. 

Journey to the Savage Planet Review — The Bottom Line

Pros

• Exploration and traversal done so right
• Colorful and light-hearted
• Post-game carrot-and-stick factor is strong 
• A love letter to games of yesteryear with some modern conveniences

Cons

• Gunplay doesn't feel great until you're many upgrades deep
• Its sense of humor is often groan-inducing

If the people at Typhoon were still at their old jobs, Journey to the Savage Planet wouldn't have been greenlit. For that reason and despite its faults, I'm glad they moved on. With an intriguing world and creature design, the right amount of retro principles, and a surprisingly long post-credits tail worth chasing, Journey to the Savage Planet is a light-hearted, charming debut from a promising new studio.

[Note: A copy of Journey to the Savage Planet was provided by Typhoon Studios for the purpose of this review.]

Alien Alloy is an important part of Journey to the Savage Planet. You use it to upgrade your weapons and gear. Not every enhancement uses it, but almost all of them do, especially the more important ones. Some even require two. 

As with my Orange Goo locations walkthrough, I won't outline every Alien Alloy location. There are 32 to find and most are easy to find. Instead, I will tell you how to get the Alien Alloy Detector upgrade for your visor. Once you unlock it, you can scan the landscape for Alien Alloy locations yourself. 

How to Get the Alien Alloy Detector Visor Upgrade

To get the enhancement, you first have to achieve Science Rank 3 — Explorer. You will gain access to the challenges leading to this rank once you complete Science Rank 2. Just scan all of the flora and fauna you come across, and it will unlock quickly. 

The science experiments for Science Rank 3 — Explorer are: 

• Live Samples 2: Gather live samples from Kapyena, Jellywaft, and Infected Pufferbird. 
• Corrosive Rain: Hit 2 creatures with the acid burst from a single dying Prime Jellywaft
• Easy Target: Kill 4 creatures while they are stuck in a Binding Bile within 3 seconds. 
• Bomb Drop: Kill 3 amber-armored Pufferbirds with a single Bombegranate. 

Live Samples 2

To gather live samples, equip the Live Sampler. Go up to an animal or specimen and press "R1" on PS4, "RB on Xbox One, or "Q" on PC. If you did it correctly, a little green hand will flash on the X screen. If you did not, a red "X" will appear.

Kapyena Locations

Kapyena can be found in two place: Fungi of Si'ned VII in The Itching Fields and the Infernal Cauldron in The Elevated Realm. You can simply teleport to the Infernal Cauldron and quickly find the Kapyena since the area is so small. 

But if you haven't opened that area yet, teleport to Fungi of Si'ned VII. As soon as you teleport into the area, turn left and go under the rock archway. Follow the path straight. Go left when the path turns left. Go through the bigger arch that looks like it has teeth on the sides and enter the Kapyena area. 

Jellywaft Locations

Jellywaft are easy to find. They are in Jellywaft Basin at the beginning of the game, and they can be found in The Verdant Wilds of Zyl. You will most likely have to jump and press the corresponding input to gather a Jellywaft sample. 

Infected Pufferbird Location

So far, I've only come across Infected Pufferbird in one area: The Festering Chasm in The Itching Fields. When you first enter The Itching Fields at the Planetary Flotsam, your primary objective will take you to The Festering Chasm (it's the area where you first encounter the Blight Bomb plant). 

Follow the marker around to the right side of the Planetary Flotsam and up. When you reach the cliff overlooking The Festering Chasm, turn right. You will see mushrooms forming platforms to another cliff. Jump across. Go through the cave to the first drop. Look down to find the Infected Pufferbird milling around a stone obelisk. 

Corrosive Rain

Prime Jellywaft can be found in The Itching Fields, specifically The Planetary Flotsam and Fungi of Si'ned VII. Prime Jellwaft are pink, and they are more powerful than your average Jellywaft, requiring more shots to bring down.

When they die, they explode in an acid burst. The best place to finish this experiment is The Planetary Flotsam. From the teleporter there, go straight toward the Alien Tablet. Turn left and continue the tether point in front of you. When you land, it will say "secret nearby." Turn right to see large platform with several Jellywaft and Pufferbird. 

Attack the Prime Jellywaft here to kill 2 creatures with the acid burst.

Easy Target

The best place to get this is The Festering Chasm in The Itching Fields. Go to the teleporter. Put the swampy area with the Blight Bomb plants, mushrooms, Babushkas, Skippers (birds), and three Amber Pufferbird behind you.  

Go straight and take the first left. There will be a cliff face and your left and a group of purple Repulsive Trees on your right. In front of you, you will see several Pufferbird Alpha. There are also regular Purfferbird. 

Throw Grob on the ground. When the Purfferbird begin to eat, throw a Binding Bile on them. The throw a Bombegranate on them to complete the experiment. 

Bomb Drop

Again, the easiest place to get this is in The Festering Chasm in The Itching Fields. Fast travel to The Festering Chasm. In front of the teleporter is an open area with Blight Bomb plants, mushrooms, Babushkas, Skippers (birds), and three Amber Pufferbird. Kill the Skippers and drop a can of Grob near the three Amber Pufferbird. 

When the Pufferbird start eating the Grob, throw a Blight Bomb on them. Quickly switch to a Bombergranate and throw it at them. Easy peasy. 

---

Once you achieve Science Rank 3 — Explorer, return to the Javelin Habitat and access the 3D printer. Craft the Alien Alloy Detector. Now you can locate every Alien Alloy location by pressing "R3" on PS4 and Xbox One and "Z" on PC.

It's worth noting that you'll need further upgrades to actually get some of the Alien Alloys, such as the Launch Booster, the triple-jump and the quadruple-jump, and the Advanced Proton Tether. It also helps to have the Smarter Visor, but it's not necessary. 

For more tips and tricks on this new exploration game from Typhoon Studios, be sure to check out our other Journey to the Savage Planet guides. Here are a few you might find useful: 

• How to Quickly Find Every Orange Goo
• How to Kill the Green Cube for Alien Alloy
• The Best Upgrades to Get Early

Be sure to check out our official review of the game, too, where we said, "Journey to the Savage Planet is a satirical and colorful metroidvania that survives its corny jokes thanks to fun traversal and worthwhile exploration."

Orange Goo is important in Journey to the Savage Planet. Gather enough of it, and it increases your health and stamina. Finding it is a priority, even if the Orange Goo locations are well hidden in the early-game. Luckily, that changes when you unlock the Orange Goo detector visor upgrade. 

The upgrade allows you to scan the environment and pinpoint the exact location of each Orange Goo. So instead of showing you where each of the 100 health and stamina collectibles is (an endeavor as daunting to write as it would be to read), I'm going to show you how to get the enhancement you need to pinpoint them yourself. 

How to Get the Orange Goo Detector Visor Upgrade

To get the Orange Goo visor upgrade, you first have to achieve Science Rank 2 — Field Explorer. You will gain access to the challenges leading to this rank once you document at least 25% of the planet's ecosystem. You will achieve this quickly by scanning the planet's flora and fauna. 

The science experiments for Science Rank 2 — Field Explorer are: 

• Live samples: Gather live samples from Pufferbird, Baboushka, and Pikemander
• Nuke it: Kill 4 creatures with a single Alpha Pufferbird detonation
• Safety First: Fall 50 meters and save yourself with the Jump thrusters
• Flight Risk: Kill 5 ground creatures while they are airborne

Below, we'll go over each challenge and the best place to get them done. 

Live Samples

To gather live samples, equip the Live Sampler. Go up to an animal or specimen and press "R1" on PS4, "RB on Xbox One, or "Q" on PC. If you did it correctly, a little green hand will flash on the X screen. If you did not, a red "X" will appear. 

Pufferbird Locations

You can find Pufferbirds basically everywhere in Journey to the Savage Planet. Two of the best places to find them in the early-game is Shangtar's Frigid Embrace or The Verdant Wilds of Zyl. They can also be found in the Landing Site biome in the Tranquil Valley of Tranquility and The Cliffs of Mt. Gzarfyn. 

Baboushka Location

The quickest way to find a Baboushka is to go to The Verdant Wilds of Zyl. Look in the grassy area by Jellywaft Basin. You can't miss them (or their incessant screaming). 

Pikemander Location

The Pikemander is a bit more elusive. You can quickly find one in Meteor Crater. With the fast travel point behind you (the alien structure with the floating ball in the center), go straight and slightly left. There is a piece of land that goes up to the left and into a small grotto. Jump over into the grotto to find the Pikemander and an Alien Alloy. 

Nuke It + Flight Risk

Go to The Cliffs of Mt. Gzarfyn. To get there, you'll need the Proton Tether to climb the cliffs near the fast-travel point in The Verdant Wilds of Zyl. Once you get there, you will find a large group of animals, including several Alpha Pufferbird.

Throw some Grob into the mass of fauna. Shoot the Alpha Pufferbird as quickly as you can. Unload on it, and it will explode, giving you the Nuke It challenge. 

When the Alpha Pufferbird explodes, it does two things. It sends animals flying into the sky, and it sends a handful of small explosives with them. These bombs explode a second time. Let these secondary explosives to kill the airborne animals, and you'll complete the Flight Risk experiment. 

Safety First

This experiment is super easy. You can get it when climbing up to The Cliffs of Mt. Gzarfyn. If you don't mind climbing back up again, simply jump off the edge of the cliff on Mt. Gzarfyn. Use your Jump Thrusters just as you get close to the ground. 

---

Once you achieve Science Rank 2 — Field Explorer, return to the Javelin Habitat and access the 3D printer. Craft the Orange Goo Detector. Now you can locate every health and stamina upgrade by pressing "R3" on PS4 and Xbox One and "Z" on PC.

It's worth noting that you'll need further upgrades to actually get some of the Orange Goos, such as the Launch Booster, the triple-jump and the quadruple-jump, and the Advanced Proton Tether. It also helps to have the Smarter Visor, but it's not necessary. 

For more tips and tricks on this new exploration game from Typhoon Studios, be sure to check out our other Journey to the Savage Planet guides, where you can find the following: 

• Get Every Alien Alloy
• Best Skills to Get First
• Destroy the Green Cube

In our review of Journey to the Savage Planet, we said that the game from Typhoon Studios "is a satirical and colorful metroidvania that survives its corny jokes thanks to fun traversal and worthwhile exploration."

Journey to the Savage Planet has a big skill tree to climb. With plenty of things to upgrade, you'll want to make sure you go down the optimal branches. From the Advanced Battery to the Triple- and Quadruple-Jump Thrusters, these are the best upgrades to unlock early.

We put in over 20 hours with the game, and you can check out our comprehensive review of Journey to the Savage Planet here if you'd like. But if you're already sold and ready to launch into space with Kindred Industries — fourth-best in space, they'll have you know — lets set off and discover which are the best upgrades to unlock first.

The Best Upgrades in Journey to the Savage Planet

The upgrade and skill tree in Typhoon Studios' debut title is broken down into five categories, weapon, item, gear, backpack, and visor. Each section has a few upgrades to prioritize. There are even some to avoid or put on the backburner for a while.

We'll break down the best upgrades by these five categories, starting with visor because of its importance. We'll also include a sixth one to recommend some of the upgrades you can leave for much later in the game.

Visor Upgrades

• Orange Goo Detector

I consider this and the next upgrade the most important of any on this list. That's because Orange Goo is what gives you more health and stamina. Your hero's health bar is pitiful at the start of the game, but by the time you get to the boss, you may have increased its size fivefold or more, giving you a fighting chance against the latter levels' creatures. Do not wait to unlock this.

• Alien Alloy Detector

Like the Orange Goo, Alien Alloy is in short supply and high demand. Normally, it takes some kind of puzzle or combat to earn them, but just finding many of them is tricky by itself. After the first round of upgrades, they all seem to require Alien Alloys too, so having an early abundance is going to set you on the right path from the moment you have the ability. Do not wait to unlock this. 

Weapon Upgrades

• Advanced Battery 1 and 2

The battery in your pistol directly affects your ammo capacity, so while the game starts at a lowly 8 rounds per charge, you can eventually double that if you go all the way down the skill tree. We'd recommend you lend some resources to at least the first two levels of this skill as that will bring you to 12 rounds per shot, increasing your ammo capacity by 50% and making some of the game's challenging bosses that much easier.

• Improved Damage 1 and 2

Like the battery, you'll want to consider enhancing your gun's damage, as it starts out feeling a bit like a peashooter. By the end of this four-level branch, you can blow away most anything with a single round or two, but some of that is more power than you need. Still, we'd recommend at least upgrading this twice, with the bare minimum being once if you want to outduel the game's predators.

• Fast Reload 1 and 2

This one is also pretty obvious, but you'd be surprised just how much of a difference it makes. No spoilers, but you'll not want to be caught with your chamber empty during the final boss. Upgrading this at least once feels crucial and twice will really give you a leg up against some of the game's toughest baddies.

Item Upgrades

• Bombegranate Booster

A bit like a more colorful and comedic BioShock, your adventures on the titular savage planet demand you always have a secondary item in your left hand. Sometimes it's a gassy grenade, or a big syringe (for science!), or, most enjoyably, it's a cleverly named bombegranate. Though they do good damage at the base level, you'll definitely want to upgrade them to bring a bigger boom to the biggest foes.

• Better and Best Utility Belts

Early in the game, you'll only be able to carry three of each item like those mentioned above. Three is pretty restricting. Five is better, and 10 is best. Upgrade your belt with those named improvements and really reap the benefit of a more expansive inventory. It makes different completing experiments and finding secrets much easier.

Gear Upgrades

• Precious Stuff Magnet

This bluntly titled vacuum-like upgrade literally sucks up elements "dropped" by the creatures of the savage planet, so you don't have to run around scooping them up before they disappear. They do remain on the ground longer than you may expect, but this is still a great time saver, even if it's on the lower tier among these other necessary upgrades.

Backpack Upgrades

• Triple- and Quadruple-Jump Thrusters

Every Metroidvania game has that awesome moment when you unlock the game-changing new platforming ability. Maybe it's a grappling hook or a ground pound. Often, as it is in Savage Planet, it's double-jump. And what's better than double-jump? Triple-jump. But don't stop there. Typhoon even lets you unlock a "level design-breaking" fourth jump. If you're planning on 100%-ing the game, you'll need these anyway, but they're just so handy no matter what.

This upgrade cluster makes finding all of the game's Orange Goo and Alien Alloy locations that much easier. 

• Advanced Launch Boosters

You'll get the base level launch boosters from the story, but take them all the way, and you'll find you can reach a lot of important hiding spots, usually hiding that precious Orange Goo or other secrets. You can even use this one in conjunction with your extra jumping, which gives you awesome aerial reach. 

Upgrades You Can Wait On

The upgrade tree is often a difficult decision on wants versus needs. It asks you to balance your play style as best you can with limited resources. For that reason, don't spend crucial resources on items that won't do much for you. While you prioritize the above unlockables, you can put these three on the backburner.

1. Landing Impact Nullifier
2. Fuel Detector
3. Faster Refuel

In the case of the Nullifier, it removes fall damage, which is nice but far from necessary since even a basic well-timed double-jump will spare you that pain if you engage thrusters shortly before you hit the ground.

The Fuel Detector is nice too, but a completionist run won't need the fuel until the very end. I found four out of five fuel tanks without this upgrade anyway, and I don't want the fifth until it's the last thing on my checklist.

As for Faster Refueling, it allows you to jump more often, but I didn't see any issue with the speed of that recharge anyway, not even once I unlocked quadruple-jumping. It's pretty fast by default. How often do you actually plan on jumping? It's not a K-Pop concert.

With all of this before you, you're now fit with the insight to take on those massive monsters, clear that vast gap, locate those crucial collectibles, and endure another silly commercial — okay, maybe we can't help with those. Good luck! 

For more on Typhoons Studios' action-adventure exploration game, be sure to check out our other Journey to the Savage Planet guides. Here are a few you might find useful: 

• Orange Goo Locations
• Alien Alloy Locations
• How to Kill the Green Cube

Be sure to check out our official review of the game, too, where we said, "With an intriguing world and creature design, the right amount of retro principles, and a surprisingly long post-credits tail worth chasing, Journey to the Savage Planet is a light-hearted, charming debut from a promising new studio.

Typhoon Studios is officially over the grayscale worlds and gruff anti-heroes they spent years crafting for major publishing labels. That couldn't be more obvious than it is with Journey to the Savage Planet.

From its absurdist humor to its vibrantly varied biomes and even its briefer but denser runtime, JTSP is everything AAA game design is not. Typhoon wants to dazzle you for 15 to 20 hours of gameplay, not drag you along for the third act of another Checklist Epic.

They like it that way, and they hope you do, too. I know I certainly did.

As someone who often has a hard time staying interested in the latter acts of some sandbox games, the thought of playing in a unique world like JTSP's for just 15-20 hours sounds like a dream come true. Not just because the game won't take too long — I can find that in plenty of games — but also because in my 30 minutes with the game, it was one of my favorite demos at PAX West.

JTSP is an exploration game at heart, and while Typhoon's Community Manager Denis Lanno and I took on a boss and fast traveled to several combat areas, this is chiefly a colorful Metroidvania meant to make you smile. It's really good at that.

With its gorgeously weird world full of oblong flora, magical fauna, and absurd infomercials playing on your spaceship in bright oranges, blues, purples, and greens, the planet looks more like a box of crayons sent through a blender than something aptly named "savage." It's clearly meant to be ironic.

Still, the heart of the demo — for me — was its traversal mechanics. I double-jumped over huge gaps; I grappled to the sides of massive flowers; I scaled walls using boogery plants; and I grinded on some of the world's naturally gnarly terrain. It was this last part that made me vocalize the very Sunset Overdrive feelings JTSP gave me. 

Even as so much of the game's design was different, such as its first-person versus Sunset's third, or a Metroidvania experience versus a sandbox one, ultimately, my developer teammate liked the comparison and said Sunset Overdrive is sort of a spiritual guide for them. It was a game that eschewed normal practices and decided to make a name for itself by cutting through all the red tape it could have been wrapped up in.

"We used to have to call a meeting for every little idea," Denis said, with no love lost for the AAA world.

Sunset Overdrive still had the backing of Microsoft, though, making JTSP feel even riskier. It takes some guts to ditch the blockbuster franchises you're working on to not only build up a new studio but to then get to work on a game that ignores everything you've done until then.

With heads of studio responsible for previous mega-franchises like Assassin's Creed and Far Cry, it seems this refresh is more like a mission statement for Typhoon Studios. In that way, Sunset Overdrive's punk ethos does still shine through in the studio's upcoming debut. 

Journey to the Savage Planet is Typhoon's irreverent middle finger, delivered with a see-ya-suckers grin, to the gritty games and prying publishers of their collective past.

JTSP is set to release on January 28, 2020 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. It will be exclusive to the Epic Games Store on PC. 

For more coverage from PAX West 2019, be sure to head over to our PAX West 2019 hub.