Planetoid Pioneers Preview

Planetoid Pioneers is a new physics-based game by developer Data Realms. Built in its own engine, the game has a lot of potential for a Steam Early Access title. It’s a fun game even this early, but I hesitate to suggest purchasing it at this stage of development. There are some good things going on, but there are a few problems as well.  

The Positives

One of the biggest draws of the early access for Planetoid Pioneers is the Contributor Edition. So far, the game includes a few levels that feature a diverse collection of objects to help explore the various planetoids, but by purchasing the Contributor Version, you also get access to the Crush 2D engine. Contributors can use the Crush 2D engine to create their own content and share it with other players, and even the developers. 

The Game Only Edition still has some fun content on its own, with the primary planetoid having a large playable section. On top of the developer-made planetoids, there is a ton of Contributor content floating around the Steam Workshop that players can access. 

The Negatives

For the most part, there isn’t anything too horrible about Planetoid Pioneers. Most of the negative stuff is pretty small and generally not game breaking. There are people who have run into bugs involving lost save data and game crashes, but I never experienced it myself. I’m not sure how bad the crashing actually is, but it’s best to be prepared for it. 

The controls can sometimes feel unpolished, making it difficult to travel from place to place, but as frustrating as that was, it was never so terrible that it made me want to quit. The controls are primarily an issue in regards to vehicles or special gadgets, which seem to interact with the physics in an odd way by making them not move at all or just move incredibly slowly.

The most important thing to remember is that Planetoid Pioneers is still in early access. Anything and everything mentioned here is subject to change, and since Data Realms has been very responsive to player complaints I am optimistic that things this will turn into an excellent game.