Planet RIX-13

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Title: Planet RIX-13
Developer: 9 Eyes Game Studio
Publisher: 9 Eyes Game Studio
Website: http://9eyesgs.com/
Genre: 2D Adventure
Platform:  Playstation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch & PC
Audience: Everyone
Release Date: 16/01/19
Price:  £3.99 – Rapid Reviews UK was very kindly provided with a review code for this title.

What the developers say

‘Planet RIX-13 is a 2D adventure, in which you play as a space explorer engaged in searching for planets potentially suitable for life. While scanning the next target, you lost control of your ship and had to make an emergency landing. Besides, it quickly became clear that you are not the first person on this planet. You need to find out what was the cause of the accident, and also to find a way to leave this planet and come back home.’

Introduction

Planet RIX-13 is an Indie game developed by 9 Eyes Game Studio. In a world of 100-hour games, Planet RIX-13 comes as a welcome break. You can run through this game in an hour or so, I have seen guides completing the game in 24 minutes. However, you won’t be disappointed you took that break to give this game a go.

Your mission is to get off this planet, simple. You will do this by exploring different locations while completing puzzles, decipher safe codes and dying in many different ways. Can we uncover the truth and get off this planet?

Looks and Sounds

This game has a simple 8-bit design with the majority of the environments looking pretty similar. Your first encounter with the alien environment brings a bit of colour and change to this bleak world, but then it is back to the muted colours of radar stations. There is nothing wrong with the art style of this game as it is a small indie developed world, it has a charm that works with the game.

The sound design of the game is good but limited. There is no background music to accompany your journey. The majority of the sounds come from doors opening, when you die and other single actions. With the mystery of this planet and who is here with you, I feel the game could have done more with the audio to build a tenser atmosphere.

Gameplay and Replayability

This is a 2D puzzle adventure game at its heart and one that anyone can enjoy. You find yourself side-scrolling through various environments, picking up items and reading notes on computers to learn safe codes. There is no combat in this game instead your deaths are all caused by the environment. With many trophies on offer for dying in different ways, death becomes part of the puzzle of the game.

This game is split up into a number of different locations that you just fast travel between via the map. You will need to revisit locations as you collect more items and solve puzzles. Being able to jump between locations quickly worked well for this game, but it did mean locations become familiar quickly.

Yes, there are puzzles, but they shouldn’t cause you too much trouble. Nearly every item you pick up in the game will be used for something. This meant I was picking everything up and waiting until I needed to use it rather than needing to think about why I needed that item.

There are no enemies in this game, so no combat gameplay to worry about. Your controls are pretty much moving left or right and interact with objects, that glow to make them visible.

This game has two endings which provide some replayability but considering you can get through this game in 30 minutes it won’t take long to complete this game entirely.

Conclusion

Planet RIX-13 won’t challenge you too much and it isn’t an all bells and whistles space exploration game, but it is a fun little puzzle game that offers a relaxing and simple playing experience. If you only have 30 or so minutes to spare, then this is a great game to jump into and enjoy.

This game also offers the chance of a 24-minute platinum if you follow a guide so that will undoubtedly get a few players in but offering quick platinum trophies for players is another topic for another day.

Rapid Reviews UK Rating

You can purchase Planet RIX-13 on the PlayStation Store at the following link, https://store.playstation.com/en-gb/product/EP1661-CUSA13891_00-SYPS4PLANETRIX13