Summary
Raccoon Logic recently announcedRevenge of the Savage Planet,the sequel to 2020’s madcap adventureJourney to the Savage Planet.In this game, players take on the role of an employee of mega-corporation Alta Interglobal who is forced to survive on a series of strange planets after their position is terminated. It features more tools to use, more puzzles to solve, more planets to explore, and more creatures to interact with. The Raccoon Logic team revealed that a sequel was always planned, as they greatly enjoyed working with the IP and felt that they had more stories to tell. However, real-life events greatly affected the direction they chose forRevenge of the Savage Planet.
Game Rant met with the Raccoon Logic team for an on-site reveal ofRevenge of the Savage Planet.When asked when they came up with the idea for a sequel, creative director Alex Hutchinson revealed that they “always wanted to do two games.” Hutchinson and the team feel that this is the “happy medium,” allowing them to further expand on theSavage PlanetIP without getting bored or going too far.
Savage Planet Was Always Meant To Be A Two-Game IP
According to Hutchinson, plans for a second game were discussed during the development of the originalJourney to the Savage Planet.Many members of the team had previously worked on later installments of long-running series, such asAssassin’s CreedandFar Cry,and knew the benefits of making a second game using the same IP, rather than stopping at one. Technical design director Marc-Antoine Lussier had this to say:
“The first sequel feels amazing because you know the IP works. You know exactly what to fix. There’s no need to debate the IP.”
Hutchinson agreed, explaining that the team debated whether the originalJourney’svibe would be “moreSubnauticaor moreMetroid Prime.“These discussions didn’t need to happen when working onRevenge,as the team already had a feel for the IP. They were able to add elements that they couldn’t fit into the original game, such as whip and grappling hook tools, a fully customizable Habitat, and the ability to capture creatures and interact with them at home base.
Real-Life Events Influenced The Sequel’s Development
While the intention was always to make a sequel toJourney to the Savage Planet,real-life events almost prevented this from occurring. The original game was developed by Typhoon Studios, which was then acquired byGoogle to work on its Stadia project. After Typhoon was made redundant and shut down, several of its original members re-formed as Raccoon Logic, where they were ultimately able to regain theSavage PlanetIP from Google and begin work onRevenge.
Revenge of the Savage Planetexpands on the formula begun withJourney -there are multiple planets to explore instead of one, more creatures to interact with, more tools to use, and a more elaborate central plot filled with hidden secrets. The team was able to take everything they learned from makingJourney to the Savage Planetand expand on it to make a bigger, crazier, and more elaborate sequel. However, theRaccoon Logicteam isn’t sure yet if a third game is on the horizon - they haven’t written it off entirely, but are also excited about the possibility of experimenting with new IPs afterRevenge of the Savage Planetreleases in 2025.
