Lifeless Moon

Even after tempering expectations for a modest indie title, Lifeless Moon runs dangerously low on oxygen while playing and no useful reserves are found while watching.

Even as a low-budget indie game, Lifeless Moon fails to stand out among the competition. If it weren't for its engaging atmosphere and solid soundtrack, it might have already been forgotten.

Lifeless Moon takes on the challenge of describing the root of evil, taking to detail what the product of one’s environment is. And even though the game struggles to tell it, it’s a novel story set in the backdrop of space and time (and occasionally the pretty vista). If you can put up with weak platforming and light puzzle solving, you can knock this one out in an afternoon and have something to think about for the evening

Lifeless Moon spends way too much time telling, and not nearly enough time showing. And on one level, I get it: a small indie studio isn’t going to have the budget to show how a civilization on the moon fell apart. But at the same time, when you’re this good at creating an atmosphere, it can’t help but feel a little disappointing when the rest of the game doesn’t quite measure up.

Players won’t find combat in Lifeless Moon, instead this game is made for fans of classic sci-fi, the stuff from Rod Sterling’s Twilight Zone, the kind of sci-fi that makes you think about it after you turn it off. And for all those reasons I really enjoyed this game, while I did find it overly easy at times moving through the world and the various biomes and figuring out its story was the real payoff, and if you like that type of sci-fi then you should check this one out before you get lost in Starfield.

Fans of Lifeless Planet will be right at home with this game. Players who have not played the first game – understandable give the time gap between the two games – can play this game with no knowledge of the first game. If you’re a fan of big idea stories tied to puzzle solving and platforming type of games, Lifeless Moon is definitely worth a look.

For what it offers: plenty of otherworldly environments, a philosophical yet somber approach to narrative, atmospheric musical compositions, and moderately challenging puzzles from an independent studio, Lifeless Moon is an impressive follow-up that will invade your thoughts long after it ends.

Lifeless Moon is an intriguing sci-fi escapade that has some cool ideas, but the lacking gameplay mechanics and overall simplicity let it down. It’s not that anything in the game is bad at all, but rather that it doesn’t do anything that feels exciting – exploration is limited and linear despite the open environments, the puzzles are unusual but lack any challenge, whilst the story can feel a little convoluted despite its many moments of intrigue. I’m glad I played the game and there was certainly more that I liked about Lifeless Moon than I disliked, but it just needed a bit more oomph to stand out in the very crowded narrative-driven puzzler genre. It has been a long time since I played the first game so it’s hard to say how it compares exactly, but with so many years since its original release, it’s disappointing that Lifeless Moon doesn’t feel like it has built upon that game’s successful formula in a more meaningful manner.

A brief but well-made science fiction story, Lifeless Moon doesn't ask much from the player beyond a few hours of time and some light puzzle solving. Though it is light on content, what is there is interesting and rewarding. Recommended for fans of weird, think-y science fiction tales.

Lifeless Moon isn't too long, but there's a great story at its heart and some impressive set pieces that leave you questioning everything.