Space stuff done proper here! Heavenly Bodies is a glorious physics-based cosmic romp from the Melbourne based indie team 2pt Interactive.
It's a unique game about weightlessness, where you have control the independent movements of a cosmonaut's hands and legs.
Tricky as all heck it's, nevertheless, a fantastic game where you go about fixing up your space station, watering plants, and doing spacewalks.
Guide Your Cosmonaut to Operational Glory in Heavenly Bodies
Heavenly Bodies launched in December 2021 on Steam, but since then it's launched on all current consoles. February 2024 saw its most recent port, which was to the Nintendo Switch.
However, we got this on Steam during the spring sales.
Until its Switch port, we had no idea this thing existed. We're very in tune with as many indie game releases, but there are so many coming out! This one slipped us by. But that's one of the joys of indie gaming, you suddenly discover a total gem you'd missed.
And here's another example. Challenging the game may well be, once you've got a solid grasp of the unusual control system everything else is down to you.
Off into the space station you go to fix stuff up and get shipshape.
The main draw with that is the control system. You have considerable limb independence in Heavenly Bodies and most control both arms, hands, and then those two leg things, too. It's difficult to get used to, but a clever way to simulate zero gravity in game form.
So, yeah, the first thing you'll need to do is get used to the controls. You can do that in single player or co-op, with the latter making things easier.
Basically, with the movement side you need to guide yourself around and use kinetic energy, momentum, and all that jazz to move about the ship.
As you solve missions, you progress and reveal more to do (such as assembling space telescopes, researching cosmic botany, and shifting asteroids out of the way).
The controls may be a breaking point for some people, you'll need to be patient with this. You do get an easy mode to help you with it, but it's kind of counter-intuitive at first.
Not since Nintendo's Star Fox Zero (2016) have we come across such an inventive, unusual way to control a character.
The difference is Star Fox Zero was a bit disastrous in its decisions and has pretty much wiped out that franchise from Nintendo's canon.
Whereas Heavenly Bodies is tricky, but fun as all heck.
Cleanup DLC
Yeah, the game has been well received enough to get some DLC to go with the main experience. This gives you more to do! More space fun.
We've not actually got round to playing that bit yet! Oops. But based on the main element of game, we can confidently claim it'll be most groovy.
Chillout in the Glory of Space
Bit of cosmic music from the game's score there to set some mood music.
As it's fantabulous to play a great space game again. One of the last space type games we played was Bethesda's massively disappointing Starfield (2023). A game we've since dubbed Snorefield (clever, we know).
Bethesda spent $200 million on that game to come up with boring, cynical, and lazy results.
And we've got yet another example of an indie game, on a tiny budget and with few employees, delivering much better results than AAA behemoth mega budgets.
It's a methodical experience, one designed with a slow pace in mind to lead to greater things. But this doesn't mean it isn't fun!
We've seen some people online say they suck at the game, but had a blast playing it. Especially in co-op mode, often with their kids.
It's that kind of game, which reminds us of 39 Days to Mars (2019) and its focus on co-op driven fun and games (in space).
Heavenly Bodies is a unique and engaging game.
And although its difficulties with the controls are there, once you've nailed it you'll embrace this floaty experience for what it is. Clever, fun, atmospheric, and glorious.
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