Heavenly Bodies (PS5) Review
Release Date: December 7, 2021
Publisher/Developer: 2pt Interactive
Platform: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 (Reviewed), PC
Price: TBA
When I first introduced my wife to The Office, she hated it. It wasn’t till I showed her that it is a parody of reality television mixed with a love letter to the intricacies and nuances of office life that she fell in love with it, and it is now one of her favorite series. This story came to mind after my first couple of hours with Heavenly Bodies. Entering in, the first five seconds, I absolutely felt I knew exactly what I was getting into and hated it, but as I realized what was going on, I came to appreciate and enjoy it for what it really is.
Heavenly Bodies tasks you as a lone (or one of two in couch co-op mode) cosmonaut basically in charge of routine tasks at a space station. Extending satellite relays, watering plants in space, and general exploring are all on your to-do list, with some fairly simple ways to go about it: plug in a wire here, turn a dial there. Problem is, though, that you are truly in space, with the most realistic lack-of-gravity physics possible in a 2-D plane. In order to move through the world, you have to grab, pull, twist, and thrust yourself around in a complete lack of gravity. The most independent control you have is futilely flailing your legs to half-swim and gain some momentum. A few things seem a bit impossible, like twisting yourself around to turn in weightlessness, but hey, I’ve never been to space so who am I to talk?
The most basic tasks, like opening a door or turning a lever, are made near impossibly difficult by the control scheme, but this is by design. Given that there’s an option to turn on a speedrun timer or play in couch co-op, you can see that Heavenly Bodies becomes more fun the more spectators you have to laugh at your antics. Each analog stick controls an arm, and shoulder buttons dictate whether you are grabbing or not, whilst another set operate what my younger son would yell “KICKYKICKYKICKYKICKY” every time I would slowly be drifting away from what I was trying to do. Telling me to “go pull that lever” is one thing, but actually holding onto it and getting the momentum to do as such is quite the feat. I’m sure a real astronaut would be able to brace his feet on a wall and twist a handle, but these guys forever keep their backs perfectly straight, adding to the insanity. Want to twist a crank? If you aren’t propped just so, you’ll find yourself swinging in the breeze instead.
At the start of a mission you are given a plan, which is as much a part of the puzzle as the action in the first place. Certain things such as assembling a communications tower are daunting and confusing, but the IKEA-level instructions help you understand just what you are supposed to do. There are a few bonus tasks you can complete for extra accomplishment, adding a bit of replay value as they are only displayed after you complete a main mission. They usually revolve around finding a collectible, finishing quickly, using a super-hard more realistic control scheme, or doing something silly.
The silliness and fun ramps up in two-player mode. While some may complain about the lack of online, the couch co-op is the way to go in games like this, allowing you to visibly see each other’s chaotic frustration as you work your way through the levels. In solo mode, a quick button tap reorients the camera, making the analog stick work for your arms a bit easier. In co-op, however, you may be fighting over that control. Depending on how cooperative your teammate is, this mode may be hilarious or frustrating, or even a bit of both. (note: the game does support Steam and Sony’s methods of doing “online couch co-op” via Share Play scenarios, but in-room is the way to go!)
With only seven levels, the extra tasks offered for replay value are necessary for full enjoyment. Speedrunners will have a blast as the game is designed around it, but your average solo player may wonder if purchasing Heavenly Bodies was a good investment, as much like games like QWOP or Getting Over It, the difficult controls are part of the experience. One piece goes a hair too far for me though, being the analog arms don’t allow you to spin around your shoulder socket easy. If you have your arm by your side and need to reach up and over your head, you can’t “swing the analog” “through” your body, you have to physically pull it around the outside. I missed catches many times because the cosmonaut didn’t automatically do that.
On first impression, Heavenly Bodies was going to get reviewed, bombed, and deleted. When my son walked in the room and started laughing with me, it became more enjoyable, despite taking a half hour to do the simplest of tasks. When we powered up that second controller and did it together, though, it was seen as an excellent multi-player experience, be actively with two people playing or just a group laughing their way through a solo experience. Heavenly Bodies offers out-of-this-world frustration and fun to anyone willing to give it a shot.
Final Score:
Pros:
-Hilarious fun in a group setting
-Set up for speedrunners
-Multiple control styles offer great difficulty settings
-Great attention to detail!
-PlayStation 5 haptic feedback in full effect: grabbing metal and cloth feel different!
Cons:
-Bad first impression
-Overall pretty short
-I wish analog arms would “auto rotate” around the shoulder
Special Thanks to 2pt Interactive for providing a code for review!