Science-Fiction Weekly – Jettomero, Planet Of The Eyes, Morphite, Transcripted

Most of you are likely hunting for epic loot in Destiny 2, but if you need a break from the grind, I have two short palate cleansers that you may enjoy. The first is called Jettomero: Hero of the Universe, a game developed by Ghost Time Games about a giant, clumsy robot trying to find his place in the universe.

Jettomero lacks any form of true challenge, yet is fascinating, and ended up being an adventure I couldn't (and didn't) put down until my robot learned what he needed to about himself. The search for answers is handled quickly and through fun exploration that consists of rocketing through open space, and walking like a Kaiju on planets. You are a friendly robot, yet the people on the worlds don't know this, and lash out with their weapons. You cannot be harmed by their primitive show of force, but you cannot establish peace with them. As you clumsily walk, you'll likely destroy a building or city by accident. Why are you landing on their worlds? To defeat rival robots that are actually there to harm the inhabitants. This process is handled through simplistic quick-time button presses, which don't last more than a few seconds before the rival bot explodes.

Again, there isn't much to this experience, but the quest for answers remains engaging, and is something you can get to the end of in under an hour. Jettomero is time well spent, as the game is gorgeous and well built from gameplay and design perspectives. You can take a look at everything this game has to offer in the "What the Heck is This?" video below. Jettomero is available now for Xbox One and PC.

The video also contains a look at the second game of note: Planet of the Eyes. Originally released on August 24, 2015 for PC, this beautiful side-scrolling puzzle platformer is now available on Xbox One and PlayStation 4. This is another game I played through in one sitting and thoroughly enjoyed. The colorful alien landscapes roll by at a nice pace, and are the backdrops to fun platforming sequences and a few clever puzzles. The narrative doesn't hit the high notes of games like Limbo and Inside, but it also doesn't try to. You're once again trying to find out why this robot exists, and that narrative thread unfurls in a satisfying (but predictable) way.

If you need a break from a raid, seriously check out one of these games. I'm glad I worked my way through both of them. If you are in the market for an experience with a little more meat on the bone that is perhaps inspired by classic games like Metroid Prime, Ratchet and Clank, and Turok, take a look at Morphite, a stylistic sci-fi shooter/platformer available as of 10 p.m. tonight for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

I have not played Morphite yet, and cannot speak to its quality, but it looks ambitious and weird and all kinds of awesome. Players suit up as Myrah Kale, a space station worker who runs a shop with her father. On an expedition to gather supplies, she ends up on a journey of self discovery that ultimate leads to her having a connection to a material believed to be extinct called Morphite. This adventure spans multiple planets in uncharted sectors of space. All of these worlds are randomly generated, and are filled with environmental puzzle solving, creatures that can be scanned and analyzed, boss battles, and resource gathering. Myrah will also partake in aerial space warefare, run and gun combat, and can upgrade her suit to survive different scenarios.

Yes, I agree it sounds like No Man's Sky, but with more of a directed narrative. Check back next Tuesday for full impressions of this puzzling new release. Speaking of puzzles, buckle up for the oddest new release I've seen in a while. It's a little game called Transcripted by developer Alkemi, which was removed from Steam, but is now back and also on Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. As much a twin-stick shooter as it is a match-three puzzler, Transcripted is all about speed and precision, as you evade enemy ships to line up a shot that will match three colors in a row. The intensity level and feeling that you are always overwhelmed by enemies and obstacles hits early on and never cools. You'll even face off against giant bosses with weak spots that are match-three chains.

The oddity of this release is matched by a surprisingly deep story that dives deep into the human body. Your vessel is called the Nano Probe, and its mission is to navigate pathogens to destroy diseases. The match-three lines you see are DNA sequences that you must repair. Again, this game is crazy in concept, but ends up being quite fun – just know it can be brutally difficult.

I talked about Echo last week, and it's officially out today on PC. The PlayStation 4 version is still on the way, but the release has been bumped back a bit into October. I hope to get my hands on this stealth title at some point this week, and should have a thumbs up or down for you come next week. That's it for this column, folks. Thanks again for supporting it! This is one of the best weeks in recent memory for releases. Here's hoping the busy holiday season ends up being big for sci-fi gaming!