![]() Heavenly Bodies offers out-of-this-world frustration and fun to anyone willing to give it a shot.Heavenly Bodies is a game about cosmonauts, the body, and the absence of gravity.ĭiscover the ever-changing nuances of weightless motion in this challenging physics game. 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. 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. On first impression, Heavenly Bodies was going to get reviewed, bombed, and deleted. I missed catches many times because the cosmonaut didn’t automatically do that. 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. 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. 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. With only seven levels, the extra tasks offered for replay value are necessary for full enjoyment. (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!) ![]() Depending on how cooperative your teammate is, this mode may be hilarious or frustrating, or even a bit of both. In co-op, however, you may be fighting over that control. In solo mode, a quick button tap reorients the camera, making the analog stick work for your arms a bit easier. 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. ![]() The silliness and fun ramps up in two-player mode. They usually revolve around finding a collectible, finishing quickly, using a super-hard more realistic control scheme, or doing something silly. 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. 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. 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?Īt 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. The most independent control you have is futilely flailing your legs to half-swim and gain some momentum. In order to move through the world, you have to grab, pull, twist, and thrust yourself around in a complete lack of gravity. Problem is, though, that you are truly in space, with the most realistic lack-of-gravity physics possible in a 2-D plane. 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. ![]() 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. 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. This story came to mind after my first couple of hours with Heavenly Bodies. 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. When I first introduced my wife to The Office, she hated it.
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