A black comedy about capital: This game was revived with Tencent's investment | Discover Good Games
Text | Liu Chongjiang
Editor | Liu Shiwu, Guo Fu
In the near future, humanity's exploration of space has reached a new stage. Super capital groups are launching colonization efforts on various planets across the universe. As an ordinary employee of the group, you've been sent to a galaxy. However, after a century - long journey and finally waking up from hibernation, the first thing you see is a dismissal notice.
The rather humorous dismissal notice in the game
Stranded on a distant alien planet, you have only one choice: survive and then seek revenge. "You must explore every corner, collect various upgrade items, and turn over every mysterious alien rock to avenge your former employer and find a chance to return to Earth."
The above is the opening plot of the game Wild Planet Revenge. This game was released on the Steam platform on May 8, 2025, with a price of 140 yuan in the Chinese region. According to the official announcement, just ten days after its release, the number of players exceeded one million, making it a great success.
Of course, Wild Planet Revenge is not a brand - new game without a foundation. In 2021, its prequel Wild Planet Journey received wide acclaim as soon as it was released on Steam. Wild Planet Revenge builds on the prequel and incorporates more diverse gameplay: from adventure parkour, to boss battles, to monster hunting, and even casual base decoration.
Poster of the prequel Wild Planet Journey
It's worth noting that outside the game, the birth of Wild Planet Revenge was not smooth sailing. The real - life experience of the creative team, Typhoon Studios, even had an interesting "intertextuality" with the game's plot. They were originally a team under Google, specializing in developing games for the cloud - gaming platform Stadia. But just one month after the release of Wild Planet Journey, Google suddenly announced the closure of Stadia. Naturally, Typhoon Studios was not spared, and the entire team was laid off.
Just like the protagonist in Wild Planet Revenge, the unemployed creators had only one choice: survive and then seek revenge!
Poster of the new game Wild Planet Revenge
Inside and Outside the Game
After being laid off by Google, Typhoon Studios entered a long period of confusion. No one had an idea about where the team should go next. You know, the "Wild Planet" IP was nurtured by the founder, Reid Schneider, after he left a large game company to start his own business. It was like his child.
"It was a very special moment. We felt that there was still a lot left to do. So we wondered what would happen if we regrouped the studio?"
After some ideological struggles, several founders of Typhoon Studios managed to recall as many team members as possible and re - formed themselves into "Raccoon Logic". The new team retained 75% of the original members. But it was only after the regrouping was completed that they realized the most fatal problem: the "Wild Planet" IP was still in Google's hands.
Group photo of the main creative team of Wild Planet
"When we realized that we still wanted to continue making games, we found that re - developing was really expensive and time - consuming. The code of the original game and the work we had done were right there. So we really wanted to buy it back, which would save us about a year of development time."
Google had no real reason to keep the "Wild Planet" IP. Now that the cloud - gaming platform Stadia has gone bankrupt, they'll probably just let the IP sit idle in their library. But it won't be easy for Raccoon Logic to get it back directly. After all, "Google is used to acquisitions but not very familiar with divestitures." For Raccoon Logic to start anew, the first step must be to regain the copyright. And what they need to do is quite simple and straightforward: pay the money.
They probably didn't expect that the primary problem they faced after rebuilding the team was to figure out how to earn money to buy back their "child". Unfortunately, at such a time, even a small amount of money can pose a huge problem.
The main creators are working on game production
At this time, Tencent appeared in front of Raccoon Logic like a deus ex machina. During the team - rebuilding stage, apart from the funds from several co - founders, Tencent was the only entity that provided them with funds. Moreover, Tencent accelerated the process of Raccoon Logic regaining the "Wild Planet" IP from Google through its global legal and resource network.
In contrast, the price Raccoon Logic had to pay at that time was minimal - they just needed to make a good game. Although they received investment, their game development was not restricted by any additional intervention clauses and they still maintained their creative autonomy.
This is mainly related to Tencent's long - standing global investment strategy. For small and medium - sized studios with distinct characteristics, Tencent often adopts the strategy of "providing resources without interfering with creation". The same is true for Grinding Gear Games, the New Zealand developer of Path of Exile 2, and Larian Studios of Baldur's Gate 3.
The connection between the "Wild Planet" IP and China doesn't end here.
The first game, Wild Planet Journey, included Chinese subtitles and had a good reputation in China. However, due to the poor machine - translated Chinese localization of the prequel and many omissions in the translation, players didn't have a very comfortable gaming experience.
With Tencent's involvement this time, they were able to take the game's localization to a new level. For example, Wild Planet Revenge not only has high - quality Chinese voice - overs but also includes a clothing Easter egg based on Chinese food delivery riders. In the game, this set of clothing combined with the exaggerated character movements can bring a unique sense of humor to Chinese players.
The game has a high level of completion in terms of localization
After learning about the creative team's experience, you may have a different understanding of the "messy affairs of big companies" described in the game. And you can probably guess or already know the rest of the story: Wild Planet Revenge attracted one million players in a short time, achieving a "revenge" in a comeback style.
Yes, this is a "revenge" in quotes.
After all they've been through, Reid still appreciates Google's past assistance and support, rather than really seeking revenge on them. The reason for the current situation between them and Google is not complicated. People will eventually realize that "Google is a corporate platform, not a content - focused company", which doesn't match the team's own goals. Tencent's way of respecting creative freedom, providing resources, and exchanging for high - quality content supply may be the model the team wants most, which is obviously different from the traditional corporate model of seeking control or strong intervention.
As for why they wrote the experience of the studio being laid off into the game, the creative director Alex explained in an interview - people often say that "any resemblance in entertainment works is purely coincidental", but surprisingly, few games claim to be inspired by real stories. Especially for a game like Wild Planet Revenge, which has a satirical meaning of a commercial utopia, they think they should incorporate some of their personal experiences into it.
Alex (far right), Reid (second from right)
Therefore, rather than comparing Wild Planet Revenge to a clarion call for Raccoon Logic to fight back against Google, it's better to understand it as a mockery of life. Even if you're laid off after a century - long journey, even if life is full of unknowns and risks, and even if work is as repetitive and meaningless as in the game, we might as well make ourselves happier.
This is the underlying design concept of Wild Planet Revenge - a black comedy satirizing capital.
All Laughter and Anger Turn into Art
Can there be comedy in games?
At the beginning of creating the first - generation Wild Planet Journey, the creative team asked this question because there are really few true comedies in the game field. Alex said that they believe that providing players with tools for free exploration in a highly systematic and interactive world is the source of "fun" and "humor". "This is an interactive physical comedy experience."
Game screenshot of Wild Planet Revenge
Based on this design concept, comedic elements have become the most prominent label for the two generations of "Wild Planet" games. They designed the actions of the game's protagonist to be extremely exaggerated, such as the large - stride running action and the child - like gun - shooting confrontation. All the character's actions give the impression of "talking nonsense seriously".
From the start of the game, players can clearly feel this atmosphere. On the opening beach, the first monster you encounter is a chubby mushroom walking around, looking cute and harmless. All you need to do is walk up and kick it away.
Game screenshot of Wild Planet Revenge
There are too many similar satirical designs in the game.
For example, the "advertisements" in the game background have also become one of the key points for the developers to provide comedy. Whenever the protagonist returns to the camp, the screen will play advertisements in a serious - looking way. The 1990s TV shopping style combined with the science - fiction design of interstellar travel always makes people "laugh inexplicably" due to this absurd contrast.
Another example is an extension of online phenomena. For instance, although the game is about an adventure of surviving on an alien planet, you suddenly receive a task to "become an internet celebrity" while playing and need to go to several designated locations to take selfies... Well, it seems that even when stranded in outer space, people still don't forget to take videos and post on social media to commemorate the moment.
Game screenshot of Wild Planet Revenge
In short, when playing Wild Planet Revenge, the most direct feeling is that all elements in the game are based on a light - hearted comedy, even death, which should be a serious matter. Every time you fail, you can be resurrected through a 3D printer and appear lively in the base. The lost resources will also stay in place waiting for you to pick them up. In contrast, in soul - like games with a death - penalty system, the negative pressure brought by death is completely different.
Compared with the prequel, Wild Planet Revenge also adds a new gameplay of "base decoration" - of course, it also serves the game's black - comedy concept. In the game, players can use the obtained vouchers to buy furniture such as sofas and TVs to decorate their base. One day, you suddenly realize that your goal is to leave the planet, and the so - called decoration is essentially meaningless.
This is just like our lives dominated by consumerism - you work to earn money, and earn money to buy things. The harder you work, the more things you can buy, until you realize that most of these things are just for show. The same goes for Wild Planet Revenge. You can certainly work hard to decorate your base. It's just to keep you busy when you're trapped on the planet, "with no special content