It’s like the movie Gravity (2013) except without the panic attacks. Sometimes it’s fun to drift off for a bit or hang onto something while in space. While annoying, the controls do have their charm. Other times your character moves in a certain way and gets its head or body wedged into a gap. For instance, you may go to grab a rope but your character fails to do so, and so you’ll have to turn yourself around in zero gravity which takes forever. When playing you’ll find instances where simple tasks don’t go to plan. Initially, it’s a lot easier to use Assisted controls, though it didn’t stop things from being hard to learn. The difference between Assisted and Classic is minuscule in the long run. ‘Newtonian’ controls, the harder of the three, is what you’d choose if you want to challenge yourself. ‘Classic’ controls has a bit of a challenge but you won’t find accurate physics here. Turning on ‘Assisted’ controls mean that wherever your arms point to is where you’ll go. One of the advantages Heavenly Bodies has over other physics games is its three control options. The game is played best with a controller, with mapping available for the folks who’d want it. You interact with the space around you by grabbing items, walls, or even your coop partner. Characters have the same goals, whether that be opening doors, attaching cables, or more. Heavenly Bodies operates on a similar philosophy, the only difference is this time we’re in space. Physics games like Heave Ho, Getting Over It, or QWOP are hilarious to watch and play. Played in the third-person, you’ll have a great time yelling at the astronaut to move as you progress through the title either in single-player mode, local coop, or with Steam’s remote play functionality. Heavenly Bodies promotes the fact that it’s about “the body and the absence of gravity”. Meanwhile, you’ll need to move your limbs accurately and work on puzzles, or space will suck you out into the void. In it, you play an astronaut/cosmonaut tasked with doing a multitude of things while in space. Just don’t take it too seriously.Heavenly Bodies comes to us from the Melbourne-based company 2pt Interactive. Playing solo is also good, but it’s so much better when someone can steady you and keep you sane. The erratic behaviour of your cosmonauts and clever setpieces are superb, so I have to recommend it on that alone. Whether you have kids you can guilt trip into playing this with you, partners or friends they’ll be the deciding factor on how much you’ll get out of the co-op mode. While 2pt Interactive gets the credit for constructing this digital playground, it was my little girl who made it such a memorable time. As with most co-op and multiplayer experiences, a lot rides on who you play with. Heavenly Bodies is a good solo experience, though it’s the co-op element that really shines. Everyone sane can safely play the game without a timer. No doubt there’ll be deviants finishing the game in the time it took us to complete that first mission. If you’re a real masochist, there’s a speedrun option. If wrestling with physics isn’t enough, challenges unlock once the main objective is completed. Still, I just built a satellite with robot arms – where’s my bloody confetti?!!? There’s no fanfare on the game’s part – it’s all a little indifferent. Yes, it’s infuriating when helplessly floating in space or having to backtrack to locate an object that isn’t needed in the first place, but there’s also a great deal of satisfaction when you are successful. With all that said, Heavenly Bodies gameplay is ingenious. That doesn’t mean it’s easier overall, as there were moments of bearing my teeth like a rabid dog as my cosmonaut floated past levers, drifting through space while drilling in an asteroid belt, or the tribulations of pushing the equivalent of a bus through a corridor. That dissipated when it became clear I could complete objectives without someone else in the way. The same can’t be said about the single-player mode – initially anti-climatic compared to the co-op. We genuinely were in hysterics when playing. Heavenly Bodies has genuinely been the most fun I’ve ever had when playing a co-op game with my little girl (we also did Tools Up! together, and she was indispensable). It took us around 45 minutes to do the first level, but we had zero regrets. Other than a ring binder that looks like an IKEA assembly sheet, it’s sometimes tricky to decipher what’s expected of you. Irrespective of how impossible this felt at the time, I can’t articulate how satisfying it was. After much floating and “Now what do we do?”, it transpired that we had to squeeze a crowbar (or tennis racket) through the door and wiggle to pry it open. To open an airlock, you pull on a lever, which is a challenge in itself. Heavenly Bodies has genuinely been the most fun I’ve ever had when playing a co-op game
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