Lunar Lander holds many fond memories in the hearts of many gamers. The 1970s classic game was an arcade staple, becoming one of the earliest examples of a video game. The visuals and premise were simple: Land as accurately and safely as possible with limited fuel on increasingly challenging surfaces. It was a simple take on gameplay that provided one of the earliest examples of a strong gameplay hook. If you didn’t get the score you wanted, you were encouraged to throw in a quarter and try one more time.
Now, nearly forty years following the release of the original Lunar Lander, Atari has brought the classic back as Lunar Lander Beyond. This new iteration of the arcade classic comes from the team behind the underrated turn-based RPG Cris Tales. Featuring a large set of missions, a fully voiced campaign, and classic gameplay that has gotten a modern update, Lunar Lander Beyond is easily one of the best reimaginings of Atari classic games to date.
Lunar Lander BEYOND
In the distant future, there is the Pegasus Corporation. Like all other corporations, this is a corporation that promises great riches and opportunity but at the cost of basic ethics. Their specialty is in the use of Landers. Landers perform a variety of functions with their versatility and utilities. After a few routine missions, a random and unexpected event breaks out throughout the Solar System. Black holes appear, threatening hundreds of installations and disrupting communication. As the captain of their own crew, players set out to discover the sources of The Event and figure out how to stop it.
For the younger crowd unfamiliar with Lunar Lander, the original Lunar Lander was a simply score-based arcade game. Players used the ship and managed fuel to land safely at various posts. Game difficulty increased as the landing zones were difficult. PC versions allowed tweaking of other elements, such as gravity strength, which can necessitate the need for more fuel consumption. The game was visually simple but the charm of Atari games was to use your imagination as you play.
Lunar Lander Beyond keeps that same tried and true gameplay but expands upon it greatly. The key gameplay mechanics are navigating through various levels, collecting credit gems, and completing various objectives. These objectives range beyond landing and include pick up, drop off, hacking systems, and retrieving special items that are the key to solving the mystery of The Event. Expanding this are several more systems that tweak the gameplay.
Sound in mind and body
Throughout the game, players can acquire various ships. The first one is sturdy but slow and cumbersome. It serves as a good starting point and remains useful in later stages of the game. In addition to their inherent traits, each ship can be equipped with different tools that aid in completing missions. For instance, the tractor beam can retrieve distant objects, while the boost enables a quick turbo jump to traverse long distances. As the game progresses, players will be granted access to more attributes and can customize their ships based on the mission’s requirements.
Tried and true
Lunar Lander Beyond follows the gameplay principles of its decades-long predecessor. However, this isn’t your mom and pop’s lunar lander. Gravitational anomalies pull the player in different directions. Defense systems can be activated and shoot the player down. There are many challenges to encounter when playing, but perhaps the biggest and most tumultuous challenge is mental health. This is where Lunar Lander Beyond becomes not simply an arcade game but a management game where every move can contribute negatively to mental health.
Operating any vehicle is stressful but if you have ever watched a space documentary, or the movie First Man, flying a spaceship is the most terrifying vehicle any one human could ever pilot. With boats, there are life rafts. Cars have airbags. Planes have a million safety sensors, though as of this writing, doors fly off of planes these days. With spaceships, there’s a concoction of explosive vapors operating in zero gravity, where degrees go from 500 degrees to minus 500 instantly.
In Lunar Lander Beyond, the more players subject themselves to damage, the more likely their mental health is affected. This gameplay mechanic sounds simple on paper but is a gameplay changer for the experience. Furthermore, it is something highlighted within the story as the character contends with the massive wave of anomalies happening across the Solar System.
Use the Force
As their mental health is affected, players begin seeing hallucinations. Eyeballs, mouths, and other strange objects begin to appear. The game easily goes into ridiculous territory with purple elephants and disrupted radars. Fortunately, some pills appear that can improve mental health. However, depending on the level, what appears to be a pill could turn out to be an explosive mine. Following a completed mission, the player needs to decide on how to manage stress. Therapy is free but takes a while. Other methods are quicker but have a price. To get credits, players need to collect the triangle-shaped items that are scattered throughout the level.
There is a lot to offer in Lunar Lander Beyond. The levels take place across the entire solar system and feature their own unique events and challenges. Whether it is hacking computers or escaping lava in an underground cavern, there is no shortage of excitement in the game. The story is entertaining and well-voiced. There are plenty of options for replayability, all for that determination for the perfect run. It’s an excellent evolution of the existing formula. Lunar Lander experts and those new to the genre are sure to have an excellent time. I can easily imagine today’s parents showing their kids what Lunar Lander Beyond is with great nostalgia and forging unforgettable memories.
Great for the whole Family
If there is any one drawback to Lunar Lander Beyond, it is what usually falls into most games’ repetition. The levels and mental health mechanic do a fantastic job of keeping the solid gameplay exciting and unpredictable. After a while, players will have seen the fullest extent of gameplay. I could have imagined a few more mechanics folded, such as atmosphere entry or being pursued by enemies. However, should the game be expanded upon, there is a very solid foundation to build upon. I can easily imagine more levels in the future and newer ships. Perhaps all this is building to an Avengers-styled super Atari game.
Lunar Lander Beyond is an excellent example of an updated classic that keeps players hooked. It’s a sharp, vibrantly colored take on the classic with that game gameplay that players have enjoyed for decades. In 2024, Atari is clearly recognizing that some things are just timeless. Their game’s portfolio emphasizes sensations and expectations one feels when one hears the word “video game.” Lunar Lander Beyond is another tremendous example of that recognition. Strap in, stay frosty, keep your head cool, and get to landing!
Lunar Lander Beyond was reviewed on the Steam Deck through a review key
