 Have you ever imagined what Katamari Damashii would look like if it were a first-person shooter? The answer is Lovely Planet. Yeah, I know, I'm like you, I'm burnt out on first-person shooters, but that's because there aren't more like this game, you know, ones with actual color instead of gray and brown. Lovely Planet is developed with some common sense at its core. It starts you out with the most basic stuff imaginable and very gradually introduces more things, but it does it strictly through the gameplay. The game doesn't talk down to you, which is always a positive. But yeah, there's bad guys, projectiles, there's good guys who you can't shoot, you get unlimited ammo, and if you get hit once, you're instantly transported back to the beginning of the level, the music doesn't even reset. Because beyond the usual first-person shooter stuff, Lovely Planet is predicated on speed, everything is timed. So if you're really into doing speed runs and that sort of thing, this game is definitely for you. When you reach the end of each stage, you see your old record, the world record, as well as a world leaderboard, and that's a nice touch. Most importantly with a game like this, though, is how smooth it runs. At 60 frames per second, it looks really good. There's no lag or choppiness whatsoever on my end. So yeah, it's a cool idea, executed well, and it looks nice, but what really sets Lovely Planet apart is that you can pick out your own paths apart from where the game tells you to go. Every level has a path laid out for you to complete the level, but if you venture on your own, do some studying and surveying, you can find a much faster way to the end. You can see that the game encourages that kind of freedom. Even better, the game has a fantastic soundtrack that fits the game's motif like a glove. Again, the first thing you think of when you hear the music is catamari, and that's definitely not a bad thing. If I were to pick out flaws, it's that the platforming aspects can be a little wonky at times. Like when jumping on certain platforms, there's not a lot of margin for error. It's picky and it's very easy to slip off. Also, there's no crosshair, which would have been kind of nice to have. I understand that's probably more of a stylistic choice than anything. To make it less militaristic, I guess, but it'd be nice to have the option if you want it there. But yeah, Lovely Planet is about $6 on Steam, and it's definitely worth checking out. Although don't let the art style fool you. This game is hard. I'm having a hell of a time just getting out of the city area here. But yeah, Lovely Planet is challenging and unique. In addition to being cheap and efficient with your time, you can't beat that.