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A PS5 code was provided to GamingPizza for this review. Exo One will launch on PS4 and PS5 on June 27, 2024. The game is available now on Xbox Series X|S and PC.
When Exo One first graced PC screens, it captivated a niche audience with its unique blend of gravity-defying mechanics and mesmerizing planetary exploration. Now, it’s made the leap to PS5, and I’m here to dive into this cosmic journey once more.
Having reviewed the original release on PC, I wasn’t expecting too much in the way of overall changes. The game was already near-perfect — a feat that would be hard to top. Thankfully, my assumption was correct. While the overall experience remains unchanged, it was still a delight playing Exo One on my PS5, which has much more technical prowess than my gaming PC that has been on its last leg for a while now.
Exo One offers an exquisite gameplay experience, where physics isn’t just a rule — it’s the main attraction. You control an alien craft capable of manipulating gravity. This means soaring through alien skies, rolling over vast deserts, and even plunging into the depths of oceans on faraway planets.
The narrative of Exo One might seem as sparse as the void of space at first glance, but it’s rich with subtleties. The game provides just enough context to keep you intrigued in its story without overwhelming you with exposition. Each planet I visited felt like a chapter from a grand sci-fi novel, with massive alien monoliths dotting landscapes, each telling a silent story. The mystery of my mission and the fate of my journey compelled me forward, driven by the same force that propelled my spacecraft: curiosity.
DualSense, Dual Delight: PS5 Enhancements
On PS5, Exo One isn’t just about seeing — it’s about feeling. The Haptic Feedback of the DualSense controller transforms the gameplay. Feeling the grind as you climb a steep incline or the whoosh of slipping through a portal adds layers of immersion that were simply not possible on PC. The adaptive triggers offer a tangible resistance when tackling uphill battles, and vibrate with exhilarating finesse as you approach light speed.
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Moreover, the game now supports 120fps, a feature that makes every frame of your high-speed journey through space feel smoother than a black hole’s event horizon. Visual enhancements don’t stop at frame rates, though. Colors of the alien skies reflect on the gamepad as well, creating a sensory experience that’s as vivid as it is engaging (and one that my five-year-old REALLY enjoyed).
A Visual and Auditory Odyssey
Graphically, Exo One on PS5 is a stargazer’s dream. The desolate beauty of its worlds is rendered in stunning detail, and with the enhanced capabilities of the console, the visuals are not just seen but felt. The game’s standout level, Nautica, where I spent hours navigating underwater terrains, showcases the game’s commitment to freedom and exploration — and looks even more impressive on the PS5.
The game’s soundtrack, a blend of eerie synths and profound, yet somehow comforting silences, complements the loneliness of space travel perfectly, making each session feel like a meditative journey through the cosmos.
While Exo One offers a seamless experience for the most part, it’s not without its minor hiccups on PS5. And, oddly, the main culprit seems to be the same issue that came with the initial release on PC. Transitioning from one planetary environment to another sometimes brings a slight lag, noticeable enough to remind you that you’re still tethered to Earth by your console. However, these moments are few and far between, and they hardly detract from the overall experience.
To Infinity and Beyond: Is Exo One for You?
Exo One on PS5 is more of an experience than a game. For those who have played it on PC, the PS5 version offers a new dimension of immersion thanks to the DualSense controller and visual enhancements. For newcomers, the game promises an adventure that’s as introspective as it is exhilarating.
If you’re a fan of physics-based puzzles, sci-fi adventures, or just looking for a game that pairs challenge with beauty, Exo One is your ticket to the stars. While it maintains much of its core experience from the PC version, the enhancements on PS5 make it a journey worth taking, especially if your PC specs are less than stellar.
In the vast universe of video games, Exo One shines as a unique star. It may not be the brightest, given its niche audience appeal and the quiet solitude of its gameplay, but for those who resonate with its frequency, it offers a deep, engaging dive into the unknown. And isn’t that what the best of games do — take us somewhere we’ve never been, in ways we’ve never imagined?
