We’ve rather enjoyed Atari’s range of reimagined classics that have released in the last few years. We’ve had Quantum Recharged, Berzerk: Recharged, Haunted House, Caverns of Mars: Recharged and plenty more. While still retaining their original premises, each and every one of them manages to transform an old game into something new, modern and engaging. The latest in the series of Lunar Lander Beyond, which brings 1979’s Lunar Lander to the modern age.
What we’ve loved about Atari’s ‘Recharged’ games so far is that they’ve been easy to pick up, requiring only practice and persistence to truly master. Lunar Lander Beyond is a little different. Putting you in charge of a lunar landing module, it requires precision, careful mastery of the controls and patience from the get-go. It doesn’t have the same fast-paced, “just-one-more-go” mentality as Atari’s other reimagined games.
It’s not going to be for everyone, then, but for those who fondly remember the original or like the idea of a challenging arcade game where precision pays, there’s a lot to like about Lunar Lander Beyond. It looks fantastic for one: it’s simple but bold and well-designed, with eye-catching backgrounds and environments. Quite a stretch from the black-and-white lines of the original.
Another stand-out feature is the beautifully animated cutscenes, added in to create a story and a compelling reason to keep playing Lunar Lander Beyond. It’s a level of detail that we’ve not seen in Atari’s ‘Recharged’ range, and it sets Lunar Lander Beyond apart from its brethren somewhat. Will you really care about why you’re in control of a lunar lander, though? That’s up to you, but we at least enjoyed the gorgeous animations.
It’s also hugely rewarding to play. The challenge at foot in Lunar Lander Beyond is a simple one: you merely have to get your lander from A to B, carefully manoeuvring it around bends and past obstacles, retrieving items or delivering goods as you go. But this isn’t the sort of game you can simply whizz around. Holding down accelerate will have your lander crashing and burning in no time, so you’ll need to carefully measure every button press and each movement, taking care to never accelerate too much… or not enough. When you do reach your goal, then, there’s a huge sense of relief and achievement that you’ve made it — and a whole new challenge awaits.
The one downfall? It’s not cheap. It’ll cost you £24.99 which for what it is feels a little on the pricey side, especially when other recent reimaginings from Atari have been priced between £8-£16. Unless you love the original game, perhaps wait for a sale before you pick this up. And when you do, prepare to be challenged.
Lunar Lander Beyond is available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch and PC
