Hot Garbage is an expansion that delivers gameplay that I hope to expect in future DLC, where the gameplay is centered around putting the player in situations where combat and skills are essential to progression. Though on a new planet, Hot Garbage falls short of creating an all-encompassing experience that makes one believe they’re on an all-new world.

Investigating an alien planet with a delightfully stupid sense of humor is a unique joy that’s on brand for Journey to the Savage Planet, despite lacking the new gadgets and some of the player-driven stories that the core experience had. Hot Garbage is still more than enough of an excuse to kick a few pufferbirds around even if they don’t reach as high of an altitude.