At first, the limited gameplay and simple, almost unchanging graphics didn't quite scratch the exploring alien planet itch I was hoping it would. The game withholds the visual aspects of these wonderful ecosystems it describes, using only descriptive language to evoke the environments. After an hour or so, however, I found that collecting samples would unlock more biological information about the creatures, and if you completed them all, you would be able to view a sketch, and finally see the creatures you'd been imagining for so long visually realized. It's an amazing reward system, and I obsessively collected the samples, truly feeling like a scientist and an explorer. The music and the writing is beautiful, and the ending made me tear up a little bit.