onaut ▁who ▁crashes ▁on ▁a ▁future ▁Earth ▁where ▁intellig ent ▁ap es ▁domin ate ▁humans . ▁U ly ss es ▁expl ores ▁various ▁environments , ▁a iding ▁a ▁human ▁resistance ▁movement ▁who ▁regard ▁him ▁as ▁a ▁proph es ied ▁sav ior ▁and ▁un cover ing ▁the ▁secre ts ▁underlying ▁a pe ▁society . ▁Vers ions ▁of ▁series ▁characters , ▁such ▁as ▁Z ira , ▁Corn el ius , ▁Z ai us , ▁Urs us ▁and ▁Nova , ▁appear ▁alongside ▁new ▁characters ▁and ▁species . ▁ ▁The ▁game ' s ▁release ▁was ▁delayed ▁for ▁three ▁years ▁due ▁to ▁problems ▁with ▁the ▁long ▁post pon ed ▁film ▁re make ▁and ▁Fox ▁Inter active ' s ▁decision ▁to ▁co - publish ▁with ▁another ▁company . ▁The ▁del ays ▁were ▁such ▁that ▁the ▁game ▁missed ▁the ▁film ' s ▁release ▁date . ▁When ▁it ▁finally ▁deb uted ▁on ▁September ▁ 2 0 , ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁it ▁met ▁with ▁largely ▁negative ▁reviews ▁on ▁the ▁Play Station ▁and ▁PC ▁along ▁with ▁mixed ▁reviews ▁on ▁the ▁Game ▁Boy ▁versions , ▁with ▁the ▁chief ▁criticism ▁being ▁its ▁weak ▁controls ▁and ▁game play . ▁ ▁Game play ▁Planet ▁of ▁the ▁A pes ▁is ▁an ▁action - ad vent ure ▁game ▁played ▁from ▁a ▁third - person ▁view . ▁The ▁player ▁controls ▁U ly ss es , ▁an ▁astr onaut ▁who ▁has ▁crash - land ed ▁on ▁a ▁planet ▁inhab ited ▁by ▁intellig ent ▁ap es , ▁with ▁whom ▁he ▁must ▁eng age ▁in ▁battle ▁to ▁surv ive .