From the moment we laid eyes on Planet of Lana,
we were eager to run through its open fields with towering robots in the distance.
This debut game from Wishfully Studios is beautifully crafted,
illustrating a tale of companionship as you puzzle through obstacles along the way.
You play as Lana, a young girl from a peaceful fishing village
who suddenly finds everything she knows is under threat.
Robots from outer space kidnap her sister and everyone else in the village,
and she has to avoid being caught herself while racing to follow their trail.
Soon, she encounters a small cat-like creature named Mui
who accompanies her and helps to outwit the dangers before them.
Aside from a few names and commands, there’s little spoken or written in Planet of Lana.
The story is largely told visually, through the environments you pass through
and situations you encounter.
That said, it certainly has its share of revelations
as you explore old ruins and find collectible shrines
that serve as puzzle pieces in the game’s backstory.
The game’s audio-visual presentation is immaculate.
Despite the fact that it’s a relatively brief 2D adventure,
the game envelopes you in the sense that you’re traveling through a massive world.
The artwork has a gorgeous hand-painted feel
with trees and brush that wave in the wind.
Environments are wonderfully layered with objects in the foreground
and wide landscapes to take in,
and the camera often pans out to different degrees, either to amplify the vast scenery
or to give you a comprehensive view of a particular puzzle you’re working with.
Along with the beautiful cinematic score,
the audio works hard to fill in the spaces and bring them to life.
At so many points along your journey, you hear animals, rivers, and other details
that you might not see,
including unidentified robotic noises,
reminding you that the next threat may be just around the corner.
Gameplay largely revolves around platforming and solving puzzles,
and it’s often reminiscent of games like Limbo and Tomb Raider.
While there are times when a puzzle may result in defeating an enemy,
there aren’t any weapons or combat systems involved.
It’s all about using your wits and staying out of sight.
Aside from basics like pushing boxes and using them as platforms,
most scenarios involve coordinating between the two characters.
Lana can swim and rip open boards blocking passages,
while Mui can make higher jumps and bite through cables.
You can command Mui to stop or follow,
or point to specific things to interact with.
One of the most common interactions is having Mui climb to a high ledge
to drop down a rope.
Or, you may have one character stand on what’s essentially a pressure pad
that deploys a platform for the other to climb across.
You can also use one another as bait
to get past patrolling enemies.
While Lana hides in the grass, you can direct Mui to attract an enemy’s attention,
then have them jump down a hole to escape while you cross to safety.
You need to get both characters through each situation,
so it can take some careful planning
to get all the steps right without either of you getting fried.
However, some of these stealth sections can be a little frustrating
since you may know what you need to do, but get caught anyways and have to start over.
The window to sneak past an enemy can be tight,
and Lana’s movement is a bit sluggish, with no ability to dash or slide into cover.
So, if you don’t start moving at just the right moment,
you’re left waiting for an enemy to repeat its full patrol cycle.
Also, while none of the puzzles are particularly bad in any way,
once you learn the basic mechanics,
solving most of the later segments feels like an extension of what you already know.
Even with a few tools you gain later on,
it doesn’t feel like there are really any eureka moments that change how you look at a scenario.
That said, even if these obstacles don’t exactly go outside the box,
they do get more complex as you progress,
and they push you to think a little more
without presenting any solutions that feel exasperating or arbitrary.
Some mechanical nitpicks aside, the 4 to 5 hours it takes to travel through Planet of Lana
are punctuated by striking moments of remarkable beauty
and a strengthening bond with your cuddly companion.
With so many massive games releasing this spring and summer,
it’s worth taking a night off to embark on an adventure
that still feels like you’re visiting a rich, full world, but in a more succinct package.
Final score: 8 out of 10.
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