Planet of Lana (2023)

This was a super cozy little puzzle game. It was simple and relaxing enough to not need a walk through but challenging enough in parts that I had to take a break and think it through. I played it through with an hour here and there over a week. The music, story and art was warm. Agricultural society meets War of the Worlds. I thought it had heart and would recommend a playthrough.

Thanks PoL devs!

Strongest point is for sure the aesthetics, I love how they made the tree and colors are always so good, even when the environment is more dark and gloomy it's still nice to look at.
I also really liked how the machines on the background were shaded with these very flat colors and some small light point here and there, it made them stand out, both visually and also in contrast with the nature, which was instead more detailed.

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The soundtrack is also very good, and it stands out. I usually have a hard time noticing and mostly flow with it, but in this game it really makes you notice it, It also had a bit of that star wars feel where some notes would suddenly start to highlight a specific movement or area reached (or maybe it was just a case).

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The way you control the cute AI pet, and in general how it behaved, it's well done and believable, and it's fun to use both to solve the puzzles, which are hard enough to not be boring but to also not ruin the flow of the game.
I liked that the gamepad was basically split in 2, one half was more related to Lana, while the other to the pet. Every once in a while my brain had to stop to think about which button to press to do what, because the scheme was a bit complex to get used to, but it was never actually an issue.

The game also feels fresh till the end, since new mechanics are constantly introduced (in the right amount, not overwhelming), which tie really well with the game logic and lore. Both Lana and the pet have their amount of things to do, so it's also well balanced in the way you switch between the two of them. Maybe the rope was a bit overused tho lol

Other reviews write about the clumsy control, which I can deny, but I think they are not actually an issue in this game, being very slow paced. There are some more fast paced section but is way more puzzle and reflexes and being fast actually.
I also felt that the clumsy movement gave the game a sort of retro vibes, but in a "cozy" way whcih I feel like it was fitting the simplicity of the game.

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The lore is interesting and the the different landscapes are very evocative. Some hints to what the overall story of the world could be are given and I think it's also not to obscure: even though you still might not be able to get a perfect idea of what the story is, I had a feeling that I could understand more or less what might have happened, compared to other games where I really have no idea after completing it.
I think it was the right spot for the game, the right amount of vague to feel intriguing but also not too much to just stop caring or feeling like it was too incomprehensible.

The actual story is not that interesting tho, you basically just look for your sister and that's basically it, it's more about the atmosphere and the world building. I also found a bit annoying (even if cute in a way) that Lana kept calling for her sister even if she was clearly been kidnapped and very very far away.
It felt a bit like she had to do it for the feels, like it was more for making us relate than a thing a real person would actually do.

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The only thing I did not really like is something that is puzzling me: Lana character design is so trivial, and also ugly to look at, compared to the one of her sister which is more like a character design than just nothing. Since you constantly look at her, I wish she actually had a proper design.

I was absolutely blown away by this game. The art took my breath away over and over. The story was so engaging and emotional, I was invested from the very beginning and I only grew to feel more and more connected to the story and characters as I played. It is so impressive how much emotion could be conveyed through the inflection and tone the characters used when speaking the in game language.

The puzzles and platforming were so well crafted. They challenged you but were never too difficult or illogical. It really rewarded you for stopping and thinking about each scenario and it always felt so good when you had that light bulb moment and were able to solve the puzzle and pass the obstacle in your way.

I was so impressed by the world and level design as well. There was so much detail and so many amazing areas you got to traverse through. The little companion you meet along the way was also such a lovely addition to the puzzles and added even more emotion to the overall story as well.

I can’t emphasize enough how much I loved my time with this game. Everything about it worked for me. It was the perfect length and the story was impactful, emotional and I can tell it is one that will stick with me for a long time. A true masterpiece in my eyes.

Always start with the positive......Planet of Lana is a very pretty game visually. And I love that little companion you get! Oh...it's a short game supposedly too...so that's a positive (kinda).

Other than that, I don't have a ton positive to say about the game. The controls are sluggish and clunky. That leads to often failed stealth puzzles. The puzzles themself feel uninspired and I'd rather go replay Limbo or Inside.

I hope this game is a blast for someone, but it's not for me.

~David.

The wonderful, colourful hand-drawn environments are Planet of Lana’s immediately calling card, and I think I’d be able to recommend this 2D puzzle platformer on visuals alone. But what struck me the most was how quickly we went from an idyllic scenario to a War of the Worlds one in no time. This is the moment in the game that serves as a primary hook and makes you invested in Lana and her journey. I look at this game and can’t help but think this is a lighter, more colourful version of what Sommerville would’ve been if it had come out polished and mechanically competent.

From solid platforming to interesting puzzles, from a wonderful soundtrack (a big exception here was the song part) to a checkpoint system that never wastes your time, Planet of Lana is a very respectable indie entry into the genre, one that does way more than enough to keep you engaged from start to finish. It lands a really positive, uplifting message about the nature of human condition and perseverance, and on top of this, it also has a powerful ace up its sleeve: Mui, your companion, is simply adorable, and it brings in a new cool gameplay layer to help you solve puzzles and overcome enemies. The small heartwarming moments with Mui are as strong as anything else in the game and deserve their own standout praise.

The final third does suffer from more interruptions than it should’ve had, but on the whole, Planet of Lana is absolutely worth a gander if you’re drawn to the art style or the puzzle-platforming genre. 7.5

Planet of Lana is a game in which you navigate a girl named Lana alongside an adorable cat Mui in which you travel together across the planet in search of Lana's village, who have been captured by an army of robots. Each of the game's elements all have a certain realism to them and paint a beautiful image of another world.

As you traverse the game you get glimpses of landscapes that flutter with grass, deserts being glared down by the sun and bogs filled with shrubbery and water, alongside the dark machinery that has spread throughout the land. Remniscient of films by Hayao Miyazaki, each environment feels animated with life and is breathtaking to observe.

Gameplay revolves around various puzzles in which you must find ways to climb through certain areas while avoiding the dangers there. You must position both Lana and Mui in a way which you can take advantage of each others strengths. Lana is the main avatar you control (she can operate machines, pull down grates, swim through water and shift heavy objects) while Mui is a cat you can instruct to sit or follow you depending on the context (Mui is small, can reach high places, jump through holes, mind control animals, eat wires and ride hovercrafts) . Enemies have their own biology to them which you must shape the environment to accommodate them. Rock monsters will eat Mui if left unchecked but can serve as platforms. spiders will chase after you but avoid light, robots will hunt down one of your party members and so can be distracted as the other sneaks past. Objects in the environment can be tampered with (ropes can be lowered, boxes can be shifted, magnets can latch onto boxes) all to create a path forward.

The story is rather straightforward, with no exposition. Hints that are spread throughout the world's culture. You hear what characters say in the fictional language by listening to their tone, observing the hunting habits of the creatures around, the recurring song that allows you to sync up with the machines. All of these sections harmonize perfectly together to create a well-crafted world