The second chapter of the saga created by Wishfully, Planet of Lana 2 showcases remarkable narrative maturity. It’s a game that needs to be understood and given time to unfold. Fans of the first title will not be disappointed.
Let’s start by saying that Planet of Lana 2 succeeds in the difficult task of surpassing its predecessor, especially in terms of storytelling. Although the game takes a while to get going, I can assure you that once you get past the opening hours. It shifts gears and finally gives players what they wanted: answers.
Considering that I completed Planet of Lana 2 in roughly 7–8 hours, the opening section risks throwing players off. My biggest fear was ending up with a simple “more of the same” experience: a sequel that adds a few new mechanics while essentially copying the setup of the first game.
For roughly the first two hours, that feeling was very strong, at least until the first half of the third chapter. Fortunately, from that point onward, Planet of Lana 2 begins to reveal its hand and provide answers. The narrative rises to another level and, thanks to simple yet impactful gameplay ideas. Gradually uncovers the story of the planet and, most importantly, the story of Mui.
The small dark creature constantly accompanying Lana takes on an even more central role. Something that is also reflected in the gameplay. The story becomes increasingly mature and does not shy away from impactful scenes: the game makes no effort to soften events or keep the player comfortable. What happens can be harsh, and the narrative does nothing to sugarcoat it.
Game’s Themes
In the first game, the relationship between Lana and Mui who, despite not speaking the same language managed to form an incredibly strong bond, was the heart of the adventure. Surrounding them was this silent world where untouched nature clashed with uncontrolled technology: blind progress that spared no one. The machines were the antagonists, yet there was never any real hatred or resentment toward them. They were simply out of control, not necessarily evil.
Now, however, the “enemies” are not just machines, but also other human beings. Even in Lana’s village, people have started exploiting machines for their own needs. Unfortunately, not everyone shares Lana’s ethics or those of her companions. We discover that this time the greatest danger comes from those who abuse technology to obtain resources at the cost of destroying wildlife and nature, polluting and devastating the environment.
Even in the first chapter, the game seemed heavily inspired, not only visually, by the poetic style of Studio Ghibli. In Planet of Lana 2, themes dear to Hayao Miyazaki return with force. Particularly the abuse of technology at the expense of nature.
The game also explores themes of war, personal growth, and especially in its final act, morality. No one is entirely good or entirely evil.
These themes play a central role in this sequel, and the influences of works such as Future Boy Conan, Princess Mononoke, and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind immediately come to mind.
Silent Narrative
All of this is emotionally amplified, not only narratively, through the game’s language and soundtrack. The language of Planet of Lana 2 builds upon that of the first game, but it has evolved. There are now villages, cities, and fortresses populated by humans. While the first game used this “alien” language almost exclusively for interactions with Mui, this sequel introduces far more exchanges between humans from different cultures.
Even without understanding the language, emotion and intonation make the words understandable, even when their literal meaning remains unknown. Fear, anger, joy, and sorrow are conveyed through the sounds themselves, allowing players to clearly feel what is happening.
Added to this is the musical score: timely, simple, yet highly effective. Recognizable and recurring themes paint clear and emotionally engaging situations.
Game Progression
Normally, I do not spend much time discussing narrative analysis. In this case, however, Planet of Lana 2 builds much of its experience around its story and its silent, emotionally driven storytelling.
The adventure lasts roughly twice as long as the first game. While I completed the original Planet of Lana in just over three hours, the sequel took me more than seven. And this is precisely where the gameplay loop begins to show some cracks.
Nothing severe enough to seriously damage the overall experience, especially because the development team clearly tried to create moments that are interactive but primarily focused on storytelling and emotional impact.
It is during these moments that the game finally answers the questions left unresolved by the first title. Those answers are well crafted.
While the gameplay still retains some of the genre’s typical issues, as well as problems inherited from its predecessor, it begins evolving alongside the narrative.
There is still a certain stiffness in movement and jumping mechanics. It becomes a noticeable weakness during more frantic chase sequences.
Gameplay
Beyond that, new synergies between Lana and Mui have been implemented. Their bond gives rise to varied and enjoyable combined actions. Mui can interact with both machines and the local flora and fauna. It can disable machines temporarily, allowing Lana to take control of them and use them to solve environmental puzzles. In addition, Mui can mentally control certain creatures, and players directly guide their actions.
All of this creates a timing-based synergy between the protagonists, where players must find the right moment to coordinate both characters.
As for the puzzles and their pacing, I do have some criticisms. These environmental puzzles are not particularly difficult, but they can feel cumbersome and often poorly explained, especially regarding the functions of machines and controlled creatures.
It is not a major problem, but personally I felt these sections occasionally dragged on too long. In my opinion, removing a few puzzle sequences or challenges would have helped avoid a sense of redundancy.
My two cents
Planet of Lana 2 is one of those sequels that does not simply add more content, but genuinely tries to justify its own existence. While the first game focused heavily on mystery, atmosphere, and the relationship between Lana and Mui, this sequel chooses to grow alongside its characters. It expands the world, deepens its conflicts, and finally provides answers that the first game intentionally left unresolved. I’ll leave the ending spoiler-free: you’ll decide for yourselves whether it delivers.
The influence of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli is not merely aesthetic, but also ethical and philosophical: humanity becoming enslaved by technology and executioner of nature is the true heart of the adventure. The game addresses these ideas without reducing everything to a simplistic battle between good and evil. Machines are not merely “monsters,” just as human beings are not portrayed uniformly. There is a more mature reflection on the abuse of progress, greed, and the consequences of one’s actions.
The relationship between Lana and Mui also evolves very effectively. Mui is no longer simply an ally found by chance; it now has its own story and reason for existing. And it is precisely when narrative and gameplay mechanics intertwine that Planet of Lana 2 truly shines.
Planet of Lana 2 is not a perfect game. The opening section is too slow, and for several hours I genuinely feared I was facing little more than “more of the same.” Some environmental puzzles are more cumbersome than truly clever, and the stiffness of movement and jumping remains a limitation, especially during the more intense sequences.
Still, overall, Planet of Lana 2 feels like a strong sequel with something meaningful to say and a real desire to expand its narrative universe. Anyone who loved the first game should absolutely play it, especially because they will finally find the answers they were looking for.
Planet of Lana 2
PRO
- Highly effective storytelling, more mature than the first chapter
- Strong evolution of the Lana/Mui relationship and its integration into gameplay
- Strong emotional and artistic impact
CON
- Slow pacing in the opening sections
- Puzzles can feel cumbersome and unclear at times
- Some stiffness in the gameplay
8/10
