Planet Of Lana presents itself as a classic platformer, spiced with elements of stealth, puzzles, and enigmas. The excellent graphic design and immersive atmosphere of the environments, along with an engaging storyline, immediately catch the eye.
Planet Of Lana was developed by the independent Swedish studio Wishfully Studios and published by Thunderful Games. It debuted on PC, Xbox One, and Series S/X on May 23, 2023, and later on PlayStation 4/5 and Nintendo Switch on April 16, 2024. It is a side-scrolling platformer enclosed in a pleasant 2.5D graphical style. We follow the protagonist Lana through varied environments, solving environmental puzzles and enigmas with only wit and stealth as weapons.
Such a peaceful planet
The story of Planet Of Lana starts with a bang, leaving no room for sentimentality. We take control of young Lana, who lives in a peaceful fishing village with her sister Ilo. As we play with Ilo and follow her to nearby hills, we get to familiarize ourselves with the simple but functional controls and stealth mechanics. Naturally, it doesn’t take long for something to go terribly wrong. What seem to be alien spaceships invade the planet, spreading chaos and terror. The inhabitants are kidnapped and locked up in the spaceships, very much like in the movie “War of the Worlds,” I must admit. Ilo is among the first to be captured, while Lana manages to hide in tall grass.
From here, the solitary and perilous journey of the girl begins, taking her through various biomes such as mountains, forests, deserts, and swamps, in search of her sister. The plot does not stand out for originality, and the inspirations from other works are clear, but it works, and that’s what counts. The scenes of the invasion are very well done, distressing, and shocking. In general, the game excels in the thrilling opening and closing sections, while the middle act is quite weak in comparison. The only constant is the care and quality of the locations. The choice to render the game in 2.5D allowed the talented developers to fill the backgrounds with detailed and often interactive elements. We can appreciate these qualities during many of the environmental puzzles, which require maneuvering and manipulating objects in the background.
Stay down!
As many of you might have guessed, in Planet Of Lana, it’s not possible to defend against enemies. After all, we are in the shoes of a young girl… The only thing she can do is hide and use her intelligence to survive. The dangers encountered along the way vary between eerie alien machines, animals, and wild monsters. Stealth, hiding, and cunning won’t always save us, but after less than half an hour of gameplay, we will be helped by Mui, a small cat-like creature that we must rescue from an alien contraption. Here, the gameplay manages to vary a bit, with Mui able to execute simple commands to help us reach otherwise inaccessible areas, distract enemies, activate mechanisms, and, in more advanced phases, tame wild animals and hack alien machines. Alas, despite this addition, the game still doesn’t manage to stand out for originality.
But this comment should not be taken as an inherent criticism of the game: the puzzles are well-designed, the controls are responsive and precise, and the environments are always extremely well-crafted, colorful, and rich in detail. Music and sound also does well, especially the ambient sounds. My impression was that of playing a sort of Limbo, which we have discussed before, or Another World, an old glory for the Atari ST, but with less dark atmospheres and much more inspired by sci-fi like Star Wars. A fascinating mix of elements, no doubt, and one that manages to create a rather engaging aura. I strongly recommend taking your time and exploring the world of Planet Of Lana at your own pace, both to enjoy the developers’ efforts and to hunt for well-hidden secrets.
Between levers and jumps
As mentioned earlier, the core of Planet Of Lana lies in puzzles and platforming exploration. A simple but extremely accurate jumping mechanic allows us to explore without too many hitches. We will smile satisfied in front of the beautiful fluid animations of our little protagonist. Interaction with background elements often involves moving, lifting, and using them to solve puzzles. Nothing too complicated. The difficulty tends not to increase during the game’s progression, and for some, this can be a flaw. Some puzzles stand out for their creativity, but generally, the vast majority of players will have no problem continuing. The adventure can be completed in about 5-6 hours, and there is no replayability. Let’s say that Planet Of Lana follows the rule of “short but intense.”
Another thing that impressed me is the visual spectacle offered by the landscapes when we find ourselves in elevated places. The eye gets lost in the details, colors, and sense of peace. Peace occasionally shattered by the passage of some alien machine or some disturbing call in the dark… Even Planet Of Lana, despite not being dark by nature, manages to be scary when it wants to. Some places are simply too beautiful not to be immortalized in a screenshot. The design of the enemies, quite referential, also does not disappoint. Movements, animations, and sound are particularly well made. Soon we will learn to recognize various dangers even before seeing them and to implement the correct strategies.
A gem to discover
Planet Of Lana defends itself very well in an era where 2D platformers are making a comeback, along with nostalgia for the old flames of the past. Not innovative, not original, yet endowed with an undeniable charm that pushes us to delve into and explore every little secret hidden by the developers. In summary, an experience I feel I can heartily recommend to everyone. Also thanks to the very low difficulty level and short duration. Pleasantly surprised.
Planet Of Lana, the review: a vibrant 2.5D platformer
PRO
- Stunning artistic direction and sound
- Excellent enemy design
- Precise and responsive controls
- Good variety of environments
CON
- Not very original
- Weak middle part of the story
8/10
