The first Planet of Lana game was something of a surprise for me, a game that I saw on Gamepass and decided it looked interesting enough to try out in one of those gaming slumps we’ve all had, something I could spend an hour on and decide if I liked it. Four hours and a very late bedtime later, I’d decided I loved it. The art style, the mysterious language that left some imagination filling in the blanks, and the surprisingly lovely relationship between the protagonist and her pet alien cat… thing… it all sat beautifully alongside the gentle but demanding puzzles as you tried desperately to fend of the evil robot invaders and save your planet. And so, some time later, when Planet of Lana 2 was revealed, I absolutely couldn’t wait to get my hands on it to see if it lived up to my enjoyment of the first game.
It did.
First thing to mention, this will be a spoiler free review. There are some wonderful story elements to this game, still covered in a layer of mystery from the unknown language used throughout, but there were so many times I was surprised, taken aback or mildly heartbroken that I wouldn’t want to take that part of the experience away from anyone else. It’s quite incredible how, even with no recognisable dialogue (apart from the recap intro that contains subtitles to set things up) the story can be so recognisable and engaging, even with the relatively simple visual style used on the characters.
Speaking of the visual style, the first game’s gorgeous art style carries forward into this, with some incredibly gorgeous settings as you work your way through forests, frozen wastelands and underwater caverns amongst numerous others. The variety is really impressive, each chapter is in its own setting with its own challenges, and while some of the puzzles will leave you experimenting for quite some time there’s never a feeling of things being unfair. There are a few interesting ways to approach puzzles as well; controlling tiny alien fish who can leave a cloud of ink to conceal you, or rolling balls of robot fluff that leave a flammable trail are both nice example of this, giving you a whole new way to approach problems that you come across as you make your way towards your goal.
There are, as per the previous game, moments when you take control of other robotic devices to help you move items, carry you to other areas or keep you protected from security cameras or sentinel enemies. You’ll also be reunited early on with your cat companion Mui, who (again, without dropping spoilers) gets its own story arc and develops into a far more integral part of what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. The development of both Lana and Mui, as well as some other surprising characters, is the main bulk of this game, and everything ends in possibly the clearest signal you could imagine that Planet of Lana 3 is going to be rocking up at some point in the future. It’s a wonderful story, with enough loose ends to make a sequel something to seriously look forward to, but also providing enough information to make you feel like you’re not missing out on anything for now. I’m excited to see where the story goes next though, and the next game in the series really can’t arrive soon enough.
Playing the first game isn’t essential to enjoy Planet of Lana 2, but it certainly helps. Between knowing how the puzzles tend to work, understanding where the recurring short tune comes from (which plays a pretty major role this time round) and getting to know the characters, it’s a useful experience to run through the games in order. If you’re in a hurry then the intro covers some of the details, but I would very strongly recommend a run through the earlier title first.
I genuinely can’t think of a reason not to recommend Planet of Lana 2; the gameplay and puzzles are perfectly pitched, the storytelling is a work of art and the numerous and beautiful locations are so well made it makes it a pleasure to press on and progress through the game. Easily one of the best games I’ve played recently.
Reviewed on PS5
