Planet of Lana Review

Introduction:

I hate to admit this, but there’s a part of me that starts to feel a bit lost when I don’t know what game I want to play. There’s a downside to playing as many games as I do- video game burnout. And when I begin to feel that burnout, I don’t know what I want to play. It’s this endless loop of wanting to play games in an ocean of endless titles to pick from.

Certain genres work really well as palate cleansers; a way for you to still scratch that interactivity itch without feeling like you have to put much mental energy into what you’re playing. And luckily for me, one of my favorite genres is a great palate cleanser- puzzle platformers.

As somebody who adores games like Ico, The Last Guardian, Limbo, Inside, and the first two Little Nightmares titles; I’m truly happy to see this niche little genre gaining more and more traction in the 2020s. Planet of Lana is a title I could swear I’ve heard through one of the many gaming showcases I’ve listened to in the past. But never really said “I want to play that.”

Until now.

Presentation:

I was talking to my good friend who also enjoys a good puzzle platformer. I said to him “Hey, is it just me or are most of these games bleak?” Limbo, Inside, Little Nightmares 1 & 2, Oddworld. For some reason a lot of these games like to make the player feel hopeless.

Thankfully, Planet of Lana provide sa much needed breath of colorful air. The player will constantly be hit with the bright blues of a cozy sky, vibrant green grass, and warm yellow sand.

I’ve seen the name “Studio Ghibli” tossed around quite frequently when discussing the games visuals. As a big Ghibli fan myself, I don’t really see it. I think a huge part of the Ghibli iconography is the way faces are drawn. With Planet of Lana’s simple black dot eyes, I think it takes away a lot of the possibility to look anything remotely like Studio Ghibli. Just because it’s got a heartwarming and colorful atmosphere doesn’t make it synonymous with the legendary studio.

Despite that though, I found this game immensenly pleasurable to look at. It’s a nice world to be a part of.

Another trait of many puzzle platformers is either having zero dialogue or a fictional language. Planet of Lana goes for the latter; fictional language with no subtitles. Players will have to gather what’s happening all by themselves. Thankfully, it’s not that hard.

Gameplay:

As I mentioned earlier, I came into this game hoping for some not-so-demanding gameplay. To put it bluntly, Planet of Lana simply requires the player to move left or right (mostly right), and solve a few puzzles. The game doesn’t have many optional items or knick-knacks to interact with (there’s a few hidden shrines to find). There’s no branching pathways like Oddworld. And unlike the Little Nightmares titles, the player is fixed to two-dimensional movement.

It is a puzzle platformer boiled down to its simplest form.

This biggest source of criticism with this game is its puzzles. Many detractors say the puzzles are far too easy. Honestly, I found them just right. Never too hard, but never so easy that I felt like it wasn’t even a puzzle at all (looking at you Resident Evil!).

If you’re hoping for some head scratching puzzles or pulse-pounding platforming, you won’t find either here. Planet of Lana is minimalistic in its approach. Some might opt for “uninspired”, but I disagree.

Don’t come into Planet of Lana looking for anything more than a simple yet nice time. It’s a short game too at about three hours. With the short runtime, the simplicity of its gameplay didn’t wear too thin on me.

Story:

Honestly, I think this is where Planet of Lana has its most potential. The beginning of the game makes us feel like we're in a old coastal society. But very quickly we find out that there is technology far greater than our imagination can grasp. Some invaders from another world start kidnapping our neighbors and friends! Somebody very close to Lana gets kidnapped by one of these machines, and she sets out to find them.

Lana is quickly joined by a small alien creature dubbed “Mui”. And the two have their journey together.

I obviously won't say anything else so you can go in as blind as possible. While I like the idea of a slightly primitive world being invaded by highly advanced technology, I can't help but feel like the concept of "small child being accompanied by a powerful alien creature” is highly played out. Just look at The Last Guardian, A Boy and his Blob, The Iron Giant, and now PRAGMATA.

Overall:

Planet of Lana did not blow me away or disappoint me. I bought it on sale for about three dollars, and I wouldn’t recommend spending over ten on it. If this game was five to six hours long, I would recommend staying about. But because of its three hour (or shorter depending on your skill) runtime, I think it doesn’t overstay its welcome. It’s a good game to pour yourself a mug of tea or coffee, cuddle up with a blanket, and play in one sitting. A “rainy Sunday” game if you will.

Overall, I liked Planet of Lana

(In an effort to move away from traditional numerical scores, I will use the following metric: Hated, Disliked, Felt Neutral, Liked, Loved, Can’t Stop Thinking About)