Getting the opportunity to enjoy Planet of Lana 2 was absolutely magical. Taking place almost immediately after the ending of the previous game, you’ll step back into the shoes of Lana, who can control the strange, cat-like creature Mui, and solve puzzles that are as clever as they are difficult.
I found it a beautiful journey from start to finish. My few minor frustrations mostly came from the puzzles, which is more on me, honestly. Still, they’re brilliantly designed, and when combined with a touching story and engaging gameplay, this game perfectly embodies that rare trifecta.
Perfect Use of Atmosphere to Convey Inflection and Meaning
Things are set in motion when Lana’s relative gets incredibly sick, requiring three specific ingredients to make a medicine that can save her. With that, you’ll set off across the world, solving puzzles through underwater caverns, dangerous buildings, and collapsible tunnels to collect each item. There are a few other things you’ll experience along the way, but I’m not going to spoil that here for you.
The start of the game warns players that all the dialogue is deliberately unintelligible, with no subtitles provided for context. Every character Lana interacts with conveys language and meaning through their body language and in the sounds that they make. I’ll admit that I didn’t understand every single cutscene, but the overall story did a good job of filling in whatever blanks I had.
I think some people would find this lacking, but I really enjoyed that the cutscenes were typically short, and most of my time with the game was spent actually playing it instead of watching it.
Difficult in a Good Way
Because the game is a 2D sidescroller, the majority of the puzzles involve unlocking doors, tricking creatures into locked areas, and creating unique ways to reach previously unreachable areas. Don’t be fooled by how simple that sounds. I spent a lot of time wishing there were guides online to look at, given how difficult I found some of these puzzles.
Not only are you controlling Lana, but you’re also controlling Mui, who has way more powers than the former. Using Mui, you’ll reach high places, activate electrical devices, and even control certain animals to help Lana push forward. Of course, there are some places even Mui won’t go, so you’ll have to consider how to ensure your furry friend’s safety if you want an easier time in return.
However, as I mentioned before, each puzzle ended up making me feel silly because they all made sense. A lot of thought clearly went into designing and developing each area and its associated puzzle. There wasn’t a single point where I felt that the puzzle was just in the game to make me feel dumb, even if I did end up feeling that on occasion.
To continue my point about the short cutscenes awarding me with longer gameplay, I truly enjoyed that every new area visited introduced new mechanics to freshen up how puzzles were solved. Don’t get me wrong, they were still hard, but I really enjoyed the challenge by the end of the game.
A Beginning, a Middle, and an End
I wouldn’t really call this a fault, though it was difficult not to notice how short the entire experience felt. It was a thoughtful story that included lots of additional context in the background of levels and in various locations, but it still felt slightly bland overall. You’re solving puzzles to help those who trust you, but that doesn’t really come back into play until you reach the endpoint of each level.
Because there isn’t any understandable dialogue, I also think that I missed a lot of what was trying to be conveyed. There’s also the matter of some of the story’s context requiring a bit of knowledge of the events of the first game. You don’t need to know much, but it only adds to the confusion caused by the lack of clear dialogue.
However, I also don’t think that the game would have had the same impact if the characters were voiced or if there were subtitles to translate the speech. I just wish there was a bit more substance to some of the game’s higher points to better accentuate them in the moment.
Conclusion
While my experience of Planet of Lana 2 felt somewhat brief and occasionally difficult to grasp, the overall adventure is thoughtfully designed and emotionally resonant. The puzzles were pretty much always challenging, but they were always fair and meticulously constructed instead of being frustrating for frustration’s sake.
The combination of visuals, engaging gameplay, and heartfelt themes created a compelling journey for me that highlights what Planet of Lana is all about. Even if the story felt distant at times, it still balances atmosphere, challenge, and charm well. I would very much recommend this to players who enjoyed the 2D puzzle-platformers of yore, like LIMBO and INSIDE.
Planet of Lana 2: Children of the Leaf (PS5 Review)
While my experience of Planet of Lana 2 felt somewhat brief and occasionally difficult to grasp, the overall adventure is thoughtfully designed and emotionally resonant, with puzzles that are always challenging, but always fair and meticulously constructed.
The Good
- Beautiful colors and visuals.
- Thoughtfully designed puzzles.
- Strong atmospheric storytelling.
The Bad
- Lack of clear dialogue might cause confusion.
- Story can feel distant at times.
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GREAT
