I didn’t know that I wanted a sequel to Planet of Lana, but here we have it: Planet of Lana II, and I can’t express how joyful it is to return to Novo. Yes, I know that sounds corny, but like re-living something from your childhood as an adult is so incredibly nostalgic. It’s what you social media folks tag as wholesome.
The thing is, this isn’t a game from my childhood – it was only released three years ago. And, while I’m not trying to reclaim history and manipulate my own words to say that it was one of my favourite games, this revelation that I do need this sequel makes me instantly recommend this title. Irrespective if you played the original.
You should play the original. If you want to be current and do as everyone else, you can jump straight to Planet of Lana II, as there’s a decent recap at the beginning. It features just the right pacing without dragging on or alienating new players, though re-hearing the piano hook gives off the same vibes as the theme from Close Encounters of the Third Kind, or Interstellar.
To summarise, you play as Lana, whose home planet of Novo has been raided by mechanical beings enslaving her people, notably her older sister. With the help of some characters along the way, more importantly, her cat-like companion Mui, she reveals an intriguing historical relationship between her people and their apparent captors. Two years later, Lana has a new friend, Anua, who conveniently guides us through the mechanics and new platforming abilities Lana possesses, until Anua is poisoned by ‘orrible hoomans. So, Lana sets out to find the cure.
Mui naturally returns as Lana’s invaluable partner, also equipped with new skills. The two can be moved about independently, with Lana being the heavy lifter and Mui the saboteur. Gameplay in Planet of Lana II is effectively platform-puzzle solving, manipulating devices to gain access to the next screen, or stealth tactics to avoid enemies. You could compare this to something like Flashback and Another World (without the guns), or something like Inside.
Though the goals are clear, it’s often the ‘how’ that presents the most challenging. Scenarios mix between sidescrolling and having an entry point to the left, and an exit to the right. Sometimes these have multiple exits as Lana will go one way – be it through climbing or swimming, while her companion will take another route, making the most of their skillset along the way. This can be deceivingly simple sometimes, as there are no items to pocket, and if you look close enough, a very subtle light or texture to interact with, followed by a window of opportunity to escape. Or die.
Deaths can be frequent, but not permanent, due to the generous scattering of checkpoints. These deaths are obviously through trial and error, much like Inside, but also because the animation, though beautiful, can be a little delayed, and Lana may miss a ledge mid-jump, or be impaled or blasted by a laser before putting one foot in front of the other. Surprisingly, it’s not as frustrating as it sounds; if anything, it’s the aspect of working out what you’re supposed to do as the biggest threat.
Inevitably, there’s going to be a Studio Ghibli influence. This typically annoys me, as any sign of digital painting with lots of greenery and fluffy clouds with a female protagonist apparently qualifies it as a Miyazaki homage. Of course, the visuals are outstanding, but the themes and some of the set pieces resemble Princess Mononoke. Which is a huge compliment. That said, Planet of Lana 2 purely resembles and doesn’t mimic or overly replicate, as the story and its lore are very much self-contained.
This becomes apparent in between puzzle areas, where you’re witnessing the artistic skills of Wishfully Studios and often in awe. Scattered among that are narrative devices to delve deeper into characters and origins we may have missed three years ago, specifically Mui, who could be one of the greatest video game companions of all time. Thoughts? Either way, Planet of Lana 2 is an absolute joy and expands on the first game without changing too much, but adding enough to satisfy most appetites.
I originally played this on the Switch and was indifferent to any high-spec version and more than content with how it literally played out. However, a Switch 2 version has materialised, which is technically better in every way. Not that there’s anything wrong with the Switch, but quite frankly, I’m constantly seeking out incentives to justify why I bought the Switch 2. So, not that it’s a Switch 2 exclusive, but I wholeheartedly recommend this version over all the others, and for me, Lana is just as at home on the Nintendo rectangle as Novo.
