Marketed as a Studio Ghibli-made Limbo, Planet of Lana lives up to that hype in our hands-on demo. A beautiful cinematic side-scrolling platformer developed by Wishfully Studios and published by Thunderful, Planet of Lana takes place in a gorgeous alien world. My favorite game from PAX West 2022, Planet of Lana, tells the story of Lana and her loyal animal companion Mui as they embark on a rescue mission to save her sister. This touching tale is experienced through the lens of a cinematic side-scrolling gameplay format as players explore a colorful world full of stunning environments, strange creatures, and dangerous machines.
Per the developer, Planet of Lana is an adventure filled with daring platforming, engaging puzzles, tense stealth sequences, and a companion mechanic that connects Lana and Mui, allowing for unique gameplay and story moments using their abilities in tandem. The PAX West 2022 demo showcased the dynamic platforming and environmental interaction available in the game. In the demo, players got the chance to perform standard platforming traversal techniques like jumps, grabs, and the like while also getting to explore the world with Mui.
It’s the companionship between Lana and Mui that makes both the game’s story and its gameplay special. For the former, the two characters talk to each other in their own language. While it is indistinguishable for players to translate, the game’s music and animation are extremely emotive, telling you what you need to know through feeling first. For the latter, the platforming mechanics require that you work with Mui, directing them to stand on action areas to trigger new platforms to forms, go into small areas through things like holes that Lana can’t fit in, and cut ropes to change the environment and open up or connect areas.
Instead of just sending Mui off, only to be returned to you immediately, the player also has to look at the platforms as a puzzle that takes Mui’s path back into consideration as well. This adds an element of depth and difficulty that works extremely well, even just in the brief section of the game I played.
Finally, Planet of Lana’s beauty comes from the gorgeous and vibrant nature that served as the background of the demo I played. Additionally, the incorporation of alien life and even mechanical elements all work to elevate the already lush environment even more. A truly gorgeous sidescroller, Planet of Lana hands-on manages to be as fun and intriguing to play as it is to look at.
Planet of Lana is scheduled for release in the Spring of 2023 on Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X and Series S.
