Everything is nice on Lana's planet... maybe too nice?



Planet of Lana is a very pretty puzzle-platformer with a poignant story of going to rescue a family member abducted by an invading alien/robot army. Your weapons are stealth and cunning (and jumping and pushing things) and a little cat friend you find along the way. It is rendered in a lovely cel-shaded and colorful palette and the sound design and music compliment the aesthetic well. You feel like you're in this alien world and can connect with the main characters quite easily. It is a lovely game for world-explorers but perhaps a bit of a let down for puzzle enthusiasts.

I also think Planet of Lana suffers a bit by focusing on the environment and art design. The pacing is a bit strange with long stretches of just walking to the right until you get to the next puzzle. The character control is a little wonky and it's sometimes tough to get her to grab a ledge or rope. Honestly, the story could be enhanced with more drama as it mostly relies on Lana plaintively crying out her sister's name and then somehow lucking into the correct direction to go rescue her? Also, the puzzles are pretty easy and I never had to look up any on a cheat website. Maybe I'm just a genius. Probably not, as I missed a bunch of those secret shrines.

The game has some highlights and the little cat, Mui, is a joy. However, I had high hopes for this one and it didn't quite reach those heights despite looking the part.