Having played through Planet of Lana from start to finish, we tell you what we thought of this indie gem, and why you shouldn’t let go of perhaps one of the most beautiful games of 2023.
Planet of Lana, from the developer Wishfully, is officially presented almost 2 years ago, more specifically at the 2021 Summer Game Fest. Since then, the eyes of a large part of the community have been on this independent title that, with a charming design, captivated a number of players.
Fortunately, after being able to play it fully in the cloud of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, we confirm that Not only is it a nice package, but this title is much more worthwhile than we could imagine at first.
What is Planet of Lana?
Like everything that surrounds this title, this question is extremely easy to answer: Planet of Lana is a puzzle game with a side view in which we will take control of Lanaa young woman belonging to a community of villagers who live near the sea, which are invaded by a herd of alien robots that kidnap a large part of the community.
In this way, and as you must already intuit, our mission is to advance throughout the world, in search of our companionsin what is possibly one of the most beautiful journeys of which -personally- I have memory.
And it is that, although it is difficult to explain in words, this little trip of just 4 or 5 hours, In a short time, it condenses a series of characteristics that, despite not being the pinnacle of innovation, create an atmosphere of sensations that will not be easy to forget.
In this sense, we are not only talking about its -obviously- beautiful artistic section, but also about the sensations that it transmits through its narrative and gameplay.
say without speaking
It is not necessary to understand literally what is said verbatim, to be reached by sensationsand that is something that Planet of Lana does perfectly.
Throughout the entire story, there will be very few words or phrases that we will end up fully understanding, however, the game makes use of all the artistic arsenal at its disposal to let us know (and feel) without saying a single word, everything that we want.
We talk about the help we give and receive from our colleagues (without going into spoilers) to be able to move together towards a goal that we really don’t know and which we fear, we talk about the sensations that each of the silences make us feel, we talk about the beauty and aesthetics with which every millimeter of the environment embraces us, we talk about the feeling of loneliness and, strangely, camaraderie that is transmitted by jumping a ropewe talk about perseverance, sadness, despair and frustration that can be transmitted throughout a trip, without mediating a single word in our language.
A Limbo full of colors
It is not necessary to innovate in everything to stand out, and that is something that, as we mentioned, Planet of Lana understands perfectly. Each jump, box or movement of our protagonist brings us reminiscences of Limbo, that independent gem from 2010 that, if you had the opportunity to play at the time, you will most likely remember perfectly.
However, and despite the fact that copying Limbo could easily turn it into a more than worthy game, Planet of Lana is not alone in this, and far from imitating, it evolves a formula that undoubtedly needed this little breath of fresh air. , allowing us, among other things, to give orders and instructions to our partner, to solve the puzzles that will make us advance together throughout the journey, or play with elements that we would not imagine that we could control a priori.
conclusions
Without wanting to add much more, there is no doubt that Planet of Lana is a game that you must play. Its charming design, combined with its narrative, gameplay, and art, make it a standalone gem that you shouldn’t pass up..
While we understand it may not be for everyone, the reality is that in the case of only 4 hours of play, that can be devoured in one sitting on a weekend, and even be available on Game Pass, there’s not much reason to let an indie gem of this caliber go. This son of Limbo is much more than just a pretty face.
RELEASE DATE | May 23, 2023 |
DEVELOPER | Wishfully |
DISTRIBUTOR | Thunderful Publishing |
PLATFORMS | PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, xCloud |