So far, Thunderful have set up an impressive slate of upcoming games, as shown via our previews this past year of games such asThe Last Hero of Nostalgia,Wavetale,Togges,WorldlessandSwordship.The publisher has made it clear, however, that Planet of Lana, from developers Wishfully, is primed to be the big one for them right now. An atmospheric 2D puzzle-platformer about a young girl and their alien friend navigating a distant planet. Truth be told, it wasn’t my personal pick for their best game that’s been showcased (that would go to either Swordship or Wavetale), and so far, it hasn’t exactly brought that much new to the table when it comes to the genre, but what it is there is still excellent stuff that should hopefully make for one impressive adventure in the end.
Well, okay, one fun wrinkle when it comes to the gameplay is the cat-like alien that accompanies our protagonist, who can be commanded around to sit, follow or go to specific spots if needed. The idea of a partner in these types of games feels like it has been done before (heck, Another World was at least exploring similar themes in terms of story over three decades ago), and this does mean that good chunk of the puzzles essentially boiled down to “order alien to stand in the right place,” but they are still some particularly well-crafted puzzles, especially in later sections when trying to restore power around abandoned villages.
The highlight in Planet of Lana, though, is its gorgeous setting and graphics, presenting this serene landscape filled with intrigue, a land of vast greenery dotted with enough creepy back goo and tentacles to get you to wonder just what the heck is going on here, in visuals that some have compared to a Studio Ghibli piece. The highlight for me was a massive moving rock that crawled around on jet-black tentacles that came across as a beautiful part of nature…up until it stopped in front of our heroes and grabbed them, dragging them beneath its rocks. Haunting yet visually impressive stuff that also offered a bit of world-building. This moment also made for a solid puzzle as well, having to properly have our little friend distract them while using the rock beast as a platform to get to a higher ledge (thankfully, our small friend is nimble enough to jump up and follow), which was a simple yet fun bit.
Overall, Planet of Lana shows great promise in the areas of platforming and atmosphere, but how well it fares in the puzzle and story departments still has yet to be seen, if only because the demo focused on the very beginning of the game, making it a little harder to get a read on the bigger picture. Still, even this small glimpse suggested something special worth taking a look at, so make sure not to skip this planet on your future interplanetary trips.
