Planet of Lana 2: Youngsters of the Leaf took me excessive up snowy mountains and deep into underwater trenches — however environmental variety is not the one purpose why the sequel to Wishfully Studios’ 2023 puzzle-platformer guarantees plenty of vary. Throughout a 45-minute hands-on demo at Gamescom, I obtained a glimpse of a deeper narrative and a set of puzzle mechanics way more advanced than the unique sport.
At the beginning of the primary sport, Lana’s planet is overrun by robotic abductors who swiftly clear her village of all its inhabitants, leaving Lana as the only escapee. Fortunately, Lana quickly meets an lovable cat-like buddy known as Mui, and collectively they run tirelessly in the direction of the proper facet of the display in an try to avoid wasting Lana’s household and associates, crossing serene forests, darkish caves, and barren wastelands alongside the best way.
In Planet of Lana 2, there’s nonetheless loads of hassle forward as Lana and Mui go away on one other harmful journey — this time, to research an historic thriller. I don’t know the small print past that, however I did spot a possible supervillain through the demo: a cloaked scientist-type determine who put poor little Mui in a cage. Certainly he doesn’t imply to extract and misuse Mui’s powers?
As I expressed my curiosity within the historical past of Lana’s tribe and the rationale behind the invasion, inventive director Adam Stjärnljus advised me that Planet of Lana 2 could have extra narrative depth: “You’re going to get to discover rather more of the lore and the historical past of the planets. You’ll be taught why every little thing is the best way it’s.”
“There are extra NPCs, together with some associates that you simply come throughout alongside the best way, and in addition new villages,” Stjärnljus defined. “They could be part of you in your journey.”
As delighted as I used to be to listen to this, it made me marvel if Planet of Lana 2 is simple sufficient to grasp in the event you haven’t performed the unique. “In fact, they’re tied collectively,” Stjärnljus stated, “however because the narrative is separate from the primary sport. It’s not essential to play Planet of Lana.”
However sufficient in regards to the story; what in regards to the gameplay? Because the demo consisted of 4 totally different segments, I used to be in a position to discover a snowy mountain, a colourful underwater realm, an ominous industrial constructing, and a lush forest. Whereas that is consistent with the various landscapes seen within the first sport, which included every little thing from a swamp to a desert, the commercial and underwater sections in Planet of Lana 2 have a much more distinct really feel to them — as a substitute of simply trying totally different, they actually play in a different way.
To traverse the underwater realm, Lana has to open entryways to deep caverns, swim previous lethal fish, and discover air bubbles earlier than her oxygen runs out. There’s only one problem: Mui can’t swim. Similar to the unique sport, the participant controls Lana and directs Mui, so it’s essential to instruct Mui to remain put, run forward, work together with an merchandise, or use a hypnotizing potential on different black-and-white creatures. Leaving Mui on the shore, I swam down with Lana to search out the answer to my downside: a black bubble-like creature (or factor?) to hold Mui like slightly submarine on a leash.
I quickly bumped into one other downside when each Mui and Lana couldn’t soar from one pool to a different, however to my shock, I may use Mui to hypnotize and take management of a tiny black-and-white fish. After leaping into the specified pool, I swam down and dropped a giant cloud of ink (let’s assume it’s ink, and never one thing else) in entrance of a harmful fish, permitting Lana and Mui to proceed the journey.
Maybe an much more attention-grabbing a part of the sport was the commercial constructing, which felt a bit like an escape room. After watching Lana get up in a jail, I needed to push a bunch of colourful buttons within the right order to free Mui and assist him enter the air vents. Mui’s vary (how far he can transfer from Lana, which was fairly restricted within the authentic sport), has clearly been improved. Lana and Mui then needed to proceed downwards, reaching new rooms by shifting magnetic cubes from wall to wall, which is however one among a number of new talents.
“The puzzles are extra advanced than these within the first Planet of Lana,” Stjärnljus advised me. “The collaboration between Lana and Mui has been expanded upon, which ought to make it extra enjoyable and various, with new jamming and hacking talents, and the truth that you’ll be able to take over creatures.”
I didn’t get to regulate any animals aside from Mui within the industrial part, however as soon as I’d reached the forest, I obtained maintain of a cute blob creature that would float round whereas carrying water. By watering the close by bamboo shoots, I induced tall, swishy poles to develop that would assist Lana climb upwards and attain greater cliffs.
Due to the brand new puzzle mechanics and controllable creatures, I began to suspect the sequel is a far chunkier sport than the five-hour-long authentic. Stjärnljus confirmed this: “The sport is round double the size of the primary Planet of Lana. The narrative, the gameplay, the puzzles — every little thing is expanded upon.”
Of all 4 gameplay segments, the forest was my private favourite, partly as a result of it appeared positively magical. The snow section impressed me the least, however I’m not saying that as a result of I obtained blown off a mountain about one minute into the demo — it’s as a result of I didn’t uncover gameplay mechanics as distinctive as those within the different three areas. That stated, seeing the 4 sections collectively, and particularly the promise of further lore and characters, make me very excited for Planet of Lana 2: Youngsters of the Leaf.
Planet of Lana 2 will launch on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Home windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Sequence X, and Nintendo Change in 2026.
