Planet of Lana 2 Gamescom Preview

2023, desirable released Planet of Lana, a puzzle platform that was praised for its visual story and masterful use of music. A few years later, the Swedish studio is now about to release a sequel that continues the story of Lana and her cat, MUI, with the same narrative concept in her heart.

At last month's Gamescom I was able to get a brief practical with Planet of Lana 2 under the direction of co-director Klas Martin Eriksson.

Planet of Lana 2 has something I always appreciate in a project – a single unifying concept that underlies everything else that surrounds it. In this case, the core is the relationship between Lana and MUI, and the entire game is constructed around the interaction between these two.

Dynamic duo

Planet of Lana 2 Little Girl Holding Mui

It is a unique aspect of Planet of Lana: You can hold a button to release your marker and direct MUI where to go on the screen. Several of the puzzles that I played through in the Planet of Lana 2 involved the positioning of Lana and MUI in the right position to develop through the section.

MUI is not an object that can be placed and forgotten either. Lana's Feline Companion not only teleported behind the player if they move too far away, but in some cases the cat will follow Lana. But you have to get both Lana and MUI through each section at one level, which illustrates the couple's equality in their relationship with each other and their relationship with the game's mechanics.

There are several times when I became so focused on moving on with Lana that I completely forgot MUI. While they usually follow, you can also make her stay, for puzzle solution purposes. MUI will stay in one place until you return for them no matter how far you go. Of course, you will quickly be grinded from developing too far, as most puzzles require both parts of the couple to be completed.

Platform and transformation

However, the Planet of Lana 2 is not just a puzzle game. Lana has several motion mechanics that I had to use to get over obstacles-there are, for example, wall jumps and run-slides. I did not come across anything difficult when it comes to parkour, but the game really has the necessary mechanics to create more difficult platform sections if it wants. I suspect there are points later in the game that require a little finesse.

MUI also has a force that allows them to change to creatures that the couple meet. At one point I had to learn how much momentum a fish generates when I swam up, so I would know how much of a run-up (swim up?) I needed to be able to jump from one water mass to another.

This was part of a smart puzzle that required me to pilot an ink -spraying fish to block the sight of a giant, small girl -eating fish that protected the area. Planet of Lana 2 has no dialogue or text, so there were no annoying tips from non-players or Lana who told me what I would do. Everything you need to know can be read from the environment, and I appreciate a game that does not push my hand while playing.

The sound design continues to be fantastic, with the composer Takeshi Furukawa returning from the first game to get Planet of Lana 2. There is something quite obviously “beautiful” about Planet of Lana 2, and I expressed as much to Eriksson as I left the room. He agreed to say that the type of ethereal, overwhelming beauty is exactly what they go for.

Narratively, Planet of Lana 2 is a direct sequel to the events in the first game. Many of the once threatening machines from the first game have been emptied and reused by an even more disgusting force, which provides all opportunities for social comments that you can expect.

At one point in my preview, I got to play a section where Lana and MUI had been imprisoned. The rest of the level is about reuniting the couple. This leads to situations where you control Lana in a room and MUI in the air valves above the room – always close, but never really together. The whole thing is a very gripping example of games that complement the story, and I get a sense of the same level of care has been applied to the entire game.