Planet of Lana 2 Children of the Leaf Review
Sometimes, the smaller games are the ones that stick with you. Back in 2023, Wishfully Games surprised everyone with how good Planet of Lana was. Now, they’re back with a sequel, Planet of Lana 2 Children of the Leaf. It's bigger and more moving than the first game. But is it as good
This sequel knows what made the first game special. It does not try to do too much; it just makes the game better. What you get is a well made 2D puzzle game with beautiful art that lets you figure things out on your own.
The story starts a few years after the first game. You don’t have to play the first one to get what’s happening because they fill you in. But if you did play the first game, the story will mean more to you.
The story is about what happens after machines invaded. On Lana and Mui’s planet, Novo, people and machines are living together peacefully. But tribes are starting to use new tech, and things are getting out of balance because people are greedy and scared. Lana’s adopted sister gets sick after a mining accident caused by too much industry, so Lana and her cat friend, Mui, have to go on a trip to save her.
The story is told really well because it shows you what’s happening instead of telling you. There's no real talking. The characters use a made up language, so you have to listen to how they say things. You can tell if they’re scared, sweet, or joking just by listening. The world around you tells part of the story too. You might see a skeleton near a computer or a broken wall, and you can figure out what happened there.
Planet of Lana 2 is a puzzle game that feels like a movie. You go through big, quiet areas and solve puzzles to move forward. The game is good at giving you situations, not instructions. A room might be dangerous or it might be the way to go, and the game expects you to pay attention to things like a weird object you swam past or how another character is acting.
The Trinity of Control The gameplay usually involves three things: You (Lana), Mui (the cat), and the world around you (or another character helping you). Mui can do a lot more in this game. He’s not just a pet; he’s part of how you play the game.
- Creature Control Mui can control other animals and machines now. You might control a fish to blind enemies in the water, use rollers to make fire paths to melt ice, or hack drones to pick up heavy stuff.
- Movement Lana can do more too. She can move more smoothly, sprint, slide, and climb better. It feels like you're planning your moves, not just running around.
- Swimming You can swim underwater in this game. These parts are exciting and create atmosphere, and you have to keep an eye on your breath and avoid getting eaten.
It’s not really a Metroidvania, but the way you solve puzzles makes even simple rooms fun. The game makes you feel clever when you figure out you did not cheat; you just solved the puzzle.
The way the game looks and sounds is what makes the series special. The art style uses soft colors and looks like a painting come to life. There are more different types of environments this time, like icy mountains, deep oceans, old factories, and jungles.
The sound is great too. The music by Takeshi Furukawa is amazing, getting louder when things get emotional and softer when you’re alone. The sound makes everything feel huge, like the wind blowing through caves or echoing in an empty room, making Lana and Mui seem small in a big world.
The game runs perfectly on PC and works perfectly on the Steam Deck. But you can't change the graphics settings much (just Low, Medium, High, and Ultra), which is disappointing if you care about that. Sometimes the game stutters when the camera moves to show a wide view.
The puzzles are mostly good, but sometimes they can be annoying. Controlling two characters at once can be tricky because Mui’s AI can be slow to react. Sometimes the way Lana moves can cause you to die in platforming sections, which feels a bit unfair, but it doesn’t happen often.
pros
- Art & Atmosphere: Beautiful hand painted art and different environments.
- Narrative: Emotional storytelling without using real language.
- Music: Great music that fits the game perfectly.
- Mui's Evolution: New skills to control creatures add depth to puzzles.
- Accessibility: Easy to understand gameplay that respects the player.
cons
- Two Character Clunkiness: Mui can be slow to react.
- Short Runtime: About 5 8 hours, which might be too short for some.
- PC Settings: Not many options to change the graphics.
- Platforming Precision: The way Lana moves can sometimes cause accidental deaths.
Planet of Lana 2 Children of the Leaf is amazing because of its art and story. It's better than the first game with deeper gameplay, underwater areas, and a more personal story. It has some small problems with controls and is a bit short, but overall it's a great experience that will stay with you.
If you like cinematic platformers like Inside or Ori, you have to play this.
Pc Version Tested.
Disclosure: We received a free review copy of this product from Devs
