Planet of Lana

 Xbox Series X
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 122 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 97 out of 122
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 122
  3. Negative: 12 out of 122

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  1. MrChronos
    Sep 8, 2023
    7
    Certainly, it's a good game. A side-scrolling platformer with a series of simple puzzles. It's the story of Lana, who must rescue her friends kidnapped during an alien invasion. Artistically, it's well-crafted, with fantastic use of colors and an excellent soundtrack. The game is enjoyable, and the numerous puzzles (never too difficult) are designed to interact in clever ways with theCertainly, it's a good game. A side-scrolling platformer with a series of simple puzzles. It's the story of Lana, who must rescue her friends kidnapped during an alien invasion. Artistically, it's well-crafted, with fantastic use of colors and an excellent soundtrack. The game is enjoyable, and the numerous puzzles (never too difficult) are designed to interact in clever ways with the small companion that accompanies you.
    The main problem is that, after a few hours, the game starts to get boring. After the initial awe of the beautiful setting and the events looming over the small human village, the story loses momentum. It follows a predetermined rhythm of walking, then a puzzle, then an escape, then more walking. Additionally, the puzzles are very similar to each other, at least until you unlock a new ability. So, you already know what to expect, there are no more surprises, and the game drags more and more wearily toward the inevitable conclusion.
    Only in the final stages does the game pick up a bit, with the pace becoming faster and more predictable but still exciting and well-told.
    Planet of Lana is definitely a good game but falls short of reaching excellence.    … Expand
  2. Jattaman
    Aug 14, 2023
    7
    Puzzle game abbastanza semplice, carino. Un punto in più per l'ispirato stile grafico.
  3. Tyler9982
    Aug 2, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Full disclosure, this is my type of game. Side scrollers and puzzle solving is my jam and this delivers. I was drawn in by a poster of Lana and Mui sitting on a cliffside staring off into the distance where some enormous mechanical eye lay in wait, which had me downloading it instantly. Reminiscent of Out of this World/Another World, this game has breath-taking visuals, an unforgettable score and a simplistic yet engrossing story that made it impossible for me to stop playing. I loved every minute of it from start to finish and was very emotional in a few spots. My favorite scene, however, was right before reaching the desert area. The song "Horizons" plays as you are running for minutes on end while the sun rises in the background. The screen zooms out showing Lana on one side and Mui, who is so much faster, on the other. Mui periodically waits for you to catch up, but Lana begins to get faster/stronger towards the end. The whole scene is brilliant, climaxing with them sitting on a cliffside together, looking out towards that omniscient eye (the poster that drew me in!) And the achievement pops up "Together until the end". Chills. I literally turned to my daughter and said, "oh my god. This is a fantastic game."… Expand
  4. Gamerin6ix
    Jul 15, 2023
    8
    Beautiful hand painted animation, beautiful score and challenging puzzles that the game kept fresh throughout. Couldn’t put it down. Finished with a smile on my face
  5. Pacmania
    Jul 13, 2023
    8
    Great puzzle platformer, beautiful art, catching and excellent music! A nice surprise!
  6. onestub
    Jul 11, 2023
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. My comparison is a cross between Sommerville and Inside, but with an ending that didn't drive me into depression lol.

    Great artwork, beautiful environments, great story, incredible music. Gameplay was decent and to be specific, it was the sameness of the puzzles throughout the game that really held it back.

    What's unique about it is that it introduced a second controllable character to the mix but the whole game was basically "figure out what each button and lever does and push them in the order that doesn't kill you". One puzzle where they broke from this was a room where you had 4 sliders and had to actually think outside the box to figure out how to position them. I wish there was more of that.

    Overall a great game that you definitely won't regret buying.    … Expand
  7. mo_reza97
    Jul 11, 2023
    9
    The sound and environment design is the best possible. But unconsciously, it is compared with Limbo and Inside, which is not really at their level
  8. Tampasco
    Jul 9, 2023
    8
    Ótimo jogo de aventura inspirado em "Inside" com uma historia própria cativante apresentado de forma única com uma língua feita pro jogo e visual impressionante, baseado em resoluções de puzzles com uma adição na gameplay diferente do "Inside". Esse jogo fez meu coração bater.

    Nota Final: 8,4
  9. reds1x
    Jul 2, 2023
    6
    I had zero expectation of this game as it's an indie title games. However, after completing the game the first time, it felt the same as to play games such as prince of Persia 2D mechanics and the charms of Ori series.

    In fact, I could say it's a lite version of Ori with prince of Persia platformer style. Clunky but functional. Sadly, it's a one and done game that I'm glad I didn't have    I had zero expectation of this game as it's an indie title games. However, after completing the game the first time, it felt the same as to play games such as prince of Persia 2D mechanics and the charms of Ori series.

    In fact, I could say it's a lite version of Ori with prince of Persia platformer style. Clunky but functional.

    Sadly, it's a one and done game that I'm glad I didn't have to buy it.    … Expand
  10. Xplocion
    Jun 11, 2023
    8
    Good:
    Visually beautiful game, with well-established mechanics and an unclear objective. You have a lot to discover, the player makes an idea of the story based on what the game shows, the locations, the cave paintings and screens and the hidden temples. He has many feelings. Mui the kitty has a lot of personality (and power). He has some background plans worthy of making a poster or    Good:
    Visually beautiful game, with well-established mechanics and an unclear objective. You have a lot to discover, the player makes an idea of the story based on what the game shows, the locations, the cave paintings and screens and the hidden temples. He has many feelings. Mui the kitty has a lot of personality (and power). He has some background plans worthy of making a poster or wallpaper. He is on Xbox Game Pass, so enter him without fear. 1Gb and a little more space for your fun

    Bad:
    Very short game. Once you finish it and find the 10 temples, all that remains is to complete the game without dying even once, one of the most difficult achievements to get since the AI is very erratic and hits some highs at times just to see if you are putting attention. He has many traps on the way, scary enemies and efficient killers. The plot traps make the game full of "yes but no" moments, where they take one thing for granted to make you think about it and then it doesn't happen. In a walking game you face an army of robots and an AI with the power of the Sun, of course! (as out of place as the lighthouse in Candleman). Two very difficult achievements to get 100%

    The Meh!:
    It reminded me a lot of Planet Alpha, especially the story and the spherical invaders and their walkers, there is even a very similar plane between them or the final spherical base. That idea and indescribable terror that AIs and spherical robots are going to dominate... It has two Death Stranding-like moments where you just walk and a honeyed song ("Horizont") starts playing. The ending is crap, a textbook Deus Ex Machina. If you play it with a guide, you take away the whole joke    … Expand
  11. Hama0721
    Jun 10, 2023
    10
    Beautiful visual. Beautiful music. Amazing story and puzzle. I instantly fell a love with this chilling and touching game.Remind me inside and limbo but more colourful.
  12. jo1975
    Jun 8, 2023
    9
    Excellent (too) short game. Nice drawings (oil painting I think), nice soundtrack, nice story-telling (without any English word).
    I'd like to have more info on the story of this world !
  13. cchenders40
    Jun 7, 2023
    9
    A really great Xbox exclusive, try it out! Here are my positives:
    - Amazing art direction
    - solid and touching story - Amazing music - clever puzzles snd stealth gameplay - no bugs and good performance - easy 1000 gamerscore - a nice 3-5 hour game. - adorable and memorable characters. Negatives Slow movement and a few slow sequences, but that is really it I loved this game. Also on    A really great Xbox exclusive, try it out! Here are my positives:
    - Amazing art direction
    - solid and touching story
    - Amazing music
    - clever puzzles snd stealth gameplay
    - no bugs and good performance - easy 1000 gamerscore
    - a nice 3-5 hour game.
    - adorable and memorable characters.

    Negatives
    Slow movement and a few slow sequences, but that is really it I loved this game. Also on gamepass!

    Buy it now, I promise you will enjoy your time with it!    … Expand
  14. Sadra_The_Gamer
    Jun 7, 2023
    8
    A beautiful game that has great art, puzzles and musics that sometimes you just forget all your problems in your life and want to relax. Despite the story of Planet of Lana is cliched in some parts of the game, but the way how it is showed to the audience, is great and this solves the problem.
    Things that made this game get a lower score :
    - The main character of the game feels too heavy    A beautiful game that has great art, puzzles and musics that sometimes you just forget all your problems in your life and want to relax. Despite the story of Planet of Lana is cliched in some parts of the game, but the way how it is showed to the audience, is great and this solves the problem.
    Things that made this game get a lower score :
    - The main character of the game feels too heavy in the control
    - Low variety of enemies
    - The process of progressing in the game sometimes becomes repetitive and monotonous    … Expand
  15. Scalettbass25
    Jun 6, 2023
    8
    Planet of Lana was not a game I had planned on playing mostly because it had flown under my radar. However, someone had recommended it to me so I had to give it a shot and it was quite fun. I knew nothing about the game besides the fact it was a platformer, which is a genre I have not played in a long time, but a few things surprised me. First off, the art style was absolutely stunning. ItPlanet of Lana was not a game I had planned on playing mostly because it had flown under my radar. However, someone had recommended it to me so I had to give it a shot and it was quite fun. I knew nothing about the game besides the fact it was a platformer, which is a genre I have not played in a long time, but a few things surprised me. First off, the art style was absolutely stunning. It is probably one of the prettiest games I have played in a while. Combined with its beautiful music composed by Takeshi Furukawa, it felt like a product similar to Studio Ghibli. The protagonist and their cute companion explore the world on their rescue mission, which is exciting to watch and learn the history of the planet alongside the character. The gameplay is quite simple and almost bare bone, which is something that caught me off guard. You solve puzzles and sneak by enemies, but it is done in ways where I was stuck in certain areas and had to think hard to solve. While I had fun, I have 2 critiques for the game but one is dependent on the person.
    My first critique is that the controls felt very clunky for me, an example is that the jumping did not feel right and when I did jump, it did not go in the direction I had aimed for. I am assuming it was done intentionally to add realism because my character felt like she had weight to the jumps or to my speed. My last critique, which may only apply to certain individuals, is that towards the end, it gets very repetitive. While yes, the game is very basic, only minor differences are added to the gameplay, which causes most of your journey not to change much, which could be a problem for people playing in only one sitting. If someone plays this game in more than one sitting session, this problem might not occur, however I had played for approximately 5 hours straight and felt like nothing had changed besides location. Again, this may only affect some people, especially inpatient people, but if it does not, then that is a huge win.
    Overall, Planet of Lana is a fun little indie game that people should play if they want to play platformers or just need a nice short game to play. It’s free on game pass and about at most 6 hours of playtime, which helps if you do not have time to commit to a bigger game. Besides its clunky controls and repetitiveness, the art style, music and story do a great job of keeping you invested. In the end, I’d give Planet of Lana a 8/10.    … Expand
  16. raf42
    Jun 4, 2023
    10
    finally an excellent xbox exclusive that catches up with redfall I can only advise it moreover it is in the xbox game pass
  17. Paul_French
    Jun 4, 2023
    7
    A good Game Pass game
    With a unique and refined artistic direction in both graphics and music, Planet of Lana is a delightful 3-4 hour video game experience. The only drawbacks are repetitive gameplay and too few original sequences.
  18. LowCostMonkey
    Jun 4, 2023
    10
    Absolutely wonderful. One of the finest games I’ve ever played. Wonderful.

    It’s clear that a great deal of love went into making this game.
  19. Alimoqpil
    Jun 2, 2023
    8
    Really enjoyed the game
    But that adam stangelr or whatever his name was really like to put his name on every thing in the end
  20. Vitalick
    Jun 1, 2023
    8
    Justo lo terminé ayer y sabiendo a lo que vas (juego indy de bajo presupuesto) Planet of Lana es un juego muuy bueno , bonito , entretenido y perfecto para jugar a ratitos para desconectar.
    La historia es bonita y el arte visual y diseño de sonido perfectos.
  21. Akma
    May 30, 2023
    10
    Beautiful visual. Beautiful music. Amazing story and puzzle. I instantly fell a love with this chilling and touching game. Other games should definitely learn from this!
  22. AlexKidd1984
    May 30, 2023
    9
    A cute journey. The game was able to touch my emotions by telling a story of companionship, losses and sacrifices without saying a single word. Wonderful soundtrack, beauty images. The only downside is that the puzzles could be more challenging.
  23. BadLarry
    May 30, 2023
    8
    If you're a fan of Limbo, Inside, or Little Nightmares, this game will feel right at home. While not as dark and scary as those others, there are plenty of tense moments. Art direction and music are top notch. My only criticism is that many of the puzzles or other sequences have been done many times before in other games. You won't have to think too hard. About 5 hours long. Worth aIf you're a fan of Limbo, Inside, or Little Nightmares, this game will feel right at home. While not as dark and scary as those others, there are plenty of tense moments. Art direction and music are top notch. My only criticism is that many of the puzzles or other sequences have been done many times before in other games. You won't have to think too hard. About 5 hours long. Worth a playthrough.… Expand
  24. Ashraf91
    May 30, 2023
    10
    Perfect game i had a ton of fun nice story and good puzzles everyone should dif try it
  25. timmytime
    May 30, 2023
    8
    Very solid indie puzzle-platformer in the vein of Inside and Limbo. I don't think it quite reaches the heights of Inside, but it's a lot more colourful than that game (nice for variety!) and I enjoyed the companion mechanics and implementation. Definitely a success and I'm glad I was able to check it out on Gamepass.
  26. LILDETERMINATIO
    May 29, 2023
    10
    Good game, good story, good art style. I highly recommend. A lot of emotions.
  27. Plenoctis
    May 29, 2023
    6
    Planet of Lana è una piccola storia dolce e dallo stile piacevole. Gli enigmi sono purtroppo tutti molto simili fra loro e poco coerenti rispetto al mondo di gioco. I comandi non sono sempre reattivi e nel complesso il gioco tende alla noia.
    La trama, a parte il mistero del mondo sottostante e il legame con Mui non ha praticamente nulla da dire, accontentandosi di essere un gioco appena    Planet of Lana è una piccola storia dolce e dallo stile piacevole. Gli enigmi sono purtroppo tutti molto simili fra loro e poco coerenti rispetto al mondo di gioco. I comandi non sono sempre reattivi e nel complesso il gioco tende alla noia.
    La trama, a parte il mistero del mondo sottostante e il legame con Mui non ha praticamente nulla da dire, accontentandosi di essere un gioco appena sufficiente.    … Expand
  28. dahan
    May 28, 2023
    10
    The art style of this game is excellent, and it also has good puzzles and music.
  29. Rincemac
    May 28, 2023
    9
    A beatuiful, almost wordlessly told story about loss, new friendship, mystery with a gorgeous art style and a coherent orchestral score to condense into a perfect 3h playable puzzle adventure.

    Recently the entries into the "indie" scene in adventures and story-driven games were a dime a dozen - but a rare gem like this comes around once in a while to satiate your adventure appetite.    A beatuiful, almost wordlessly told story about loss, new friendship, mystery with a gorgeous art style and a coherent orchestral score to condense into a perfect 3h playable puzzle adventure.

    Recently the entries into the "indie" scene in adventures and story-driven games were a dime a dozen - but a rare gem like this comes around once in a while to satiate your adventure appetite.

    The game leaves you with the protagonist (Lana) on who's planet you'll be the witness of a very mysterious alien attack, for lack of a better word, of mechanical beings preying on your fellow village friends and family - after a harrowing loss of a loved one and a chaotic escape to follow the same fate, you end up stranded, alone in a magically beautiful hand-drawn world. There, you seek to find your lost brother and quickly make a new friend in the form of "Mui" - who seems to be a world-dwelling species much like a cat - after rescuing Mui from a hairy situation with the new overlords of your world, you quickly become interdependent friends - and friends help each other, as we all know... so Mui becomes an integral - and mysterious - part of your journey and search for your lost brother, by adding capabilites to reach tight spaces or out-of-reach things at first and, no spoilers, adding somewhat more mysterious skills to help you out in this strange world.

    Since we are talking about a "physics type" puzzle game, expect a lot of pulling, pushing of stuff to get to places - and later on you'll even learn a nifty new skill that helps you to intervene with the machine intelligence seemingly seeking to enslave your planet.

    Traversal of the character is flawless, the controls are fluid and our little friend Mui is not only cute, but has in itself some pretty fluid controls which you need to master, either by letting him stay in place, quietly, or reach for switches just at the right time. The progression and difficulty curve is just in the right amount of upwards slope so you can learn the ropes before they ask you to climb it and swing.

    Due to the foreign language, the few spoken words, the game intentionally makes you fill in the dialog and you get the gist of it quickly - less words leave you to drawl at the beautiful landscapes the creators hand-drew and the beautifully fitting orchestrated soundtrack.

    The journey overall takes you about 3 hours tops and the only side quest item would be to find hidden "shrines" - that if you do tell you in a mysterious way what your invaders might be or where they come from.

    Planet of Lana is one of those rare gems that will resonate with you after you finish them. The game and its story are beautifully made and leave you with this satisfying feeling after watching the end credits.    … Expand
  30. nickles29
    May 27, 2023
    10
    Planet of Lana is an extremely touching game that is able to do so much with so little. With a short run time of 3-4 hours it can easily be played to completion in one sitting, and it indeed brought some tears to my eyes by the conclusion. Not just because of the beautiful story and amazing climax, but because I don’t remember the last time I felt this way playing a video game. HIGHLYPlanet of Lana is an extremely touching game that is able to do so much with so little. With a short run time of 3-4 hours it can easily be played to completion in one sitting, and it indeed brought some tears to my eyes by the conclusion. Not just because of the beautiful story and amazing climax, but because I don’t remember the last time I felt this way playing a video game. HIGHLY recommend, even to people who are not fans of platformers, because this game transcends the genre.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

37
#37 Best Xbox Series X Game of 2023
13
#13 Most Discussed Xbox Series X Game of 2023

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
  1. Generación Xbox
    Jun 4, 2023
    88
    A marvelous story, uncanny graphics and a soundtrack that hits in all the right places. Planet of Lana might easily be the best indie game of the year.
    Read full review
  2. Hey Poor Player
    Jun 4, 2023
    70
    At times, it feels like Planet of Lana tragically works to oppose itself. For every bit of exquisite scenery and artistic richness, there’s gameplay that’s overly familiar, rote and unappealing. It’s a shame that such a stylistically spellbinding game is compromised by its dearth of exciting gameplay ideas. Planet of Lana is by no means a shoddy game. It’s actually pretty good thanks to a cocktail of challenging puzzles and pinpoint platforming. However, its lack of innovation, as well as its myriad of little kinks, stop it from becoming a true exemplar of the genre. For all Planet of Lana is, it really could’ve and really should’ve been so much more.
    Read full review
  3. CGMagazine
    Jun 2, 2023
    85
    Planet of Lana is a must-play for platforming fans, boasting vibrant visuals and a unique, family-friendly take on the classic action-adventure genre.
    Read full review
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