Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf - Review
Following up to the 2023 release, Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf might seem like a game that requires you to have played the previous game, or spend time learning about the world and its unique language. Thankfully, the game is simple and straightforward enough to the point where their language of choice is never an issue. This is mostly down to the games incredible use of visual cues that it uses to tell its story, letting players discover things as they play through. The question for players of the first game is, does this sequel hold its place or better its predecessor.
For those coming into the series for the first time, or those who played the first game and have since forgotten what happened in the original, worry not as there is a nice recap of the events that took place before. The first game introduced players to Lana and her cat-like companion Mui, the sequel expands on that relationship in some fun ways, though saying anything about how would be a spoiler.
One thing that’s very clear is the visual style still looks similar to the first game. And though there seems to be a little more depth and variety in its colours, the animations and movement are still how I remember it from playing the original game years ago. This isn’t a bad thing as it feels consistent with minor updates. The characters you come across are clearly familiar in this. The additions that you’ll notice are the environments that the protagonist has to go through. There are the obvious variations such as water, forest and snow. Not to give too much more away, but after defeating the hostile machines (robots), the sequel explores Lana’s cat-like mechanical friend, Mui’s history and where it came from. A lot is revealed of Mui’s origins and the antagonists of this game.
The score for Planet of Lana still carries through with the familiar tune from the first game, and still sounds epic, holding its orchestra sounds. In fact, it puts players in the adventure genre and just works so well together with exploration, friendship and all the above in all the good ways. It enhances the cinematic visuals and reminds me of the old 80s and 90s adventure films and surrounds kids out in exploration and adventure. In fact, there are many moments throughout the game where the score used sounded very John Williams-esque. The developers obviously really thought about the music they wanted to use, the emotions they wanted players to invoke, which they executed with perfection.
One thing that’s a little bit annoying are cut scenes. Unfortunately they come across a little jarring as when it happens, the game stops to a ‘fade to black’ to reveal a scene then fades again to the gameplay. If this happens once in a while or for a huge animation or scene, then it’d be fine. But even during the initial tutorial, this occurrence happened multiple times for small insignificant visuals multiple times, ruining the flow of the game. That said, it’s only one minor issue I found with the game. The only other nit-picking problem, if you can call it that, is the basic puzzles to be solved. It almost comes across a little too easy at times to the point you have to wonder why even bother. And just to reiterate, that’s purely nit-picking. Outside of those two, developer Wishfully really did create a very cinematic feeling when it comes to exploration, sound and moments when you’re being chased down by enemies. They’ve really nailed down what they do best.
Lastly, controlling Mui and Lana in tandem can be a little bit of a welcomed challenge, as at some points you’ll have to either be extremely quick with your coordination or control the two characters at the same time, which is always a nice little puzzle to solve.
What Planet of Lana II does best is making this side scrolling puzzle adventure game feel extremely epic. The score and music used is fantastic, the animation and visual style is minimalistic but yet complex with the many layers of foreground, mid and background used. And the relationship between Lana and Miu is just so heartfelt that you can’t help but want them to succeed. If you're a fan of the first game, the sequel is just as good, if not, better. This is definitely a great game for fans of the first, or new players to the series.
The Score
8.0
Review code provided by Thunderful Games
The Pros
Amazing visuals, especially through different environments The sounds and score used in the game are epic and John Williams-esque
The Cons
As per its predecessor, puzzles may come across a little too easy at times Cut scenes could feel a little jarring at times.
