Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf: PS5 Review

Developed by Wishfully
Published by Thunderful Publishing
Platform: PS5

More evolutionary than revolutionary, Planet of Lana II builds on the good will of the first game

Set two years after the events of the first, it's back to the world of Lana and her cat-lika pal Mui as they explore a planet called Novo.

But in the intervening time since the pair defeated the robots threatening their civilisation, the duo's had time to bond - and Lana's had time to build on her skillset.

This time, in this 2.5D side-scrolling adventure, Lana's built up her skillset and is able to be more agile in the game, leading them deeper into danger and giving them a chance to

be more effective in seemingly life-threatening situations. More capable and more agile, she's able to move faster, slide under obstacles and also dive underwater in the world of Novo.

Which is a good thing, as there's plenty of new puzzles to try and crack in a world filled with forests, snowy mountains and deep sea trenches. (At times, it's like being part of Dave the Diver's world underground in the water sections.)

And talking of the world, it's fair to say this game looks beautiful, a set of stunning vistas making the backgrounds of this side-scroller soar.

That doesn't mean that the game's lost any of its bite - and certainly when it comes to tackling some of the trickier puzzles, get it wrong, and you'll soon know about it. 

A key element this time is more precision and timing - one wrong move and it's all over, leading to the most horrific cries of loss from Mui.

The thing with Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf - aside from its longer story (around 8 hours this time) - is that it's more engaging and more immersive.

There's not one moment you don't feel deeply engaged in the core game, the story and the bond that's forged between the pair - as well as with Lana's sister who's responsible for the story going forward.

With smart enough spawnpoints and plenty of autosaves, there's enough here to ensure that you don't get too frustrated when things go wrong - because they will - and can dive back in where you need to.

Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf is a great second chapter - it may not fully invent Lana's wheel, but a strong ability to keep you engaged means any third chapter with Lana and Mui would be incredibly welcome.