Unoriginality, retreading ground, being inspired by things of the past is not inherently a bad thing.
After all people do love a sequel and even a remake, and if there’s a gap in the market, if there is a lack of a certain genre or subgenre why not make a game for the people who want it?
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” is a proverb with some merit but this can be contradictory when it comes to replication. Sure, you could just do the thing that worked before and people will enjoy it but conversely why bother if the original still exists and “ain’t broke”.
Unfortunately this is me just ruminating on Planet of Lana and how even though it is by no means bad, it’s also so unoriginal it’s hard to call it good.
Planet of Lana is a beautiful game, a less dreary-dark version of what it is aping. Its companion creature is genuinely cute with great sounds and animations.
The music at points is fantastic and there are some nice little puzzles.
All of these elements should far exceed a passing grade but the basic and sometimes boring glue that holds it all together pulls it away from the possibility of excelling.
The game itself is quite slow, which turns appreciating the beautiful backgrounds into a chore as you slowly plod across a similar looking setting to be rewarded with an extremely similar puzzle.
The companion is cute but sadly the mechanics are paper thin on innovation, there are a couple of good ones there but they’re surrounded by what feels repetitive and quite basic.
The narrative is an element that can hold basic gaming together and also hold it high as a great experience, however I found the narrative much like the gameplay lacking and unoriginal.
I will not spoil the plot but it is exactly what you expect from playing the first few minutes with the most run-of-the-mill “twists”.
If you really love Limbo and Inside, can’t get enough of that subgenre and need more then give this game a go. Just do not expect it to join that personal pantheon for you.
After all people do love a sequel and even a remake, and if there’s a gap in the market, if there is a lack of a certain genre or subgenre why not make a game for the people who want it?
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” is a proverb with some merit but this can be contradictory when it comes to replication. Sure, you could just do the thing that worked before and people will enjoy it but conversely why bother if the original still exists and “ain’t broke”.
Unfortunately this is me just ruminating on Planet of Lana and how even though it is by no means bad, it’s also so unoriginal it’s hard to call it good.
Planet of Lana is a beautiful game, a less dreary-dark version of what it is aping. Its companion creature is genuinely cute with great sounds and animations.
The music at points is fantastic and there are some nice little puzzles.
All of these elements should far exceed a passing grade but the basic and sometimes boring glue that holds it all together pulls it away from the possibility of excelling.
The game itself is quite slow, which turns appreciating the beautiful backgrounds into a chore as you slowly plod across a similar looking setting to be rewarded with an extremely similar puzzle.
The companion is cute but sadly the mechanics are paper thin on innovation, there are a couple of good ones there but they’re surrounded by what feels repetitive and quite basic.
The narrative is an element that can hold basic gaming together and also hold it high as a great experience, however I found the narrative much like the gameplay lacking and unoriginal.
I will not spoil the plot but it is exactly what you expect from playing the first few minutes with the most run-of-the-mill “twists”.
If you really love Limbo and Inside, can’t get enough of that subgenre and need more then give this game a go. Just do not expect it to join that personal pantheon for you.