Planet of Lana II Is a Gorgeous Puzzle-Platformer That Plays It a Little Safe

The core loop is classic cinematic puzzle-platforming. You move Lana through a series of hand-crafted environments, solving environmental puzzles that hinge on cooperation with Mui, who you direct to reach places Lana cannot, distract or manipulate creatures, and activate parts of the world in tandem with you. That partnership is the mechanical soul of the game, and coordinating the two characters through a clever obstacle is where it is at its best.

The sequel adds new puzzle ideas and wrinkles to the formula, and the variety of environments keeps things fresh across its runtime. There is no combat to speak of; tension comes from stealthy avoidance of threats and from the timing and logic of the puzzles themselves. It is a gentle, measured experience, designed to be atmospheric and accessible rather than punishing, and it flows smoothly from one lovely set-piece to the next.

The limitation, and the reason critics were a little more reserved than the art deserves, is that the puzzles are rarely difficult. Most solutions reveal themselves quickly, the challenge stays low throughout, and anyone hoping for brain-teasers to match the spectacle will find it undemanding. The story, too, is atmospheric but slight. It is a game to be soaked in rather than solved, and how much that satisfies you depends on what you want from the genre.

Planet of Lana II is, without question, one of the most beautiful games of 2026. Wishfully's hand-painted art style returns in even richer form, conjuring an alien world of sweeping vistas, strange flora, and painterly light that looks like a storybook brought to life. Every screen is composed like a piece of concept art, and the sense of scale, of tiny Lana and Mui dwarfed by an enormous, indifferent world, is constantly striking.

The animation of Lana and especially Mui does an enormous amount of quiet character work, selling their bond and their vulnerability without a word of dialogue. It is the kind of expressive, careful animation that makes a wordless story land, and it is a big part of why you care about these two so much.

The score, once again, is sweeping and emotional, swelling across the game's grander moments and settling into gentle atmosphere as you explore. Sound and image are in complete harmony here, and as a pure audiovisual experience, few games this year can touch it. If the design matched the presentation, this would be a masterpiece.