 I've experienced some amazing demos during the Steam Next Fest, but Planet of Lana was an early favourite. For all the others I have played, I'm not sure many can hold a candle to Lana, and if you're wondering why, fret not, I'll tell you. But do like the video and don't forget to subscribe! Back to Planet of Lana. This cinematic puzzle platformer is one of the most gorgeous games I have seen. No conditionals here. I'm not talking about this year, or this decade, either. That's the level of artistic skill on display you're dealing with here. Every part of this demo had that special feeling only a hand-crafted experience has. I have the firm suspicion that Planet of Lana is a labour of love, and that it might well be a science-fictional story to remember. It all begins when a young girl, the aforementioned Lana, is brought awake by Illo, an adorable small creature of as-of-yet-undefined origins. The two make fast friends in an adorable introductory scene, and we're off to the races. At first all seems well. The sun is shining high, the back and foreground are dressed up in the warmest most calming shades of green and blue with small flowers promising spring even summer. What could possibly go wrong on a day like that? Exploring with Illo doesn't come across as preparation for something nefarious but as play. Even dark caves and mysterious creatures living under large boulders don't seem altogether too threatening. Although the latter's grasping tentacles are a little suspicious aren't they, and the sound cues a little more disquieting. This is a game that knows the value of silence, knows the meaning of absence of music. It's a very conscious choice to leave only environmental sounds playing for prolonged periods of time, and Planet of Lana pulls it off expertly. When a sudden shift in atmosphere takes place, such as the first time you see a watcher, the soundtrack is doing so much of the heavy lifting. The serene mood of earlier is nowhere to be found and you know the stakes have risen. Watch. There's something malevolent about the intelligence behind these watches, and I call them watches not because that is their official name but because that's what they seem to be doing. A name was not given and so I have come up with my own. But yes, something malevolent about the intelligence behind them. Malevolent but stupid, driven by a limited algorithm. That's my impression of it so far, and it serves to create an early contrast between whatever commands these watches and our brave little duo of Lana and Hilo. I'm a sucker for environmental storytelling. Platformers like this one excel, but making full use of what's on the screen because every shot is directed. The sequence from scene to scene is seamless and creates the effect of a reel of film that is never, or very rarely, get away from. Planet of Lana tells you very much. What it shows you has such weight, such implications however, that you fill all the blanks in for yourself. It's not always a successful method of storytelling because it relies much more on player investment. I cannot speak with certainty as I only have my experience to judge by, but I'm already willing to storm the forums with crazy theories about robots in alien life forms. In all seriousness, I suspect Planet of Lana will be spoken of in the same breadth as such cinematic platformer experiences as Limbo inside Oriental Blind Forest. Though admittedly, the last one is much more action-oriented than the prior mentions. I'm going to have to give some more special attention to the OST. The composer recently shared a pair of tracks from the game Soundtruck. They are genuinely breathtaking, as was everything I heard in the demo. They apparently recorded the music last summer in Budapest with over 70 instruments in the orchestra. Honest to God, the quality and effort have more than paid off. The music and sound design in the demo were out of-worldly. I'd play the full game on their merit alone. Fortunately, there's plenty more. The 25 minutes of this demo passed by without notice. Planet of Lana is slated for release over the second quarter of this year. And trust me when I tell you, I will be there when it releases and I will be playing it. You get to see the bigger picture I've only caught glimpse of throughout this short unforgettable experience. If the rest of the game is as good as this, I suspect I might have found my first personal Game of the Year contender. If you'd like to be there with me for that, don't forget to subscribe. I'll be sure to revisit Planet of Lana for a full review soon. In fact, I can hardly wait. If you enjoyed this video, please don't forget to like it, share it with your friends and subscribe. I'll see you next time. Bye!