Overall, Planet of Lana is a polished puzzle platformer that lacks combat but makes up for that with cool stealth and satisfying platforming. Atmospheric sound design and terrifying enemies mean that setting traps and using your intelligence is what will help you conquer the game. In terms of art, the game uses an attractive graphical style, and animation is smooth. However, it takes while to get used to the controls and to get used to using Lana’s cat companion Mui to solve puzzles. This results in a few difficulty spikes.
For a game under £10 (or under $10, for that matter), the game is worth it if you like rich, Zelda-like experiences. The game, although the story is rooted (pun intended) in science and research, flirts with the supernatural, so don’t expect a boring story. The progression is satisfying like Metroid or Zelda. While I wouldn’t say that there’s much replay value, since it is a pretty linear journey, what it does give is a puzzle-filled adventure with great characters and a happy, positive vibe. It’s a great adventure and although I played the Switch version, as the Game Boy version is exactly the same, I think it’ll be an asset to the Game Boy’s growing library of modern games.
It’s not that Ufouria: The Saga 2 is a particularly bad game. It’s just that it’s not really much fun, and the gameplay is slow and floaty.
Overall, Penny’s Big Breakaway is a stylish 3D platformer with a novel world, that is limited by dodgy control and imprecise platforming. The game is frustrating at worst but sleek like Sonic 3 (on Genesis) at best.
Another Code: Recollection is a fun experience with a great sense of progression. You really feel like you are investigating the past. The characters you learn about actually had lives and cared for one another. Despite some camera problems and some characters feeling bland, by the end of the experience, you’ll be so invested that you’ll actually feel for and care about them.