Xbox Game Pass new release has a gorgeous link to PlayStation exclusive The Last Guardian

Xbox Game Pass subscribers have been drawn to Planet of Lana in their thousands. The game, developed by Swedish studio Wishfully and sold as a ‘cinematic side-scrolling platformer’, has been a critical and commercial success across the board – but coming Day One to Game Pass has meant that the indie game has found a particularly precious place in the hearts of Xbox owners. And it’s easy to see why the game has tugged on the heart strings of so many: the world, painted and realised with its gorgeous Ghibli-lite aesthetic, is brimming with intricate and cerebral puzzles, peculiar machine lifeforms, and otherworldly creatures. The detailed graphics (which really do evoke watercolour paintings and happy little trees) are one thing, but it’s that soundtrack that does a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to giving Planet of Lana that nostalgic and specific sense of place.Let’s rewind a bit. Planet of Lana – as you may expect from the name – is set on an alien planet where the eponymous protagonist, a young girl Lana and her monkey-like animal familiar Mui, undertake a desperate rescue mission in order to save her sister. Art style aside, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s something in the ilk of Shadow of the Colossus, or Ico, or even The Last Guardian. Planet of Lana is not a Fumito Ueda/Japan Studio game, but there is a very strong link between Ueda’s last high-profile release and this Swedish indie curiosity. Read more