My thoughts see-saw between two definitive statements while playing the first three chapters of Planet of Lana 2. I am the cleverest person alive, my internal monologue gloats as I accidentally solve a tricky puzzle with an experimental button mash. I'm dragging a massive rock onto a movable platform, and now all I need to do is get Lana's cat-like animal pal Mui to raise it. Only, my hands forget how to function for a moment, and I send my beloved pet wandering right into an enemy vision cone. Mui gets sniped on-sight. Lana cries out in horror. I am the stupidest person alive.
The first few times I die in Planet of Lana 2 are absolutely horrifying. The playable characters simply ragdoll to the floor, much like in the first game, but the longer pauses between death and respawning gives me a moment to question everything about myself. True, death becomes less and less shocking the more it happens to you (and trust me, I die a lot during this hands-on session), but developer Wishfully is making me work for my victory – and I'm my own player two.
