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 by the 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 the first day of Game Pass means the indie game has found a place. particularly valuable. in the hearts of Xbox owners.

And it’s easy to see why the game has tugged at the heartstrings of so many: the world, painted and rendered in its beautiful Ghibli-lite aesthetic, is teeming with intricate, cerebral puzzles, quirky mechanical lifeforms, and otherworldly creatures. Detailed graphics (that really evoke watercolor paintings and happy little trees) are one thing, but it’s that soundtrack that does a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to giving Planet of Lana that nostalgic, place-specific sense.

Let’s rewind a bit. Planet of Lana, as you might expect from the name, is set on an alien planet where the eponymous protagonist, a young Lana and her monkey-like animal familiar Mui, go on a desperate rescue mission to save Lana’s sister. she. Art style aside, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s something like 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 latest high-profile release and this Swedish indie curiosity.

That link is Takeshi Furukawa, the BAFTA-nominated Japanese-American composer who has contributed to the score. Rising to fame within the game industry after working on The Last Guardian and scoring Trico’s journey with emotional aplomb, Furukawa has enjoyed a lot of work (you may also recognize his music from the comedy show Mythic Quest, and you’ll hear it on the upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender TV series for Netflix as well). But Planet of Lana is the first time he’s revisited that soaring, soulful orchestration that went so deep in The Last Guardian, and it works beautifully in the game.

Come and enjoy the ambient music that slowly builds, hides and grows, reaching its climax along with the incessant and organic rhythm of tribal drums. Stick with the gorgeous vocal melodies performed by Scottish singer Siobhan Wilson, who really is a credit to the soundtrack even though she’s never worked on games before.

Furukawa has also been particularly humble in his reaction to the popularity of the score. “Thank you all for the tremendous response to Planet of Lana,” he notes in a chain of tweets. “I always knew the game would be amazing, but for the music to be equally well received is a surprise and an honor. I need to point out that music is always a team effort.”

He notes that Siobhan Wilson wrote the lyrics for every track in the game and co-wrote the orchestration for the tracks Horizons and End Credits. He also mentioned Saki Furuya, who “took the clutter of his Logic sequences” and transformed them into scores that are “musical and visual works of art.” Ken Belcher is also recognized for being a talented multi-instrumentalist; you can see the full thread of credits here.

As if a beautiful soundtrack wasn’t enough, there’s also a very clever little musical puzzle hidden within the game (and one that actually reminded me quite a bit of the infamous Tunic puzzle). I won’t spoil it here, but in Chapter 11 of the game there is a multi-layered puzzle that requires you to find a way to play the correct musical notes by cracking a peculiar code. It’s smart, it’s engaging, and it’s a very thoughtful way to pay homage to the refrains and themes that underpin your entire gaming experience thus far. I’m really a fan of music puzzles like this.

Between Furukawa’s eagerness to celebrate the musical talent behind the game and that clever little puzzle included in the title, it’s abundantly clear that Planet of Lana is a must-play for any music lover who already has a Game Pass subscription. The game itself is a joy, and if you’re lucky enough to have a good OLED TV (or even a basic 4K one), you can do much, much worse looking at graphics than spending a few hours inside this enchanting spectacle.

Announced during Summer Game Fest 2021, Planet of Lana was originally slated for a 2022 release before being pushed back to Spring 2023. It’s available now for Xbox and PC consoles, and is included with Game Pass.