But throughout the first 20 minutes or so of the Planet of Lana Steam Next Fest demo, I felt my bond with this creature grow wordlessly as we crossed simple platforming challenges and solved rudimentary puzzles using our own inherent abilities. It seems like I’d somehow landed on this strange new planet, and it’s clear that the two of us didn’t speak the same language. In Planet of Lana, a game that feels like what would happen if someone tossed an entire box of crayons at Limbo, your companion is a little black alien puffball reminiscent of the soot sprites from My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away. And even though it frustrated me to no end when it wouldn’t obey, I loved Trico in The Last Guardian, who mimics the playful unpredictability of a pet better than maybe any creature in video game history. I love how the monster in Papo & Yo oscillates between helpful protector and terrifying beast, echoing the game’s themes of parental abuse. I like when I have to protect them, like Ashley Graham in Resident Evil 4, especially when I can tell her to hide in a dumpster while I clear out an area of Ganados. I’m a sucker for companions in games with interesting mechanical twists.
0 kommentar(er)
