REVIEW: Planet of Lana (2025 Mobile Video Game) - on Android

Review by Jon Donnis

Planet of Lana arrives on mobile as a thoughtful, quietly confident puzzle platformer that wears its influences openly. Developed by Wishfully Studios, this 2025 release brings its cinematic ambitions to Android devices, placing players in control of Lana, a teenage girl navigating a beautifully imagined world under siege by hostile alien machines. It is a gentle game at heart, but one that understands how to layer tension, mystery and emotion without ever raising its voice.

From the outset, the presentation does a huge amount of the heavy lifting. The hand painted visual style is striking, clearly inspired by the softness and warmth of Studio Ghibli films, even when depicting a planet scarred by mechanical invasion. Lush landscapes, subtle animation and careful use of colour create a world that feels alive and worth saving. There is a constant undercurrent of unease, balanced by moments of calm beauty, which keeps the pacing taut without ever feeling rushed.

The story is simple but effective. Lana is searching for her abducted sister, and that clear motivation anchors the adventure nicely. There is no excess exposition, and the narrative unfolds naturally as you move through the world. It works because the game trusts its imagery and atmosphere to do the talking, which suits the genre well.

Gameplay follows a side scrolling puzzle platform structure, heavily influenced by cinematic titles such as Inside. Lana is not a fighter, and neither is her cat like companion Mui. Instead, progress comes through observation, timing and cooperation. Lana can swim and issue commands, while Mui's smaller size and agility allow it to reach places she cannot. Puzzles are built around this partnership, asking you to think carefully about positioning, timing and environmental interaction. Mui's ability to hypnotise certain creatures and, later on, the power to temporarily tame creatures and hack machines, add welcome layers without overcomplicating things.

The puzzles themselves are well executed and nicely paced, even if they rarely feel truly original. They are satisfying to solve, logically structured, and varied enough to avoid monotony. The real hook is how seamlessly they are integrated into the world, rather than feeling like obvious obstacles placed in your path.

Stealth plays a key role, as Lana and Mui cannot directly attack enemies. Avoiding detection and using the environment to bypass threats keeps encounters tense, especially when timing is tight. It reinforces the vulnerability of the characters and fits the tone of the story well.

Where the mobile version stumbles slightly is in its controls. Directing Mui can be fiddly at times, and touch screen input does not always feel as precise as the game demands. This is clearly a title designed with a gamepad in mind. Using a controller dramatically improves the experience, making movement and commands feel far more natural. While it is possible to connect the game to a larger screen and use a Bluetooth controller, that does somewhat undermine the appeal of having the game on a phone in the first place.

Despite these issues, Planet of Lana remains a strong example of the puzzle platformer genre. It may not reinvent the formula, but it executes its ideas with confidence, charm and a clear artistic vision. The sense of mystery carries you forward, and the bond between Lana and Mui gives the journey real emotional weight.

Planet of Lana is a beautiful, absorbing adventure that occasionally shows the limitations of its mobile format. With the right controller, it becomes a genuinely rewarding experience. Even with its lack of originality in places, it stands out thanks to its atmosphere, pacing and visual splendour. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it and would comfortably score Planet of Lana a solid 8 out of 10.

Out Now on Android

play.google.com

REVIEW: Speed Rivals (2025 Video Game) - on PC (Steam)

Review by Jon Donnis

Speed Rivals takes the old slot car idea that so many of us grew up with and turns it into a digital toybox with a lot of charm. It brings that familiar Scalextric feeling back to life on your PC, only with sharper effects and a livelier sense of pace. The result is a racer that knows exactly what it is trying to be, and for the most part it hits the mark.

The strongest part of the game is how it captures that classic slot car rhythm. You only control your speed, so every lap becomes a small battle with the track rather than a test of steering skill. Ease off too late and you pop off the rail. Feather the throttle at the right moment and you glide through the bend with a bit of style. It feels simple, which is exactly the point. Anyone who grew up fiddling with Scalextric pieces on the living room floor will settle in quickly, and the game leans into that feeling with a nostalgic grin.

The short bursts of racing work nicely. You drop in, try to set a clean lap, fail, swear, retry, then nail it. 

The track editor itself deserves a bit of praise since it opens up a whole second layer of play. Building a circuit is good fun, and sharing your tracks online gives the whole thing a sense of community that helps a relatively small game feel much bigger.

The trouble starts when you veer away from the nostalgia. Players who have never touched a slot car in their life might find the lack of steering quite odd. It goes against everything you expect from a racing game, and that first hour can feel quite restricted. The bigger problem, though, is the camera work. None of the options feel fully comfortable. The top down view is the most workable, although you still end up sliding the camera about just to keep your car in sight. First person made me feel a bit queasy, and the other angles make it too hard to judge how fast you should be taking each corner. It gets in the way of the flow, which is a shame because the core loop is otherwise very smooth.

Speed Rivals is a good time if you already have a soft spot for slot car racing. It offers a bright set of tracks, lively time attack challenges, a hefty track editor and a community focus that should help it grow. It is still in early access, so there is room for improvement, especially with the cameras, but there is enough here already to keep fans entertained.

Right now it is a fun, slightly limited racer. A solid 7 out of 10.

Out Now on Steam

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3389390/Speed_Rivals__Build_Race__Share_Tracks/

REVIEW: CarCam (2025 Video Game) - On PC - Steam

Review by Jon Donnis

CarCam arrives on Steam with a simple pitch that taps straight into childhood memory. You take control of a tiny remote-controlled car and see the world through a camera perched on top of it. The idea feels instantly charming. The living room turns into an enormous playground where a table leg becomes a hairpin corner and a cushion becomes a launch ramp. It is a clever viewpoint and it gives the game a distinct personality, helped along by the sight of full sized humans wandering about in the background while you tear around their floor. That little detail adds an odd sense of scale and, in a funny way, makes the whole thing feel more playful. The use of classical music as the soundtrack gives it a quirky edge as well. I suspect the choices are down to royalty free availability, though they work surprisingly well and give the races a slightly whimsical lift.

The problem is that the concept is stronger than the execution at the moment. This is an early access title and you can feel that roughness in nearly every corner. Online activity is thin, so the multiplayer features often sit gathering dust. Free roam should be the mode that lets you kick back and enjoy the setting, yet the constant need to recharge your car gets in the way. Stopping on a pad to refill the battery breaks the flow and feels like an unnecessary chore. 

The controls do not help either. Being locked to keyboard input makes the handling far more awkward than it should be, particularly for a game that asks for precision and quick reactions. Races can feel confusing as a result, partly because it is not always clear where you are meant to go and partly because the camera perspective demands crisp steering that simply is not there yet. Even the menus feel bare, with very few settings to tweak, which reinforces the sense that the game has not reached its full shape.

CarCam has the heart of a delightful idea. The joy of seeing a familiar room blown up to epic scale is real and the tiny-camera perspective is genuinely fun. It just needs far more refinement to match that promise. Right now it feels like a concept rather than a finished experience. For me it is a pass at this stage, though I would not rule out returning in a year if the developers keep chipping away at the rough edges. The potential is there, it simply needs time to find its polish.

Out Now on Steam

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3760600/CarCam/

REVIEW: VORON: Raven’s Story (2025 Video Game) By Merk Games on PC (Steam)

Review by Jon Donnis

VORON: Raven's Story arrives on Steam with a clear sense of purpose. It wants you to feel what it is to be a raven in a world shaped by Norse myth, drifting through forests and ruins while tending to lost souls. Even before you reach the meat of the story, the premise gives the game a soft charm. You follow this young raven from his first clumsy flaps right through to the end of his life, and the journey comes with a steady mix of wonder and melancholy. It is all the more impressive once you remember that the entire thing is the work of a solo developer.

There is a warmth to the storytelling that carries the experience. Each soul you guide has a small tale to uncover, and these moments help the short runtime feel meaningful rather than rushed. The simple art style fits neatly with that tone. It never tries to dazzle, yet it has a quiet confidence and gives you enough beauty to enjoy as you skim above the landscape in search of secrets. There are small challenges and collectable bits tucked around the world too, just enough to keep you moving with purpose.

That said, the game stumbles in places that matter. My very first playthrough had me waddling about on the ground, confused and slightly irritated, because I had missed one brief chat with the parent bird. Without that moment the game never unlocked the ability to fly, and nothing explained what I had done wrong. It was an odd start that could easily put players off. Even when things were working as intended, the controls were never as smooth as you might expect. Flight should be the high point. Instead it often feels awkward, a little unpredictable, and occasionally more trouble than it is worth.

Moments like these make the game feel unfinished. The foundation is strong, the atmosphere is lovely, and the core idea is clever, yet the whole thing needs a bit more polish. You can see the ambition, though. You can feel the care behind it. For a short adventure built by one developer, it still delivers a couple of hours of pleasant escapism, carried by a thoughtful concept and a genuine attempt to do something different.

VORON: Raven's Story is a good effort that simply stops short of greatness. If the creator keeps going, each new project might grow a little sharper, a little bolder. For now, this is a small but likeable flight through myth and memory. I would call it a solid 7 out of 10.

Out Now on Steam

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2245180/VORON_Ravens_Story/

REVIEW: Disc Golf City (2025 Video Game) - On PC Steam

Review by Jon Donnis

Disc Golf City arrives on Steam with a clever pitch. Instead of the usual quiet woodland courses, this physics-based disc golf game takes you into a vibrant city built for trick shots. Every hole is set in a stylised low-poly playground of rooftops, alleyways and plazas. Baskets hide behind lamp posts, side streets open up unexpected angles, and bonus targets such as bins and signs tempt you into daring throws. On paper it is the perfect way to turn a familiar sport into something fresh.

The first thing that stands out is the look. The city is colourful without being noisy, with clean lines and a soft palette that makes every building feel like part of a giant model set. It is easy to relax into the atmosphere, taking your time to aim and explore. The music and sound effects match the laid back approach, giving the game a friendly tone. Landing a disc on a roof and watching it roll neatly into the basket feels genuinely satisfying. Even hitting an offbeat target like a traffic sign brings a small thrill that makes you want to keep experimenting.

The arcade spirit also works well. There are no timers, no heavy penalties for bad throws, just the challenge of mastering the physics and finding creative routes. When everything clicks the game captures the joy of a perfect shot, and the added achievements for unusual hits give you reasons to try bold angles rather than play it safe. For players who enjoy light sports games with a puzzle element, these moments are exactly what you hope for.

Unfortunately the road to those moments is rougher than it should be. The controls are far more demanding than the cheerful style suggests. Power, angle and spin must be judged with precision, and even after extended practice it is hard to predict exactly how a disc will fly. Instead of a fair test of skill it can feel like a battle against unpredictable physics. Nailing a clean shot should feel rewarding but too often feels like luck.

Progression is also an issuer. At launch only the tutorial is open. To reach the proper levels you need to score under par on every course. That requirement might look reasonable but paired with the tricky controls it becomes a grind. It blocks casual players from exploring the city courses and turns what should be a relaxed game into an uphill climb. The developer has said an update will unlock the first level without this restriction, which is welcome, but the current structure still limits enjoyment.

Free play mode sounds like a fix but does not fully deliver. Instead of offering a true sandbox it often restarts you from the same spot unless you land an almost impossible long hole in one. What should be a chance to experiment quickly turns repetitive and discouraging. It is easy to give up on this mode after a few attempts, which is a shame because the idea of open practice fits the game perfectly.

Despite these frustrations there is real potential here. The city environments are fun to explore, the concept of urban disc golf is fresh, and the visual style is consistently appealing. With more generous unlocking, smoother controls and a proper free play option, Disc Golf City could develop a dedicated following among fans of relaxed arcade sports games.

As it stands the game is enjoyable in bursts but too often undermined by its own rules. It is full of charm yet held back by progression hurdles and control quirks. With a few smart updates it could become something special. Right now it remains a promising but uneven experience. 

Out Now on Steam

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3753060/Disc_Golf_City/

UPDATE 26/09/25:

The latest Patch has dropped and the game has improved somewhat.

Here is whats been done. I have updated my score to reflect this update.

I give Disc Golf City a 7.5 out of 10.

✨ Improved audio – richer sound design and a wide range of new sound effects to bring the city to life.

🥏 Better “in basket” detection – more accurate scoring when you land the perfect shot.

🏆 New achievements – fresh challenges to unlock and show off.

📘 Improved Tutorial – clearer guidance to help new players get into the game.

🎮 Revised gamepad controls for throws – smoother, more responsive throwing experience.

⏸️ Improved Pause Menu – easier to navigate and packed with the options you need.

REVIEW: Jacked Up (2025 VR Game) For MetaQuest

Review by Jon Donnis

I've been interested to play Jacked Up ever since the first chaotic trailer dropped, and now that it's finally on my headset, I can say it's definitely a fun VR game, if not groundbreaking. The pitch sounds ridiculous on paper: you're a musclebound rabbit trying to climb a giant tower, live-streaming the whole ordeal to an in-game audience that cheers, heckles, and distracts you while you bounce from one block to the next.

The bouncing feels pretty decent. It's fast, simple, and addictive, I lost count of how many times I smacked into the same spinning bar thingy and tumbled right back to the bottom, only to instantly restart without hesitation. That's the magic here, the game doesn't frustrate too much, it teases you into having "just one more go."

What keeps it from getting stale are the gyms dotted through the tower. Every few hundred metres, you land in a checkpoint guarded by outrageously shredded animals. Ripped frogs, bulked-up chickens, dogs with more muscle than sense, all cheering you on. Make it to the fourth gym and you unlock a Gym Token, which means you don't always have to slog back through the very start again. It's a clever little system that makes progress feel rewarding while keeping the tension alive.

The optional challenges are where the game goes from silly to completely unhinged. One run I was trying to bounce while holding a motivational poster in front of my face, another time I downed a glowing protein shake that made my jumps unpredictable. These "Bro Lab" dares are interesting, especially when your in-game chat starts reacting in real time. That feature might sound like a gimmick, but it really adds to the atmosphere. Having fake viewers roast you mid-run makes the whole experience feel like part-game, part-comedy show.

It isn't all perfect. The visuals are extremely simple, almost bare-bones, and the environments don't change much as you climb. The core loop is strong, but it doesn't branch out into much variety yet. I'm banking on those promised mini-games in future updates to fill that gap. And a big word of warning: if you're even slightly prone to motion sickness, this one could mess you up. Looking down or up at the wrong time is an instant stomach churner.

Still, for the price (just under six quid), it's a brilliant little package. It doesn't overcomplicate itself, it makes the bouncing feel great, and it has enough personality to stand out from the usual crop of VR experiments.

Jacked Up won't win awards for originality or visuals, but it nails what it sets out to do. It's goofy, frustrating in the best way, and weirdly motivating. I'm giving it a solid 7 out of 10, with the feeling it could climb higher if those updates deliver.

Out Now at https://www.meta.com/en-gb/experiences/jacked-up/9440539029392511

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REVIEW: WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers – Soulslike Style Without the Soul

Review by Jon Donnis

WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers is built to satisfy fans of Soulslike punishment. That much is clear. It looks the part. It sounds familiar in a way that leans more on nostalgia than originality. The world is brutal and broken, and you're dropped into it without much ceremony or comfort. There's a dark, twisted beauty to the land of Shu, but getting through it takes more patience than many will have.

You play as Wuchang, a skilled pirate warrior battling amnesia, monsters, and a mysterious illness called Feathering. The premise is solid. There's plenty of atmosphere and some striking moments of visual world-building. Strange creatures roam the ruins. Factions fight over scraps. And in the shadows, a creeping madness grows. It should feel thrilling. It should make you lean in.

But instead, the game keeps you at a distance.

The core issue is the combat. It wants to be weighty and deliberate, but it mostly feels slow and clunky. Movement is awkward. Attacks lack the snap and rhythm you'd expect from a title in this genre. Even the Skyborn Might system, which promises power and flexibility, rarely feels satisfying. You can customise builds, enchant weapons, and dive into a skill tree that offers new attacks and perks. On paper, that sounds rich. In practice, it's confusing and oddly lifeless. There's depth, but no real sense of discovery.

The Inner Demon system is an interesting idea. In theory, it adds risk and unpredictability. Your own shadow could lash out at you if you're careless. But this never quite gels with the rest of the mechanics. It feels more like a gimmick than a proper feature, and that's a shame.

Boss fights, the lifeblood of any good Soulslike, fall flat here. Designs are derivative. Patterns are repetitive. And too often, they feel like tests of your patience rather than your skill. The enemies you face along the way suffer from the same problem. They fill the world but don't really define it. There's nothing particularly memorable or distinct about them. They just get in your way.

The story, while present, is easy to miss. You're supposed to piece it together as you go, but the fragments feel thin. With no clear narrative pull, it's hard to care what happens next. Wuchang's past should have been a driving force. Instead, it gets lost in the noise.

And then there are the technical problems. Framerate drops are a dealbreaker in a game like this. If you're asking players to be precise, every stutter, every lag, breaks the experience. In 2025, that's hard to excuse, even if future patches might help.

There are good ideas here. You can see the ambition. Some players will appreciate the harsh challenge and the grim setting. If you're a die-hard Soulslike fan, this might still scratch the itch. But it never truly stands out. The gameplay lacks spark. The systems don't connect. And the world, though interesting at a glance, never fully comes to life.

For me, the biggest issue is that I simply didn't want to keep playing. I wasn't curious. I wasn't hooked. I was just going through the motions. That's not the feeling a game like this should leave behind.

I score WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers a disappointing 5 out of 10.

REVIEW: Train Valley Origins (2025 Video Game) - Released on PC Steam

Review by Jon Donnis

Train Valley Origins is a charming and quietly clever entry in the long-running train management series from Flazm. While its name hints at something nostalgic, Origins is no lazy rehash. It strips the formula back to its basics, capturing what worked in the earlier games and leaving behind the fussier mechanics that bogged down its immediate predecessor. The result? A clean, focused, and highly replayable puzzler that delivers satisfying strategy in bite-sized doses.

The setup is instantly familiar. You're looking down on a colourful world, laying tracks and managing switches to shepherd trains from station to station without causing mayhem. It sounds easy until it isn't. With multiple trains on the move, limited track space, and a growing list of constraints to juggle, things get hectic quickly. But the design is tight, and the rules are clear. There's rarely a moment where you feel cheated by the game, just bested.

Each level offers a self-contained puzzle, often with extra challenges layered in. Some ask you to complete the map without ever stopping a train. Others tempt you to take on bonus deliveries while keeping everything on schedule. It's these optional objectives that bring out the obsessive side, pushing you to replay levels until you've nailed that elusive perfect run.

Visually, the game leans into a clean, minimalist style. Bright colours, neatly animated locomotives, and clear interfaces make everything easy to read, even when things get hectic. It may not be a visual showcase, but it's thoughtfully designed. The aesthetic feels more functional than flashy, but it's undeniably charming in its own right.

One of the game's best features is the variety of settings. You move through four distinct historical periods and locations, from the dusty grit of the Wild West to the frosty terrain of Norway. The trains evolve with the eras, and there's genuine pleasure in unlocking new models and viewing them in the game's Shed, a kind of virtual garage that adds a subtle collecting element.

What Train Valley Origins does especially well is keep you engaged without overwhelming you. It avoids the over-complication that turned some players away from Train Valley 2, sticking instead to a more accessible core loop. That simplicity is what makes it sing. It's a game that trusts its mechanics and doesn't try to overextend them.

There are drawbacks, though. The lack of significant innovation over the first game is noticeable, particularly if you've spent a lot of time with the series already. At times, it can feel like a reworked version of Train Valley 1 rather than a full evolution. And while the upcoming level editor promises longevity, it's not here yet. That means the game currently lives or dies on its built-in content.

There's also the matter of presentation and price. For some, the game's browser-like look and mobile-style pacing might make the near £10 price point feel steep. It doesn't have the polish or scale of a full PC title, and if you're not already into this genre, it might be a harder sell.

Still, for puzzle fans, transport sim lovers, or anyone who enjoyed the earlier Train Valley titles, this is a very easy recommendation. It's focused, fun, and easy to lose an hour in without realising it. Most importantly, it's the kind of game you find yourself booting up again the day after you've sworn you were done with it. And that says more than any feature list ever could.

Score: 8.5 / 10

Train Valley Origins is a delightful return to form. It's simple, satisfying, and full of personality. Once the level editor arrives, it might just be the best in the series.

Out now on Steam