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Planetfall

1983

Audio: English

  • adventure
  • science fiction
  • comedy
  • single player

The story

Planetfall is a science fiction interactive fiction computer game written by Steve Meretzky, and the eighth title published by Infocom in 1983. Like most Infocom games, thanks to the portable Z-machine, it was released for several platforms simultaneously. The original release included versions for the PC (both as a booter and for DOS) and Apple II. The Atari ST and Commodore 64 versions were released in 1985. A version for CP/M was also released. Although Planetfall was Meretzky's first title, it proved one of his most popular works and a best-seller for Infocom; it was one of five top-selling titles to be re-released in Solid Gold versions including in-game hints. Planetfall utilizes the Z-machine originally developed for the Zork franchise and was added as a bonus to the "Zork Anthology". The word planetfall is a portmanteau of planet and landfall, and occasionally used in science fiction to that effect. The book Planetfall written by Arthur Byron Cover, uses the game image on the cover, and is marketed "In the bestselling tradition of THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY.[2] A sequel, Stationfall, was released in 1987. Planetfall teleports you 12,000 years into an outrageous future. You joined the Stellar Patrol to explore the galaxy, but all you've seen is the end of a mop - until your ship explodes and you're jettisoned onto a mysterious, deserted planet. Luckily, you have Floyd, a lovable multi-purpose robot with the personality of a mischievous 8-year-old. He's the ideal companion with whom to brave your new world, as you dare its dangers and uncover its secrets.

What it’s like

Typed sentences unfold one line at a time on a plain, nearly blank screen, with no graphics to hurry the eye, so the experience is pure reading and pacing set by your own typing. Room descriptions are terse and precise, the mood is wry and quietly uncanny, and the silence of an abandoned world hums under the jokes, a cozy-eerie blend of dry deadpan and creeping mystery. Floyd, the clumsy, mischievous robot who trails you everywhere, supplies most of the warmth and most of the laughs, and the comedy runs on absurd deadpan asides rather than slapstick. Pacing is unhurried and puzzle-driven: long stretches of experimenting and backtracking, then a sudden click of understanding. Intensity is low. There is danger in the setting and the occasional hazardous mistake, but no gore, no sexual content, and no real cruelty; the fear is gentle suspense rather than shock. It suits a rainy Sunday with a notebook, a late evening alone with the lamp on, or a slow, thinking-person's afternoon. It is for people who enjoy witty science-fiction comedy, puzzles that reward patience, and a lovable companion who makes a lonely planet feel less lonely.

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