<!--
	Title: (Plantfall and The Witness) Infocom Does It Again... And Again
	Author: Monte Schultz and Steve Arrants
	Source: Creative Computing, v9(12)
	Date: December 1983
	Transcription by Steve Derby
-->

With each new release, each new venture into a genre they have made famous, the
people at Infocom, authors of *Zork* and, *Deadline*, seem to reaffirm a commitment
to a level of quality and innovation that has guaranteed them not only a fiercely
loyal following, but also an undisputed position at the forefront of the computer
adventure market.

Being in such a position can have its drawbacks, not the least of which is striving
to maintain the level of quality and excellence for which they are known. Thus far
this year, with the releases of Michael Berlyn's *Suspended* and Stu Galley's *The
Witness*, they have done nothing but strengthen their position. And now there
is *Planetfall*, a new science fiction adventure by another first time Infocom author, Steve
Meretsky.

## Planetfall

<img class="float-left-half" src="/public/img/articles/cc-infocom-does-it-again/planetfall-packaging.jpg" alt="Planetfall Packaging">

*Planetfall* is as remarkable, funny, perplexing, and entertaining a game as you
are likely to find anywhere. It begins with you, a lowly ensign seventh class, scrubbing
deck nine of the Stellar Patrol Ship Feinstein. Thanks to a certain Ensign First
Class Blather, this tour of duty has not been everything you had hoped it might
be. However, things are about to take an unexpected turn and not necessarily for
the better.

Cast alone into space, you soon find yourself marooned on one of two twin
islands in the middle of the strange water-covered planet working hard just to find
a little food and a safe place to sleep. As night falls on the first day, and you prepare
to bed down in a large empty dormitory, you will have wandered about and mapped
most of a huge complex called Kalamontee.

<blockquote style="font-size: 1.5em; text-align: center; font-family: var(--article-sidebar), sans-serif; border-top: 2px solid; border-bottom: 2px solid; font-weight: bold;">
Like Zork, Planetfall is big -- more than 100 rooms.
</blockquote>

When you wake again, the real adventure begins as you try to discover why the
complex was apparently abandoned and what happened to those who were there
before you.

In your search for answers to these and other questions, you will find a friend, a
robot named Floyd, who will prove to be as good and true a companion to you as
E.T. was to Elliot.

Clearly, the most imaginative and cleverly written part of the entire game, Floyd,
besides being hysterically funny through most of the adventure, evokes in the player
of *Planetfall* authentic feelings of affection and attachment. Indeed, Floyd is critical
to finishing the game in terms of being a large part of the solution to three major
problems in *Planetfall* besides lending his own brand of moral support to the stranded
and baffled adventurer.

<style>.article-specific-sidebar { padding: 0; margin: 0; text-indent: -2em; margin-left: 2em; }</style>
<div class="article-sidebar-dark float-right">
<p class="center larger"><strong><span class="larger">creative computing</span><br>SOFTWARE PROFILE</strong></p>
<p class="article-specific-sidebar"><strong>Name:</strong> Planetfall</p>
<p class="article-specific-sidebar"><strong>Type:</strong> Text-adventure</p>
<p class="article-specific-sidebar"><strong>System:</strong> Apple, Atari, IBM PC, Commodore 64, TRS-80</p>
<p class="article-specific-sidebar"><strong>Format:</strong> Disk</p>
<p class="article-specific-sidebar"><strong>Summary:</strong> Best entry level adventure from Infocom. Logical, funny, entertaining.</p>
<p class="article-specific-sidebar"><strong>Price:</strong> $49.95</p>
<p class="article-specific-sidebar"><strong>Manufacturer:</strong><br>Infocom, Inc.<br>55 Wheeler St.<br>Cambridge, MA 02138</p>
</div>

Like *Zork*, *Planetfall* is big -- more than 100 rooms and much of the fun of the
game is found in exploring the vast twin complexes of Kalamontee and Lawanda.
In fact, each. area of *Planetfall* seems to lead you on to the next, holding your
attention yet never becoming so obscure as to drain your enthusiasm.

The level of difficulty is, of course, subjective; it took me 30 to 40 hours to
acquire all 80 points, thanks mostly to a disastrous oversight in mapping, two red
herrings, and one particularly challenging puzzle near the end of the game. Still,
the solutions to the more difficult puzzles never quite seem unattainable, so the hours
spent locked to the computer do not feel wasted.

The puzzles in *Planetfall* are, for the most part, of an interactive nature, meaning
that objects like special access cards, keys, and other tools must be combined in a
variety of ways to find solutions to the problems presented.

Fortunately, this game has probably the most logical and straightforward puzzles
of any Infocom adventure, so patience and perseverance are rewarded without
any unnecessary reliance on sheer luck. In terms of danger, there are few instances
in this game where the player runs the risk of happening upon the kind
of gratuitous death one finds in both the *Zork* trilogy and *Starcross*. The risks one
takes in *Planetfall* are ones for which he can prepare, and in most cases only carelessness
evokes the standard ***You have died*** response from the program.

### Test IS Fine

*Planetfall* is a perfect argument in favor of text adventures. The detail present in
the descriptions -- that which is provided for the mind to see -- and those special
parts of the game that produce a kind of running action, would simply appear like
so many Saturday morning cartoons on a hi-res screen, effectively weakening both
the excitement and the drama in those sequences. Though, again, this type of
game requires more than a passive involvement from the player and indeed,
will not give up many of its secrets without both an intellectual and imaginative investment
from the player. For my part, as in reading a good book, this is as it should be.

<blockquote style="font-size: 1.5em; text-align: center; font-family: var(--article-sidebar), sans-serif; border-top: 2px solid; border-bottom: 2px solid; font-weight: bold;">
If you do find a likely suspect, it is possible that a jury will release him because your evidence is not compelling.
</blockquote>

The documentation for *Planetfall* includes, among other things, a manual and
a very funny diary. The manual especially is well worth reading since the people at
Infocom tell me that the majority of problems stranded adventurers ask for hints
on can be avoided by a careful examination of the command and advice instructions.
(I say this from experience having spent at least a month longer than I should
have in the Riddle Room of *Zork II* through a failure to read carefully the instructions
for speaking to other characters in the game.)

To my mind, *Planetfall*, is the most entertaining Infocom program yet, particularly
on the first time through. It has a liveliness to it that never seems to falter,
and the ending is without a doubt the most satisfying yet.

First time author Steve Meretsky has written a game that is most of all fun to
play, which is really what these games are all about. As an entry level game for
those who have yet to try one of Infocom's adventures, *Planetfall* deserves a large
audience. -- *MS*

## The Witness

<img class="float-left-half" src="/public/img/articles/cc-infocom-does-it-again/witness-packaging.jpg" alt="Planetfall Packaging">

Many Infocom games include maps, clues, and other devices that help you in
the game. *Witness* includes a telegram, a suicide note, a pack of matches, a newspaper
front page, and an issue of *National Detective* magazine which contains hints
for playing the game.

*Witness* is a murder mystery that takes place in 1938. An interesting twist on this
theme is that the murder takes place while you are talking to. the victim! You can't
prevent the murder -- that would make for a short game. You must discover who
the murderer is and gather enough evidence for a conviction. It isn't enough to have
some evidence and a strong hunch. You must prove beyond a reasonable doubt
that the accused committed a murder.

The game begins as you are called to the mansion of a Mr. Linder. His wife
recently committed suicide, and her ex-lover has threatened to kill Linder. While
you are in the mansion, Linder is killed. The ex-lover is seen running through the
woods behind the house. Did he commit the murder? Is the case closed? Monica,
Linder's daughter and the Oriental butler seem to be involved in the case. Where?
How? What secrets are they hiding?

As the red herrings begin to pile up, you race against the clock to solve this
difficult case. You can question the suspects, but if you are too aggressive or too
fawning, you will not get far. Suspects can also lie, whether they are guilty or
innocent. You must discover the truth about Linder, his wife, her lover, and the
murderer.

You have an assistant who performs laboratory analysis on fingerprints and
other evidence. If you find yourself in a tough spot, he will even help save you
life.

<style>.article-specific-sidebar { padding: 0; margin: 0; text-indent: -2em; margin-left: 2em; }</style>
<div class="article-sidebar-dark float-right">
<p class="center larger"><strong><span class="larger">creative computing</span><br>SOFTWARE PROFILE</strong></p>
<p class="article-specific-sidebar"><strong>Name:</strong> The Witness</p>
<p class="article-specific-sidebar"><strong>Type:</strong> Mystery</p>
<p class="article-specific-sidebar"><strong>System:</strong> Apple II+, IIe</p>
<p class="article-specific-sidebar"><strong>Format:</strong> Disk</p>
<p class="article-specific-sidebar"><strong>Language:</strong> Machine</p>
<p class="article-specific-sidebar"><strong>Summary:</strong> Tough, involving, and a winner.</p>
<p class="article-specific-sidebar"><strong>Price:</strong> $49.95</p>
<p class="article-specific-sidebar"><strong>Manufacturer:</strong><br>Infocom, Inc.<br>55 Wheeler St.<br>Cambridge, MA 02138</p>
</div>

If you do find a likely suspect, it is possible that a jury will release him because
your evidence is not compelling. Make sure that you have an iron-clad case or a
murderer may be set free.

Infocom has come up with another fine game with *Witness*. They really have no
competition. No other text adventure game has such a sophisticated parser. Most only
allow the input of simple commands. Infocom's innovative parser lets you link
commands in one sentence, making the game seem more natural and life-like.

Their packaging of games is also innovative. Whether it is *Witness*, *Deadline*,
*Suspended*, or *Starcross*, the package of each game is related to the action. *Witness*
has clues in a police file. *Suspended* has a map of the underground complex in which
it takes place and markers for the robots, in addition to memos from the director of
the complex.

Getting you into the right frame of mind is as important as the playability of
a game. Infocom is rare in that it believes this philosophy.

*Witness* is not for a beginner aj text games: I solved the mystery through luck
rather than hard detective work. It may take you quite a long time to solve this
case. If you have ever longed to work , with Philip Marlowe, Miss Marple, or Lord
Peter Wimsey, Witness is the next best thing. -- *SA*
