(A cool espionage/burglar-ish puzzler by the author of the near-perfect Return to Ditch Day. This one’s shorter, easier and almost as much fun. The Plant - Details (ifdb.org))
Cleaning windows…
Conveniently for the author of The Plant , the protagonist’s car breaks down right in front of a sketchy detour leading to a mysterious plant off the main road. Equally convenient is the fact the boss of said protagonist is very eager to explore said plant…
While the circumstances leading up to the start of the game are a bit convoluted, once the story starts, I got drawn in fast and deep. The main reason for this is the excellent writing and pacing. The player’s curiosity is piqued along with the PC’s, and the boss’s nudging adds some extra motivation to find a way into this mysterious facility.
The puzzles provide good pacing to the story, forcing the player to slow down and take note of what is happening. A good deal of actions trigger cutscenes, giving movement to the game/story, instead of being a static stage with the PC walking around it.
I did not encounter one bug, and only one puzzle that could be a bit more player-friendly in design (While moving around on the ceiling, you have to LOOK after every move to check your surroundings.). Everything else is smooth, well clued (that doesn’t mean easy…) and executed perfectly. The technical skill shown in the design of this game makes sure the player trusts that even though she is stuck, there is a way to win the game, and that it makes sense. (Lord of the IF-realm knows I’ve played games not so trustworthy…)
I’m still of two minds regarding the finale. It seemed like a profound breach of tone, but on the other hand, I did burst out laughing.
Very good original puzzles, extremely good pacing. Maybe a tad impersonal. Recommended.