The Plane Effect

With more people working from home these days, I've noticed a recent influx of news stories trumpeting the unexpected health benefits of having a long commute. Don't tell that to the man at the center of The Plane Effect, the stylish new game from first-time Italian developer Innovina Interactive. This is a story of a burned-out office worker who just wants to get home, yet everything seems to be getting in the way. And when I say "everything," I mean it, because this is a surreal journey where nothing is what it appears and just about anything can happen. Confused? Good, because that's precisely the right mindset to have when discussing the dystopian adventure found in The Plane Effect.

Wedged somewhere between a David Lynch daydream and a Terry Gilliam nightmare sits an overworked man on his final day at the office. All he wants to do is get home to his loving family, but little does he know that the cosmic forces are not going to let that happen. This sets up a dark yet intriguing adventure where the worker does everything he can to overcome impossible odds and extreme obstacles in order to make his way home.

But let's back up a moment, because The Plane Effect doesn't start out with hyperbolic words like "impossible" and "extreme." Early on, it's just small puzzle game where our hero picks up items and uses them in the correct order. He'll need to find the right steps to get on the subway and cross the busy intersection in order to call a taxi. These vignettes hint at the oppressive dread and confusion that is to come, while still giving us hope that the trip home won't be too bad. I don't think I'm spoiling anything when I tell you that this will not be a typical commute.

What you'll quickly realize is that elements of this world seem to be a bit ... off. At first it's small things, but it won't take long before you're starting to question everything that is going on. Is this the normal routine for the worker? Is he completely numb to his Kafkaesque surroundings? Why is it suddenly snowing? Is this story being told out of order or am I just going crazy? Who are these people watching us solve puzzles? Why are there cameras set up at home? Forget Gilliam and Lynch, is this The Truman Show?

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These were the questions I kept batting around in my head as the game continued to get nuttier with each passing level. Clearly, something strange is going on, but that doesn't change what we have to do. No matter if you're trying to steal gasoline or get off of a giant cliff, we go about most of the puzzles the same way. Similar to classic point and click adventures, a lot of the game revolves around picking up items and finding where they fit within the level. There's no inventory and you can't take items with you, so every puzzle feels individual and unique.

Without question, the star of The Plane Effect is the stage design. Although they use a minimalist art style, the locations are bursting with big and small details. You can learn a lot about this dystopian setting and our hero's mental faculties based on how we're seeing the world. This is especially important given that the game is nearly wordless. Sure, you'll see billboards reminding you to "buy" things and the occasional word is muttered in the background, but almost all of the story is conveyed through the visuals.

No matter where you go or what you see, there's something unique and memorable to experience. The game does an excellent job of hinting at the craziness early on and then ramping things up with each passing revelation. I can't show or even talk about some of the coolest bits in the game without spoiling things, but believe me when I tell you that this story goes places. There are stages and images that I'll never forget, and I'm going to be thinking about the themes of this game for a long time to come. From the visuals to the jazzy soundtrack, I love this game's style.

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What I don't like are the platforming sections. The Plane Effect makes the mistake of occasionally veering away from the puzzle solving and forcing us to use the jump button. This normally wouldn't be a big deal, but the odd camera perspective makes it hard to see where you're going. This is made worse by narrow paths and platforms that blend in with the rest of the art style. I don't care how good your hand-eye coordination is, you're going to fall over and over and over again. And, yes, it's going to be frustrating every single time.

I'm also not a big fan of some of the trial-and-error puzzle solving. For the most part, The Plane Effect is good about leaving hints and helping you through the tougher puzzles. However, you'll occasionally run into one that needs to be tried multiple times in order find the right solution, and that's more repetitive than fun. Thankfully, those moments are few and far between. When it comes down to it, most of the puzzle problems you'll encounter will involve not being able to find the right item, which is what you've come to expect from this type of adventure game.

While there are a few missteps along the way, The Plane Effect remained a thoroughly compelling mystery and adventure. I was genuinely invested in not only helping this guy get home, but also see what all of this weirdness was about. I love that the game keeps getting zanier as you get closer to the end, creating an experience that will be hard to forget. If this debut release is any indication, then Innovina Interactive is a developer to keep an eye on.