Item - Rebel Planet

I'll get this out of the way now: this is one of the greatest gamebooks I've ever read.

The story of Rebel Planet is very well thought-out and interesting, especially, no offense, for a Fighting Fantasy book. Rather than traveling to a slew of exotic and alien places, all of the planets and societies the player visits in the search for the code are human, but subtly different from each other. In one instance the player gets additional luck for coming to appreciate this better. Even the sudden death rules for combat are an interesting part of the book's universe and not merely something to spice up the game as they sadly were in Slaves of the Abyss. Nothing in the book is simple, not even when the player meets a fellow rebel group to learn what they know of the code; it's never "part of the code is 010, good luck." The answer is buried in some other bit of knowledge they have.

I haven't been too descriptive about this because I want any potential readers to come in as fresh as possible, but if you're looking for something different out of a Fighting Fantasy book I promise this is where you'll find it. Brute force is an option only to be used sparingly here, and stealth and guile are the paths to success. Rebel Planet makes for quite a departure from the usual assemble the magic dealie whackers and off the big boss adventure.

In a way the amazing experience Rebel Planet offers is a shame, as I wasn't happy with anything else the author produced. Still, we'll always have Porky's. 10/10

More reviews by Fireguard

This gamebook begins with several pages of backstory, which is unusual for the series (with Creature of Havoc being a notable exception). The narrative is set in the year 2453, where humanity has been subjugated by an alien race known as the Arcadians. The backstory explains that after discovering Ziridium in 2070, humans ventured beyond the solar system, finding habitable planets like Tropos, Radix, and Halmuris. From Halmuris, they launched missions and discovered Arcadion, inhabited by intelligent but warlike species. After a long war, the Arcadians took control of Ziridium and attacked the human planets. Realizing they couldn't govern an empire, the Arcadians built a central computer on Arcadion to rule their empire. They became a hive mind connected to this "metal queen" via brain implants. Destroying this computer is key to your mission, as it would turn the Arcadians into mindless drones.

Your mission involves working with small rebel cells and the SAROS organization to gather parts of the code needed to access and destroy the central computer. Disguised as a space merchant, you must contact resistance leaders on various planets, collect the code, and infiltrate Arcadion. However, radio communication is impossible under Arcadian control, and traitorous humans may betray you for privileges, so you must rely on your wits and a laser sword. The fate of humanity rests on your success.

The gamebook adds depth with rich details about the Arcadians, divided into three distinct races: Northerners (warlike with a combat-useful tail), Southerners (sensitive, poetic, and hard to communicate with), and Central Arcadians (intelligent but physically weaker, and the most dangerous). They have two fingers on each hand and foot, making binary code a natural part of their communication—a key clue for success.

The adventure spans four parts, each dedicated to a planet under Arcadian control, with the final part set on Arcadion. Unlike other Fighting Fantasy books, there is no linear path forward, though there is an optimal route with fewer battles and more rewards. In my five playthroughs (without yet achieving the best ending), I found that items aren't essential for progression, and the information from rebels is indirect, requiring deduction to solve the final code.

Despite its unique features, the book still includes classic FF elements: instant deaths from unclear decisions, some lack of information to guide choices, and a few inconsistencies (such as the title, as there is no "rebel planet," just rebels on the planets). There are also unavoidable situations where the author forces certain actions.

Overall, this gamebook stands out for allowing progression with low scores (though it is harder) and offering multiple paths and ways to resolve situations, making it an atypical yet engaging entry in the series.

More reviews by JuanPablo

I had this book years ago, but never really could get into it. Having recently gotten back into these books as a hobby, this was one of the first I tried. It's a mixed bag that I found started off more promising than it ended.

The premise is interesting. Humans have been conquered by an alien race called Arcadians and apparently Arcadians themselves are mostly slaves as well because they are all brain chipped and controlled by a central computer. Your mission is to break the code in order to access and destroy the computer. There are 3 different planets for you to visit and obtain pieces of the code from underground/undercover human rebel groups.

Sounds great, but I found it starts off okay and goes downhill from there. Getting the last piece of the code requires a series of events that make no sense. Putting the codes together is somewhat interesting, but not really that complicated. No one ever gives you an exact piece of the code so you have to figure out what it is. That might be the most interesting part of the book actually. The book is actually pretty linear and none of the locations offer much to explore.

I hope to find better science fiction entries in this series. I'm currently working on The Rings of Kether which so far has been a better story. Rebel Planet has a great premise and a lot of potential, but it falls flat for me.

More reviews by lewstherin