'Interstellar' Space Epic Launches on Digital HD Today, Plus New Online Text Adventure Game

Fans of the science fiction epic "Interstellar" don't have to wait for the DVD or Blu-ray to watch the movie at home: a high definition digital version is available starting today (March 17). As a bonus, Paramount Pictures also released an online "Interstellar" text adventure game today.

Winner of the Academy Award for visual effects, "Interstellar" tells the story of humanity's first venture into interstellar space, and features some of the most jaw-dropping science fiction scenery to ever hit the big screen.

The digital HD version is currently available on Amazon.com for $19.99 to buy (a standard definition version is also available for $14.99). The Blu-ray combo pack, set to be released on March 31, will include both a Blue-ray and DVD version of the film, as well as three hours of bonus material on the making of this epic science fiction saga.

Starring Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey and directed by Christopher Nolan, the film shows a crew of astronauts traveling through a wormhole, into the orbit of a black hole, onto the surface of multiple alien planets, and to even stranger locations. Astrophysicist Kip Thorne worked with the filmmakers to keep the movie rooted in real science.

The "Interstellar" text adventure game is an awesome bonus feature that lets players jump inside the world created by Christopher Nolan and screenwriter Jonathan Nolan. The movie "Interstellar" focuses on the journey of four astronauts who travel to a far-off solar system in search of a planet where the human race can relocate. Prior to the main characters' departure, twelve additional astronauts are sent to the foreign solar system as scouts, to find out of any of the planets there are habitable. 

The new text adventure game puts players in the seat of one of those twelve initial astronauts. Using only text commands, players must try to to survive in their strange new location, and determine if the planet they have found is habitable. Text adventure games are also known as interactive adventure games; Instead of navigating a character across the screen with a controller, players use text commands to move the story forward. 

Follow Calla Cofield @callacofield. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.