Last week I received an email about a new Kickstarter campaign for LAST LIFE, sci-fi noir adventure game by Sam Farmer. After seeing the gorgeous polygons in the promotional video, I couldn’t help myself but hit the pledge button.
As mentioned above, LAST LIFE is a sci-fi noir adventure (what an interesting mix) set in a transhumanist colony on Mars. Following the Earth’s destruction eleven years ago, only a few million humans still exist and are forever exiled throughout the remaining civilised colonies of the solar system. Private investigator Jack Parker is one such ‘lucky’ person… that is until he is gunned down and killed.
Fortunately for him however, the next day is MarsTopia’s annual Dead Man’s Party holiday. In line with custom Parker and all other recently deceased are ‘printed’ back into life in a new body and given just enough time to enjoy the celebrations. But our hero has no intention of resuming his death after the party ends: he has just four hours to break out of the lab, pick up the leads in his latest case, and find his own killer. And who knows, maybe he’ll discover what it was that triggered our planet’s demise.
Gameplay is inspired by modern point-and-click adventure games such as Kentucky Route Zero and The Walking Dead series. Similarly, LAST LIFE focuses on atmosphere and storytelling, while also challenging the player’s detective skills of interrogation and deduction. You’ll wrangle deadly secrets out of a cast of bizarre characters using whatever works: charm, bribes… or something less pleasant.
On the Kickstarter page, creator Sam Farmer says: “For a long time, I’ve dreamt of creating a game that explores transhumanism. In it, one’s individuality is tested, the dark parts of one’s soul are exposed to the light, and yet hope and a chance at redemption may be just around the corner. Add to that my fascination with stories that build mounting suspense and evoke a pervasive creep-factor (think Twin Peaks), along with introducing nuanced witty characters. And lurking amongst them… I have hidden Parker’s killer.”
Look at those gorgeous polygons… ok, ‘bloody’ polygons.
Prior to starting Rocket Science Amusements, Farmer was Lead Game Designer for BBC Worldwide where he developed PC games based on a number of television series. Before that, he won two Independent Games Festival awards at the GDC conference in 2010 for Paper Cakes and Spectre; and since then his design work on Blink has allowed him to create compelling stories within the context of a triple-A action-adventure title.
And the future is looking even brighter for Farmer: Double Fine recently announced a new initiative to help out other game developers called ‘Double Fine Presents,’ and LAST LIFE is one of the first titles to proudly display this banner. The creator is clearly over the moon by this, stating on the Kickstarter page: “Double Fine are our personal heroes so this is… (sorry, words are failing…) just mind-blowingly awesome and humbling. Check out the video from Tim Schafer below.
But Schafer’s endorsement is the reason why I’ve decided to become an official backer for LAST LIFE. I mean, just take a look at the promotional video above. With a colour-palette reminiscent of Flashback, a storyline containing points from Murdered: Soul Suspect, gameplay influenced by L.A. Noire, a touch of Tex Murphy thrown in for good measure, and lots of gorgeous polygons – what’s not to love? When I received an email about the campaign I showed it to Kevin and he was blown away too, so it looks like Farmer has won himself several fans within the 1001-Up.com team.
LAST LIFE will be told in three episodes and the first funding goal will enable the development team to deliver the first. With £15,983 pledged by 764 backers and still twenty-eight days to go on the clock (at the time of writing), we’re hugely hopeful for this project. Head over to Kickstarter by 09 May 2014 if you’d like to show your backing!
