It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Monty Python. I’ve been in love with the British comedy troupe since high school and while there have been games published by them none of them have reached the charm of what I’ve seen with the Lancelot’s Hangover demo. To have a game purely inspired by Python and be genuinely funny and irreverent is no easy feat but Jean-Baptiste de Clerfayt has proven that even a Belgian can write successful comedy. I took the demo for a spin and I had found myself laughing at almost every corner of the map. Which admittedly isn’t a large map but it is also not a large game so far.
In a nutshell, Lancelot’s Hangover is a game full of stupid, depraved, and incredibly offensive jokes. So, of course I loved every minute of it. It felt just like a game the Pythons themselves would have made and the art is eerily reminiscent of Terry Gilliam’s animations. I honestly would not have been able to tell the difference if I didn’t already know Jean-Baptiste was making this one. The jokes are as low-brow as you’d expect for someone touting France as a land of stereotypes.
The half naked Lancelot wakes up from a dream that would make any analyst blush and is confronted by an irate God that sends him on a quest to get the Holy Grail and fill it with booze in order to hold the biggest party England has ever known. The catch? He has to head to France, where *sigh* all the men are gay and all the women have hairy armpits. The demo so far is light on the puzzles and story but full on the lame jokes. Just what I’d expect from an adventure like this.
From a trash talking baby Jesus on a crucifix held by a deranged ex-monk to a gangsta rapping bear to a bar full of gay men and transvestites nothing really is sacred here. If you’re easily offended by pretty much anything then Lancelot’s Hangover just might not be a game for you. If you’ve got a thick skin and love a few cheap shots at others, particularly of the off-kilter European variety, then give the demo a go. I doubt you’d be disappointed.
What I’ve seen is a short take of what to expect from the final game, and the humour never let up. Some of it was truly disturbing (I won’t mention the bestiality images…*shudder*) but even that wasn’t enough to deter me from completely humiliating a noble knight guarding a castle full of naked (and hairy) virgins or from taking on disgusting French cuisine (and losing).
If anything, the one thing that I found wanting was the need to play more. I was hooked on the comedy and colorful characters as they talked to the bravest knight of the Round Table in nothing but a chain helm and tight pink briefs (leaving little to the imagination). And if that’s the only problem that I had with the demo then I just know that Lancelot’s Hangover is a game worth backing. Plus, as a backer your pledge guarantees that you become a lot more sexier to those around you. And who doesn’t want that?
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