It’s not unheard of to see an adventure game try a different art style. The genre has changed many times over the decades, after all. However, few have tried to pull off a game using cut-out paintings as the backdrop. Until Four Last Things, that is. Backers have managed to get their hands on an early build of the game, and with Joe Richardson’s blessing I can talk about my own play through.
For those who don’t know, perhaps a quick primer on Four Last Things are in order. It is a point and click adventure game that deals with the seven deadly sins. You’ve got to commit them all in order to get on the fast track of absolution. It’s not as easy as it sounds, though. It is an adventure game, after all.
Before I give my initial thoughts on the game, I will point out that I have not been disappointed in playing through Four Last Things. It’s as hilarious and witty as the demo I played during the Kickstarter campaign. Perhaps even more so. It certainly evoked a strange Monty Python style experience, especially when their early PC games are taken into account. This is most certainly not a bad thing as I love that troupe’s work.
The artwork would have to be the high point for Four Last Things. Joe basically took a bunch of paintings from around the Renaissance era and cut them up. He then put them back together to create a unique historical setting. This is what initially drew me to this one, and it certainly hasn’t changed my views on it.
Speaking of the art, it has changed a bit since I played the first build. A lot of the scenes are the same, or similar, but the most glaring change is in the main character himself. Gone is the old dude in his twilight years. In is a dude with a huge schnoz, an amalgamation of two paintings sewn together. You can see all of the original paintings in the gallery, even.
If there was one issue I had with my experience on this early build of Four Last Things, it was in the puzzle implementation. While some were fairly straightforward and intuitive, several required some lateral thinking. I eventually did manage to make it to the end, but some were frustrating. I brought these up to Joe and he acknowledged them.
He did say that these “red herrings” have been addressed and that hints are being added for future builds. I’m certainly glad to hear this, especially that the developer himself is taking criticism to heart. That’s something I always find worth backing a creative for. He is urging me to return to Four Last Things when the next release is available to backers. This is, of course, something I do plan on doing.
Despite getting stuck several times in my play through, I nevertheless loved every moment of Four Last Things. The humor was spot on, and some of the jokes were so horrible that they were funny. Any fan of comedy adventure games really should check this one out when it releases to the public. With a few more iterations, it will be a challenging but still enjoyable run through committing the seven deadly sins.
I am hoping for an extended ending, though.
