PAX East First Impressions – LAST LIFE

One of the great aspects about going to a convention is that more often than not, the developers of the game are there as well.

One of the great aspects about going to a convention is that more often than not, the developers of the game are there as well. Couple that with the same developer asking for money to fund the development of the game being shown, and you get an interesting combination. LAST LIFE is currently running a Kickstarter campaign, but that didn’t stop developer Rocket Science from showing off a short demo on the show floor.

LAST LIFE is a unique take on the adventure game genre by incorporating noir elements while taking inspiration from Telltales’ The Walking Dead. Jack Parker is the noir detective trying to get to the bottom of his own murder; because in the world of Marstopia, life insurance companies are able to bring people back to life. The only problem is that, unless the newly revived people sign up for an insurance policy, they will die in four hours. Jack Parker decides to forgo the policy and goes on a man hunt in the short time allowed to find the culprit.

Jack Parker narrates the short scene taking place in a futuristic bar run by robots. He needs to find his friend Misty, who is stuck entertaining in the VIP room. After Parker finds Misty the demo is over, but what makes this experience something to look forward to is the commitment to the atmosphere and style. Jack Parker’s narration, and the low-polygon style of the 3D printed characters, add a sense of interpretation on the player’s part to decipher the world.

The way Jack Parker moves around the environment is akin to movement in Kentucky Route Zero , where interacting and using are two separate commands. While the puzzle is straightforward, the world is not, but that is why I hope this game gets the funding it needs.

LAST LIFE recently joined the Double Fine Presents campaign, where they try to fund and publish indie games. The Kickstarterstates that the game hopes to release three separate episodes for PC, Mac and Linux starting next year.