Last of the Patriots

By: Derek Yu

On: December 5th, 2007

This is an odd one.

I was checking my spam folder for a verification e-mail and found an e-mail from a Paul Davis instead, linking me to his new indie game. Somehow, that feels like a fitting beginning to my strange journey into Last of the Patriots.

From the screen, you may think that the game is a shoot ’em up, as I did. However, the focus is really on dialogue and story-advancement. The few combat sequences are short, and require very little skill. In fact, the website explains this:

Most games are designed on a game-design document. LOTP was designed on a movie-script format which you can view here. [Note: no link is actually provided to the script.]

For all intents and purposes, this is a B-Game, and I shan’t list all the areas in which it’s broken. I will say that there is one point where you’re supposed to run away from a legion of hitmen, but because of the non-existent AI and poor collision detection, the hitmen immediately get stuck on one another, effectively waiting in line for you to punch them to death with a beer bottle. The game is also extremely short (being the first episode of what can only be an epic space saga) and can be beaten in less than an hour. Enough said. It’s amusing for what it is and it reminds me of Dink Smallwood for some reason.

But this is one of those times where I am fascinated not so much with the game itself, but with the developer, and I’ll tell you why:

1. Paul is credited as a level designer for both Grand Theft Auto 3 and 4, as well as Manhunt 1 and 2.

2. Paul has (from his Mobygames profile) a “unique personality, and is an ‘outgoing’ character. Carrying with him a virtual army of buzz words and jive talk he is a renowned bachelor, and uses his weapons to systematically insult, then get the number of, every girl he meets. This self proclaimed ‘crazy motherf$$ker’ lives in a hotel in Leith Links, Edinburgh.”

3. Though the game itself is, well… fairly subpar, with no small amounts of clichÃ©d story points and dialogue, it’s endlessly amusing to read quotes like this on the website:

LOTP has been suggested to be a metaphor of the war in Iraq. Although the team feels it’s deeper message is about shadow projection from Jungian psychology. What do you think it’s all about?

This is one of those times where I can’t at all tell how serious the developer is about it all, but I have to commend him for being a crazy motherf$$ker making indie games. Serious MDickie moment here.

Posted in Action, Freeware, Unique / Bizarre, Windows | Tags: PaulDavis

deadeye

Eight hours since this post and no comments. I can only assume this is because everyone is too flabbergasted to think of anything to say.
deadeye

Argh, foiled by GMT.
Monsieur LeBoeuf

Dink Smallwood indeed! Just from 2 seconds on that low-contrast page I see:

“The Corps bulk cruiser the Phallus, with 2000 men on deck is still missing.”

“And in the left, war hero… Captain JOHNSON”

Hottt.

“The dropships ferry troops to the planets surface.”

So that’s what the eccentric game developers are calling it.

Beef out.
BeamSplashX

This should also be filed under Games and Art.
Chris

The game must have at least been somewhat interesting to grace the TIGS front page, no?
BeamSplashX

I dunno, Knight Man III got a mention that basically boiled down to “it may be good later so don’t play it now” which I don’t entirely get. But this one has a funny developer story to go along with it!
rndll

I didn’t really like it. If it is a story driven game then it’d be nice if all the grammar and punctuation errors were corrected :-p Also the music didn’t really go well with the atmosphere.
And what’s with the constant effect of splashing water when walking?

I did enjoy Dink Smallwood a lot more :-p
Anthony Flack

Huh? Game?

I thought we were supposed to be talking about how the description of the developer makes him sound like an arrogant dick, and how the picture of him makes him look like an arrogant dick who is pretty trashed right now.
MattC

I want to say it reminds me of a PlayStation RPG — but without the battles or something.

I didn’t think it was entirely bad. It (along with the website) gave me the impression that this is something the creator is really “into” (which you can define yourself). The aforementioned script is available on his site.
MattC

OH! I completely forgot to mention the License Agreement, which gave me a good laugh.
Del_Duio

The last of the Ravens-

“It was 4th & 1, Patriots’ ball, with about 1:30 left in the game, the Ravens ahead.. but barely. They had put on an unbelievable show of guts when everybody and their mother thought they would have gotten crushed in the 1st quarter..”

“And there it was, the sweet taste of an unbelievable victory- they had finally handed the Pats’ their first defeat of the 2007 season in stunning fashion. But there was a whistle. A whistle? But they had stopped the unstoppable when it mattered most! Yet the shrill sound blew throughout the stadium on this cold windy night and it was undeniable. The Ravens’ sidelines had called a time out just before the snap, nullifying the play and giving the most clutch late game quarterback in NFL history another chance. And the Ravens ended up with the big ‘L’.”

Ahhhh, the “Last of the Patriots” title just reminded me of one of the best football games I’ve seen in a long time.
Del_Duio

Oh, and it looks as if I do some freelance sportswriting too lol.
Dan MacDonald

haha, ahh that was good!
Rob_Idaho

Patriots dieing in a meaningless war…If only more games had the balls to tell the truth.
sir

MOre game less play.
Yugge

This one works wonderfully on ubuntu using wine.