Four Last Things (2017)
Religious themes are a rarity in games — magic and moral dilemmas, yes, but theology seldom. Released in late February, Four Last Things borrows directly from Christian doctrine: the Fall of Man and the Last Judgment. Its most distinctive feature is its collage-like art made entirely from Renaissance paintings. I found the game both fascinating and repellent — as amusing as it was unsettling.
Four Last Things was created by the Scottish developer Joe Richardson and its is his second commercial release. He handled almost everything himself. The prototype was made in 2016 during an adventure game jam within two weeks. It received praise from the judges and support from players, and subsequently went to Kickstarter for funding to complete the full game.
Compelled to sin
The player’s jester-like character seeks forgiveness for his sins in the local church. He has committed all seven deadly sins: pride, envy, wrath, sloth, greed, gluttony and lust. However, according to the rule, absolution cannot be granted because the sins were committed in other parishes. Thus, they must be re-enacted within the local one. Once that is done, forgiveness can be sought again, covering even the earlier offences, since absolution is absolute and all-encompassing.
And so the player gets to sin with permission. One sin at a time must be committed by finding a way to perform it. These quests are naïve and simple, yet amusing in their own sly way. The world is not large, and for that reason the puzzles are easy to solve. Completing the game took me around two hours.
A comic view of its time
The graphics left me jaw-dropped — it is quite a sight. Elements cut and assembled from famous Renaissance paintings are animated in the style of Monty Python’s Terry Gilliam. The result shows the sacred and the profane side by side. In the background plays a selection of early classical music. There is no voice acting, even though it was promised during the Kickstarter campaign.
Although Four Last Things is an obvious satire, my heart beat faster when I approached Saint Peter. In the dimness of the cathedral, I felt a faint trace of Christian mysticism. The promise the Church offers is grand. Who has the power to send a soul to heaven or hell? In this game, theology appears as folly, yet religion’s influence on people’s lives between the 15th and 17th centuries was immense.
Verdict
Four Last Things is a simple point-and-click adventure — yet it stands out from the crowd by a wide margin. Whether blasphemous or not, it managed to astonish me. For this short Sunday-evening experience, I give it a score of 63 out of 100.
Availability
Four Last Things is available for Windows PCs, with Mac and Linux versions promised to follow. The prototype made during the game jam is playable for free.