Welcome back to another issue of The Koalition’s Kickstarter Weekly! As I’m typing the introduction, I’m reflecting on the sense of discovery I’ve experienced each time I find a Kickstarter project that interests me; coincidentally (definitely not for a contrived introduction, nope), I found two games that are all about discovering new things. In Last Life, you play as a detective who is trying to discover the identity of his own killer, and in Source you play as a firefly-type creature that must discover the…source…of a catastrophic entity. Read on to discover interesting information about these games. Damn it, Garrett!
Last Life
Project by: Sam Farmer
Goal: $75,000
Current Funds: $52,797
End: May 9, 2014
You know your game is worth mentioning when your favorite game developer helps you spread the word. I know Sam Farmer can definitely relate, as Tim Schafer of Double Fine is actively producing videos about his game, Last Life. Hopefully Sam and his team can garner the same success as his hero on Kickstarter.
11 years ago the Earth was destroyed in a catastrophe, leaving the remaining few million humans no choice but to start a new life on Mars. You play as P.I. Jack Parker, who is shot and killed by an unknown assailant. Fortunately for Jack and the other deceased, Marstopia’s 3D printing technology is so advanced that it can print him a new body. But Jack has only 4 hours to live, and he must use his remaining time to resume his case, catch his killer, and stumble upon a conspiracy that runs deeper than he could have possibly imagined.
Last Life is a sci-fi noir adventure game, which sounds promising. Unfortunately, Last Life’s Kickstarter doesn’t provide enough details about puzzle solving; this is understandable, as they could risk spoiling significant portions of the game. Last Life explores the themes of transhumanism and redemption. The world itself is gorgeous, bringing color to a sci-fi tale that is otherwise bleak. What is shown off, however, is the outstanding presentation. Character models remind me of the characters from Jazzpunk. They’re human-sized polygons without any facial features; yet, they have distinguishable features that mirror character tropes found in noir fiction.
Sam says that Double Fine is one of their main influences. I can only imagine what it must be like for a personal hero to actively promote your game as one of your own. While I’m still disappointed by the lack of gameplay videos, I don’t doubt that this game will be polished if it meets full funding on Kickstarter.
Source
Project by: Fenix Fire
Goal: $50,000
Current Funds: $8,175
End: May 11, 2014
I didn’t discover Source on my own; Editor in Chief Richard Bailey sent me a link to this Kickstarter project, asking me if thought this would be worth featuring on this article. While I try to look at every aspect of a Kickstarter project before including it in my article, I found myself mesmerized by the trailer alone.
Source is a 3D Metroidvania game by the husband and wife team behind Fenix Fire. The game was originally a top-down game; however, the birth of their son has inspired the couple to create a unique aesthetic to enhance the players’ sense of discovery. Their idea is to have the players see this new, exotic world similar to how an infant would.
There’s no narration in this story; everything depends on how you feel as you explore the lands and interact with the other creatures. You are the last of your kind, a firefly type creature, who reacts to the sinister dark energy that threatens to tear apart this Tron-like ecosystem. You’ll divide your time between flying, exploring and fighting. You use an energy beam to explore and solve puzzles, and you use a plasma beam to fight off predators. It all works together to paint you as a sci-fi creature that must explore an ecosystem that looks like the ruins of a Valve game. It’s weird to think of a technological ecosystem, but Fenix Fire makes it work spectacularly!
Source is coming to Xbox One and PlayStation 4. I was initially shocked when I saw this game because I couldn’t believe it wasn’t picked up by a publisher. Fenix Fire has done an amazing job on their own; however, they don’t have all the time of the world because of their full-time jobs and newborn son. They’ll use the funds to invest in a soundtrack and bring in their industry friends to help out.
Other Projects?
Have you seen any interesting projects on Kickstarter that you think deserve mention? Are you a developer who is currently running a Kickstarter campaign? Let us know in the comments section, or send an email to garrett@thekoalition.com.
