The Immortal John Triptych: Purely Pythonic Paintings
Renaissance artwork and Monty Python — what’s not to love?
This year especially, I feel as though I have been drawn more towards the genre of Indie games, often finding a lot of enjoyment in the road less traveled. It was on this path that I discovered Joe Richardson’s Four Last Things and its spiritual successor, The Procession to Calvary, the first two installments in The Immortal John Triptych.
I’ve always had a love for Monty Python, having watched their films from a very young age… in hindsight, perhaps too young an age. Even now I still find myself stating “just a flesh wound” whenever I get injured. So, when I saw that these two games were described as containing both Pythonesque comedy and Renaissance paintings (another passion of mine), I knew that I’d be in for an enjoyable time.
Four Last Things
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. God saw all that he had made, and it was good. Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
‘Oops,’ said God, seeing he had created a fool. But before he was able to remedy his error, a man spoke:
‘No backsies!’ he chirped, and scuttled off into the forest.”
- Joe Richardson
Based on having to recreate the Seven Deadly Sins, this point-and-click game made of animated Renaissance paintings is a fun adventure for those who enjoy quick yet ingenuity-demanding games. As stated in the Steam description as being “intelligent and ridiculous in equal measures”, this is a game that doesn’t take itself seriously, yet can prove a mental challenge at some points.
You play as John, a man who travels to The Church of Heavenly Peter in order to confess his sins, only to be told that where he did such deeds is out of their jurisdiction. There is a loophole, however, and you’re tasked to help this figure commit the Seven Deadly Sins in this new parish in order to be absolved. You make your way through a town, having to observe instances along the way where you could partake in sinful behavior, from wooing a lounging lady to poisoning the Pie King.
The characters, creatures, and backgrounds in the game are comprised of Renaissance paintings, both animated and still, giving a satirical twist to the period’s deep religious history and the weird imaginations of Renaissance artists. The game’s animation feels incredibly reminiscent of the animated introduction to Monty Python’s The Life of Brian, and the humor within the game certainly matches up, proof that the developers were fans of the inspiration and source material.
The soundtrack differs from location to location and instance to instance but is comprised of classical pieces ranging from Vivaldi to Bach — truly fitting in setting the scene. The story itself isn’t completely linear, meaning that some sins can be completed in any order, however, others can depend on having done another one at an earlier stage.
There is a huge emphasis on the smaller details in Four Last Things and also The Immortal John Triptych as a whole. In every scene you must scrutinize even the smallest aspect or object, thinking carefully about how it might be utilized. In my playthrough, I made it a point to obtain nearly every collectible item that I could, as you soon realize that even the most innocent-seeming chisel and mallet placed next to a statue can have a vital role in the game.
It is clear the amount of work and detail that has gone into this game, evident by the expansive credit list of paintings and accompanying music. I can only imagine the time it must have taken to traverse through each painting, eyeing up interesting characters or scenes that would make for amusing inclusions. The game can also be hilariously meta at times, with references to significant Kickstarter backers, as well as introspective comments regarding its own meta-ness.
Overall, it’s a brilliant game with incredible attention to detail and witty dialogue inserted throughout. Although it’s relatively short compared to most games nowadays, as you’re able to complete it in under two hours, and the replayability is limited, it’s a brilliant bit of fun bound to produce hilarity or at least the odd chuckle.
The Procession to Calvary
“‘A time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for just one more murder…’
-Ecclesiastes 3:8”- Joe Richardson
As the spiritual successor to Four Last Things, The Procession to Calvary takes all the wit and artistry of the first game and improves on it massively, adding a dash of murder in as well. Playing as Rembrandt’s Bellona, after winning the Holy War you’re tasked by the main character of the last game (now the leader Immortal John) to hunt down the escaped Heavenly Peter and kill him (ONLY him). You start off in the same area explored in the first game but must make your way south to where Heavenly Peter is hiding, a brilliant instance that allows you to experience new landscapes, surroundings, and quirky characters.
The animation is a lot smoother in the second game, showing a definite improvement in development all while maintaining the Pythonesque charm of the first game. There is also an added mechanical function in The Procession to Calvary which was not present in Four Last Things. By pressing the middle mouse button, you are able to see all objects and people in a landscape that you are able to interact with. This proves to be incredibly helpful seeing as there are a lot more intractable features in this game, meaning they’re easier to miss if you’re not careful. You are also given the added function of a sword, allowing you the ability to cut objects and, most importantly, kill people.
Immortal John emphasizes that you should not kill anyone other than Heavenly Peter, a direction you’re able to adhere to or ignore. This leaves your path open to two options: kill anyone who gets in your way or figure out how to get to Heavenly Peter without killing anyone else. Although the former option may seem preferable, more humorous, and easier, that is not necessarily the case. There are (surprisingly) repercussions to going on a murdering spree, namely essential characters hiding from you and not wanting to help you.
The plot of this game is much more linear than the first. Although certain instances can be played out in no particular order, very often, in order to get the correct dialogue prompt in a conversation or spot the right tool for the job, you’ll have to have completed a certain interaction prior to that. Although this game can also be played under the two-hour mark, I found it to be longer than the first, possibly due to the fact that there are a lot more different scenes to explore. The Procession to Calvary also carries on with the chuckle-worthy meta remarks, even referencing its supposedly impending negative Steam reviews due to the meta-nature of the game.
Overall a solid spiritual successor, it’s a fun game to play either after Four Last Things or on its own. I, however, recommend you play it as a sequel so as to not miss out on the references to the first game.
Death of the Reprobate
“Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested.
‘Did you have a nice week?’ asked Mrs God.
‘No.’ Replied God. ‘I have birthed another pitifully substandard world. Destined, no doubt, to spiral over millennia into a violent capitalist nightmare, just like all the rest of them.’
‘Never mind,’ said Mrs God. ‘Chicken pie for dinner!’”
- Joe Richardson
Labeled as ‘Coming Soon(ish)’ on September 21, 2021, Death of the Reprobate is set to be Joe Richardson’s third installment in The Immortal John Triptych of point-and-click games. This will presumably be the final game in the series, as the word ‘triptych’ describes a painting made up of three sections. Although there is no set release date as of yet, the Steam store page for the anticipated game shows more of the Pythonic Renaissance adventures that are so indescribably entertaining.
The Steam description tells of how this game will take place as the beloved Immortal John is on his deathbed (not so immortal then, I guess). Playing as his only heir, you will be tasked to comply with his dying wish “to stop being such a c***”. It seems that you will have to traverse a landscape committing good deeds to comply with Immortal John’s last wish, however, as nothing can be simple nowadays, interference from the Devil is foreshadowed. Make sure to keep an eye out for this game as, if it’s even remotely like the first two, it’ll be a great deal of absurd fun.
Overall, it’s easy to say that Joe Richardson’s The Immortal John Triptych is a brilliant game collection so far. The adult humor throughout, obviously inspired by the works of Monty Python, is a brilliant breath of fresh air in a gaming industry that I feel is becoming increasingly saturated with similar projects. The visual and audio design is also superb, with it being evident that feedback on the game from players has been valued and utilized to improve the overall experience in games following the first. These games are true Indie masterpieces, much like the paintings they reference.
