Time journey is a troublesome trope to work right into a story, because it opens up so many prospects. When the characters can go not simply anyplace, however anywhen, it may be powerful to only pin down a premise. A brand new indie sport, accessible without cost, places the participant within the footwear of the time police. These time cops have an important mission: It’s the Nineteen Eighties, and it’s a must to cease the assassination of John Lennon.
Time Power X: Mission of Lennon is a textual content sport created by the Anime Sickos podcast, with contributions from artist Tom McHenry. I spoke with Tom Harrison, one of many hosts of Anime Sickos, over Discord about Mission of Lennon. “Writing the script for the sport took about two months,” he mentioned. “We beforehand made a demo sport utilizing [narrative game engine] Narrat the place you might be touring to Deadwood (particularly the model from the basic HBO present of the identical identify) to open a ironmongery shop.”
A playthrough of Mission of Lennon takes between 5 and quarter-hour, and there are 20 endings. The participant can skip preamble on successive runs, and a few endings take very particular ability checks. “One may argue that locking sure endings behind such byzantine, secret necessities is unhealthy design,” Harrison mentioned. “I might counter that it’s truly very humorous.”
Whereas Mission of Lennon is about saving John Lennon’s life, it’s not significantly flattering in direction of the musician. One ending has the protagonist snap and kill Lennon themselves. “One factor that’s true about [the protagonist] in all situations [is they are] an enormous fan of progressive rock and desires to ask John Lennon about it.”
This could sabotage your mission to save lots of Lennon, as after you announce you’re a time traveler there to rescue him, you’ll be able to instantly begin peppering him with questions on obscure bands just like the Van Der Graaf Generator. Lennon, maybe predictably, will not be extremely impressed.
The Anime Sickos podcast is funded by Patreon subscribers, which suggests the hosts have funding to do parallel inventive tasks like audio dramas or Mission of Lennon. It’s an entertaining romp in an underserved nook of sport narratives — I’ve needed to combat one million aliens, Nazis, and diverse impolite dudes, however I can confidently say a sport has by no means pitted me towards Mark Chapman. The Time Cops idea may additionally make a enjoyable franchise, if Mission of Lennon takes off.
“One thought we had throughout manufacturing could be a sequel the place you return to assist John Hinckley Jr end the job with Reagan, however I concern that’s too cold-blooded for a comedy sport,” wrote Harrison. “I might in all probability persist with moments in music historical past so I can indulge my putrid intuition to be taught and inform folks unbearably tedious music enjoyable details.”
