LAIR OF THE CLOCKWORK GOD

Lair of the Clockwork God’s conceit is that it’s half platformer, half adventure. It’s also half hilarious and completely infuriating. It’s very difficult to isolate the good bits from the terrible, because they’re entirely enmeshed. As Ben (the adventurer) says, “You can press spacebar all you like. I won’t give in to my baser urges.” The fact that he refuses to jump, which is solved via complex puzzling, and walks unbelievably slowly, are the exasperating, yet somehow still funny, related gags. This experience shines because of its detailed commentary on game mechanics.

Probably the best example of how adventuring and platforming combine happens on an early level called, ‘Joy.’ In a nutshell, ‘The Mechanic’ (a screen with arms) is creating imaginative constructs through which to experience eleven, human emotions, for the purpose of understanding the many apocalypses affecting London. (Don’t ask.) Dan (the platformer) joyously arrives at a colourful beer-based platforming level. Due to his inability to jump, Ben is immediately killed by a monster, discovering the amazing, bureaucratic process inside of The Respawning Zone.

Ben realises he would be able to respawn at the end of the platforming level (skipping everything difficult), if he could just do three things to convince the dinosaurs that he had died closer to its conclusion. And so, with a combination of duct tape, dialogue and cleverness, Ben meets Dan later (after you’ve also played as Dan through everything Ben avoided.) Later, you’ll mistime a jump and Dan will die, respawn and cheerfully yell something like, “Thanks, dinosaurs!” I found myself grudgingly forgiving even the most unfair of levels thanks to this humour.

Probably the worst (but also the most brilliant) puzzle in the game is extremely meta. I won’t spoil it for you, but if you can solve this one without getting a hint, I commend you. As with the adventure genre’s most hated meta puzzles, it makes complete sense after you’ve completed it and literally none beforehand. This is also the level with a public “Wanking Booth” which is as dismaying as it sounds, especially as it grants Dan a special ability (which is probably not whatever you’re imagining, but is terrible enough, if you can’t forget how he got it.)

And just when you’re thinking that the narrative couldn’t get any less intelligible, things get sad (sort of) when a character dies, and some of the mismatched threads of story tie back together. There’s also an overarching commentary about friendship and appreciating the special things other people can do for each other. And lots more annoying “bloke humour”. Somehow, despite its aggravating qualities, I never stopped enjoying the game. Even the tutorial, which I found incredibly frustrating, initially, was endearing when it returned, towards the end.

So yes, Ben and Dan is a series. Apparently, I already own it, but I can’t recall playing the previous games. By the looks of them, they’re adventures. Does this adventure/platformer hybrid in Lair of the Clockwork God actually work? I kept forgetting that Ben could pick up items, for starters. And it had that modular feel of The Cave, by Double Fine, probably because it wouldn’t be fun to constantly replay sections of platforming levels to bring items back to known areas. The humour and insight carries it. I likely missed some in-jokes. Please don’t tell me what they were.

This experience shines because of its detailed commentary on game mechanics.