Twenty-five years ago, full motion video games like Night Trap were interactive movies that utilized the power of the Sega CD and other 16-bit era technology. While the games have come a long way since then, a Canadian punk band called PUP has resurrected the FMV format with the music video for the band’s newest single, “Old Wounds.”
Via Kotaku, the “Old Wounds: Tour Manager Edition” casts the player in the role of an unnamed tour manager and gives them the option of following one of the four band members: Stefan Babcock, Nestor Chumak, Zack Mykula, and Steve Sladkowski. Depending upon which band member you pick, you’ll see and hear a lot of classic video game references as the guys are drawn into increasingly bizarre misadventures. For example, Stefan gets into a battle for his life with a bear and Zack gets abducted by aliens with a suspiciously familiar ship.
The game itself is surprisingly fun, largely because it’s hilarious. We’ve played through it several times, and most of the options end with the band members dying horribly. Even when the player tries to keep the band away from temptation or danger they still manage to destroy themselves. Zack’s story on board the alien ship was particularly insane, and it included lizard people from another world who were really into Huey Lewis and the News.
Another masterful touch was the life meter of each band member at the bottom of the screen. Watching their smaller icons react to the dangers or pleasures around them made the experience even more amusing. This was a very clever concept video, and we’ve got a tip for anyone who wants the most favorable endings: always pick the video options with the longest running times. Any video that’s short means that death is right around the corner!
You can find more videos by PUP on their YouTube channel, and they currently have a song in Dream Daddy, as well as a cameo appearance in the game itself.
What did you think about PUP’s homage to FMV games? Let’s discuss in the comment section below!
Images: PUP
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