3:LLIS – Protocol : Protect Plant Life is a post-apocalyptic 2D platforming adventure game built for Ludum Dare 34 where you play as a gardening robot trying to save the last plant on earth.
In the distant future, all organic life on Earth has been eradicated by a robot uprising. 3:LLIS, a simple, outdated gardening model, somehow missed the memo. You control 3:LLIS as it tries to protect the last plant on earth from the destructive tendencies of your robot brethren. You’ll run around, collecting water droplets to sprinkle on the parched plant all the while destroying attacking robots with your rake. The biggest problem with 3:LLIS – Protocol : Protect Plant Life is the clunky jumping. There is a significant pause between hitting the jump command and actually jumping, and with such closely placed platforms, you’ll find yourself falling over and over again. Your goal can also a bit unclear at times. For example, you’ll only be able to water the plant as specific points in the game, but this restriction isn’t indicated when you fire your water droplets, which can cause you to needlessly waste water.
The pixel art of 3:LLIS – Protocol : Protect Plant Life paints a picture of desolate but not entirely doomed world. The design and movements of 3:LLIS are charmingly awkward. While 3:LLIS may not be the fastest or strongest robot, it is the only hero the world has. By coupling the lovely animations with some endearing character dialogue, the game really does an excellent job of tugging at your heartstrings. The music is also fantastic, managing to find just the right balance between jammy retro goodness and sci-fi futurism. Even with the frustration caused by the current controls, the sincere and engaging 3:LLIS – Protocol : Protect Plant Lifeis a game that definitely deserves further exploration and refinement from its developers.
Note: There are two versions of the game available to play. The post-Jam version fixes some bugs present in the original.
Download 3:LLIS – Protocol : Protect Plant Life Here (Win & Mac)