We Love It's Guide to…
After a holy war, a sword-wielding soldier hunts the escaped Heavenly Peter in a surreal point-and-click world of Renaissance art.
Released 09 Apr 2020
Hunt Heavenly Peter
Bribe Church Officials
Solve With Your Sword
Pilfer from pirates, conspire with cardinals and perform miracles with an incompetent magician. The Procession to Calvary is a Pythonesque adventure game made from Renaissance paintings, and a spiritual successor to the critically acclaimed Four Last Things.
Developed by Joe Richardson · Published by Akupara Games
After a holy war ends, soldier Bellona is sent to find the escaped Heavenly Peter. The story follows her pursuit through a strange world where religious figures, clergy, pirates and other odd characters become part of her journey.
Explore scenes, talk to characters and gather objects to solve point-and-click puzzles. A verb-based interaction menu and drag-and-drop inventory support the investigation, while a sword offers a violent alternative to some puzzles—with consequences for the outcome.
The environments combine figures and scenes from Renaissance paintings, animated into a connected world, with classical music accompanying the journey. The game is set in the same world as Four Last Things, but its story can be played on its own; it also has three endings.
Players who enjoy the game often praise its distinctive use of Renaissance paintings, absurd and irreverent humor, classical soundtrack, and puzzles. Some appreciate being able to use violence to bypass certain obstacles. The comedy is not for everyone, and reviews differ on puzzle clarity; several also describe the adventure as short.
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for [just one more murder…] -Ecclesiastes 3:8
Huzzah! The holy war is over! Your oppressors have been vanquished, the churches of the Old God lay in ruin and thousands of innocent people have been murdered! But it's not all good news; the tyrant Heavenly Peter has escaped your clutches, and you have been tasked with the mission of finding him...
Your journey will take you through a richly detailed landscape built from hundreds of different Renaissance paintings. You will steal a ship, feed a donkey, compete in a talent contest, assist an inept street magician, sing, dance, play the (magic?) flute, poke a man's face, hunt for treasure and have a chat with Our Lord God Almighty... But will you find Heavenly Peter? And if you do, how will you take your revenge!?
Pointing and Clicking – A traditional point and click interface, with a 'verb coin' interaction menu and a simple inventory from which you can drag and drop your preciously hoarded items.
Renaissance Artwork – Paintings by Rembrandt, Botticelli, Michelangelo and many more are brought together into one consistent world, in a way that is also as sympathetic as possible to the original works.
Classical Music – a soundtrack selected to fit with the style of the artwork. Music from classical composers such as Vivaldi, Bach and George Frideric Handel will accompany you on your journey.
Standalone Story – The Procession to Calvary is set in the same world as Four Last Things, but its story can be played independently.
Optional Murder – You will be equipped with a sword. This will become useful in a number of different situations, but you will be strongly discouraged from using it on people. Ignoring this advice – and murdering anyone who stands in your way – will serve as a useful method of skipping any puzzles you don't like. But be warned; your actions might come back to haunt you...
Nonsense – A style of humour reminiscent of the surreal, anarchic comedy of Monty Python. Lofty subject matter is treated with refreshing flippancy. Gags about butts are taken very seriously. But rest assured, while some of the jokes may be ridiculous, the puzzles make perfect sense! (or at least adhere to a consistent internal logic)
Moments of Surprising Profundity – Actually, no... Don't read too much into it.
Special thanks to SUPERHOT PRESENTS, whose support made this project possible.
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux |
|---|---|
| Achievements | 21 |
| Age ratings |
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| Controller support | Xbox |
| Controller required | No |
| Metacritic | 78/100 View on Metacritic |
