The story was undercooked and confusing, and behind the scenes Damon, Cass, and Jamie were having serious issues. This led them into a corner in terms of narrative when phase 3 came to a premature close due to unrelated issues. Eventually, the story became so ambitious that it collapsed in on itself, leaving things such as Murdoc's immortality, the fate of Plastic Beach, who the boogieman is and what happened to Noodle a total mess with multiple conflicting explanations. It carried into phase 3 with minor changes along the way for the sake of the narrative. This was the true birth of the Lore, from here onwards Cass continued building on top of the narrative he created within the biography. Over time the compilation evolved into a mock biography of sorts titled Rise of the Ogre. This evolved further with their second outing during phase 2, when their live drummer of the time Cass Browne began compiling interviews both he and previous Gorillaz writer Mat Wakeham had written over the course of half a decade. They'd feature in magazines, make radio appearances, get into drama and talk directly with fans via their website. Chad Kroeger take note.This is something discussed almost daily within the fandom on platforms like Twitter, but instead of newcomers being angrily berated by the veteran fans I figured I'd explain what position 'Lore' actually has within the Gorillaz package and why it's no longer relevant.Įver since their first public appearance, Damon & Jamie wanted to try and maintain the illusion of the four characters living real, believable lives as celebrities. While it's by no means the best point-and-click game on the internet, for those interested in the band or the work of Jamie Hewlett, it offers a more than diverting way to spend a couple of hours. But Plastic Beach represents a real step forward for this niche genre in creating something distinctive and worthwhile, aside from its marketing value. This isn't the first time Gorillaz have dipped their toes into the world of gaming, having released a mobile phone game to little acclaim after the release of Demon Days in 2005. It's a clever way of getting people to invest time in the Gorillaz brand and create an affinity with a new release – you are, after all, exploring the island featured on the album's cover. Like the album itself, the experience is eclectic, bold and – although there are a few missteps – pretty satisfying.Īs you complete different challenges, new areas are unlocked with fresh content to reward your efforts. You'll stumble across a projector screen where you can watch the band's videos, a darts mini-game in Murdoch's bedroom, a Bop-It style challenge in the recording studio and an angry-looking squid you can poke.
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Make your way into the main building and a series of puzzles and mini-games are to be found, all offering the offbeat humour and distinctive artistic style Jamie Hewlett fans will remember from his Tank Girl days. From there the tone is quickly set as the quirky, atmospheric background music kicks in and you're offered the chance to start a conversation with a miserable Damon Albarn seagull. The action starts with an impressive full-screen video of your arrival on the island in what sounds like a 1920s biplane.