Cult of the Lamb’sSins of the Flesh updateis almost upon us, and isn’t nearly as naughty as all the viral marketing would have us believe. The titular lamb and their myriad cult followers are still invited to hook up in exchange for resources and faith, but there won’t be any crass nudity or tasteless innuendo to be found when it drops on January 16. If anything, it’s proven to be surprisingly wholesome in its depiction of intimacy. And silly. Oh boy, is this thing silly.
Massive Monster and Devolver Digital released ananimated gameplay trailerearlier this week, which shows us everything we need to know about the upcoming content patch. It’s adorable, featuring a naked cult member pulling their leader into a dance as he looks around with an awkward blush. Before that can lead anywhere however, our character gets dizzy and falls flat on his face as a duo of frolicking townspeople run past them into a nearby tent. It moves about as joyous noises spring forth from the fabric domicile, only for our lovebirds to emerge with an egg in tow. That’s the bonking part of the equation over and done with.
It seems there will also be new rituals, activities, and further opportunities to turn your loved ones against each other, or even engage in a spot of polyamory that extends beyond all the animals you marry turning against each other. Unless that’s what you want, it’s a cult leader’s job to sow disorder among the ranks every once in a while. The lamb has a gun now too, a deadly piece of equipment I imagine can be picked up during crusades as it’s used to blast your enemies into oblivion. It’s ridiculous, but this game always has been, and now the folks atMassive Monster are leaning into the memified absurdity in the best possible way.
Video games can still be rather prudish about sex and nudity, withBaldur’s Gate 3being arare modern example of embracing this aspect of human nature. As a result, it is played for laughs in the vast majority of titles, or stylised and simmered down so it can still be shown without risking a higher age rating. Cult of Lamb has kept its ‘12’ certificate intact even with the Sins of the Flesh update. It’s obvious what the whole thing is about, given a load of cult members are smooching and in various states of undress, but nothing about it is explicit.
It reminds me of Viva Pinata, which might have been my first exposure to intercourse in my entire life. That or Starship Troopers. Rare’s incredible gardening simulator saw you amassing a landmass filled with all sorts of paper-mached creatures outfitted with punny names and appearances so adorable you’d melt at the sight of them. Aside from bringing them into your garden to become permanent residents, your primary goal consisted of getting two pinatas of the same species to ‘romance’ one another. But instead of bonking, this ritual takes the form of a dance. A romance dance! It was amazing, and its music genre changed depending on the type of animals you decided to grind against each other.
Once the bespoke animated sequence was over and done with, an egg would be dropped off outside their house. It wasn’t laid, some cute NPC simply noticed a romance dance had been carried out and dropped one off in celebration like a kindly stork. A few minutes later, you’d have a new pinata in your garden. I always thought it was messed up that you could romance an entire race of pinatas together regardless of whether they were related or not, turning your garden into some form of confectionary incestuous nightmare. Luckily, Cult of the Lamb has you canoodling with a religious family, and not a biological one.
Cult of the Lamb is learning from the best when it comes to turning sex into a fun, slapstick rendition of the act without losing any of the meaning. It is obvious what everything means, but instead of getting filthy about it, the game is leaning into its already excellent assets and outfitting the experience with relevant new mechanics to boot. Romance dances were long some of Viva Pinata’s most memorable moments, and to see it live on in such a ludicrous form is oddly heartwarming. I can’t wait to make all of my cultists smooch the night away.
Next:Yakuza Is Close To Becoming Too Much Of A Good Thing
