Let's Play Nomad X is a take on the many "Let's Play" videos that you can find on YouTube and various sites where you watch someone play through video game levels and give a running commentary while they do it. They are videos that you probably are aware of, like me, you play games but occasionally cannot figure something out and want to see how it is done. What Nomad X also realizes is that there is a way to develop character which is smarter than saying "I am sad because of this very specific thing that happened" or "I am hurt due to this thing here", but rather letting them live their lives and picking up on things as we go. In this style we have many great examples in the UK, where writers like Alan Bennett do so well to nail a character in Talking Heads, letting them just tell a story but simultaneously revealing a lot about themselves. We also see it in some great comic creations such as Partridge, where the real is just below the surface.
I'm not suggesting Nomad X is anywhere near that level, but in the delivery here I see the potential for it to be this way. For sure there is a certain amount of interest in Commander Patrick's gameplay here but the main thing is him talking and relating the story of his violent incident yesterday. It is a specific story but in telling it we learn of his ex, their former engagement, her sudden marriage to someone else, Patrick's inability to let go and move on, and at the same time we see how to launch your space craft on Nomad X and head out exploring while being vigilant for space pirates. It does this duality well enough to interest me but the very short running time really does limit it in how much it can do and, being honest I liked it for its potential rather than what it actually delivered.
The short time means there is not much time to be subtle or not much time to allow the character to explore himself while his mind is distracted by his game. Visually the old-school style graphics are good and a fun retro throwback, but to me the idea of the real person behind the presentation is where the real strength of this film it. It is a shame that it does it too quickly and doesn't do it as well as it could but it is still an interesting short film for having this at its heart. I would really love to see a 20 minute version of this with a stronger script though.