Limbo of the Lost

Last updated

Limbo of the Lost
LimbooftheLost.jpg
Developer(s) Majestic Studios
Publisher(s)
Designer(s)
  • Tim Croucher
  • Laurence Francis
Programmer(s) Steve Bovis
Artist(s) Steve Bovis
Composer(s) Laurence Francis, Marko Hautamäki
Engine Wintermute Engine
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows
Release
  • EU: 28 September 2007
  • NA: 2 June 2008
Genre(s) Graphic adventure
Mode(s) Single-player

Limbo of the Lost is a 2007 point-and-click adventure game developed by Majestic Studios for the PC. The game follows Benjamin Briggs, the real-life captain of the Mary Celeste , as he explores Limbo. Players act as an omnipresent guide for Briggs during his adventure.

Contents

Development on Limbo of the Lost began in the early 1990s as graphical text adventure genre for the Atari ST and Amiga 500. Due to lessening demand of these platforms, the game was initially shelved, but later redeveloped for the PC during the 2000s. [2] A few months after its North American release in 2008, Limbo of the Lost was withdrawn from sale when it was discovered the game plagiarized content from other titles. [3]

Gameplay

Limbo of the Lost is a point-and-click graphic adventure game. Players direct the controllable character around the game world by clicking with the computer mouse to interact with objects and characters in the game world.

Plot

Limbo of the Lost follows Benjamin Briggs, the historic captain of the Mary Celeste . In 1872, the Mary Celeste was discovered empty; the fate of Briggs and the rest of the crew remains a mystery. The game puts Briggs in Limbo, where he has to aid Destiny in a war against Fate. [4]

Captain Briggs is portrayed as entomophobic, having a fear of insects. Throughout the game, he must confront his fear in order to complete puzzles and progress further. The existence of the player is acknowledged by the game's characters (described as a "spirit guide"), and during the final sequence the player, rather than Briggs, becomes the puzzle-solving protagonist. Briggs complains to the player from time to time regarding his feelings of the surroundings and what he has been asked to do. If the player does not move the mouse for a period of time, Briggs will let the player know about it.

The game ends with the characters throwing a surprise party for Briggs, declaring him "King of Limbo", and performing a doo-wop/Tin Pan Alley styled musical number praising him, in which he joins.

Development

In the early 1990s, Steve Bovis and Tim Croucher developed the initial idea for the game, Limbo of the Lost. Bovis and Croucher created a demo of graphical text adventure game for the Atari ST. The duo showed the demo to publishers, who were interested only if the game was finished. After unsuccessfully trying to expand the development team, the pair shelved the project because publishers were no longer interested in making games for the Atari ST. In 1995, Bovis, Croucher and new team member Laurence Francis began working on the game again, this time as a point-and-click adventure for the Amiga 500. Grandslam Entertainment-owned publisher Rasputin Software agreed to publish the game, and Limbo of the Lost was ported to the Amiga 1200 and Amiga CD32. Limbo of the Lost was never published, since demand had fallen for games for the Amiga 1200 and CD32. [5]

In 2003, after learning PC and 3D development tools, Bovis returned to Limbo of the Lost. With Croucher and Francis, he redesigned the game, keeping only the concept and certain character designs from the original game. [5] The partners arranged publication of the game in Europe in late 2007 by G2 Games. In 2008, Tri Synergy announced it would give Limbo of the Lost widespread release in North America. [6] By June 2008, copies of the release could be found only on eBay and at a small Asian retailer. [7]

Plagiarism

On 11 June 2008, GamePlasma posted an article showing certain places in Limbo of the Lost were identical to the game The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion . [8] [9] [10]

After this revelation, other investigations into the game discovered environments and assets taken from numerous other games, including Sea Dogs and World of Warcraft , [11] while the cursor was taken from the game Black & White 2 .

Certain places in Limbo of the Lost also resembled portions of Thief: Deadly Shadows . [10] The game depicts its lead character walking near the gates of "Famine", "Drought" and "Disease", which is identical to Thief's "Keeper Library". [3]

On 12 June 2008, publisher Tri Synergy announced they had stopped distribution of Limbo of the Lost while investigating allegations of plagiarism. Tri Synergy said they had no knowledge Majestic Studios used other games' work without permission and said they had contacted Majestic Studios for a response. [11]

On 24 June 2008, Majestic Studios were quoted as saying: [12]

In response to the shocking notification that some alleged unauthorized copyrighted materials submitted by sources external to the development team have been found within the PC game Limbo of the Lost, we [the development team] have given our consent and full cooperation to both publishers who are recalling all units from all territories immediately. [...] To the best of our knowledge, no one at Majestic, [European publisher] G2Games or [North American publisher] Tri Synergy, Inc. knew about this infringement and knowingly played any part in it.

On 30 July 2008, Tim Croucher and Laurence Francis announced their departure from Majestic Studios with the following statement:[ citation needed ]

Due to the behaviour of certain members of the Majestic Studios team, Mr. T. Croucher and Mr. L. Francis would like to announce their departure from Majestic Studios; and would like it known that they have severed all connections, ties and links with the remaining members of the Majestic team.

Mr. Croucher would like it known that his input responsibility for Limbo of the Lost was: research, some vocal acting and puzzle design.

Mr. Francis would like it known that his input responsibility for Limbo of the Lost was: original opening theme and intro music, character scriptwriting for Darkmere, puzzle design and voice acting, particularly that of B. S. Briggs.

Neither Mr. Croucher nor Mr. Francis had any say or control over: graphics, rendering, coding or game screen design.

As far as both Mr. Croucher and Mr. Francis were aware, all submitted material was to be original; both Mr. Croucher and Mr. Francis adhered to this contractual clause.

Reception

The game received extremely negative reviews, according to the Metacritic website. [13]

In 2010, UGO included the game in the article "The 11 Weirdest Game Endings", commenting: "One thing that sure as hell wasn't stolen was the game's batcrap crazy ending, which must be seen to be believed." [14]

Fan-created game

In 2008, shortly after its release, fans created " Macarena of the Missing", which they described as a "a bootleg demake of Limbo of the Lost". [15]

Related Research Articles

<i>Simon the Sorcerer</i> Point-and-click adventure game

Simon the Sorcerer is a 1993 point-and-click adventure game developed and published by Adventure Soft, for Amiga and MS-DOS. The game's story focuses on a boy named Simon who is transported into a parallel universe of magic and monsters, where he embarks on a mission to become a wizard and rescue another from an evil sorcerer. The game's setting was inspired by the novels of the Discworld series, and incorporates parodies on fantasy novels and fairy tales, such as The Lord of the Rings and Jack and the Beanstalk. The lead character's design was inspired by that of the fictional British television character Blackadder, with the character voiced by Chris Barrie in the CD re-release.

<i>Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis</i> 1992 video game

Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis is a point-and-click adventure game developed and published by LucasArts and released in June 1992 for Amiga, DOS, and Macintosh. Almost a year later, it was reissued on CD-ROM as an enhanced "talkie" edition with full voice acting and digitized sound effects. The seventh game to use the script language SCUMM, Fate of Atlantis has the player explore environments and interact with objects and characters by using commands constructed with predetermined verbs. It features three unique paths to select, influencing story development, gameplay and puzzles. The game used an updated SCUMM engine and required a 286-based PC, although it still runs as a real-mode DOS application. The CD talkie version required EMS memory enabled to load the voice data.

<i>The Secret of Monkey Island</i> 1990 video game

The Secret of Monkey Island is a 1990 point-and-click graphic adventure game developed and published by Lucasfilm Games. It takes place in a fictional version of the Caribbean during the age of piracy. The player assumes the role of Guybrush Threepwood, a young man who dreams of becoming a pirate, and explores fictional islands while solving puzzles.

Andrew Nicholas Oliver and Philip Edward Oliver, together known as the Oliver Twins, are British twin brothers and video game designers.

<i>Dizzy</i> (series) Video game series

Dizzy is a series of video games, created by the Oliver Twins and published by Codemasters. It was one of the most successful British video game franchises of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Originally created for the ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC, the series appeared on multiple home computer and video game console formats, with over a dozen games being published between 1987 and 1992.

<i>Beneath a Steel Sky</i> Cyberpunk science-fiction point-and-click adventure from 1994

Beneath a Steel Sky is a 1994 point-and-click adventure game developed by British developer Revolution Software and published by Virgin Interactive Entertainment for MS-DOS and Amiga home computers. It was made available as freeware – and with the source code released – for PC platforms in 2003. Set in a dystopian cyberpunk future, the player assumes the role of Robert Foster, who was stranded in a wasteland known as "the Gap" as a child and adopted by a group of local Aboriginals, gradually adjusting to his life in the wilderness. After many years, armed security officers arrive, killing the locals and taking Robert back to Union City. He escapes and soon uncovers the corruption which lies at the heart of society.

<i>Myst III: Exile</i> Third title in the Myst series of graphic adventure puzzle video games

Myst III: Exile is the third title in the Myst series of graphic adventure puzzle video games. While the preceding games in the series, Myst and Riven, were produced by Cyan Worlds and published by Brøderbund, Exile was developed by Presto Studios and published by Ubi Soft. The game was released on four compact discs for both Mac OS and Microsoft Windows on May 8, 2001; versions for the Xbox and PlayStation 2 were released in late 2002. A single-disc DVD version was later released for Windows and Mac OS.

<i>Gobliiins</i> Puzzle adventure video game series

Gobliiins is a puzzle adventure video game series, consisting of five entries, released by Coktel Vision for the Amiga, Atari ST, DOS, Macintosh, iOS and Windows platforms. The first three titles were released in the early 1990s, the fourth in 2009, and fifth in 2023. The visual look of the series and its characters were created by French artist Pierre Gilhodes, whose style was used in another game from Coktel Vision: Woodruff and the Schnibble of Azimuth.

Dynamix, Inc. was an American developer of video games from 1984 to 2001, best known for the flight simulator Red Baron, the puzzle game The Incredible Machine, the Front Page Sports series, Betrayal at Krondor, and the online multiplayer game Tribes.

Simon the Sorcerer is a series of point-and-click adventure games created by British developer Adventure Soft. The series follows the adventures of an unwilling hero of the same name and has a strong fantasy setting similar to Sierra's King's Quest and Westwood's The Legend of Kyrandia series. The game varies in style, however, as it is more poised to be a parody of the fantasy genre than a member of the genre itself, with many renowned folklore characters appearing differently from what they are generally presumed to be.

<i>Simon the Sorcerer II: The Lion, the Wizard and the Wardrobe</i> 1995 video game

Simon the Sorcerer II: The Lion, the Wizard and the Wardrobe is an adventure game created by Adventure Soft, and released in 1995 for the MS-DOS. It is the second installment in the Simon the Sorcerer series of games, and the sequel to 1993's Simon the Sorcerer. The game's story focuses on a young teen named Simon, who is transported into a parallel universe of magic and monsters that he visited before, via a magical wardrobe created by an evil sorcerer he defeated in the last game. Players engage in a quest to help him find more fuel for the wardrobe by searching a vast world, consisting of parodies on popular fantasy novels and fairy tales.

<i>Kings Quest VI</i> 1992 video game

King's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow is a point-and-click adventure game, first released in 1992 as the sixth installment in the King's Quest series produced by Sierra On-Line. Written by Roberta Williams and Jane Jensen, King's Quest VI is widely recognized as the high point in the series for its landmark 3D graphic introduction movie and professional voice acting. King's Quest VI was programmed in Sierra's Creative Interpreter and was the last King's Quest game to be released on floppy disk. A CD-ROM version of the game was released in 1993, including more character voices, a slightly different opening movie and more detailed artwork and animation.

<i>Runaway: A Road Adventure</i> 2001 video game

Runaway: A Road Adventure is a 2001 graphic adventure game developed by the Spanish company Pendulo Studios and published by Dinamic Multimedia. It follows the story of Brian Basco, an American college student on the run after he unwittingly saves a murder witness named Gina Timmins from assassination by the New York Mafia. Searching for clues about a mysterious crucifix linked to the murder, Brian and Gina embark on a cross-country journey through the United States while pursued by two Mafia hitmen. The player assumes the role of Brian and explores the game world while collecting items, solving puzzles and conversing with non-player characters.

<i>Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards</i> Adult video game

Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards is a graphic adventure game, developed by Sierra On-Line, and published in 1987. It was developed for the PC, DOS, and the Apple II and later ported to other platforms, such as the Amiga, Atari ST, Apple IIGS, Macintosh, and Tandy Color Computer 3. It utilizes the Adventure Game Interpreter (AGI) engine. In 1991, Sierra released a remake titled Leisure Suit Larry 1: In the Land of the Lounge Lizards for PC DOS, Apple Macintosh, and Amiga. This version used the Sierra's Creative Interpreter (SCI) engine, featuring 256 colors and a point-and-click, icon-driven user interface.

<i>Curse of Enchantia</i> British graphic adventure game

Curse of Enchantia is a graphic adventure game developed and released by the British video game company Core Design for MS-DOS and the Amiga in 1992. The game tells the comic fantasy story of Brad, a teenage boy from modern Earth who was magically abducted to the world of Enchantia by an evil witch-queen. He needs to escape and find a way back to his own dimension.

<i>Nightlong: Union City Conspiracy</i> 1998 video game

Nightlong: Union City Conspiracy is a cyberpunk-themed adventure game developed by Trecision and Team17 and published by MicroProse in Europe and DreamCatcher Interactive in North America. It was later ported to the Amiga by ClickBOOM.

<i>Dracula: Origin</i> 2008 video game

Dracula: Origin is a point-and-click adventure game for the PC based on the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker. Released by Frogwares in 2008, it follows the company's catalogue of adventure games such as the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes series.

<i>Limbo</i> (video game) 2010 video game

Limbo is a puzzle-platform video game with horror elements developed by independent studio Playdead and originally published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360. The game was released in July 2010 on Xbox Live Arcade, and it has since been ported by Playdead to several other systems, including the PlayStation 3, Linux and Microsoft Windows. Limbo is a 2D side-scroller, incorporating a physics system that governs environmental objects and the player character. The player guides an unnamed boy through dangerous environments and traps as he searches for his sister. The developer built the game's puzzles expecting the player to fail before finding the correct solution. Playdead called the style of play "trial and death", and used gruesome imagery for the boy's deaths to steer the player from unworkable solutions.

<i>The Lost Vikings</i> 1993 video game

The Lost Vikings is a puzzle-platform game developed by Silicon & Synapse and published by Interplay. It was originally released for the Super NES in 1993, then subsequently released for the Amiga, Amiga CD32, MS-DOS, and Mega Drive/Genesis systems; the Mega Drive/Genesis version contains five stages not present in any other version of the game, and can also be played by three players simultaneously. Blizzard re-released the game for the Game Boy Advance in 2003. In 2014, the game was added to Battle.net as a free download emulated through DOSBox. In celebration of the company's 30th anniversary, The Lost Vikings was re-released for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One as part of the Blizzard Arcade Collection in February 2021.

<i>The Secrets of Da Vinci: The Forbidden Manuscript</i> 2006 video game

The Secrets of Da Vinci: The Forbidden Manuscript is an adventure game developed by Kheops Studio and published by Tri Synergy on June 7, 2006 on the PC. In 2009 it was released on the Mac OS X.

References

  1. ↑ "Limbo of the Lost Page". GamePro. Archived from the original on 26 June 2008. Retrieved 13 June 2008.
  2. ↑ "The Hall of Light: Database of Amiga Games". Archived from the original on 8 June 2011. Retrieved 16 April 2009.
  3. 1 2 Walker, John (12 June 2008). "Limbo Of The Lost - An Astonishing Tale". Rock, Paper, Shotgun . Archived from the original on 7 January 2010.
  4. ↑ Young, Rosemary (July 2007). "Limbo of the Lost". Quandary. Archived from the original on 23 May 2008. Retrieved 12 June 2008.
  5. 1 2 Aplin, Gordon (December 2006). "Limbo of the Lost: Interview with Steve Bovis". Quandary. Archived from the original on 14 June 2008. Retrieved 12 June 2008.
  6. ↑ Allin, Jack (7 May 2008). "Limbo of the Lost destined for North America". Adventure Gamers. Archived from the original on 13 May 2008. Retrieved 12 June 2008.
  7. ↑ Allin, Jack (11 June 2008). "Limbo of the Lost disappears into Oblivion". Adventure Gamers. Archived from the original on 13 June 2008. Retrieved 12 June 2008.
  8. ↑ Lodata, Ryan (10 June 2008). "Limbo of the Lost or Oblivion?". GamePlasma. Archived from the original on 4 June 2012. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
  9. ↑ Sinclair, Brendan (12 June 2008). "PC game accused of purloining Oblivion assets". GameSpot . Archived from the original on 9 March 2009.
  10. 1 2 Boyes, Emma (16 June 2008). "Limbo in limbo after plagiarism outcry". GameSpot . Archived from the original on 20 October 2018. Retrieved 12 June 2008.
  11. 1 2 Caoili, Eric (12 June 2008). "Tri Synergy Discontinues Limbo Of The Lost On Stolen Asset Allegations". Gamasutra . Archived from the original on 13 June 2008. Retrieved 12 June 2008.
  12. ↑ Sinclair, Brendan (27 June 2008). "Limbo of the Lost devs respond to plagiarism charges". GameSpot . Archived from the original on 11 May 2020. Retrieved 24 June 2008.
  13. ↑ "Limbo of the Lost for PC Reviews - Metacritic". Metacritic . Metacritic.com
  14. ↑ "The 11 Weirdest Game Endings". Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 12 January 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) UGO.com
  15. ↑ "Macarena of the Missing [FINISHED]".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.