Love Shore

Last updated
Love Shore
OfficialCoverArt Love Shore.jpeg
Official Poster
Developer(s) Perfect Garbage Studios
Publisher(s) Perfect Garbage Studios
Director(s)
  • Son M.
  • Emmett Nahil
Producer(s)
  • Son M.
  • Emmett Nahil
  • Suvi Savikko
Designer(s)
  • Son M.
  • Sonja M. LaRosa
  • Suvi Savikko
Programmer(s) Jason Davey
Artist(s)
  • Suvi Savikko
  • Marilyn Moats
  • Zi Xu
  • Elliott Birt
  • Gen Revuelta
  • Ria Martinez
  • Ozzie Elmore
Writer(s)
  • Son M.
  • Emmett Nahil
Composer(s)
  • Suvi Savikko
  • Jayson Alexander
Platform(s)
ReleaseJune 30, 2023
Genre(s)
  • Visual Novel
  • Cyberpunk Noir
Mode(s) Single-player

Love Shore is a cyberpunk noir visual novel developed and published by Perfect Garbage Studios. Set in the cyberpunk city of Love Shore, the game revolves around protagonists Sam and Farah, who attempt to navigate the monstrous underworld in hopes of uncovering the means to save their friends.

Contents

The game was released for Xbox Series X/S and Steam on June 30, 2023. [1] Love Shore is the debut title of developer, Perfect Garbage Studios.

Gameplay

Gameplay from Love Shore Love Shore Screenshot.jpeg
Gameplay from Love Shore

Love Shore is a visual novel that contains eight different story routes and romance options for its two main characters, over twenty-five endings depending on choices made throughout the game, and interweaving plot points. [2] The city of Love Shore operates on a 24-hour system. The player sees a shift in UI, sprites and aesthetics as day turns to night and vice-versa. [2]

The game contains RPG elements such as stat building based on actions performed throughout the game. [3] Every choice made relates to a stat or point system. Three stats are always visible to the player: strength, courage, and intelligence. [4] As the player make choices throughout the game, the path they choose impacts and improves stats. When a player’s stats are too low, specific choices become locked; a low intelligence stat will bar a player from picking a choice that only high intelligence can allow. [4]

Setting

The game takes place in the fictional cyberpunk city of Love Shore, a future metropolis inhabited by both humans and old gods. [5] When the city faces a fertility crisis, biotech firm Life S. Incorporated steps in, creating fully-formed human beings composed of cybernetic parts, save for their biological brains. [6] These cyborgs are called S.Humans. But the firm’s profitability soon begins to suffer as the crisis passes. Life S. Inc manages to build 100 S.Humans before going bankrupt, leaving the remaining cyborgs to fend for themselves. [2]

The game features gods and supernatural beings from a variety of cultures, including Aztec mythology, Maya Mythology, Yoruba mythology, Hinduism, and Greek mythology, among others. [7]

Characters

Love Shore has two playable characters, Farah and Sam, two artificially created humans made after an event drastically altered life in the futuristic city of Love Shore. [2] Though the characters live separate lives, their storylines intertwine due to their origins. [8] Both Farah and Sam have four romanceable character-locked NPCs available to interact with during their storylines. [2]

Development

Love Shore will be the debut release from Perfect Garbage Studios, founded in 2019. [3] The studio is headed up by Studio Director, Son M. and Narrative Design Director, Emmett Nahil. [9] The team cites finding a lot of value and support within the network of fellow indie developers they established upon entering the indie gaming community. [10]

Love Shore’s inception began over a late-night airport phone call from M. to Nahil, inquiring if they would be interested in making a game together. [10] It was originally conceived as a horror story that M. was writing prior to Perfect Garbage’s formation. [10]

The team leaned into narrative games with unique mechanics, citing titles like Dishonored , Shadow of the Colossus , Devil May Cry , and Bioshock as inspiration. [10]

Crowdfunding

In March 2019, Perfect Garbage launched a public Kickstarter to fundraise for development costs. [3] The campaign featured a downloadable demo for Windows, Mac, and Linux. The campaign raised over $62,000 of its original $50,000 goal. [11] In October 2022, Perfect Garbage released a special exclusive demo for Kickstarter backers. [12]

Perfect Garbage was also a recipient of the Moonrise Fund, an early-stage gaming investment fund from indie publisher, GLITCH. [9] They were recipients along with Skullgirls developers, Future Club and Virtuoso Neomedia. [13]

Soundtrack

The Love Shore soundtrack consists of 30+ original compositions by Suvi Savikko and Jayson Alexander. [7]

The soundtrack was released on Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple Music, and for purchase on Steam in June 2023. [14]

Release

Love Shore was released in June 2023 on Windows, macOS, and Xbox Series X/S. [15]

Related Research Articles

Game Developer is a website created in 1997 that focuses on aspects of video game development. It is owned and operated by Informa and acted as the online sister publication to the print magazine Game Developer prior to the latter's closure in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indie game</span> Class of video game, generally independently published

An indie game, short for independent video game, is a video game typically created by individuals or smaller development teams without the financial and technical support of a large game publisher, in contrast to most "AAA" (triple-A) games. Because of their independence and freedom to develop, indie games often focus on innovation, experimental gameplay, and taking risks not usually afforded in AAA games. Indie games tend to be sold through digital distribution channels rather than at retail due to a lack of publisher support. The term is synonymous with that of independent music or independent film in those respective mediums.

<i>Skullgirls</i> 2D fighting video game

Skullgirls is a 2D fighting game developed by Reverge Labs and published by Autumn Games. In Skullgirls, players fight each other with teams of one, two, or three characters, attempting to knock out their opponents or have the most cumulative health when time runs out. The setting of the game revolves around the "Skull Heart", an artifact which grants wishes for women. If a wisher with an impure soul uses the Skull Heart, she is transformed into a monster known as the "Skullgirl". The game was released through the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade in April 2012, and received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the animation and gameplay mechanics, while criticizing its initial roster size and online multiplayer features.

Supergiant Games, LLC is an American independent video game developer and publisher based in San Francisco. It was founded in 2009 by Amir Rao and Gavin Simon, and is known for the games Bastion, Transistor, Pyre, and Hades.

<i>Cyberpunk 2077</i> 2020 video game

Cyberpunk 2077 is a 2020 action role-playing video game developed by CD Projekt Red and published by CD Projekt, based on video game designer Mike Pondsmith's game series. Set in a dystopian cyberpunk universe, the player assumes the role of "V", a mercenary in the fictional Californian city known as "Night City", where they deal with the fallout from a heist gone wrong that results in an experimental cybernetic "bio-chip" containing an engram of the legendary rock star and terrorist Johnny Silverhand threatening to slowly overwrite V's mind; as the story progresses V and Johnny must work together to find a way to be separated and save V's life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CD Projekt</span> Polish video game company

CD Projekt S.A. is a Polish video game developer, publisher and distributor based in Warsaw, founded in May 1994 by Marcin Iwiński and Michał Kiciński. Iwiński and Kiciński were video game retailers before they founded the company, which initially acted as a distributor of foreign video games for the domestic market. The department responsible for developing original games, CD Projekt Red, best known for The Witcher series, was formed in 2002. In 2008, CD Projekt launched the digital distribution service Good Old Games, now known as GOG.com.

<i>Monument Valley</i> (video game) Puzzle video game

Monument Valley is an indie puzzle game developed and published by Ustwo Games. The player leads the princess Ida through mazes of optical illusions and impossible objects while manipulating the world around her to reach various platforms. Monument Valley was developed over ten months beginning in early 2013 based on concept drawings by company artist Ken Wong. Its visual style was inspired by Japanese prints, minimalist sculpture, and indie games Windosill, Fez, and Sword & Sworcery, and was compared by critics to M. C. Escher drawings and Echochrome. The art was designed such that each frame would be worthy of public display.

<i>Indivisible</i> (video game) 2019 video game

Indivisible is an action role-playing platform game developed by the now-defunct Lab Zero Games and published by 505 Games. The game was initially released in October 2019 for Linux, macOS, Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One and on April 28, 2020 for Nintendo Switch. It was released in Japan on July 16, 2020. A version for Amazon Luna was released on October 20, 2020, despite Lab Zero Games going defunct 11 days prior, thus discontinuing all additional content for the game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crunchyroll Anime Awards</span> Annual awards presented by Crunchyroll

The Crunchyroll Anime Awards, also known simply as The Anime Awards, are awards given annually by the anime streaming service Crunchyroll to recognize the best anime of the previous year. Announced in December 2016, the awards were first presented in January 2017. Crunchyroll describes it as a "global event that recognizes the anime shows, characters, and artists that fans around the world love most."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annapurna Interactive</span> Video game publisher

Annapurna Games, LLC is an American video game publisher and developer. The company is a division of Annapurna Pictures, and was founded in 2016. Notable games published by the company include Donut County, Kentucky Route Zero, Outer Wilds, Sayonara Wild Hearts, Wattam, What Remains of Edith Finch, Telling Lies, Neon White and Stray.

<i>Stray</i> (video game) 2022 video game

Stray is a 2022 adventure game developed by BlueTwelve Studio and published by Annapurna Interactive. The story follows a stray cat who falls into a walled city populated by robots, machines, and mutant bacteria, and sets out to return to the surface with the help of a drone companion, B-12. The game is presented through a third-person perspective. The player traverses the game world by leaping across platforms and climbing up obstacles, and can interact with the environment to open new paths. Using B-12, they can store items found throughout the world and hack into technology to solve puzzles. Throughout the game, the player must evade the antagonistic Zurks and Sentinels, which attempt to kill them.

<i>Cyberpunk: Edgerunners</i> 2022 anime web series

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is a 2022 cyberpunk web anime series based on the video game Cyberpunk 2077 by CD Projekt Red. The series was animated by Japanese Studio Trigger under the supervision of Polish CD Projekt and premiered on Netflix in September 2022. Set in the Cyberpunk universe created by Mike Pondsmith, the anime serves as a prequel to the game and takes place about a year before the events of Cyberpunk 2077.

<i>Gayming Magazine</i> British online LGBTQ video gaming magazine

Gayming Magazine is a British, UK-based online LGBTQ video gaming magazine. They are the first video gaming website dedicated to the LGBTQ community.The site was launched in June 2019 with the aim of connecting the LGBTQ and video gaming communities, and has launched virtual Pride events. In 2021, the magazine hosted the world's first LGBTQ+ gaming awards ceremony, Gayming Awards, with the most recent event having taken place in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alanah Pearce</span> Australian video game writer and journalist (born 1993)

Alanah Pearce is an Australian video game writer and former journalist. Since 2020, Pearce has worked for American game developer Santa Monica Studio.

<i>Unpacking</i> (video game) 2021 video game

Unpacking is a puzzle video game developed by Witch Beam and published by Humble Bundle for Microsoft Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5. The game received positive reviews, two BAFTA Game Awards, was chosen as game of the year by Eurogamer.

<i>Lake</i> (video game) 2021 video game

Lake is a 2021 graphic adventure game developed by Gamious and published by Whitethorn Games. Set in 1986, the story follows Meredith Weiss, a software developer who spends two weeks in her hometown of Providence Oaks, Oregon, where she temporarily assumes the role of the town's mail carrier. The player interacts with residents while delivering mail to them. The game presents dialogue options which influence the events of the story and its ending.

Glitch SBC, stylized as GLITCH, is an American software and video game development company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota specializing in original titles, player insights and the publishing of indie games. GLITCH was founded in 2013 by Evva Karr and Nicolaas VanMeerten. Karr previously worked in publishing and strategic partnerships for Riot Games and Activision Blizzard Media Network.

<i>ValiDate: Struggling Singles in Your Area</i> 2022 video game

ValiDate: Struggling Singles in Your Area is a romance visual novel and dating simulator developed and published by Veritable Joy Studios. The game follows 13 characters as they navigate love, friendship and adulthood in Jercy City. ValiDate is the debut title of developer Veritable Joy Studios.

References

  1. Dinsdale, Ryan (2022-06-11). "Future of Play Direct 2022: Everything Announced and Revealed". IGN. Archived from the original on 2023-03-08. Retrieved 2022-12-19.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Ramée, Jordan (2021-12-02). "This Cyberpunk Noir Game Is "Perfect Garbage," And We Can't Wait To Play It". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2022-06-29. Retrieved 2022-12-10.
  3. 1 2 3 Garnett, Ryland (2019-09-19). "Love Shore is creating an unabashedly queer and colorful cyberpunk story". Gayming Mag. Archived from the original on 2022-12-19. Retrieved 2022-12-19.
  4. 1 2 Spencer, Chloe (2019-03-27). "Upcoming Visual Novel Love Shore Diversifies Sci-Fi Narratives". GameLuster. Archived from the original on 2022-12-21. Retrieved 2022-12-19.
  5. Yamada, Shuka (2020-10-31). "INDIE GAME WEEK". IGN Japan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2022-12-19. Retrieved 2022-12-19.
  6. Maldonado, Lawrence (2020-09-29). "Most Promising Games From Game Devs Of Color Expo 2020". ScreenRant. Archived from the original on 2022-12-19. Retrieved 2022-12-19.
  7. 1 2 C., Seher (2022-11-08). "Love Shore Promises Cyberpunk Mystery and Warring Gods". The Fandomentals. Archived from the original on 2022-12-19. Retrieved 2022-12-19.
  8. Ramée, Jordan (2021-01-05). "50 Indie Games To Keep An Eye On In 2021". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2022-12-19. Retrieved 2022-12-19.
  9. 1 2 Dealessandri, Marie (2021-11-03). "Glitch's Moonrise Fund backs first three studios". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on 2022-12-19. Retrieved 2022-12-19.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Galiz-Rowe, Ty (2021-08-31). "Developer Spotlight: Perfect Garbage's Journey From Late Night Airport Call to E3 and Beyond". Uppercut Crit. Archived from the original on 2022-12-19. Retrieved 2022-12-19.
  11. Waldrop, Cameron (2022-09-09). "Love Shore Is an Upcoming Visual Novel Cyberpunk Thriller to Die For". Twinfinite. Archived from the original on 2022-12-19. Retrieved 2022-12-19.
  12. J., Naja (2022-11-07). "Love Shore (Early Access) Demo Review - First Impressions". Blerdy Otome. Archived from the original on 2022-12-21. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
  13. Valentine, Rebekah (2021-11-02). "Ex-Skullgirls' Devs Next Game Is Just One Project Backed By This New Games Fund". IGN. Archived from the original on 2022-12-19. Retrieved 2022-12-19.
  14. Perfect Garbage | Love Shore [@perfectgarbo] (June 3, 2023). "More juicy soundtrack news incoming......As of TODAY, preorder the Love Shore OST on Bandcamp to receive Blood (the main title track!) for immediate download. No waiting, just Blood. We know, what more can you ask for?" (Tweet) via Twitter.
  15. Hart, Aimee (2023-06-30). "Love Shore Review - Hell is empty and all the devils are here". Gayming Magazine. Archived from the original on 2023-07-05. Retrieved 2023-07-05.