Game news Between plagiarism and curse, here is the story of one of the worst games of all time!

Game news Between plagiarism and curse, here is the story of one of the worst games of all time!

If it sometimes happens to wait for a game that we really want for months or even yearsthis also implies being able to be bitterly disappointed. A recent example could crystallize around The Day Before, long considered the most promising and anticipated triple-A MMO in the industry. But now, after multiple postponements, the final game comes out and it’s a cold shower. In addition to not honoring the slightest of its promises, the title is accused of plagiarism. The game is so bad it’s removed from Steam just 4 days after release, leaving behind only its bad reputation and the trampled expectations of players. But know that another game makes the scandal The Day Before perfectly insignificant. Discover the immense fiasco that was Limbo of the Lost in this JV Legends.

A game back from limbo

In April 2006, the publisher G2 Games (Enemy Engaged 2, Alliance Future Combat) just registered a new PC game in development: Limbo of the Lost. It’s a small team of 6 people who have been responsible for creating the title for over 10 years now. Originally planned to be released on the Ataris ST, the project evolved in 1995 towards the Amiga 500. It was the duo composed of Steve Bovis, developer, and Tim Croucher, screenwriter, who was then on the project and who encountered the slowdown in sales of the Amiga for the benefit of the PC. Limbo of the Lost then falls back into nothingness before re-emerging 10 years later with a dusted-off concept and 3D modeling.

The team has also grown since Laurence Francis, pub manager, musician and friend of Steve and Tim, joins the team as game designer, voice actor and guitarist, alongside another musician, Marko Hautamäki. The wives of Steve and Laurence also join the boat, taking care of the paperwork and the tests respectively. After these long years of development, it’s the big day. The release is expected, but first hiccup, players who pre-ordered their copy of the game are not delivered. Worried, they came across a message on a forum from a European player who had supposedly received the disc and who praises the game. “It’s a shame the publisher is having trouble releasing it, because the game is great even if I’m stuck” he wrote before adding “I hope you get the chance to play it soon”.

Plagiarism galore

When the players finally receive their game, it’s misunderstanding. Eric Franck, journalist for Game Plasma, tested the game and discovered that certain locations were taken from other titles, notably the Town Hall which is neither more nor less than the Skingrad Castle of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion. The web is on fire and on the forums, lists of different plagiarisms are drawn up. Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, Painkiller, The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth, Diablo 2, Silent Hill 4: The Room, World of Warcraft, Enclave, Black & White 2, are part of of the long list of looted games. The cutscenes are even taken directly from films like Spawn Or Pirates of the Caribbean.

The game was quickly removed from shelves and Tim Croucher as well as Laurence Francis announce their departure from the studio. Steve Bovis is accused by his former colleagues of having knowingly stolen other works without having informed the team, in addition to keeping more than 50% of the income. The game tells the story of Benjamin Spooner Briggs, the captain of the Mary Celeste, an American ship discovered abandoned for obscure reasons in 1872, and without any trace of its passengers. Inspired by a true story and subject to curse rumorsTim Croucher would later declare to a journalist that he had, perhaps, been cursed by the Mary Celeste as soon as he started working on the game. The history of the creation of Limbo of the Lost contains many twists and turns, and we encourage you to discover it in our dedicated JV Legends!