Preview Limbo of the Lost Developer: Majestic Studios Publisher: TBD Release Date: Summer 2005 Platform: Preview by Randy Sluganski August 16, 2004

Another new adventure game in development?! Well, in development, yes. New, well not exactly. For you see, Limbo of the Lost has actually been in one form of development or another since 1995!

Limbo was originally in development for the Amiga CD32 console and the Amiga 1200 AGA home computer. The game was featured in more than six gaming magazines and even appeared at the ECTS in London. Heck, they even had a publisher! But - as us old-timers remember – the Amiga soon went the way of Sierra and Limbo of the Lost was put into, well, limbo.

Now the same development team – previously known as Tri-Logik Studios - has reformed as Majestic Studios and Limbo has been saved from the 1st Circle of Hell.

Majestic Studios is comprised of three men who live and breath adventure games. Steve Bovis (Game Design/Visuals & Project Director), Laurence Francis (Lead Puzzle Design/Musician/Co-Director) and Tim Croucher (Lead Character Design/Sound FX/Co-Director) and from what we’ve seen so far, these guys are hardcore adventure gamers who know their stuff.

In Limbo of the Lost, the player is Destiny and is an aide to Captain Briggs through the Keep of Lost Souls. You do not control Briggs, but as Destiny only advise him what to do. He has his own personality and can agree or not agree to your suggestions. Briggs also hold the seal to The Book.

Fate (the game) – along with the Four Horsemen who possess the Book– are Destiny’s (the player) opponents and have placed devious puzzles as an obstacle to Brigg’s progress.

There are seven levels and a like amount of gates that must be opened by Briggs. If he succeeds in getting the four horsemen’s Book and sealing it, then the horsemen will be banished to the underworld, if he fails then the 7th Gate will open and Armageddon will ensue.

Limbo is a traditional adventure in many ways: it is a point-and-click game; the inventory system will allow items to be combined and the player will be able to save anywhere. Plus, after solving difficult puzzles, the player will be prompted by the game to save his progress.

All of Limbo’s puzzles have been designed on paper first and then tweaked until they are logical. Every level will have the answer to its puzzles within that level to avoid tramping from level to level and halting the flow of the game.

The graphics are just as impressive. Background graphics will be shadowed in real-time so that character shadows and objects can be animated. All of the game characters will be rendered and textured in 3D and then transferred into a backdrop. They will also each have their own distinct voice and all characters will be 100% lip-synched. Screens will auto scroll as the character moves in any direction.

The developers are also promising 666 different rooms, over 50 NPCs, 3,500 sound effects, 1,000 puzzles, 200 cut scenes, a full musical score and multiple endings. While these may seem like lofty goals, remember this game has been germinating for almost nine years.

We’ll have more on this game as development progresses, but for now enjoy the many in-game screenshots and sketches that are only available at Just Adventure.