Preview: Love

By: Derek Yu

On: July 25th, 2008

Procedurally-generated world. Procedurally-generated characters. Deformable terrain. Day/night cycles and environmental effects. Massively multiplayer and online. ONE developer.

Do I even need to mention that he’s a Swede? …I imagine that Eskil Steenberg, like hearty Obelix from the Asterix comic books, might have fallen into a cauldron of Swedish magic water when he was a kid.

But perhaps I’m being too presumptuous, seeing as the game is still in development. In any case, Love certainly looks beautiful, with computer-created graphics that look painted with a brush. And its cooperative gameplay, though vaguely outlined at this point, sounds very different from your average MMOG.

Eskil’s development blog is full of interesting musings, too, so check it out. I like his latest post, in which he defines his own independence:

Why am I making this game alone? Its a question I get over and over and sometimes ask myself. I think I could get a job at a Game developer, maybe even a big name one. Many people dream of working at Valve, id, Blizzard or Nintendo, but i don’t see what I would do there. They do fine without me, and I would rather play their games as they are, then trying to change them. Sure It would be cool to have a biz card from one of those companies, but isn’t it the people who built those companies who deserve hand them out?

…Like everyone else, I have game design documents, scripts, pilots, deigns [sic], books, and ideas lying around, but at some point you have to be asking yourself, Do I want to spend my time trying to convince the world that I have potential, or do I want to spend my time actually doing something.

(Thanks, Data!)

TIGdb: Entry for Love

Posted in MMOG, Previews | Tags: EskilSteenberg

Secret Admirer

Are those in-game footages?

Goddamn
The North

This looks ridiculously awesome.
Pip

The indie Okami?
muku

Astounding. Another Tarn Adams?
LopinRD

That fella made an awsome comment about his own work and ideal…. Now im hooked to this game just because of that comment.
falsion

The graphics remind me of the first Street Fighter IV trailer (the one with Ryu and Ken with the paint brush strokes, before they changed the graphics style). Awesome.
falsion

Except this is in real time, which is amazing.
Quetz

I’m totally keeping an eye on this.
http://sophiehoulden.com GirlFlash

I’ve not played it, but I’m still in love anyway!

(true pun!)
Captain_Duck

Sounds good, but this is far to ambitious for a one man project. Im sorry to say but this will probably never come out.
Captain_Duck

The guy is welcome to prove me wrong though. I would like this to come out.
FISH

this is perhaps the game im most excited about right now.

like a dwarf fortress for people who care about art.
http://lumberingdream.com/ !CE-9

this is profoundly intimidating, and so is Eskil and his talent. my jaw has dropped in a black hole.
chad

just a note– obelix is a gaul, i.e., he’s french.
Gutter

it’s weird to see a “Fall into the magic cauldron” reference explained :)

But I’m french, so I grew up watching Asterix and Obelix. (the movies are hilarious in their original french BTW.)
wat

So, are you guys putting this on the “Active Development Watchlist”?
Pnx

In-game footages??? where?
Phasma Felis

a picture

another picture

If those are actually in-engine, then holy living *fuck*.
Quetz

http://youtube.com/watch?v=uQDpcsK5Tqo

Here! lol. That’s pretty old though.
Data

Better video, sans choppiness:
http://www.gametrailers.com/player/usermovies/194525.html
Dusty Spur

This game looks really interesting and *very* pretty. I’m definitely excited for this.

Also, the fact that most of the related videos on GameTrailers are of hentai games made me laugh.
bateleur

The one thing which really worries me about this game is “Massively Multiplayer Online”. So that means when everyone else stops playing it I don’t get to play either? And I wonder how long the server will be maintained for?
noname

Those companies wouldn’t hire him anyway. Imagine seeing that kind of horrendous spelling and grammar on a job application.
Karuvitomsk

^His English is quite good, actually, judging from Love’s site and his blog.

Have system requirements been released yet..?
Quetz

Ahh thanks Data, I thought the choppiness was just my computer.
HostFat

Those companies are seeking developers and not PR …
v-rus

If this doesn’t win an igf award (or three), I have no idea what will.
Mruqe

I used to be an active NOCTIC IV community member (http://db.tigsource.com/games/noctis-iv – you know). Love reminds me of NOCTIS in many ways. I wonder if mr. Eskil played Alessanro Ghinola’s masterpiece.