LMNO

LMNO is the codename of a canceled action-adventure game produced by prolific Hollywood director Steven Spielberg. Initially announced in 2005 (though not by name) as one of several collaborations between Spielberg and EA Los Angeles, the game would have featured a protagonist named Lincoln who is tasked with breaking a woman out of a lab belonging to an organization named EXCAP, only for that woman to turn out to be an alien named Eve. Lincoln and Eve would then embark on a road trip together to escape from EXCAP's goons while keeping Eve's alien nature a secret from the people they come across. The gameplay centered around the player's interactions with Eve, who would interact with the environment inquisitively and sometimes assist the player in combat, which involved fist fighting only (no guns—a mandate from Spielberg). Eve had three backstories that could be selected at the start of the game which would affect her behavior: one emphasized her curiosity, one her friendship with the player, and one her combat abilities. Eve could also help the player access parts of the environment, which could only be reached via parkour. The player had a skill tree where different powers and combat moves could be unlocked depending on how their interactions with Eve progressed. The initial version of the project came to an end in October 2008 when EA laid off the majority of the LMNO team at EALA as well as the outsourced help at Arkane Studios SASU, who were creating a level set at a truck stop. However, a skeleton team remained to retool the concept into a less ambitious, more traditional game, which ended up gaining a new name: The Escape Artist.