Why Does S.T.E.A.M. For Nintendo 3DS Take Place In London?

Earlier this evening, Nintendo announced a turn-based strategy game with elements of a third-person shooters for the Nintendo 3DS. Developed by Intelligent Systems, the game is codenamed S.T.E.A.M. and takes place in a steampunk London being invaded by aliens.

While S.T.E.A.M. takes place in London, you control an elite squad put together by Abraham Lincoln to fend off the alien menace. So… why does the game take place in London if the team was formed by Lincoln?

Creative director Paul Patraschu says that while the setting for S.T.E.A.M. is fantasy, the development team is stealing elements from history. The British empire was the greatest power on the Earth, so the aliens targeted them.

The steampunk aesthetic is heavily influenced by Victorian art and 19th century British aesthetics, so Intelligent Systems figured it would be a familiar starting point for people. Robert: Lincoln sort of brings the “American” element into the game, together with the influence from Silver Age comic books that inspired the team.