See How ‘1348 Ex Voto’ Crafted Its Medieval Sapphic Love Story
A new behind-the-scenes video reveals how ‘1348 Ex Voto’ used full motion capture to bring its lesbian knights and their sweeping medieval romance to life.
Featured image via Sedleo
With the highly sapphic video game 1348 Ex Voto set to launch next month, developer Sedleo has released a behind-the-scenes video that shifts attention to the incredible work that brought its central romance to life.
We have already written about the A+ premise, a lesbian knight crossing 14th-century Italy to rescue the woman she loves. The new footage takes us into the studio, where actors Jennifer English and Alby Baldwin perform Aeta and Bianca in full performance capture. For a debut indie project, it is a notable gamble.
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“I think what I did learn and we learned as we went from the creators, is how beautiful and rich the history is. It’s been such an honor to be able to do that and to be able to do performance capture, and for them to take that risk to do that because it’s not the easiest method by any means,” English says.
“The messiness of [Aeta and Bianca’s] relationship is one of my favourite things about it,” she added. “I think there is a romanticism that both Bianca and Aeta have, but especially Bianca. She plays games with the world. What I will say about Aeta’s bowl cut is I think it’s quite hot and historically accurate. Historically accurate! So back off! Haters! Haters of the bowl cut!”
Baldwin has described Aeta as “slightly gender queer,” noting that other characters sometimes mistake her for a man, something she wears openly. “It’s not a coming out story,” English added. “It’s not your usual fare. I’ve not seen that very often in games or just in media in general.”
The behind-the-scenes clip also conveys how personally invested English is in telling LGBTQ+ stories, something she has spoken about previously in relation to her role in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
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“I did that a few years ago,” English said. “And I chose instead, a life that was authentic, a life that was gay! I fell in love with a beautiful woman who is crying her eyes out right now, it’s really funny. And I chose queer joy, and as a result of that queer joy, I felt safe enough to pour my grief and pain and all that nonsense and joy into this incredibly beautifully written character. And I’m so proud of that, and just want to thank queer joy!”
With more than 100,000 wishlists on Steam and a $25 price point, 1348 Ex Voto heads into its final weeks before release with momentum. The new footage suggests that beyond its hook, a medieval sapphic quest, there is careful craft behind the armor.
