Before it became a hit Metroidvania, The Messenger was only a pitch in its director's mind - and one that wasn't exactly a big hit with their old employer.
In an Escapist documentary on the making of Sabotage Studio's JRPG prequel to The Messenger, Sea of Stars, director Thierry Boulanger touched on the series' origins. Apparently, he had originally pitched The Messenger at a studio while he was working as a gameplay programmer, well before he started up Sabotage. His pitch was soundly rejected.
