In an odd turn of events, when more and more studios are coming up with AI generated in-game assets, the upcoming Pragmata by Capcom has done something that’s pretty much the opposite–the game features a stage that totally feels like AI generated although it’s made by actual developers who went to a painstakingly detailed process to make it look like it’s anything but.
From a recent interview by 4Gamer (translated by Automaton), director Cho Yonghee and producer Naoto Oyama from Capcom have spoken about a particular stage in the upcoming Pragmata which has been meticulously designed to feel like it’s made by AI.
“For Pragmata, we set the premise as ‘a fake New York generated by AI,’” said Cho.
“When familiar locations appear, players can relate more easily. On top of that, to make it clear that this isn’t the real New York, we wanted something slightly distorted.”
“It mirrors reality, but its unique appeal comes from the setting errors and how they feel out of place, such as taxis sinking into floors, or buses sprouting from walls,” Oyama stated. “Although the premise is that it generated by AI, actually, our human developers painstakingly worked to incorporate mechanisms that express this AI-like uncanny feel.”
They also explained that the developers had to maintain a fine balance in designing the level to create a unique and eerie feeling in the players that they’re experiencing something that’s not made by humans: “But if the shapes are too unusual, players might think they’re related to puzzles or that the terrain has some hidden meaning. Balancing distortion to be both unique and merely background was difficult.”
It’s pretty interesting for a level and certainly makes Pragmata an unusually gripping and potentially unforgettable experience, when it comes out on 17th April this year. It’s got a slight bit of Bioshock vibes in it, although it looks to bring an experience completely unique onto itself and it’s demo has already been played by over 2 million gamers as of now.
