Square Enix’s New ‘AI’ Game Released But Receives Negative Reviews and Criticisms
Square Enix, a game publisher known for its technological advancements, has released an AI-driven game called The Portopia Serial Murder Case on Steam. While the game is a remake of an adventure game released in Japan in 1983, what’s significant about this release is the use of machine learning to help players navigate through the game with ease. The game uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) to link the player’s input to the correct or desired answer. However, the AI on showcase is unsophisticated, making it difficult for players to progress through the game.
The AI is so primitive that it cannot even discern the difference between commands like “Go to study” and “Go to the study.” As a result, players have to be very specific with what they type, or they get responses such as “Hmm…” or “We should focus on the task at hand.” This is disappointing, given that this software is meant to demonstrate cutting-edge AI technology. The game’s reviews are negative, with players expressing frustration at the machine learning, which is broken and leaving them with text inputs that are as frustrating as, if not more so, than the 1983 original.
Despite the AI’s limitations, The Portopia Serial Murder Case is a classic game designed by Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii. The game’s first-person graphics, dialogue system, and open-world design helped pioneer the adventure game and visual novel genres. The fact that Square Enix remade the game with new visuals is incredible, but it would have been better if they had made the original game available for players to enjoy.
In conclusion, The Portopia Serial Murder Case is a fantastic game, and the fact that it’s available as a free download on Steam is commendable. However, Square Enix’s attempt to showcase AI technology has been a failure, leaving players frustrated with the primitive AI that cannot comprehend basic commands. It’s an insult to a game with such an important legacy, and Square Enix should consider adding redundant nouns and other such text adventure features to make the game more accessible to modern audiences.
