So, take a look at this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBiafym2OT4
[synopsis: an 8m long video demonstration of an Unreal Engine level
that showcases the engine's procedural generation technology, which
can make changes to level layouts in (almost) real-time]
Impressive tech. It's just another reason I have no sympathy for any
/ugly/ games anymore; the technology available to developers is so
powerful that you visually impressive games are almost de rigueur. If
you can't make a good looking game, it says more about your lack of
talent as an artist and developer than the resources available to you.
But that's not really what I wanted to talk about.
I wanted to talk about the "Spec Ops" demo from 1997.
At least, I think it was a demo for "Spec Ops"; it might have been for
the original "Rainbow Six"; the two were initially seen as competing
titles.
Whatever the game, that demo has resonated with me for twenty years.
It was more of an engine-test than a gameplay demo. Beyond walking
around a tiny map, there was nothing to do: no weapons, no AI, no
interactions. Even the level design was pretty mundane; a dark forest surrounding a well-lit building. But, limited as it was, that demo set
my imagination on fire.
It was the contrast between light and dark that really got me, I
think. Creeping through the woods, staying out of the pools of light
that were illuminating the mansion... it really made me feel like a
commando, staking out the scene and preparing for the inevitable
assault. Even the too-close fog - a requisite in that era of limited
draw distances - only increased the intensity of the experience; what
was in the bushes ahead of us? You couldn't tell.
Remember, this was before "Thief: The Dark Project" invented stealth
games. Our FPS experiences were based on Doom and Quake: immediate and
constant action. Methodical analysis of the situation and planning was incredibly novel.
I played and replayed that demo dozens of times, but after the game it
was based on ("Spec Ops" or "Rainbow Six", I forget) it got deleted.
I've never been able to find the engine-test again, but I've never
really tried to hard to find it. I doubt the experience would in any
way resemble my memories of it, and I'm happier with my imagination.
But I bring this all up, because I get that same sort of feeling - a
sense of ground-breaking technology that will help revolutionize video
games - watching the video I mentioned above. It's quite possible that
the first games to utilize the tech will be subpar (much like "Spec
Ops" proved to be on release), but the promise of that tech will
eventually be realized by better games. I don't know how games will be
better - much like I couldn't predict how stealth, sandbox and
tactical FPS games would revitalize the "Doom-clone" genre - but I
suspect it will be similarly groundbreaking.
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