It’s a dream for every game studio to go viral with their upcoming game, much more so for independent companies. But, it isn’t always a good thing when every media outlet picks up your game, especially if it gains notoriety as a result.
Unrecord, an Unreal Engine 5-powered game by DRAMA, is all over the internet at the moment for its realistic presentation. The game sees players take the role of a police detective all the while witnessing the action unfold through the fisheye-lens of a police body camera. The result is a game that one could easily mistake for real-life bodycam footage, which has also become a hot topic in recent years.
There has been speculation among viewers about the authenticity of the gameplay footage of Unrecord. DRAMA claims the footage is captured from an executable and played using a keyboard and mouse, while also denying Unrecord is a VR title. DRAMA is flattered to hear that the graphics of Unrecord are almost indistinguishable from reality, they explain it would be a “blockbuster scam” if Unrecord were not real, given the high production costs of making a game.
Although many have interpreted the hyper-realistic portrayal of police gun violence in Unrecord as a commentary on the current climate, DRAMA maintains that the game itself is apolitical.
Here’s what the developer wrote in a FAQ:
As a French studio addressing a global audience, the game does not engage in any foreign policy and is not inspired by any real-life events. The game will obviously avoid any undesirable topics such as discrimination, racism, violence against women and minorities. The game will have no biased or Manichaean take on criminal acts and police violence. We also respect and understand people who may feel disturbed by the game’s images. Art cannot fight against interpretation.
Justifying the undisclosed content of the game would be a spoiler, and you will discover the direction of the themes for yourself. The public generally trusts film, series, and novel writers on the intelligence of the point of view when it comes to detective, gangster, or police stories. Why not for a video game? If the game presents political messages, they will be made consciously or in your interpretation. If the game aims to be subversive in certain countries, we will assume the label.
Whether DRAMA likes it or not, Unrecord has become a part of the gun violence conversation.
Don’t expect the controversy surrounding the in-development title to change once it launches. If anything, things are only going to get worse.
It’s easy to see how releasing a bodycam-style shooter at a time when bodycam footage of police in real-life gunning down civilians for unjustifiable reasons can be seen as problematic by audiences.
We’ll see once Unrecord comes out on the PC if it can sell well in spite of all the negativity surrounding it.
