An upcoming first-person shooter (FPS) is garnering mixed reactions from gamers following the release of its first early gameplay trailer. UNRECORD is a body-cam FPS developed by indie developer DRAMA, one of the first of its kind, showcasing photo-realistic graphics. Despite it only being an early gameplay trailer, UNRECORD is already looking to be a mind-blowing game experience. That said, many across the internet are starting raising concerns over the realism in the game and its future implications.
In UNRECORD, players take the role of a tactical police officer from the perspective of his body camera as he works to solve a complex case. Players can expect a complex and immersive and narrative experience through several different criminal cases. Each case provides numerous dialogue options with tough moral dilemmas, as well as “a unique shooting system.”
The gameplay trailer was just over two minutes, showcasing its main character explore an abandoned graffiti-covered building alongside of its unique gameplay and dialogue system. Reactions to the trailer ranged from amazement, disbelief, and discomfort at the hyper realistic graphics and animations shown.
Trainwreck, popular streamer and co-owner of Twitch rival Kick, gave his own opinion, highlighting the game’s controversial subject matter and how it relates to real tragic events.
“I’m going to get a lot of hate for this,” said Trainwreck. “but this level of realism in video games should be heavily moderated in shooters for anyone under a certain age, I hope parents do their job. this level of realism for shooting & killing makes me feel uncomfortable…”
He added that the trailer felt like watching “a real leak from a military or police operation” and that the level of realism in the trailer gives real credibility to the well-known political talking point of “video games conditioning young people.”
Others share a similar sentiment.
David Goldfarb, founder and creative director of The Outsiders, shared his thoughts. He said that the trailer was “very cool, but deeply uncomfortable setting and vibe.” After some backlash from critics alleging that he alluded that the game shouldn’t exist, he clarified his point, saying that “there is a place for games that make you uncomfortable.” and denying that he ever said that UNRECORD shouldn’t exist.
Regardless, UNRECORD is a game that has showcased how far games have come graphically, despite its controversial subject matter. While there is no official release date, the game is currently available to wishlist on Steam.