The first gameplay trailer for developer DRAMA’s tactical body camera shooter Unrecord has gamers divided over the game’s realistic visuals and police-centric storyline. This visually stunning shooter is one of many Unreal Engine 5 titles released recently, with a visual style designed to replicate camera footage.
Unrecord’s first clip, released in late 2022, before the game had an official title, caused a stir online as gamers debated whether the photorealistic visuals shown were actually in-game or pre-rendered footage. While little information has been available on the game so far, Unrecorded’s FAQ describes it as a “narrative game that draws inspiration from real-life FPS games.” Based on the videos released so far, it’s no surprise that games like police tactical shooter “Ready” or “Not Ready” are listed as one of Unrecord’s influences, but the developer also cites the critically acclaimed Campo Santo narrative adventure game “Firewatch” as a key influence.
Just over six months after the first footage of the Unreal Engine 5 game became an online sensation, developer Alexandre Spindler posted a gameplay trailer for Unrecord to Twitter to give gamers a better look at What they expected from this unique tactical shooter. The short trailer begins with a police officer walking towards an abandoned building, checking their weapons, before going inside to track down the suspect. Stunningly lifelike gameplay footage shows officers killing several suspects as they walk through the building before they arrive at what appears to be an interrogation, only to be cut short by an explosion at the end of the trailer . The entire trailer is visually stunning, with high-quality lighting and textures that at times make it nearly indistinguishable from actual camera footage.
Reactions to the realistic gameplay graphics have been decidedly mixed, ranging from those who were in awe of the stunning visuals to those who were troubled by the game’s content. Some responses praised what the developer has achieved with the game’s graphics even in its early stages, with one comment saying “the fact that this isn’t recorded footage is unbelievable.” Other users felt uncomfortable with the game’s theme, saying Unrecord for “unironic copaganda Liveleak Simulator”. Another commented that they enjoy playing games as a way to escape a world where “we see posts every day where people get terminated from this perspective”, adding that they don’t want to be a victim of such behavior perpetrator.
While the visuals in Unrecord are undoubtedly impressive, at a time when real-world body camera footage of police killing civilian lives is a staple of the evening news, releasing a body cam shooter could be viewed as a serious problem by many gamers . Whether the real-world controversy surrounding policing in America will affect Unrecord’s post-launch sales remains to be seen, but, judging by the reaction to the trailer, it’s clear that if given the option.
Unrecord is in development for PC