Catly, an upcoming cat MMO/farming/racing/dress-up simulator, was first revealed during The Game Awards this year. While the trailer showcased a handful of hyperrealistic and colorful cats frolicking around a utopian island, many viewers quickly noticed uncanny resemblances to generative AI artwork. Digging deeper into developer SuperAuthenti revealed co-founder Kevin Yeung’s ties to web3 technology, including blockchain and NFT games.
Responding in a statement to IGN, a SuperAuthenti spokesperson claims “generative AI was not used to produce the trailer, nor the game.” According to IGN, in-progress shots of the game’s development were shown, seemingly confirming that the trailer wasn’t AI-generated. However, that doesn’t explain the suspiciously AI-adjacent promotional material once present on Catly‘s homepage. Much of which has since been scrubbed or changed.
The new ‘Catly’ gameplay trailer reveals.. well, something
Since first premiering at The Game Awards, the Catly Steam page has received a slight glow-up. Previously, the game’s description read, “Hyperrealism, Actions, Cuddle, Speed, Islands, Fashion, Dreams, Snow, Robots, Plants.” Like an awkward prompt you’d insert into a program that generates things (nudge nudge), it struck many as odd and certainly didn’t explain what the game actually is.
Catly‘s new gameplay trailer doesn’t exactly answer any of those questions, either. In the trailer, a character creation screen shows several cats wearing various hats and accessories. Then, they walk around in straight lines on a beach. Other scenes show generic trees and buildings magically popping into its modern fantasy environment without indicating exactly how they happen. Together, it’s a hodgepodge of confused ideas, gameplay elements, and aesthetics that don’t really fit well together.
Per the game’s Steam store description, Catly is aims to be an MMO with online PVP, co-op, and cross-platform multiplayer. “Build your dream island, meet various characters, and enjoy caring for your cats, dressing up, building, farming, racing, skiing, and much more!” It’s hard to tell whether this ambitious list of features is likely or if someone skimmed down a list and checked every box of MMO and cozy game tropes. All of this, I might add, crammed into Nintendo Switch consoles and Apple Watches.
A fourth of the trailer showcases a single bobcat lounging around an arid environment and yawning next to jagged, low-res rocks. Later, it stretches and begins walking towards the camera, giving viewers a major close-up view of its face and fur. Presumably, to show off its hyper-detailed textures, it still left me wondering what the hell I’m to think of Catly and why I’d want to play it.
While the newest trailer didn’t scream “MMO” to me, it’s possible to be very early in Catly‘s development. There’s no official release date, or even year, announced by SuperAuthenti.
The post ‘Catly’ Releases New Gameplay Trailer on Steam but Fails to Beat The “WTF is This?” Allegations appeared first on VICE.
The post ‘Catly’ Releases New Gameplay Trailer on Steam but Fails to Beat The “WTF is This?” Allegations appeared first on VICE.
