Video games are getting more and more realistic with each new generation of hardware. Not only are the games becoming absolutely stunning on a visual level, but also the amount of stuff that you can do and the immersion that it entails. And, of course, then there’s the virtual reality check that enhances the entire experience.
Until the hardware comes to a point where it's difficult to discern video games from reality. But YouTuber Komazawa Isolation cut to the chase and created a video of what an action video game would look like in real life by simply filming himself in a game with the whole HUD and everything.
Playing games is fun, yeah, but recreating them in real life with all of their quirks is even more fun
So, YouTuber Komazawa Isolation came out with a video showcasing a real-life version of action video games in the vein of Grand Theft Auto, Yakuza, and Metal Gear Solid. And it’s honestly everything that you’d expect from these games. And I do mean everything.
The game they are presenting is called Grand Theft Gotoku Solid, a not so subtle nod at the Grand Theft Auto series by Rockstar, Ryu ga Gotoku, known as Yakuza in the West, by Sega, and Metal Gear Solid by Konami.
YouTuber Komazawa Isolation posted a video where he recreated several action games
Image credits: Komazawa Isolation
Namely, he recreated the Grand Theft Auto, Yakuza, and Metal Gear Solid series
Image credits: Komazawa Isolation
The story goes that the unnamed protagonist wakes up near a garage door in Shibuya, a special ward of Tokyo, Japan, remembering that he was out on a date with his girlfriend and witnessed some criminal activity happening. After which, the player's character stands up and decides to look for clues.
The “game” follows a third-person point of view with the screen containing the typical HUD elements found in its namesakes: the health bar, the minimap, and text prompts in the upper right part of the screen. There’s also the occasional prompt to to interact with objects found in the surroundings with the appropriate control button.
The story takes place outside the train station in the Shibuya special ward of Tokyo, Japan
Image credits: Komazawa Isolation
As you would expect, the video mimics these games perfectly with regards to visuals, control, and gameplay
Image credits: Komazawa Isolation
As is obligatory with starting a new game that is unfamiliar, the first minute or so is dedicated to getting familiar with the controls, the camera, and the physics of the game. Hence, all the jumping, crouching, and strafing.
Now, many game developers strive to create games that would look, work, and feel as smooth as real life, but it’s not always possible due to many reasons. Games, especially from the aughts and the early 2010s, were known to be somewhat choppy and taking shortcuts with minor details in the game, like switching outfits, running animations and whatnot.
Everything from the HUD to the "choppy animations" to the awkward controls are here
Image credits: Komazawa Isolation
It even takes a jab at "game logic" moments where game mechanics break the realism
Image credits: Komazawa Isolation
For these reasons, the video looks more like a pure game than it is a game trying to look like real life. Running against walls doesn’t discontinue the animation, but rather lets the player slide against it. Picking up objects is done with unrealistic hand movements and invisible objects that are prompted in the screen on the top right. Heck, even finding random things like cowboy hats in the most unlikely places like on the floor in front of a locked subway entrance shows just how authentically “game” it is.
To some degree, it does look like it’s more of a parody of the games of the time rather than a real life rendition of a game. It does poke fun at how players can abuse game logic (the hiding behind a tiny post and in a box during stealth missions), how a person shot on the street doesn’t elicit any reaction from surrounding “NPCs” and how the character seems to have an invisible and, I wouldn’t be surprised, unlimited inventory.
Specifically, it refers to the box stealth mechanic from Metal Gear Solid where enemies don't see the player despite the box moving and feet sticking out
Image credits: Komazawa Isolation
There's even a fight scene that is as ridiculous as it would be in the Yakuza series
Image credits: Komazawa Isolation
Long story short, after getting used to the controls, the player finds some clues that lead him to a mission. After the stealth segment, there’s a cutscene with a conversation between the pursued shady person, followed by a fist fight. When defeated, the “plot-critical” character joins as a companion and that’s where the video ends, hinting at a part two coming soon.
It’s best you watch the video for yourself to truly appreciate how authentic Komazawa Isolation’s Grand Theft Gotoku Solid really is as a video in mimicking games. It points out all, and I do mean all, of the things that gamers will recognize about the three games in question, even to the smallest of details pertaining to the visuals and controls.
The video was shot at night when there weren't many people outside and everything was closed
Image credits: Komazawa Isolation
This is by no means the first video of its kind as YouTubers like TrueMobster, Corridor, and Red Light Barbers have all made their own version of games in real life, except those were just GTA-based videos and some of them did not point out how much game design has advanced.
What are your thoughts on this? What are some of the most realistic games you’ve seen thus far? Let us know in the comments section below!