AI Is Adding a Layer to Everything - Even Problem-Solving Games

• Artificial Intelligence has changed the game for everything, even games. (This was intentional)

• Problem-Solving Games are particularly the most interesting.

• The introduction of web3 into problem-solving games gave it a layer of ownership.

• With artificial intelligence in the conversation, things are looking to level up.

  
  

No other entertainment industry has evolved as much as the gaming industry, as multiple story writers and production teams create spectacular games for every type of gamer to enjoy; be it the casual gamer to the fanatical one.

However, storylines and game production are a few elements that allow games to flourish into nostalgic titles for people to reminisce over after every playthrough.

Having set genres and game design directs new players to understand what sort of game they tend to enjoy, be it competitive FPS games like CSGO or Valorant or roleplay games like Skyrim; there is a game type for everyone.

One of the most well-received game categories is problem-solving games. It’s no surprise that Problem-solving games are at the top. The numerous challenges that get players’ cogs running are remarkable.

Whether you’re min-maxing your resources, stuck in a maze, or ideating new solutions, problem-solving games are loved by many. Most successful games known to man are at the top because of their challenges. Tomb Raider, Portal, or Syberia, you name it.

The Absence of ‘Zazz’ in Old Problem-Solving Games

Problem-solving games are great, don’t get me wrong. However, you can feel like something is missing when going back in time and comparing it with today's games.

We went from having no NPC interactions to hard-coded NPC interactions and puzzles to dynamic rogue games fueled by a random number generator.

As our technology matured, we experienced better conversations, gameplay, and puzzles. Having a different experience for everyone as opposed to a single experience for all is a debate for another time. But either way, there is a gaping void that needs filling as technology evolves.

The question is, how real are we aiming to become with our games? Let’s take a trip down memory lane to find an answer.

Myst

If you've been gaming since the early nineties, Myst might ring a bell. The retro game could be considered the pioneer of the problem-solving gaming genre. Being one of the first CD-ROM games, Myst was ahead of its time.

The game has raked in awards for graphics, sound, and design; you name it.

Myst featured an exciting blend of stunning graphics and an immersive storyline back then.

At the time, anyone could have argued that technology peaked with Myst. For the early nineties, the game’s graphics could arguably be the most detailed; mainly because the retro game was one of the first to feature a 3D world for players to explore.

And what made its ‘ground-breaking’ visuals exciting was its puzzles, especially the Star Fissure puzzle, located in the Selenitic Age. If you enjoy puzzles, you need to go back in time and try Myst.

However, now that I’ve grown up, I see that Myst lacked many elements that make games great today, like character interaction, customizable characters, rogue-lite missions, open-world exploration, and online gameplay, giving the game a very isolated experience compared to today’s standards.

And interestingly, the game is looking to come back, this time with what it lacked decades ago.

Syberia

Following in Myst’s footsteps, Syberia was also a head-turner at the time. Developed in 2002, the problem-solving game, set in Europe in Russia, followed the story of good old Kate Walker. Now, it could be argued the game is quite similar to Tomb Raider, which was remarkable on its own.

However, let’s forget about Lara Croft for a second. Everyone had a more challenging time with Kate Walker than with Lara Croft. The puzzles were anger-inducing and tough to solve. Once again, I wish I could play this game for the first time.

The steampunk elements, the story, and the stress sometimes make me nostalgic. The clockwork puzzle is one of my favorite puzzles in the game.

As a player, you need to understand the game's inner mechanisms to solve those puzzles. The riddle of the music box could be the most complex puzzle I encountered then.

Now the game was considered timeless for a long time; however, now that I think about it, it lacks that ‘zazz.’ Having no online multiplayer, co-op capabilities, customization options, or even diversity in endings and experiences took a toll on my game experience.

As we evolve, games may seem super immersive; however, you see the gap years later with better technology.

Portal

When talking about problem-solving games, you can’t leave out Portal. Portal could be one of the most ‘ahead of its time’ games when it was released in 2007.

The game twisted the whole gameplay of storyline games by adding a function called ‘portals’ where the main character could travel from one point in the game to another nearby area using a portal gun.

Futuristic and fantastic at that time, Portal allowed multiple ways to play the game and even added layers to the gameplay. Portal is a timeless masterpiece and the perfect example of a problem-solving game.

Sometimes, I wish to erase my first impression of the game and play it for the first time again.

However, after comparing it with today’s standards, I believe the game lacks quite a bit. While I’m not sure if the technology, budget, and time constraints allowed the developers to add those features, Portal lacked standard features like walking human NPCs.

In today’s games, the companionship of human-like NPCs is common. However, the lack of such an NPC in the game brought things into perspective. Now that AI is common in most games, you can feel the lack of ‘personality’ and ‘immersion’ in the game.

Now, segueing to the next section. The new technology.

WEB3 and AI

Online multiplayer, significantly detailed graphics, better object and projectile physics, randomly generated levels and characters, and NPCs are pretty common by today’s standards. Almost every game has them today.

Alternative conversations, dynamic endings, you name it. Detroit: Become Human, The Far Cry Series, and Skyrim are all examples of games that are changing the industry. However, we soon realized the importance of ownership, interoperability, and diversity.

Yes, games are technologically advanced. Features like DLSS, Ray tracing, and more make games better than ever. However, why is it that every game was a ‘different’ isolated experience? That is what traditional games lacked.

With Web3 in the conversation, the dynamic changed. Blockchain games introduced a new perspective to games. Digital economies, ownership of assets, freedom to jump from one game to the other, and so on.

Giving players more control over their experiences and putting them at the center of the game changed the functionality of most games. Today, many traditional gaming studios are trying to jump on the web3 bandwagon.

Gaming platforms like Polygon Game Studios and ImmutableX are at the forefront of the web3 gaming industry, welcoming startups led by seasoned veterans from highly successful traditional game studios to venture into web3.

However, the gap becomes more apparent as we move from technology to technology. The introduction of AI, and the power it holds, brought many issues with web3 into perspective.

While web3 games may have added the ownership and interoperability layer to current games, they still lack ‘personality’ and ‘connection.’

Yes, blockchain games are immersive. However, they aren’t as eerily immersive to make it feel like you’re really in the game.

Here’s where AI comes in.

The ChatGPT model is scary. Cough, Roko's basilisk, Cough. Don’t google that. However, giving credit where credit is due, conversations with ChatGPT feel like you’re having a ‘conversation’ with a sentient being.

The All-knowing until 2019 AI is impressive. Very impressive, to say the very least. And thinking about it, what if we could have the same conversation with artificial intelligence in games? What if we combined current game standards, added a hint of web3, and mixed it with AI?

If I could make a perfect game, it would have the functionality and perks of web3 technology, the details and graphical capabilities similar to AAA games, and a dynamically changing, unique to everyone, AI-generated gaming experience.

Well, there are some projects that are already leading that conversation.

MetaBlaze

MetaBlaze recently went through a major overhaul. Call it innovative or following the trends, the project reiterated significant aspects of its project.

This may be what web3 needs and can handle—having game studios and projects that can reimagine their roadmap to better align with the needs of the current market.

MetaBlaze has taken a monumental step with Galaxia Blue and AI, combining web3 and AI technology.

Galaxia Blue is an intergalactic, adventure-style problem-solving digital escape room game with compelling use cases and features.

Players must explore and investigate diverse and unique environments, solve unique puzzles, and advance through the level using items they craft in the ecosystem through MetaMinez.

The game heralds itself as ‘craft-to-win’ or ‘solve-to-earn.’ Like Portal, Myst, and Syberia, you take a trip down memory lane, solving complex challenges, crafting material, and advancing in the game to earn rewards. That’s the web3 part.

Now comes the AI. MetaBlaze optimizes the intergalactic experience with AI by introducing your very own Galaxian Guides. The guides are sentient NPCs personal to each player, joining them on every adventure.

ChatGPT and other natural language AI models showcased how we can have meaningful conversations with them. While Bard has much catching up to do, AI is leading the narrative today. NPCs are a major part of most games, making games more fun.

Whether it’s Baldur from God of War, Claptrap from Borderlands, or GlaDOS from Portal, the experience is essentially the same for everyone that plays the game.

Randomly pick hard-wired responses and spew them out.

However, with AI in the conversation, NPCs will revolutionize the gaming experience, which is why MetaBlaze is in pole position. By introducing AI Chips, MetaBlaze allows users to bring their NFT to life as companions to their journey in Galaxia Blue.

The mechanism’s nature allows players’ Galaxian Guide to evolve and adapt in real time to events and environments in the MetaBlaze universe. With time, your AI companion becomes more intelligent and develops personalities based on your experiences in Galaxia Blue.

Delysium

Delysium could be one of the first web3 open-world games that used AI-generated content and characters. MetaBeings, Delysium’s eerie digital beings created by combining AI and VR technology, is one of the most impressive things that has come out from the web3 + AI narrative.

Delysium’s AI-powered characters can learn, evolve, and interact with their environment as any user would. What’s surprising is that MetaBeings can even hold their own assets, play games, and earn as you do.

And like ChatGPT, it can respond to player input, adapt, and grow. Also, MetaBeings gives me the creeps sometimes; not going to lie.

This is because MetaBeings can create peculiar experiences, and the immersion and interaction can be off-putting sometimes. Moreover, players can also use AI to create new storylines and take users on a journey to new and mysterious worlds.

The effectiveness of MetaBeing plays a significant role in why I am creeped out by them.

And if you’re looking to add to the gaming experience, you can certainly take your MetaBeing for a walk in Delysium’s open-world experience. The futuristic, cyberpunk-inspired shooter game is one of the most solid games to come out from the web3 space.

If I could make a perfect game, it would have the functionality and perks of web3 technology, the details, and graphical capabilities similar to AAA games, and a dynamically changing, unique to everyone, AI-generated gaming experience.

And Delysium could be the closest to what I have in mind.

Excited For the Future

Games are evolving in all aspects. Whether it’s better visual details, storylines, ownership, or immersion, we only get to see the gaps once we advance. The move from AAA games to web3 games showcased the gaps in interoperability and ownership in traditional games.

The move from web3 to AI highlighted the shortcomings in immersion and personal connection. Seeing how AI is evolving games makes me excited for what technology has in store for us next.