Square Enix, a publisher known for their innovation and experimentation with the latest technological fads, has released a new game on Steam that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help players progress through the game. The game, The Portopia Serial Murder Case, is a remake of an adventure game originally released in Japan in 1983.

While the quality of the game itself is not up for debate, the use of AI in this experiment has been a disaster. The AI technology used in the game is machine learning, which is used to assist players in inputting the correct text required to progress through the game. However, the natural language processing (NLP) used to link the player’s input to the desired answer is unsophisticated and does not work as intended.

The game’s reviews on Steam reflect this, with users frustrated by the broken machine learning and the fact that the game lacks features that have been standard to visual novels for 20-30 years. Many users have also expressed disappointment that such an important legacy game has been used as a showcase for machine learning.

The Portopia Serial Murder Case is a pioneering game that helped pioneer the adventure game and visual novel genres. The game’s first-person graphics, dialogue system, and open-world design were ahead of their time, making the game a classic and important video game.

While Square Enix’s experimentation with AI is commendable, the failure of this experiment in The Portopia Serial Murder Case demonstrates the challenges of implementing AI technology in video games. The technology needs to be sophisticated enough to recognize different commands that mean the same thing and be able to respond to user input effectively.

The Portopia Serial Murder Case’s use of AI technology highlights the challenges of implementing machine learning in video games. While Square Enix’s experimentation is laudable, the failure of this experiment in The Portopia Serial Murder Case demonstrates that AI technology needs to be more sophisticated before it can be effectively implemented in video games.

But what does this mean for the gaming industry? Well, it’s a reminder that not all technology is created equal, and just because something is hyped as “AI” doesn’t mean it’s automatically good or useful. In fact, the debacle of The Portopia Serial Murder Case might be a cautionary tale for game developers looking to incorporate machine learning or other forms of AI into their titles.

It’s also a reminder that even venerable game publishers like Square Enix are not immune to embarrassment. While the company has a long history of producing some of the most beloved and innovative games in the industry, it’s also made some missteps along the way, from overhyped tech demos to failed attempts at adapting popular franchises to new platforms.

But perhaps the most important lesson to take away from this debacle is that technology should always be used to serve the game, not the other way around. If a feature like machine learning is not enhancing the player experience, then it’s not worth including, no matter how “cutting edge” it might seem. In the end, it’s the quality of the gameplay and storytelling that matters most, and that’s something that Square Enix and other developers would do well to remember.