Resident Evil Requiem running with NVIDIA DLSS 5 was among the most controversial showcases of the upcoming technology, if not the most controversial, as it seemed to alter Grace's character design significantly. Speaking with Eurogamer, Producer Masato Kumazawa refused to comment directly on the team's involvement in the controversial showcase, but what has been said suggests how the developer will place any tech that could alter artistic intent under heavier scrutiny in the future.
"The fact a lot of players commented they really liked the original design of Grace and didn't want to see it changed was a positive," Kumazawa-san said. "It meant we got the design right and points to the fact that Grace quickly established herself as a fan favorite, that people had such strong opinions on her design."
While Grace's introduction in the series universe was handled exceptionally well, her reception has not put pressure on the development team to always add new characters to the franchise. "It's not a cast iron rule that whenever we come up with a new game and we decide to release it here, that we have to exactly age everyone up to match it or anything like that," said Game Director Koshi Nakanishi.
The team doesn't "feel the need to replace its most recognizable faces with younger characters." Especially when the design of classic characters continues to be well-received even after they are aged up. "I mean, I think Leon is really appealing in his current form," Nakanishi-san added, "And who knows, we could bring him back when he's 70, and I'm sure he'll still be a great character."
As mentioned above, NVIDIA DLSS 5's first showcases had a mixed reception, edging more towards negative. While Resident Evil Requiem running with the new tech from NVIDIA was almost universally criticized, other games, such as Starfield, seemed to take better advantage of it, as many have found it transformative. Still, the widespread negative opinions on the upcoming technology won't stop it, according to Kingdom Come: Deliverance Director Daniel Vávra, as the tech doesn't fall into "AI Slop," and developers will be able to train their own models to fine-tune it to their liking.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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