A Troubled Early Access Debut
Vapor World: Over The Mind, a Soulslike Metroidvania, entered early access on August 19 with high expectations. Boasting a striking art style reminiscent of Lies of P, the game had amassed over 100,000 wishlists prior to its release, largely driven by a well-received demo available since early 2025. However, the game’s transition to early access was marred by controversy as players shifted their focus from the game's core mechanics to the inclusion of visible, AI-generated cinematics.
The Community Response
The reception on Steam has been overwhelmingly negative, with the title currently sitting on 64 reviews labeled as "mostly negative." Players expressed disappointment, noting that the AI-generated elements lacked consistency and felt out of place compared to the game's hand-crafted aesthetics. One highly-rated review summarized the sentiment:
«If the look you want to go for is beyond the scope you can achieve right now then I suggest you change it or wait until you can produce the art and style you want with people doing it.»
A Miscalculation in Cultural Context
The development team at Alive Inc consists of only about five members, leading many to believe they were caught off guard by the intensity of the backlash. South Korea, the studio's home base, is statistically one of the least AI-skeptical nations globally, with strong government support for AI integration. This cultural gap likely left the small team unprepared for the strong negative reaction from the global gaming community, which remains wary of "slop"—a term often used to describe low-quality generative AI content.
Developer Reflection and Rectification
Studio director Young Kim issued a statement acknowledging the error, confirming that the controversial cutscenes were replaced shortly after the outcry. Reflecting on the decision, Kim noted:
«The reason I chose AI was that I believed it could reach a level of expression our existing resources could not, and that it would let us focus more on the game itself, outside of story and cinematics. That was a hasty judgment on my part.»
Kim admitted that the team had previously attempted to create the cutscenes in-house but struggled with the technical limitations of their limited headcount. However, he emphasized that the responsibility lies with the developers, not the tool itself, when the creative output fails to meet standards.
Industry Trends
Alive Inc is the latest in a growing line of studios, including names like Larian Studios and Sandfall Interactive, to walk back the use of AI following public pressure. While the core gameplay of Vapor World has been praised, the incident highlights a broader industry trend: audiences are currently highly resistant to the use of generative AI in areas where it is perceived as a shortcut, particularly when it creates a noticeable quality gap between assets.