One certainty on the horizon is the shifting of the global order. As the West declines and China rises in nearly every domain, coupled with Saudi Arabia’s implementation of its Vision 2030 program under Mohammed bin Salman’s leadership, significant changes are anticipated within the next 15 to 20 years. This transformation also impacts the video game industry. Today, I want to introduce you to a game called Black State, developed not by a major American, Japanese, or European studio, but by a small Turkish company named Motion Blur. The game aims to demonstrate that the future of video games lies in their hands as well.
SMALL TEAM, BIG AMBITION
In brief, that was approximately 10 to 15 years ago, but both the country and the studio have since evolved. The studio has decided to move forward by developing AAA games that are garnering attention from the Western market. The images you’ve seen over the past few minutes showcase gameplay from Black State, a game announced recently with support from IGN.com, which also interviewed the developers. So, what is Black State? It is a third-person shooter created using Unreal Engine 5 and appears to incorporate elements from Metal Gear Solid and Portal. It draws on Metal Gear Solid for its military-themed visuals and tactical gameplay, while borrowing Portal’s concept of portal-based teleportation. The game has been in development for three years exclusively for PC and involves a small team of about fifteen members. Kadir Demerden, the game director with long hair visible in the images, leads this project. Salyangoz Taciri, known for his distinctive mustache, serves as the writer, responsible for scripting a narrative that spans around 500 pages over approximately two years.
The story of Black State will detail how a former military veteran is summoned for a mysterious mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist while uncovering the truth behind a cataclysmic event. The mission, assigned by enigmatic architects, remains shrouded in mysteries and uncertainties as instantaneous travel portals have been activated. Each portal leads to new territories with their own missions and secrets. This concept of portals enabling instant world changes forms the core gameplay of Black State, similar to the latest Ratchet & Clank for PS5, allowing seamless transitions between worlds without any loading screens. For example, our character can move from a metro carriage directly to a military complex. This also allows for diverse environments, potentially transitioning from an urban setting to a lush jungle.
UE 5 CRITICAL THANKS
By listening to the main development heads, Kadir Demerden and Salyangoz Taciri, it is evident that games like Metal Gear Solid, Uncharted, or even The Last of Us have significantly influenced them. Although they acknowledge that reaching such levels of quality and polish may be challenging due to differences in budget and team size, they are committed to delivering the highest development standards while proposing innovative gameplay ideas. Their goal is for players to experience a beautiful game and to highlight these hidden talents. Indeed, it is difficult not to take notice when observing the in-game results. Visually, the game impresses with its high-end graphics. As mentioned, Black State is developed using Unreal Engine 5, and Kadir Demerden has been working with various versions of Epic Games’ 3D engine for over a decade. Consequently, he possesses extensive expertise in this area. This proficiency results in rich textures and detailed 3D character models, allowing the camera to be placed close enough to admire the meticulous work. The visuals are quite impressive, and upon venturing outdoors, additional effects contribute to a “next-gen” feel. The wind that moves clothing, rain with visible droplets – while there is room for improvement in lighting and facial expressions need to be added to bring the main character to life, these features give the game an overall atmospheric quality that stands out.
The animations are quite clean, featuring a soldier capable of performing various actions such as running, jumping over obstacles, being stealthy, sneaking up on enemies, throwing teleguided drone grenades, and even slowing down time. The game also promises satisfying close-quarters combat moves, including immobilizing an enemy with a foot before firing a bullet into their head. Developers have indicated over 100 brutal cinematic kill moves, featuring both human soldiers and tougher Robosapiens. Black State will also offer its share of challenging bosses to defeat, each requiring the study of patterns and identification of weaknesses. It is evident that Souls-like games have had some influence on the developers.
There is currently no release date announced, with only the PC platform confirmed for the announcement. However, given the enthusiasm generated by the gameplay reveal, Motion Blur Studio hopes to attract developers interested in joining their team, similar to what GameScience achieved in 2020 with Black Myth Wukong. The concept of Black State was born a decade ago in its game director’s mind, and it is encouraging to see other studios emerging, particularly from Turkey, which has not traditionally been a major player in video game production. Nonetheless, as I have noted before, the situation is evolving and will continue to do so. Healthy competition is beneficial for the industry.
