20-year-old Gunz the Duel gets Steam re-release, receives harsh criticism over network issues and suspected use of generative AI

===Gunz: The Duel Returns to Steam, But Is It Worth the Trip?===

[The long-awaited revival of a beloved classic has hit Steam, but early reports suggest a bumpy ride for returning players.]

A Blast from the Past, A Headache in the Present

Gunz: The Duel, the iconic third-person action game that defined a generation of PC gaming, is back on Steam. Developed originally by MAIET Entertainment and resurrected by Masangsoft, this revival has been eagerly anticipated by fans yearning for a return to its unique blend of gunplay and martial arts. However, the initial reception hasn’t been entirely positive, with players reporting significant technical issues and raising concerns about potential AI usage.

Technical Troubles and Troubling Allegations

The release weekend saw a wave of criticism directed at the game, primarily focused on its technical shortcomings. Players have reported widespread issues ranging from malfunctioning in-game events and gifts to fundamental gameplay inconsistencies. One user, Fizzion, eloquently summarized the sentiment: “Masangsoft is a group of talented individuals. Not only did they manage to ruin a 20 year old game, but they consistently discover new ways to make it worse.” They specifically pointed out that certain actions, like attacking blocking enemies, often fail to trigger flinching or stagger animations, disrupting the core combat experience.

wrote user Fizzion

Adding fuel to the fire are allegations of generative AI being used in the game’s development. Despite the absence of any disclosure on the Gunz: The Duel Steam page, players suspect its presence due to various inconsistencies and perceived shortcuts. EclipseRT voiced a strong opinion: “From the extremely obvious AI use everywhere in this game, [to the developer] not even following Steam guidelines about disclosing AI use, over 2000 ping in matches because they cant seem to fix a NAT connection issue, old bugs from the beta reappearing, the devs being completely silent and ignoring all player feedback. Over this past year not a single one has even talked in the Discord, it’s gotten to the point where people are starting to call the devs themselves AI. Honestly I can’t blame them either.”

EclipseRT, wrote

The negativity isn’t confined to Steam. The Gunz: The Duel Reddit community, a vibrant hub for fans spanning over a decade, is rife with complaints about everything from persistent hackers seemingly impervious to damage Hackers are seemingly present in-game to the dated and uninspired user interface pointing to the plain-looking UI. Network problems continue to plague players network problems, and accusations of “AI slop” further erode confidence in the development team’s commitment to quality AI slop.

A Glimmer of Hope?

Despite the overwhelmingly negative initial response, it’s important to acknowledge that not all players are experiencing the same level of frustration. Some are embracing the rough edges and simply enjoying the opportunity to revisit a beloved classic taking the rough aspects of Gunz the Duel in stride. Furthermore, Masangsoft has implemented server maintenance aimed at addressing the aforementioned networking issues the game did undergo a stretch of server maintenance to improve those aforementioned networking issues, suggesting a willingness to address player concerns. Whether these efforts will be enough to salvage the revival remains to be seen. For now, Gunz: The Duel’s return to Steam is proving to be more of a stumble than a triumphant leap.

Source: Eurogamer