This Elder Scrolls: Daggerfall-esque indie game proves viral AI posts wrong with its stunning pixel graphics and classic RPG vibes: "Who was the person who made a tweet saying a game like this is impossible?"

Project Shadowglass
(Image credit: Starhelm Studios)

You've seen them, we've all seen them – those viral AI-generated posts showing pixel-style "art" within RPGs that will never actually exist… but Project Shadowglass proves making a real game with that very aesthetic isn't truly impossible after all.

Project Shadowglass, which indie developer Dominick John of Starhelm Studios assures is not AI-generated in any capacity, is being produced in the Godot engine – and it's stunning. It takes those circulating AI "game" scenes, like this one that recently made rounds online, and expands on them tenfold. John's post history shows various clips from the work-in-progress, described as a "stealth-focused immersive sim set within a dark fantasy kingdom."

Think villages on the outskirts of a kingdom, glow-y evening lighting, starry skies, bright red moons, and more. The Steam page for Project Shadowglass provides more information on the upcoming game, and it sounds even more fun than it looks: "Plan daring heists, infiltrate forbidden locales, and escape with priceless artifacts. Features revolutionary 3D pixel art graphics and lasting consequences, where every action could leave a trail back to you."

True-3D Pixel Art Game "Project Shadowglass" - Early Alpha Teaser - YouTube True-3D Pixel Art Game
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Starhelm Studios also compares the project to past genre gems, writing that it's "a love letter to classic immersive FPS stealth sims such as Thief, Deus Ex, and System Shock, built with unique 3D pixel art technology." I myself can't help but see Daggerfall within its charming visuals – but what's more, I (and other fans) love that Project Shadowglass popped up just weeks after people dubbed similar AI-generated settings "impossible" to develop.

Comments under a thread highlighting Project Shadowglass prove as much, with one person amusingly asking, "Who was the person who made a tweet saying a game like this is impossible?" Another user adds, "I heard A LOOOT of artists claim the AI video's concept was 'impossible' for a real game." Thankfully, it very much looks like that's not the case, and Starhelm Studios is setting out to show it isn't.

If you're just as thrilled to see such a concept coming to fruition as I am, be sure to wishlist Project Shadowglass and follow John online to keep up to date with any news on the olden RPG-esque indie game.

Searching for something else to wishlist? Here are some of the biggest new games this year and beyond to keep an eye on.

Anna Koselke
Staff Writer

After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.

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