Controversial Free Open-World RPG Blends God of War and The Witcher Vibes

God of War and The Witcher have served as inspiration for a lot of fantasy worlds, CD Projekt Red’s more than any

Countless fantasy game universes draw inspiration from God of War and The Witcher—and few sources stand as influential as CD Projekt Red’s iconic series.

Both video game series have their talents, with God of War being more about combat whereas The Witcher focuses its attention on a compelling narrative and an open-world

Each franchise shines in its own right: God of War delivers heart-pounding, action-driven combat, while The Witcher captivates players with a rich, immersive story and a sprawling open world to explore.

They’re delightful games so it’s no wonder other video game worlds have been directly inspired by them, both in terms of story and world design. This upcoming Steam game feels like one of those titles, but it’s got a massive problem…

It’s easy to see why these games are such a strong influence on other developers—their masterful storytelling and creative world-building set a high bar. A soon-to-launch Steam title seems to follow in their footsteps, but it comes with a major red flag that’s turning heads.

Whilst browsing through some of the imminent and long-awaited Steam releases I stumbled across Epitome, an open-world game that actually looked pretty good at first-glance, that is until I delved a bit deeper

As I was scrolling through Steam’s lineup of highly anticipated upcoming games, I came across Epitome—an open-world title that seemed promising at first glance. But the more I dug into its details, the more my initial excitement faded.

The promotional images and gameplay footage gave me a look into a gorgeous new world, boasting intimidating characters wearing cool armour and combat that looked a little rough around the edges but fun all the same

The game’s promo art and gameplay clips showcase a stunning, vivid world filled with imposing characters clad in striking armor. The combat system appears a bit unpolished, but still looks thoroughly entertaining.

Epitome lets players choose their preferred classes and sets them free to make their own adventure. All sounds great right?

Epitome lets gamers pick their favorite character classes and carve out their own unique journeys in the game’s world. On paper, this all sounds like a recipe for a fantastic experience—doesn’t it?

Unfortunately as I scrolled through the game’s Steam page one line stood out amongst the rest, “In Epitome, NPCs aren't just background characters—they're dynamic individuals powered by advanced AI who adapt to your choices, shaping the narrative as you explore.”

Sadly, as I continued browsing the game’s Steam store page, one particular line caught my eye: “In Epitome, NPCs aren't just background characters—they're dynamic individuals powered by advanced AI who adapt to your choices, shaping the narrative as you explore.”

Further down Steam gives the game away with a description on what kind of AI the game uses and what specifically it’s used for, and it unfortunately killed all of my ambition to play

Scrolling further down, the Steam page details exactly what type of AI the game employs and the specific roles it fills—and that’s the point where any desire I had to play Epitome vanished completely.

It read: “Our advanced AI enables lifelike conversations, merchant negotiations, and AI-generated quests tailored to your playstyle.

The description states: “Our advanced AI enables lifelike conversations, merchant negotiations, and AI-generated quests tailored to your playstyle.

"Soon, AI Player Companions will join you on your quests, assist with tasks, and even help while you’re AFK.

"Soon, AI Player Companions will join you on your quests, assist with tasks, and even lend a hand while you’re AFK.

“These AI Companions will grow alongside you, feeling more like friends than game characters, making every adventure deeply personal and immersive.”

“These AI Companions will grow alongside you, feeling more like friends than game characters, making every adventure deeply personal and immersive.”

Now everyone’s stance on AI can be different and props to the Epitome team for at least being transparent with how much AI was used in the game’s development, but I’d imagine this will lead to a divisive launch when it’s ready to come out

Everyone has their own opinions on AI in gaming, and credit goes to the Epitome development team for being transparent about just how heavily they’ve leaned on this technology. That said, I suspect the game’s launch will spark heated debate among players when it finally hits the market.

At the moment there’s no release date to speak of

As of now, there’s no official release date announced for the game.

It’s a shame we have to survey a game’s description so closely nowadays, because you never know if what you’re looking at is real or the result of AI

It’s a pity that gamers now have to scrutinize every line of a game’s description so carefully—you can never be sure whether what you’re seeing is the product of human creativity, or AI-generated content.

While Epitome may still be your cup of tea if you like God of War and The Witcher, be warned

If you’re a fan of God of War and The Witcher, Epitome might still be right up your alley—but proceed with caution.