Last week, Hotel Barcelona made its debut, but the reception was far from triumphant. With a Metacritic score of 58 from 15 reviews and a 55% positive rating on Steam, it found itself in the ‘mixed’ category. For developers Goichi ‘Suda51’ Suda and Hidetaka ‘Swery’ Suehiro, expectations likely fell short of reality. While it wasn’t a total flop, the results were underwhelming, particularly for devoted fans. Adding to the disappointment, just five days post-launch, the game’s Steam page featured a disclosure regarding the use of generative AI.
Hotel Barcelona is a vibrant, maximalist action roguelike that many anticipated with great enthusiasm. A collaboration between Suda51 and Swery was expected to yield something truly remarkable for their fans—but this wasn’t the case.
The unfavorable reviews surfaced before players were aware of the generative AI aspect. Critics voiced concerns over the use of large language models trained on existing artwork, especially given the potential risks to creative jobs as businesses might turn to these automated systems for cheaper alternatives.
As if the disappointing launch weren’t enough, fans took to social media to express their frustrations. “I find this creatively disappointing,” remarked one user on Resetera regarding the AI disclosure. Another added, “Not disclosing this before release is a real problem.”
An examination of the Wayback Machine reveals that the generative AI notice was absent from the Steam page just days prior, on September 30. The silver lining? The newly added notice states that the AI features will be “removed in an upcoming patch in favor of non-AI generated content.”
This follow-up comes months after The Alters faced a similar backlash for not disclosing its AI elements at launch. Players discovered that certain background text was AI-generated, which developer 11 bit studios later clarified was intended as a temporary “placeholder.”
“As AI tools evolve, they bring both challenges and opportunities to game development,” 11 bit studios shared in a statement on X (Twitter). “We are actively refining our internal processes to navigate this reality, but our commitment to transparency in our game-making remains unwavering.”
It’s this lack of initial transparency that players find frustrating. The late addition of the disclosure means Hotel Barcelona violated Steam’s Terms of Service for five days. Those who might have opted out due to concerns about AI content are likely past their refund window now. The eventual outcome from this situation remains uncertain.
Priyam Gera