The number of AAA-quality, Web3 games that are currently in development is getting harder and harder to track; it’s a great problem to have. Introducing Artyfact, a Web3 gaming metaverse on Binance Smart Chain ($BNB).
The influx of new games and projects in the space is a little surprising when you consider how deep we are into crypto winter. Nevertheless, this year has seen record levels of investment into Web3 gaming and metaverse projects, despite the downturn, and it’s expected to top $10 billion before the year’s end.
Recently, we covered Walker World, another beautiful Web3 game that has burst onto the scene, and Artyfact looks to be of a similar caliber. Unreal Engine 5 certainly plays a role in how appealing these in-development games are — and I have an article on that coming out soon — but for now, let’s look at what Artyfact is.
What Is Artyfact?
Artyfact is a Web3 gaming metaverse that combines the persistent social elements of a metaverse space with a selection of gaming experiences. The platform will be built around earning, but claim that the earning dynamic will play second fiddle to gameplay.
Artyfact is a next-generation Web3 gaming metaverse that combines the best of AAA and GameFi games using an innovative Play-and-Earn (PAE) model that puts gaming experience above earnings. Artyfact users can play various AAA quality games and earn $ARTY, buy and exchange in-game NFTs, as well as attend virtual concerts, NFT exhibitions, fashion shows and eSport tournaments.
— Artyfact
Firstly, there’s something that sets Artyfact apart from other in-development gaming projects: gameplay footage. A lack of gameplay footage is a huge red flag and so I was pleased to see not only the presence of gameplay footage, but that the videos (as can be seen above) aren’t overly stylized. Too many developers and publishers turn their gameplay footage into over-edited trailers; we just want to see what it would look like if we were to play the game!
My next go-to check is always the team and Artyfact’s is a curious one. It is certainly business-heavy, with individuals sporting great experience in their sectors. However, it appears a little light on gaming and game development. The entire team isn’t listed on the site, but I suspect anyone who has achieved impressive feats would have made the cut, so it’s a minor concern there isn’t more of a presence of AAA-experienced game developers.
What offsets this is undoubtedly the gameplay we can see, which is pretty undeniable. The gameplay looks fluid in both movement and gunplay, the graphics are superb (though as I say, Unreal Engine 5 facilitates this), and the aesthetic is reminiscent of Cyberpunk 2077 which I have no complaints over. So far, there are 4 game modes: Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Control (Domination), and Battle Royale; nothing groundbreaking, but what they have done, they have done well.
The problem identified in Artyfact’s whitepaper is a disconnect between AAA games and GameFi (horrid term), which is certainly an issue. Whether Artyfact can solve that is tough to call so early, but the intention is astute. It appears as if the developers would like to create something akin to a Web3 Fortnite (who wouldn’t?) as they mention in-game social events such as concerts, but as earning is not the focus, the gameplay of Artyfact is what the success of its metaverse hinges on.
Artyfact is undoubtedly an interesting project; ambitious, considered, and beautiful. The population of its metaverse is likely dependent on the player acquisition of the games, which is a lot of pressure, but the foundations certainly indicate it’s not beyond the developers’ capabilities. We’ll be watching with interest.
