Broken Sword creator chose human artists over AI for all 55,000 new frames of animation in the upcoming 2 remake — 'People are going to seek out human-crafted art'

Charles Cecil, the creator of Broken Sword, has made it clear that he is not against AI, but he does not believe it is suitable for his games. The upcoming remake, Broken Sword: The Smoking Mirror: Reforged, does not use AI for animation. This decision is based on the desire for human animation, characterization, and expression, which is better achieved by humans.

The remake features 55,000 frames of hand-drawn animation, a significant increase from the 30,000 frames in the 2024 remake. Cecil emphasizes the importance of human expression, likening a character looking at the viewer to a natural human behavior. For example, when the protagonist George Stobbart looks at the viewer, it gives a sense of realism that AI cannot replicate.

In certain instances, artists were allowed to add their own interpretations to enhance details. For instance, the painting of Professor Oubier, which was previously too pixelated to see, is now visible in 4K resolution. AI was initially used to upscale and redraw characters, but artists added their own details to bring life to the characters.

Additionally, AI was used for upscaling backgrounds, which served as a reference for the artists. The developers also experimented with AI for upscaling, but it was not able to add any character to the characters. The decision to abstain from AI use for the most part was not a bug-fixing exercise, but rather an opportunity to improve the game and make it better.

The game features a new hint system, multiple control schemes, and a detailed map of Paris. Cecil believes that people will seek out human-crafted art in the future, as it provides a sense of connection and humanity that AI cannot replicate.