A Game with a Global Scale Inspired by GTA Online Makes a Surprise Entry into the Most-Wanted Wishlist on Steam in April
The game in question is Paradise, developed by Ultra Games. It has been marketed as “the most realistic simulation of the world powered by AI” and boasts the potential appearance of renowned streamers like Pokimane and Ninja. However, the reality might be a bit different.
According to initial sources, Paradise contains all the essential elements characteristic of GTA: an open world in third-person view, vehicular stunts, crime, and construction to support the criminal underworld. However, this game seems to carry numerous alarming red flags.
For instance, this game surprisingly employs the minimap from GTA V, and its development house draws heavy inspiration from Los Angeles, yet this city is not a trademarked property. Furthermore, the announcement of collaborations with prominent streamers is yet to be confirmed by any of the characters represented, despite previous trailers hinting that players could “roleplay and interact with AI avatars of real-life influencers.” Paradise is also seen as a clone of the GTA Online Roleplay scene, dubbed Paradise Roleplay.
Moreover, there have been numerous reports regarding Paradise’s connection to cryptocurrency. After being pulled from the Epic Games Store, the game has returned under the new name Paradise XRPL, clearly indicating that this is a blockchain/NFT game. Not only that, but a YouTuber has also warned that Paradise could potentially infiltrate the player’s PC. The game utilizes a kernel-level anti-cheat software, which may grant extensive access to the underlying system for developers, raising significant concerns about privacy, especially given the numerous alarming signs associated with Paradise.
Despite the controversies, Paradise has attracted over 30,000 followers, even surpassing the hype surrounding Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. The game’s ranking on the Steam Wishlist is also climbing rapidly, having reached 56. However, it is possible that a significant portion of this could be attributed to fake accounts or bots designed to artificially inflate its visibility.
