Professor Layton Fans Express Concerns Over Studio Presentation, Fearing It’s Filled with ‘AI Slop’

Fans of Level-5, the iconic studio known for classics like Dark Cloud, Ni no Kuni, and the Professor Layton series, are expressing their concerns that the developer is leaning too heavily into “AI slop” after its recent showcase. The remake of Professor Layton and the Curious Villager is at the center of this backlash.

Just a day after unveiling the long-awaited Professor Layton And The New World of Steam during a Nintendo Direct on September 9, Level-5 hosted its own event titled “LEVEL5 VISION 2026 II: Dreams.”

While this presentation should have been a highlight for the studio, featuring the first full trailer for DecaPolice and announcing a remake of the original Professor Layton game, it instead sparked frustration among fans.

The animated portrayal of CEO Akihiro Hino was a point of contention, but it was the perceived signs of AI involvement in all showcased games that really fueled the criticism.

For instance, Yo-kai Watch 2: Haunted Domain faced backlash for its background art and the main character’s awkward facial changes. Inazuma Eleven: Bold Revolution was criticized for its characters’ stiff animations, while the Professor Layton and the Curious Villager remake was accused of having “inconsistent” AI-generated backgrounds. DecaPolice is suspected of relying on AI for all of the above and more.

Fans took to social media to voice their frustrations, highlighting issues like inconsistent character movements and lighting problems, questioning the coherence of the animations.

While none of these claims have been officially confirmed, it seems unlikely that Level-5 would use generative AI for a Professor Layton title, especially since the hand-drawn aesthetics are a key part of the series’ charm.

However, the scrutiny from fans isn’t entirely unfounded. Last year, Level-5’s CEO Akihiro Hino made concerning remarks about AI in game development during a talk for Japan’s Top Game Creators Academy. He noted that around 80-90% of code is currently generated by AI and then refined by human programmers, suggesting that AI is increasingly influencing not just programming but also art, music, and game design.

Additionally, in 2023, Level-5 openly acknowledged using ChatGPT for character designs and background art in Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road. It’s a stark contrast to the studio’s past collaborations with Studio Ghibli, leaving many fans feeling uneasy about the direction the company is taking.