This ‘GTA in London’ Game Won’t Glorify Crime in the ENDS

It has been almost three years since I first covered ENDS for Insider Gaming, and in that time, I’ve been quietly monitoring the work that Concrete Realm has been doing behind closed doors. This super-small indie team is bringing to life London like never before, diving deep into the gritty underbelly and uncovering the struggles and tribulations of people in the ENDS.

In a recent catch-up with the studio’s leadership team, I got a look at the latest vertical slice, learned about the developmental leaps the squad has pushed for, and dug into the topic of one day competing with Grand Theft Auto.

ENDS is About Discovery, Not Glorification

When I spoke to the team at Concrete Realm, the 12-person team behind ENDS, I was most eager to see how they’re dealing with the inevitable comparisons between their game and Grand Theft Auto. It’s set in London and is focused on a realistic representation of the world, rather than a satirical one, but the core concepts of crime, exploration, and combat are all there.

In an interview in 2023 with Concrete Realm, the team told me:

We felt that many AAA game developers couldn’t quite capture the authenticity of London as we could. We’ve noticed that recent UK titles like the new season of Top Boy and Blue Story faced criticism for not fully delivering an authentic experience, and we believe ‘ENDS’ can fill that gap.

This time around, I asked them about the ‘GTA in London’ vibe and how they’re dealing with any comments in that vein:

We will always have those allegations of being ‘GTA in London’ just due to the type of game, and this will always be the case due to the themes surrounding drugs, gangs and crime. GTA definitely falls into the category of allowing players to do whatever they want without consequences.

Whereas ENDS focuses on what you expect to be typical of London. From making guns harder to attain. We are focusing on hand-to-hand combat and melee weapons as the main attack for the player. We want the story to feel real, like it could happen to anyone. We want it to resonate with them and build a focus on the struggles people in these parts go through.

They then dropped one of the marketing lines for this game: ‘ENDS isn’t a story about glorifying the ‘ENDS’. It’s a trap.’

What Concrete Realm is happy about is being considered a ‘GTA competitor’, which is no easy feat, especially with Grand Theft Auto 6 looming on the horizon.

The game is fleshing out quite nicely, I learned. In July last year, the team unveiled their first devlog, giving a look behind the development curtain and letting investors and prospective fans know what was going on at the studio. I asked where things are at now and was told:

We have a full narrative set up for ENDS, including three main acts, a prologue, and an epilogue. The story focuses on a small, relatable cast of characters, an authentic setting and events inspired by real life. Currently, you are only seeing a small portion of the map, which was made purely for our Pre-Alpha demo build.

The evolution is front and centre in the latest developer update, which discusses world optimization, combat mechanics, new characters, and offers a much more exciting glimpse at pre-alpha gameplay.

Here’s the devlog:

The connection between ENDS and real-world London runs deep, and the team is trying all the time to further that link. They’ve partnered with some rising stars in the music world to bring their tracks into ENDS, and they’ve obtained permission from one of London’s most recognizable graffiti artists to use his tag in the game.

In the footage we’re seeing from Concrete Realm, we’re able to identify everything from road signs and vehicles to set pieces and weather systems, all of which scream ‘London’. Take it from someone who lives 15 minutes outside the city: it’s looking authentic.

Concrete Realm is busy preparing a new devlog for folks to digest, so watch this space to learn more about the game. In the meantime, let us know on the Insider Gaming Discord server if you’re interested in ENDS.

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