Mumbai Gullies was once the first AAA open-world experience in India, which was suitable in terms of the setting in Mumbai, gameplay inspired and of cinematic ambition. However, the brand-new demo represents the drastic fall of mood after the Geek Festival of Independents (IGF) that has brought to mind more questions than answers for not only the gamers but also the critics. Further, the magnitude of the problems caused by various issues such as different gaming engines and unplayable builds have not only made mumbai gullies be at a crossroads but have also thrown shadows of uncertainty on their future besides dragging it.
Game Engine Switch: Unreal to Unity – A Strategic Move or a Step Back?
Originally planned to be implemented in Unreal Engine 5, Mumbai Gullies after that, however, has changed the platform to Unity, this being minimized down to monetary and logistical reasons.
Although indeed, this reason is quite solid, the impact of the swap on the game’s finishing and work performance can be plainly seen. The picture presented at the show of 2025 is not as good as in previous demos based on Unreal performance. Those who tried to play the new version based on Unity even went further, saying that the visuals were worse, the physics more awkward, and the performance was poor. The massive loss in quality has taken a toll on the fans who have been wondering if the situation is due to the change that has made progress slower or whether it is the opposite that has happened, and the new change has brought back the past times of development.
Demo Disappointment: A Lackluster Gameplay Experience
The player community had high hopes for the game, but it turned out to be full of various problems. Cars that were driven at IGF felt like it was broken:
- Car Mechanics: The main driving mechanic was a no-go. The cars felt as if they had no weight, and there was also no feedback or physics effects to simulate the movement.
- Lack of Visual and Audio Cues: The engine sound, crash animation, screen effects were gone. These were the crucial elements for immersion—however, they were not there.
- Map Optimization Issues: The city build, which includes Marine Drive and palm-lined roads, was a good match, but the problem appeared in moving there. Vehicles got stuck on sidewalks and curbs, so the only way was to restart.
Pointless Feedback Mechanism: A Missed Opportunity
Players who took part in the demo were able to modify car features like speed, acceleration, braking power, etc. This feedback system was advertised as a novel way of gathering player preferences. But the Mumbai Gullies gameplay…with only 10-15 minutes of demo time, most users just maxed out the stats for fun. This rendered the data meaningless.
“If I see an Omni car with 500 speed in the final build, we’ve got bigger problems than data analytics.”
The testing framework did not meet the expectations of its designers, making it clear that the emphasis should have been on organized QA sessions rather than public tuning.
Developer Communication: Reassurance or Excuse?
Mumbai Gullies Co-creator Nikhil, who sought to justify the decisions by quoting that “a game engine is just a tool.” Technically, Nikhil is right — several well-known games have changed engines in the middle of development — but this however, does not explain the unexpected fall of player experience. Switching engines might be common, but releasing an unoptimized and broken demo will definitely lose the trust of the community.
Poor Demo Planning Amidst Negative Buzz
The increasing distrust in the project is evident, and on top of that, presenting an insignificant demo only aggravates the situation. This is probably the last straw for consumers who have very little patience and are faced with a tight competition.
The Spin-Off Strategy: Introducing ‘FML’
As a departure from their original plan, the studio declared a new minigame called FML (Fast Motor Units) that was to serve as a laboratory for the systems that were being developed for Mumbai Gullies. The mechanics here are, of course, a bit outside of the ordinary. Besides the expected commotion, it will also be a primary source of short bursts of fun and instant reaction input.
However, this decision has attracted diverse opinions for Mumbai Gullies. The positive ones flag it as an intelligent way to create a behavioral pattern of players for introduction to the game, but the negative ones are more skeptical. How can the developers be expending efforts on side projects when their main flagship title is still struggling to find solid anchorage?
Internal Shake-Up: CEO Resignation Adds to Uncertainty
Matters only become more worrying when it is revealed that the co-founder of the company, who was the CEO, has stepped down and taken an advisory role. Leadership changes in the course of development typically indicate that there is some kind of trouble inside — which unfortunately can lead to the derailment of the projects.
Mismanagement of Expectations and Hype
Now, it’s evident that the gamers and the developers were both very enthusiastic about the potential of the game that they ended up being very wrong. A studio which is most known for mobile gaming decided to jump straight into AAA PC gaming with Unreal Engine — a very difficult task no matter which angle you look at it. And the marketing hype just added fuel to the fire.
“If we had asked better questions in 2020, we might not have placed such unrealistic expectations.”
The studio was never really able — neither technically nor financially — to create a full GTA-like open-world game from the ground up.
Lessons from Mumbai Gullies: A Cautionary Tale for Indian Game Development
- Don’t Overpromise: Be honest with your fans about what you can really achieve.
- Prioritize Core Mechanics: The gameplay is a must-have, it has to work perfectly before filling the game with the world and lore.
- Community Management Matters: Gamers don’t expect only updates; they want to see the work carried out.
- Avoid Half-Baked Demos: A demo is a bad calling card if it is a weak build.
Conclusion: Can Mumbai Gullies Still Deliver?
The idea behind Mumbai Gullies is great but the bad development has made its good reputation a thing of the past. They have changed the engine, published broken demos, focused on offshoots, and leadership changes have all been the causes of their present conditions.
In order to win back the customers’ favour, the devs must:
- Put most of their efforts into making the basic gameplay more assured.
- In the next public demonstration, they should supply a smooth implementation and good performance.
- Speak clearly and truthfully without resorting to technical terms.
The Indian gaming community is rooting for a success story — but Mumbai Gullies needs time to explore. Let’s see what Mumbai Gullies developers has planned to contribute. Until then you can explore these guides about Gaming.