Filmmakers bring PS2 graphics into the real world with wild makeup and sets

by

As a huge fan of those older PlayStation 2 games, I’m absolutely blown away by this! Some filmmakers have figured out how to make real life look like a PS2 game – and it’s incredible. They’re using things like really detailed prosthetics, amazing makeup, and just unbelievably creative sets to pull it off. It’s like stepping right into one of those games!

Okay, so making a video look like it came straight out of the early 2000s? Honestly, it’s surprisingly easy these days. It’s 2026, and AI tools do most of the work for you. Plus, CGI can nail those old-school graphics without much effort. It’s wild how simple it’s become!

Creating that effect without using digital enhancements is a much bigger challenge, and that’s exactly what a team of filmmakers faced when they were asked to create a Coinbase advertisement.

On March 12th, the company released a video called ‘No Way Out’ that intentionally mimics the look of a PlayStation 2 game. Surprisingly, everything in the video was created using real-world sets and props, not computer graphics.

Crazy video brings PS2 graphics to life through incredible techniques

Okay, so the people in this video? They move exactly like NPCs in a game – super stiff and robotic. And honestly, they look like they walked straight out of a really early, unfinished version of GTA 3. It’s kinda wild!

Next, a character races down a street designed to resemble the graphics of old 3D video games, complete with pixelated textures and simple shapes. The absence of shadows further emphasizes the artificiality of the environment.

The character ultimately escapes the game and returns to the real world, but it’s the incredibly realistic in-game footage that’s captured everyone’s attention online.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Frame Set (@frame.set)

Director Oscar Hudson noted that almost everything viewers see in the film was created manually and performed by actual people, rather than relying on digital effects.

The production featured simple, low-budget sets and costumes – even using printed 2D fabrics for clothing. Actors wore masks replicating their own faces, and the staging creatively combined very small sets with massive, 75-meter-long ones. Whenever possible, even geometric shapes like triangles were manipulated as physical puppets on stage.

Honestly, one of the coolest things about this production was how they really leaned into the video game vibe. They intentionally made everything look a little pixelated, like an older game, and the actors moved like the characters you control – almost like NPCs! It totally pulled me in and made it feel like I was inside the game.

Viewers loved the video, and many were amazed by how realistically it captured the look of a classic, old-school 3D game.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Oscar Hudson (@o_hud)

Someone called it ‘completely wild’ and the best thing they’d seen all year, especially considering how much they’ve watched.

Someone commented that they watched the ad seven times in a row, wondering how it was made and if it was even real.

This really highlights that even with all the advances in AI, traditional practical effects still deliver amazing results.

Read More

2026-03-24 19:21