Chapter 100: Humor and Satire

Chapter 100: Humor and Satire

After helping the black soldier out of a difficult situation, Emile learns through conversation that the man is from the United States and has joined the Allied Powers.

This segment set at the train station is surprisingly cheerful.

Especially the soldiers swaying along to the band's music—Liuliu couldn't help but burst into laughter watching them.

But this humor and joy are fleeting, because the game's backdrop is World War I.

As the Narration explains, Emile's regiment is dispatched to fight against Baron von Dorf's 71st German Division.

All excitement is immediately replaced by the fear of their first battle.

On the battlefield, Emile serves as the flag bearer. At the commander's order, the soldiers launch a charge.

The gameplay here is somewhat similar to the bullet-dodging mechanics in Undertale.

The game uses a 2D side-scrolling format, requiring players to move forward and backward to dodge artillery shells raining down from the sky.

Like dumplings being dropped into boiling water, shells pour down upon Emile and his comrades. Yet charging forward is their only option.

The commanding officer leading the charge is instantly killed by an explosion. Emile, as the flag bearer, takes his place.

Facing German machine guns and relentless artillery, this is a desperate assault—brutal and tragic.

Before the attack, the sky was bright blue and sunny.

Now, dark clouds loom overhead, and the ground is littered with French corpses.

The sounds of gunfire, combined with the BGM shifting from grand to sorrowful, create an atmosphere of devastation. Even though the game employs a cartoon-style 2D scroll, Liuliu still feels the cruel reality of war.

As Emile charges forward, a bullet strikes him mercilessly.

Amid heavy rain and a melancholic BGM, the screen shifts to the German ranks.

One blond soldier stands out—Carl.

"So Emile was conscripted by France, and after being deported, Carl was drafted by Germany. This family will now fight for opposing nations and end up facing each other on the battlefield?"

"And did Emile actually die?"

Liuliu instantly pieces it together.

Could it be that Valiant Hearts: The Great War is structured like this?

A story of family members killing each other, weaving national allegiance with familial bonds to ultimately highlight the cruelty of war?

It seems very plausible, but if that's truly the case, wouldn't it be a bit overly dramatic?

Liuliu thinks to herself, though she keeps her thoughts to herself, instead giving the live stream room viewers a brief summary of the current situation.

Having experienced both Undertale and To the Moon, she believes this game probably won't be as clichéd as she suspects.

Besides, the game has only been going for about ten minutes.

[Marie Chelon, Private Emile Chelon of the 150th Infantry Regiment, was injured in combat on August 21 and captured by enemy forces]

[We can only hope we receive news of him soon]

The Narration speaks over a somber orchestral BGM.

The scene shifts to Emile's Farm. Holding a letter, Emile's daughter breaks into tears.

Seeing this, Liuliu and the viewers in the live stream room breathe a sigh of relief.

He was only captured, not killed—good news, at least.

As Liuliu speculates whether the next part will involve Emile escaping from German custody with Carl's help, or perhaps Carl helping Emile flee,

the camera shifts to another character—the black soldier whom Emile had helped at the train station.

[Freddie, an American-born warrior, volunteered to join the Allied Powers at the war's outset]

[Beneath his brave exterior lies a soul deeply scarred and shattered by war]

[He clings to one belief: punish those who destroyed his life]

[It wasn't until the Battle of the Marne that Freddie finally located the regiment led by Baron von Dorf]

Listening to the Narration and watching the interspersed cartoon-style panels, Liuliu begins to grasp this character's backstory.

Both Carl and Emile were conscripted against their will.

But Freddie, an American, came to Europe and joined the Allied army—not for some noble cause of justice.

He is a vengeful man. It's highly likely that the German army, particularly the unit led by Baron von Dorf, killed his wife.

Recalling the photo shown during the character introduction, Liuliu speculates in her mind.

But whether this is truly what happened, she isn't certain.

After all, this game so far feels incredibly unique.

Very few—or almost no—dialogue lines.

Solemn narration gives it the feel of a documentary.

At the same time, the game is filled with humor that makes players smile—yet before they can fully enjoy the laughter,

the cartoon-style doodle art style abruptly reveals the harsh reality of war.

This contrast makes the earlier humor deeply ironic.

Additionally, the Gameplay differs significantly from Emile's section.

Switching to Freddie introduces Puzzle Solving and stealth mechanics.

As the game's description stated, Valiant Hearts: The Great War is a puzzle-solving game.

Emile's segment didn't showcase much of this, but Freddie's gameplay requires using various in-game mechanics to infiltrate enemy territory.

For this current level, Liuliu quickly figures out the trick after a brief examination.

First, use a grenade to blow down a ladder. Then, time movements between machine gun bursts, climb the ladder to reach the destination.

Next, use items like Shelter Stones to create noise and distract enemies, then sneak down the ladder and knock them out with a sandbag-sized punch.

Clearly, like Nebula Games' Outlast, although this is a World War I-themed game, players currently have no guns.

The only option is to fight with bare fists, and occasionally use wire cutters to slice through barbed wire.

Since it's early in the game, the puzzle difficulty isn't high. Liuliu grasps the solution quickly.

Still, she notices one thing:

Despite the cartoonish, humorous visual style and lack of overt moralizing in the story,

the game is saturated with irony. For instance, at the train station, beer is used to bribe officers.

In Freddie's level, German soldiers fight at the front lines while Officer Baron von Dorf leisurely sips wine in a room. When Allied forces breach the defenses, he immediately flees via airship.

After completing Freddie's level, watching him angrily tear the German flag in half, the screen, like before, fades to black.

Narration returns, accompanied by comic-style panels revealing the next setting.

[With British reinforcements arriving, the German offensive fails. The front line shifts northward, bringing with it the arrival of winter]

[Carl's unit retreats to the outskirts of Neuve-Chapelle—the very place where Emile is imprisoned]

"Huh, so will Emile and Carl finally meet again?"

Liuliu murmurs softly as she reads the background description.

The next moment, the game resumes, and control shifts back to Emile.

Unlike before, when he wore a military uniform, Emile now wears a simple kitchen apron, his feet chained with shackles, holding a large iron ladle—he has become a cook for the German army.

Here, Liuliu sees another familiar character besides Baron von Dorf—the German search and rescue dog featured in the game's preview and the UI interface before starting.

She first gives the dog some water, then Emile heads to the warehouse to prepare food. Carl seizes the chance to sneak in and see Emile.

The two are overjoyed to meet. Carl asks about Emile's wife.

Emile hands Carl a letter and photo sent by his daughter.

But before they can say much, soldiers outside start demanding their meal, forcing Carl and Emile to quickly part ways.

Yet when Emile pushes the large pot of food outside,

British artillery fire rains down.

In the bombardment, Emile is buried under collapsing rubble.

The screen fades to black in dead silence, leaving Liuliu and the viewers in front of their computers filled with worry for Emile's fate.

(Daily request for recommendation votes and Monthly Pass!)

(End of Chapter) <>