Chapter 153: Sales Explosion (Requesting Subscriptions, Monthly Passes)

Chapter 153: Sales Explosion (Requesting Subscriptions, Monthly Passes)

All kinds of comments—some focused on the game's Level Design, others on plot understanding, and some merely playing along with memes or sharing their actual experience outside the game.

But there was no denying it: It Takes Two delivered an unforgettable experience to every player.

Even though certain parts of the journey left players distressed and sad,

the gameplay itself was exciting and thrilling, much like an animated film.

The final ending was a heartwarming happy ending, something many players found deeply satisfying.

On the fourth day after the game's launch, media reviews from all major outlets successively released.

Many gaming media outlets were moved to tears.

After all, during this period of game drought, there had been hardly any eye-catching news reports to attract players' attention.

Moreover, many gaming media still remembered just how awkward it had been when reviewing Dark Souls.

Nebula Games didn't provide game developers or media with a special media review version ahead of time, allowing early evaluations so reviews could be published before or on launch day.

Instead, media outlets had to experience the game at the same time as players, only publishing their reviews afterward.

But for these media reviewers, playing wasn't the same as for ordinary players.

While regular players simply enjoyed the game, media reviewers had to pay close attention to every element, thoroughly understand the content, and analyze it in depth.

This was clearly a massive workload. When Dark Souls first launched, it became the darkest hour for domestic gaming media.

The game's extremely high difficulty, fragmented storytelling, and side quests that were likely to be missed without a guide on first playthrough

meant that even half a month after Dark Souls launched domestically, many authoritative game media hadn't published their reviews.

But by the time they finally cleared the game and fully grasped its in-depth content,

an even more awkward situation arose: Dark Souls' reputation had completely shifted from mixed reviews to overwhelmingly positive reviews.

Players already clearly understood the characteristics of Dark Souls.

Media reviews were mainly meant as a reference for players unfamiliar with a game's genre or traits.

But once players already understood it, the importance of these reviews naturally diminished.

Except for those who particularly liked the game or wanted to use the scores to badmouth it, most random players treated review scores merely as a factor in deciding whether to buy.

Thus, Dark Souls left a deeply impressed mark on many gaming media outlets.

But now, things were different!

Although media outlets didn't receive an early review copy of It Takes Two either,

meaning their reviews weren't published on launch day,

they still managed to release their critiques at the peak of the game's popularity.

Moreover, due to the two-player requirement, many players had previously been in a wait-and-see state.

This time, their reviews came out just in time!

This wave of popularity—they seized it!

Among the domestic media scores, the lowest rating was still a 9 out of 10.

Game Timespace, which had previously interviewed Chen Xu, went as far as giving a perfect score of 10.

In their review, Game Timespace described It Takes Two as:

'Undoubtedly, It Takes Two is the best two-player cooperative game in recent years—yes, there is no exception! From the moment you dive into this wonderful world, players are constantly subjected to sensory bombardment from every direction, savoring a carefully crafted delicacy born of creativity and imagination.'

'Over a dozen hours of constantly switching gameplay and scenes—perhaps one second you're galloping along railway tracks among the stars, and the next you're piloting a warship in a building block world, bombarding a giant octopus as large as a mountain. You never know what novel gameplay awaits around the next corner.'

'A gameplay mechanic that could carry an entire game on its own might only serve as an appetizer here, never to reappear in the rest of the journey. This unpredictable sense of surprise, combined with dreamlike scenes, turns the entire gameplay into a winding roller coaster ride.'

'Without a doubt, this is a magnificent cooperative adventure game, establishing a path of great gameplay innovation! It is magnificent and beautiful, fast-paced, full of creativity, and every part rewards both gameplay and experimental nature.'

'And when shifting focus back to the story, It Takes Two remains equally outstanding, perfectly integrating gameplay with narrative.'

'The game's story revolves around eternal reflections on love, marriage, and family: When marriage is worn away by life, can family warmth rekindle love?'

'The game explores three central questions: [With the mundane aspects of life, will both partners still make enough time for each other?], [Beyond love, what else binds them together?], [If life extinguishes our passion, what meaning does life still hold?].'

'By progressing through the game's levels and story, players gradually receive answers to these three questions, ultimately elevating the game's theme.'

'In a family, a child is like a rope connecting husband and wife; of course, a child is never the shackles of parents, but at the very least should be the last fuse.'

'Somewhat cruel, yet deeply sincere. This heavy story theme, rooted in real-world reality, is wrapped within a clever worldview—through the adventure of fantastical little characters, allowing us to examine the world from another perspective.'

As media reviews poured in, the popularity of It Takes Two showed no signs of cooling down.

Sales figures also steadily climbed, reaching 1.55 million copies within two weeks.

This number slightly surprised Chen Xu.

After all, Two-Player Games, especially mandatory two-player cooperative games, are inherently player-specific.

Not all players have a partner to play with, and although It Takes Two used an invitation system—where one player owning the game can invite another—

achieving such sales figures still exceeded Chen Xu's expectations.

Still, after summarizing It Takes Two's launch performance, Chen Xu gained a general understanding.

The sales explosion of It Takes Two stemmed primarily from three factors.

The first was, naturally, the excellent game quality.

The second factor was the lack of similar games. While two-player co-op games weren't particularly rare, a cooperative game with rich content and substantial scale like It Takes Two was unprecedented.

The third factor was the ongoing game drought. Although various game developers released titles after the new year, most were not impactful.

And the few games players truly looked forward to remained in the realm of promises.

Under these circumstances, the arrival of It Takes Two naturally attracted players suffering from the game drought.

(End of Chapter) <>