Chapter 155: Players Are Hyped (Fourth Update—Subscribe and Vote for Monthly Pass)

Chapter 155: Players Are Hyped (Fourth Update—Subscribe and Vote for Monthly Pass)

Compared to its initial launch period, the popularity of It Takes Two has already declined somewhat.

After all, It Takes Two itself doesn't offer much incentive for repeated playthroughs.

Unlike Dark Souls, which features multiple routines and strategies, the core appeal of It Takes Two lies entirely in its intricate level design.

Once players have experienced the various level designs and item combinations, the only remaining source of enjoyment comes from playing with different partners.

As for the game itself, it’s difficult to offer veteran players any sense of novelty.

Added to this, during the period since It Takes Two launched, numerous game developers have announced their subsequent plans.

Domestic agency companies have also brought in several outstanding overseas games from last year.

All of this has diverted a significant amount of player attention.

Nevertheless, the release of Game Timespace’s exclusive interview article still attracted substantial player attention.

Although Game Timespace made some modifications to the article’s content,

the main points were still clearly conveyed.

Especially Chen Xu’s heartfelt statement to players, which was quoted verbatim—‘Every game carries my love for players. I’ve always been committed to delivering games that warm people’s hearts.’

This interview was also translated into English and reposted on overseas platforms.

During this time, Target Software had been steadily releasing Nebula Games’ previously developed smaller titles overseas.

Thus, Target Software actively promoted anything related to Nebula Games.

Moreover, the influence of Dark Souls overseas had not yet completely faded.

As a result, Chen Xu’s interview drew considerable attention from international players.

Particularly after reading his words, many overseas players gave their thumbs-up and began discussing it in relevant forum communities:

‘I have to say, I’m already looking forward to this Game Designer’s next work!’

‘Yes, only someone who truly loves their players can create such excellent games!’

‘Right! I heard that Target Software—the company that published Dark Souls—is working on bringing this designer’s past classic works. I’m really excited!’

‘I’ve seen some videos on YouTube. Recently, it seems this designer has a new project—a two-player co-op game that looks incredibly bright and cheerful. I have to say, I’m already looking forward to more heartwarming games!’

‘More importantly, didn’t the article mention something about a Dark Souls sequel?’

‘Really? That would be amazing!’

Overseas players were filled with anticipation. However, domestic players reacted quite differently.

‘Although It Takes Two is indeed heartwarming and bright, I still remain skeptical about Chen Xu’s statement, okay?’

‘It sounds convincing, but why do I feel like Chen Xu is just pulling our leg?’

‘+1. I’ll tentatively believe the “love for players” part, but “heartwarming”? Just take it with a grain of salt!’

‘Warrior of Love or whatever—whatever, I’ll still buy Chen Xu’s games anyway.’

‘Don’t fall for Chen Xu’s nonsense. Warm-hearted Warrior of Love? Just laugh it off. Isn’t the real core point here that the Dark Souls sequel will be presented as a prequel?’

‘Exactly! You’ve all missed the point! That’s the key!’

‘Yeah, finally the Dark Souls story can be completed!’

‘Haha, I can’t wait to see the expressions of the Souls scholars and lore hunters. Wonder who’ll end up as the loser and who’ll actually guess it right!’

‘Exactly, then the Souls scholars won’t have to keep fighting online anymore.’

‘But why do I feel it’s not that simple? The Dark Souls prequel might still use fragmented storytelling!’

‘Forget the story! The most important thing is the difficulty! Didn’t Chen Xu say this will be a brand-new and mad adventure? And “even greater surprises”—sounds more like scares to me!’

‘Screw that! After being tormented so many times, I’m mentally prepared. It’ll definitely be easier this time. Anyway, I can’t wait—I, the Ashen One, am joining for my eighth playthrough!’

‘Damn it! Eighth playthrough?! I heard that’s super hard. I’m only on my third. Veteran player, care to share some tips?!’

‘Not a big deal. It’s just that bosses hit me like I’m a baby chick while wearing Havel’s Set.’

The moment Game Timespace’s interview article went live, it instantly ignited player enthusiasm.

A portion of players did believe Chen Xu’s repeated emphasis on “heartwarming” games.

Yet many veteran players of Nebula Games and long-time fans of Chen Xu claimed they didn’t believe a single word.

However, the vast majority of players weren’t actually focused on whether Chen Xu’s “Warrior of Love” persona was genuine or fake.

Their attention was squarely on the mention of a Dark Souls prequel in the article.

After all, for hardcore Dark Souls players, thoughts of a sequel had been constant during this time.

Many players routinely went to Chen Xu’s official Weibo account to @-mention him.

Regardless of whether they received a reply, they made their stance known.

Now, the long-awaited news about a new work had finally arrived!

As for difficulty? Would they be afraid!?

Compared to its initial release, Dark Souls’ gameplay had been thoroughly explored, and a large number of high-level players had emerged.

Videos of no-damage boss runs and speedruns were now commonplace.

Online, what drew more attention were humorous videos—like unexpected outcomes in random mode—or meme-filled videos analyzing story backgrounds, as well as hardcore challenge videos attempting world-record speedruns and boss speedruns.

Thus, most players were extremely confident in their skills.

After all, they were no longer the clueless Firelinking beginners they once were.

They didn’t fear the game being too hard—they feared it wouldn’t be hard enough.

This time, they’d redeem their past failures and show the game what an excellent Firelinker truly is!

Faced with the overwhelming enthusiasm of countless players, Chen Xu didn’t choose silence. He logged into his official Weibo account and posted a message, accompanied by an image of a ‘bonfire’.

The post was simple:

‘Regarding the Dark Souls sequel, we’ll announce it at the Gameplay exhibition. The new work will be set in the distant Age of Fire and will fill in some story gaps. One thing remains unchanged—it will definitely deliver the Firelinking journey that players have longed for.’

Once Chen Xu’s official Weibo post went live, players completely lost their minds.

After all, this was now officially confirmed (slang).

Within less than ten minutes of the post, thousands of replies had piled up underneath.

Scrolling through, one could see countless ‘This fire can't be linked’ memes.

But memes aside, deep down, these players were actually filled with anticipation.

There’s one thing to remember: suffering is addictive.

(End of Chapter) <>