Chapter 585: Sentimental and Rebellious Players (Requesting Subscriptions and Monthly Passes)

With the conclusion of Resident Evil Village's story.

Countless players were deeply moved.

So much so that, under this game, players uncharacteristically spoke with one voice.

Prior to this, the horror games Chen Xu had released.

For instance, in Outlast back then and Resident Evil last year, many players actually filled the comment sections with various memes and hype.

Regarding the game genres, there were generally all sorts of comments deliberately leaving different opinions.

In earlier years, Outlast had polarizing reviews, with some players strongly praising it, while others gave it negative reviews.

The comments within both the positive and negative reviews were very interesting; they were either jokingly or honestly telling players that the game was absolutely terrifying.

Or they were deliberately mischievous, trying to trick other players into the game to experience the masochistic suffering together.

But this time, Resident Evil Village was different.

Starting from the previous Resident Evil and extending to this village installment.

Chen Xu presented an incredibly memorable character in the game: Ethan Winters.

Especially when combined with the first-person perspective and VR immersive experience, Ethan's charm was infinitely amplified.

Even though it was just a horror game, players could genuinely feel the emotion Ethan Winters brought them.

In the Resident Evil Village-related game forums and the Nebula Games Platform's community itself, various player comments poured in.

'Three years ago, in a Louisiana farm, Ethan played the role of a husband; and three years later, in a gloomy and mysterious village, Ethan fulfilled his duty as a father.'

'Ethan Winters, a good husband and father who always puts his family first, no matter what!'

'[Rose, Daddy won't let any monster near you]', tear-jerking! Ethan fulfilled his promise to Rose with his life.

'Ethan might not be Nebula Games' most memorable protagonist, but he is undoubtedly the most tragic. After two games, there wasn't a single good spot on his entire body, but it is precisely this that allowed people to truly feel Ethan's charm.'

'Ethan Winters, he was just an ordinary civilian, an ordinary programmer, but he was a great husband and father!'

'This is the only protagonist in a horror game that has ever moved me.'

'Goodbye, Ethan Winters!'

Countless players who completed the game left comments filled with emotion, then read the remarks left by other players.

Without a doubt, Chen Xu used two horror games to tell the story of a great and tragic character.

Just like characters such as Arthur Morgan, Soap, Roach, and Ghost, Ethan Winters is definitely a father figure the gaming industry won't be able to forget.

Besides the story of Ethan Winters, players also showered the game itself with overwhelmingly positive reviews.

Originally, everyone thought Resident Evil Village might scare them out of their wits, just like the Jack Baker farm last year, especially since Chen Xu had released two and a half games full of fun before its launch.

So many players assumed that Resident Evil Village would be a very scary game.

But upon actually entering the game, players discovered it was completely different from what they had imagined.

If we talk about horror, there were indeed many scary points, such as the utterly grim doll level.

But other segments were not scary.

On the contrary, it was very satisfying. The box garden-style map design and exploration gameplay, combined with resource management and firearm progression design, made Resident Evil Village's gameplay infinitely superior to its predecessor.

Coupled with Ethan Winters' deeply moving story, Resident Evil Village suddenly saw an explosion in sales.

This also left many gaming industry designers and developers deeply moved.

After all, it's a recognized fact that horror games rarely achieve high sales; in fact, the scarier a game is, the smaller its sales might actually be, at least incomparable to its popularity.

But Resident Evil Village clearly broke this rule. Perhaps it wasn't the scariest, but it was undoubtedly the most enjoyable horror game to date.

Moreover, many game designers specializing in this genre discovered the cleverness of Resident Evil Village.

That was the shift in gameplay focus.

Resource collection and management, puzzle-solving, action-shooting.

Basically, all horror games are inextricably linked to these three elements.

In its early years, Outlast, developed by Nebula Games, focused primarily on puzzle-solving, supplemented by resource collection and management.

But no matter which one was prioritized, it would fall into an awkward situation.

Resident Evil Village, however, made a decision: a comprehensive approach.

Early-game resource management and collection/progression mode ensured that players were still scared when resources were scarce.

And when resources were no longer scarce, the game directly chose to temporarily strip you of your resources, making you feel uneasy facing pure horror.

But as a game, it's clearly impossible to completely strip players of their efforts, even in a single-player game. When resources are returned, the original sense of fear is greatly reduced. What then?

Just let players have a truly satisfying experience. As a pure FPS game, Resident Evil Village's combat gameplay wasn't outstanding, merely decent.

But it wasn't an FPS game; it was a horror game. This alternative identity, paradoxically, gave players a unique kind of satisfaction.

It's like engaging in base-building in adult games, or role-playing in real life. Originally, you might rate someone an 80, but if they put on a specific costume and adopted a specific identity, that original 80 points might turn into 90 under the double buff.

Although the game received widespread praise, a considerable number of players came back to their senses after being moved.

Because they realized that this game was filled with Chen Xu's malice!

That is, whether it was positive or negative characters in the game, they all acted like Riddler-like figures, and Chen Xu himself was also a big Riddler.

Throughout the game, many players found that the plot holes dug were enough to bury them ten or eight times over.

First, in the previous game's 'Not a Hero' DLC, during a mission, Chris mentioned his sister, and the infamous predecessor of Blue Umbrella, with many world-threatening bioweapon attacks linked to it, which is why Chris didn't fully trust Umbrella.

And by the time players reached Resident Evil Village, they found the plot holes had become utterly insane.

The most immediate issue was that the predecessor of Blue Umbrella was likely founded by one of Miranda's former students. They discovered something called the Progenitor Virus in Africa, but what the Progenitor Virus was and what kind of organization the original Umbrella truly was remained completely unsaid.

Secondly, BSAA and Blue Umbrella both seemed untrustworthy, because when leaving the village at the end, the rescue team members sent were bioweapons.

Furthermore, the final Rose being called Evelyn made the timeline intriguing.

Because Evelyn had a characteristic of rapid growth, it raised the question of whether Rose, as a perfect being surpassing Evelyn, completely avoided aging after rapid growth, just like Miranda.

Also, regarding Rose's affiliation, the last line indicated Chris didn't even know her abilities, and whether the organization she joined was the same as Chris's was also a question.

However, while characters acting like Riddlers and digging plot holes might be tolerable, what players found most unbearable was the game's story.

The most painful aspect of a horror game for them wasn't being scared out of their wits, but feeling the heart-wrenching pain of the protagonist's death, as if stabbed by a knife.

Ethan was covered in wounds in the game, and as players, weren't they too?

Arthur Morgan, Soap, Roach, Ghost, Mipha, Emile, Liva, and Johnny... from protagonists to supporting characters, players couldn't count how many times they had been 'stabbed' (emotionally hurt) by the stories.

Players also understood that Ethan wasn't the first, and probably wouldn't be the last.

But understanding is one thing; what needs to be expressed still must be expressed.

How did Party Animals, Human: Fall Flat, and Super Mario Maker come about?

Thus, on Chen Xu's official Weibo account and Nebula Games' related communities, players also began their 'rebellion.'

(End of Chapter) <>