Chapter 900: Phenomenal Performance

Players online were frantically discussing the content within Grand Theft Auto (Sin City), with ubiquitous details, ironic stories, and seemingly endless hidden easter eggs to uncover.

It could be said that Grand Theft Auto (Sin City) drove many players completely mad and exhilarated.

However, some players were exceptions.

Fun, that was something countless players universally agreed upon.

But satisfied?

That wasn't necessarily the case.

Regarding the content of Grand Theft Auto (Sin City), players could initially choose three starting locations. The protagonists for these three starting locations also differed, as did their respective eras.

Among them, the protagonist of Vice City was Tommy, whose story depicted a pure rise to power, akin to Scarface.

Meanwhile, Carl, the protagonist in Los Santos, embarked on a story of struggle for his family.

However, both Tommy's and Carl's stories were considered quite perfect. There were even corresponding crossovers, for instance, in Vice City, Ken and Paul, who accompanied Tommy to the end, were sent away from Vice City by him, only to later encounter Carl in Los Santos.

All things considered, despite some regrets, it was a relatively fulfilling experience.

But the final protagonist, Niko, from Liberty City, had an ending that left countless players with an unbearable sense of regret.

Because here, players once again felt one of Nebula Games' signature traits.

That is, every cut to the heart.

In this open-world game, they experienced the kind of trolley problem quests found in The Witcher: Wild Hunt.

Unlike Tommy, who returned because his boss framed him, and Carl, who returned because his mother was killed by a rival gang, Niko in Liberty City voluntarily participated in a series of events, all to avenge his former comrades.

For revenge, Niko helped gangs and even government officials. Compared to the other two protagonists, Niko's story was significantly darker, and so was its final ending.

Players had to make two completely different choices, both of which would lead to regret.

The first choice: in the subsequent plot, Niko's brother, who had always looked after him in the game, would be shot and killed on his wedding day.

And the second choice: Niko could save his brother, but Niko, who had completed his revenge and was ready to live a peaceful life with his girlfriend, would witness his girlfriend being killed at his brother's wedding.

Players had to choose one of these two agonizing options.

Those who chose Liberty City as their starting point, seeing other players excited about prioritizing Vice City and Los Santos, felt a thorn in their hearts.

'I chose Liberty City first and I'm crying my eyes out!'

'It's okay, it's okay, other players will experience it eventually anyway.'

'That's not necessarily true, you know. I know there'll be tragedy, but can't I just avoid Liberty City's main story? The open-world exploration is enough to keep me entertained.'

'I'm disgusted! I originally thought it would be super fun, but I can only say it's late but it arrived. Persona and Fate Seeker lowered my guard, I never expected Grand Theft Auto (Sin City) to also weave in such endings.'

'Honestly, though at first I wanted to rush into Nebula Games and beat up Mr. Chen, if I think about it, if this content wasn't there, I might actually feel a bit unaccustomed.'

New players were still condemning Nebula Games online, listing Mr. Chen's major crimes. Meanwhile, veteran players had already started sending express deliveries, shipping boxes to Nebula Games headquarters.

Simultaneously with the explosion of player reviews,

mainstream media outlets like GameStop also successively released their reviews.

Previously, some media outlets had also reviewed Grand Theft Auto (Sin City).

However, neither the industry nor players paid too much attention, as these were mostly third and fourth-tier game media. They lacked authority and professionalism. They were purely riding the wave of Grand Theft Auto (Sin City)'s popularity, so most players didn't follow them.

Media reviews are somewhat similar to esports competitions. Players only remember the top-tier media; as for ordinary media? No one remembers them at all.

The reason these first-tier media took so long to release their reviews was that they didn't receive media preview versions. To maintain their authority, they needed time to truly understand the game before reviewing it; they needed to be well-reasoned, and to play it thoroughly and deeply.

And these game media outlets, almost uniformly, gave the game perfect scores.

This left many players a little dumbfounded. After all, with the continuous advancement of the gaming industry, achieving a perfect score has become an extremely difficult feat.

Yet, Grand Theft Auto (Sin City) still achieved this milestone.

Among them, GameStop, recognized by both players and the industry as the most authoritative and largest game review media, published its review:

'If we're talking about landmark works in open-world gaming, then Red Dead Redemption, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim will undoubtedly be on the list. And now, a new landmark work can ascend to this sparkling list.'

'Nebula has once again succeeded, there's no doubt about it. Grand Theft Auto (Sin City) is a masterpiece, an epoch-making game that once again showcases the charm of the open world to players worldwide.'

'Just like the name of this type of game suggests, Grand Theft Auto (Sin City) genuinely creates a dreamlike virtual world, one as real as it is illusory.'

'The game's story unfolds across several fictional cities, populated by masters of self-redemption, celebrities, and fallen famous figures. It is an era filled with expectation, yet also an era struggling for survival.'

'Before this, I never thought a game could achieve such a feat, allowing me to feel as if I were truly in a real world within the game.'

'When walking on the lush green sidewalks, with sunlight filtering through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground; driving a sports car in the afterglow of sunset or after rain; strolling at night through bustling, lavish, and resplendent districts under the dazzling and blinding neon lights – all these experiences involuntarily immerse players in the cities within the game, such as Vice City and Los Santos.'

'With abundant content, you can be a taxi driver, a shady figure entangled in gangs, or indulge in extravagant nightlife in casino clubs; take on an extreme high-speed race on mountain roads... The game offers countless gameplay options and side quests.'

'And this isn't Grand Theft Auto (Sin City)'s greatest charm. Three starting cities with different styles, three protagonists of different skin colors and backgrounds, living out their own life stories, with clever narration and camerawork seamlessly connecting them to provide players with a cinematic enjoyment.'

'The entire game's story is not as superficial as players might think. Sharp satire and black humor regarding the characteristics of each era permeate the entire game, yet it's not presented in a preachy manner. It possesses its own unique thoughts, which no other game does.'

'Although the cities are fictional worlds, the hypocrisy, greed, corruption, false benevolence, and abuse of power satirized within the game are astonishingly realistic.'

'If you want to experience a world as real as possible in a game, choose Grand Theft Auto (Sin City).'

'If you want to play a game with an urban setting, choose Grand Theft Auto (Sin City).'

'If you want to experience a brilliant, cinematic story, choose it as well.'

'It's no exaggeration to say that if previous games from Nebula Games hadn't fully delivered the charm of the next-gen, then the arrival of Grand Theft Auto (Sin City) heralds that gaming has entered a new era.'

After such a high evaluation was published,

countless players who loved Grand Theft Auto (Sin City) instantly became excited. These players also widely reposted the review article.

Sales, ratings, player adoration, coupled with the game's urban setting.

These factors caused the game's popularity to surge once again.

It almost formed a phenomenal game culture.

(End of Chapter) <>