Indie games made by newcomers are typically at two extremes: the good ones are really impressive, even if the screen is filled with baffling mosaics, that's still considered good.
And the bad ones are truly terrible, like tossing paint into a pot to cook, you can't tell what the end product is supposed to be.
But "The Forest's Second Son" is totally different.
This could easily sell for a 98 on a major platform, a rating most official games don't even achieve.
From the time he entered the game, Wang Say Games was in a state of bewilderment.
His spawn point was in the middle of a snowy area, and as soon as he arrived, he could see the snowflakes, as big as fists, smacking right at him. Even through the screen, you could feel the bone-chilling cold.
The ground was already covered in snow, and as he walked, you could hear the shuffling sound of the character moving through the snow. Turning his head, he could even see the tracks slowly fading away in the snow behind him. The whole process was smooth and natural, without any lag.
Could a newcomer really pay attention to such details?
Are all newcomers monsters these days?
I remember back in my day, I was thrilled to pieces making a platformer like Super Mario, comparing to this newcomer, I'm nothing but hot air.
In the live streaming room of Wang Say Games, a rare moment of silence occurred. The five thousand viewers widened their eyes as they stared at the game's graphics on the screen, and it took quite a while before someone spoke up, "This newcomer… is really something!"
"Isn't it a game company pretending to be a rookie?"
"Look at the signature, it's certified by Mr. Shen from Tianxiong Training Center, the guy's a big name in the industry. He doesn't need to cheat in a rookie competition."
"That's true. But this might be the author using materials from the academy to cobble together, whether it's actually fun or not, we'll have to see the gameplay."
"Exactly, exactly, Wang, let's get started."
Wang Say Games also recovered from his shock and began to control his character to move through the snowy landscape.
Just by controlling it a bit, he could tell that the author was definitely a powerhouse.
The character control felt incredibly smooth, the responsiveness and delay in the actions were so precise, it was like actually controlling a person running in unknown snow fields.
And with the surrounding snowscape, even without any other features, just as a walking simulator, it was enough to look down on other newcomers.
"A newcomer, huh... Let's see what this newcomer is called... Fang Cheng, never heard of him, definitely a fresh face."
Approaching a large tree resembling a pine or cypress, Wang Say Games began to pull at the tree bare-handed, the solid sensation of his fists hitting the trunk was satisfying.
After a few breaths, a large tree was pulled down, but before Wang Say Games could start dealing with it, something pounced at him.
It was a giant wolf, roughly the size of a baby elephant, its sharp claws still stained with blood, its ferocious face closing in on Wang Say Games, you could even see its dinner through its throat.
Wang Say Games reacted quickly. Just as he was about to turn and run, the starving wolf slapped him over with its paw.
The next moment, the screen went black, and the sound of the wolf feasting filled his ears, making Wang yelp and jump up, continuously rubbing his arms.
The realism just then was so intense, it made him feel as though he was actually being eaten by the wolf, nearly turning into his nightmare for life.
Looking at the death notification on the screen, Wang Say Games smacked his lips, feeling like he drank a cup of fine wine, savoring the aftertaste.
"This game... is incredible! Remember this Fang Cheng, he's going to be big in the future."
"Wang, don't enjoy it all by yourself! Show us more!"
"Yeah, just watching it for a bit, my digital ED seems to be showing signs of recovery."
"And Wang, you suck, getting knocked down by wild wolves in less than three minutes, your sister-in-law would be heartbroken."
"Screw off!" Wang cursed with a laugh, then sent the link to the group, "Free game, and you can download it instantly. Remember to throw in a coin, give a thumbs up, and add it to your favorites before downloading. Such a good game shouldn't get buried."
"Alright."
The five thousand live stream viewers were instantly wide awake, they started downloading the game online and before long were immersed in the world of 'The Forest's Second Son'.
Afterward, even more details were unearthed by them, each one making them exclaim in surprise or shout in excitement.
"I saw Wang start in the snow, and I thought the game only had a snow scene! Turns out I was born on the plains this time! There are wild horses and sheep around, I'm going to try and tame them!"
"Don't tell me I'm the last one to find out there's actually a crafting system. It's a shame the game's creator was too lazy to publish the crafting formulas."
"That's not laziness, that's a sense of mystery! A game shouldn't reveal everything, exploring bit by bit is what makes it fun."
"Comrades, this game actually has a main storyline! I found a huge relic, and although I got taken out by the Relic Guardian right away, this shows there are definitely secrets here unknown to man!"
"What secret is that? I found out this game is actually online! I've encountered other players!"
A small game, but it brought boundless joy.
With Wang's live stream as a hub, a large number of players began to spread this game around, attracting even more players to join in.
Over at the Newcomer Cup's website, the game's likes and votes skyrocketed as if on steroids, exceeding the second place by tenfold in just one night and dominating the top spot with an overwhelming lead.
The crazy rate of growth made the organizers almost think the game was manipulating votes, but after playing it themselves, they had to admit, this time the netizens were not up to par.
Only half the people liked and voted, do the rest have no hands?!
In the comment section below the game, tens of thousands of people were frantically leaving messages, sharing experiences, looking for strategy posts and crafting formulas, turning the modest Newcomer Cup into a carnival for game enthusiasts.
"Author, start charging for this, I'd feel ashamed to play it without paying at least 298."
"I suspect I saw a digital Succubus."
"Me and a few buddies have formed a big family in the game, named Binary, hope everyone can join."
"Don't believe the above, Binary is just 1 and 0, understand the nature of the family, right?"
"Joined."
"Joined."
"...Are all the players in this broken game male?"
In the morning, Fang Cheng was woken up by a call from Mr. Shen.
Mr. Shen, who had been up all night playing the game, was extremely excited, and the first thing he said after the call connected was, "Quick, tell me the formula for the Seven-Star Sword!"
"Oh, just meteorite plus Thunderstruck Wood, but you need to refine the meteorite in lava."
"Ah, thanks. Also, your game is on fire."
Logging onto the website in confusion, Fang Cheng saw the exaggerated amount of likes and downloads for 'The Forest's Second Son' and was baffled for a moment.
And after reading the comments, Fang Cheng was even more puzzled.
Is this game... fun?