Without consequences, players might not care about death.
After death, time and time again, players discovered that the map of this game flowed continuously like blood. With each death and rebirth, a new game experience unfolded.
The game boasted a complete map generation logic, with the designer piecing together preset map templates to generate a fresh map every time. This, coupled with random props, equipment, and enemies, ensured subtle differences with each restart. Players couldn't predict what lay ahead; every playthrough was a new adventure.
If Ye Feng had used "Digging the Ground for Ascension" to draw in basic players, now he was fully utilizing the game's charm to captivate them. Since its release, the game's sales had skyrocketed. Within just one week, this 49 yuan game had sold millions.
Discussions about various aspects of the game were rife across gaming communities, from choosing genres and weapons to mastering perfect blocks.
Ah, the perfect block.
A parry only counted if it instantaneously blocked the enemy's melee attack; long-range attacks didn't count, nor did simply holding the shield up all the time. A character would display "parry" above their head upon successful execution.
Initially, players didn't bother with shields. They transitioned from blood blades to electric whips, then to bows, and finally to throwing torches. But as the game progressed, mastering the parry became essential, especially when facing multiple foes.
Furthermore, the more one played, the easier it became to excel. Amidst the smooth swings of the knife and the splattering of monster blood, the background music intensified, and lightning jumps and thrown torches made quick work of the enemies. In those moments, the brain surrendered control to instinct, and the heart raced, supplying oxygen to the brain at lightning speed.
Hands moved faster until every monster on the field was vanquished, and a long exhale followed, akin to quenching thirst with cool mineral water on a scorching summer day or taking a deep breath after resurfacing from a long dive underwater.
Even amidst the relentless battle, the tempo of the drumbeats added an extra layer of intensity, earning it the moniker, the strongest sound game!
The Yogame team was left speechless. Just a month ago, they had thought they had successfully quashed this designer, but within a month, he had executed a stunning turnaround.
Without hesitation, he switched platforms, leveraging the scattered fanbase he had built from the previous game to break into the gaming scene once more.
"Brother Yin, have you seen the latest news? Yogame has spoken out before the designer," Dai Xiaomei, playing online with Brother Yin, remarked.
"I have," Brother Yin sighed. "Honestly, Yogame's tactics this time are pretty underhanded."
The other party had even enlisted a renowned game reviewer to write a lengthy review of Dead Cells.
Though the reviewers didn't disclose Yogame's involvement, it was obvious to those within the gaming community.
[Game evaluation: The game is overly simplistic, cleared it in half a day. It has a comfortable feel, but the equipment system, scroll mutations, and other complexities seem unnecessary. The design is excellent, but for a simple game, these elements feel excessive. Better to focus on improving gameplay quality.]
"I saw it; I couldn't help but laugh," Brother Yin chuckled.
"Me too. He must have rushed to write the review after defeating the boss, thinking it was all over," Dai Xiaomei laughed in response.
"I thought I was finally free from the torment of this game, that it was finally over, but turns out, I only went from 0 cells to 1," Dai Xiaomei lamented.
Initially, she thought reaching Hand of the King was the game's ultimate challenge. The tension during that battle was palpable, and while she had made it that far, nobody wanted to die and start over.
"His review just came out, right? It's bound to get roasted soon," Brother Yin remarked with a pained expression as his character was mobbed to death.
He was now at cell 3, much further than before. Sometimes, he reminisced about the early days of playing Dead Cells, when the game felt like pure joy.
Back then, he had been unfamiliar with the game's mechanics, unable to recognize all the monsters, execute perfect blocks, or even use a shield. Yet, his mind had been at ease, freely experimenting with different weapons.
Now, he trembled at the sight of a mouse. Sometimes, he swore he could hear the monsters' inner thoughts:
"Cell people? Useless trash that can't even attack through walls."
"Wanna run? My teleporting knife says otherwise! Spells? Time for my rodents, bats, and reptiles to shine!"
Brother Yin took a deep breath, closed the game temporarily, and clicked on the review information.
Sure enough, after an initial silence, players began voicing their opinions under the review.
[Reviewer's name is Xiao Huang, right? I won't trust any of the games he reviews in the future.]
[I read his review of another game a while ago and was considering playing it, but now, after reading his Dead Cells review, I'm having second thoughts.]
[He's right, zero cells are indeed simple. Haha, I've already submitted feedback to the designer.]
[I was utterly wrecked, and he calls it simple? Ridiculous!]
[Can we delete our game ratings?]
[No need to delete them; they'll be simple to fill out next time!]
...
Brother Yin scrolled through the comments solemnly. He didn't respond much; players were the hardest group to deceive because they experienced the game firsthand.
They could sense the game's sincerity, and what this reviewer was praising were often the players' favorite aspects.
People had an innate desire to explore, and Dead Cells encouraged this exploration, allowing players to navigate challenges in their own way.
For instance, early in the game, players encountered an insurmountable obstacle—a high ground that couldn't be climbed. However, they could see interactive vines on the ground, hinting at a solution to come.