As the release date approaches, Neon Games' efforts bore the fruits.
Various reports related to Dark Souls are being released across game websites. At the same time, platforms are promoting Dark Souls.
The best tool for the promotion is the Neon platform. Its incentives include discounts and membership limited to platform users. It's worth mentioning that such real benefits are attractive and highly sought after by new users.
Once it was announced, Neon Games saw 150,000 new users jumping in and that number is steadily increasing.
However, the best way for players to get involved is when they experience the Dark Souls themselves.
On major forums and communities, discussions reveal Dark Souls and the excitement of the players, who are eager to finally get to play after such a long wait.
In some suburbs in the capital, Zhang Yi and Wang Han were discussing plans for the National Day holiday.
"Do you want to go to Jinhua Mountain?" Zhang Yi suggested.
"What would we do at Jinhua Mountain? People go there to burn incense. Besides, are you up for the climb? Last year, you took the cabbie up for Huangshan Mountain wasn't that enough for you? After a few steps, you were tired," Wang Han rolled her eyes.
They discussed several places, but each one had its downsides either tiring, too crowded, or not fun enough.
Finally, they came to a mutual conclusion: "How about playing games? I heard that Dark Souls from Neon Games will be online."
[They are indeed not obedient]
"Great idea!" Wang Han agreed, as a fellow gamer.
After all, when it comes to traveling, there's no perfect place to go.
During this holiday, where major tourist spots are packed with people. It's not so much about enjoying a holiday, but more like looking for trouble.
Why not stay home, enjoy some ice cream with the air conditioner on, and dive into gaming?
[Of course I will do that for Black Myth Wukong or Elder Ring New DLC]
This is life.
"Hey, these labels suggest increased difficulty!" Wang Han commented while exploring the Neon game platform. Known for being diligent, both Wang Han and Zhang Yi will go through descriptions, labels, and summaries before jumping in. Upon entering the store interface, Wang Han noticed something unique.
The game Dark Soul featured four official labels on the platform: ARPG, Dark Fantasy, Exploration Adventure, and Difficulty.
Hearing this, Zhang Yi, who was scanning the code to complete the payment, responded casually, "Who even pays attention to labels? Don't worry, it's just a marketing bluff. How hard could it be? Didn't we both watch the online demo? I think it'll be fine."
"Alright, I've bought it. Time to spread the word!" Zhang Yi said while clicking a photo and sharing it on his group.
"Still, this game seems better suited for two players. It might be a bit troublesome," Wang Han pointed out. During the online press conference, Chen Xu highlighted the game's multiplayer mode.
"Let's use one computer with different save files. Whoever dies hands the controls to the other," Zhang Yi suggested after some thought.
"Deal!" Wang Han agreed.
Life needs little adjustments, and playing games together is a great way to do that.
The game was large in size, and after payment, the two chatted while waiting for the download and installation to complete.
When the game was finally installed, they eagerly launched it. As the screen lit up, the voice of an old woman filled the room:
"Yes, this is Lothric..."
The lines were familiar, visuals were familiar. Zhang Yi, seated in front of the computer, blinked and quipped, "Isn't this the same footage from the exhibition trailer?"
"Yeah, Neon Games likes to cut corners," Wang Han chuckled.
Despite the playful complaints, neither skipped the intro. The CG cutscenes were simply too well-crafted to miss.
A big chunk of resources had gone into creating them, and it seemed Chen Xu decided to reuse them effectively by integrating them into the game.
Once the cutscene ended, the character creation screen appeared. Zhang Yi and Wang Han weren't surprised by this.
After all, many ARPG games follow a similar pattern, allowing players to design their characters before diving into the adventure.
The character's name is simple and easy to remember—let's call it 123.
Then came the various settings for customizing the character's appearance. Zhang Yi eagerly took on the task of adjusting the character's face.
"Alright, if we're going for old age, let's commit. After all, Jiang the Old Demon is still old and hot. You can't go wrong with beard comes the wisdom. For the hair, let's choose a double ponytail in silver—it has a certain flair."
He continued, "The eyes? Change them to squinting. Squinting always gives off the Machiavelli vibe. Add a little scarlet to the lips for a killer instinct vibe."
As Zhang Yi finalized the settings, the result appeared on the screen—a character with a peculiar appearance.
Wang Han, standing nearby, observed in silence before finally commenting, "I feel like you've created someone destined for misfortune.🙈"
Zhang Yi coughed awkwardly, "Ahem, let's move on. Looks like we can still choose a profession and equipment. You decide."
Wang Han scrutinized the options. "This useless Person option are unremarkable, but the bulky build could mean great strength. Let's go with this branch for the Cleric profession. It seems the strongest. Based on the description, it also comes with a time-limited card to make the character temporarily overpowered."
After all the selections were confirmed, the screen briefly went black. Then, the game world loaded.
The camera zoomed in from a distance, eventually focusing on a desolate graveyard. The scene shifted to a coffin, which began rattling ominously. A pale hand reached out from the coffin, and the character 123 finally breathed his first breath and climbed out slowly.
At the same time, the game's UI appeared on the screen. The name of the map displayed prominently: Ash Graveyard.
Zhang Yi examined the UI layout. The lower-left corner featured a shield, a long sword, and something labeled as an Element Bottle, which he guessed was the inventory. In the upper-left corner, there were three bars: red for health, blue for mana, and green for energy.
"Pretty standard for ARPG or Action games," Zhang Yi muttered.
"Nothing too surprising here. Manufacturers rarely go out of their way to mess with the basics. Maybe they'll tweak the colors a bit to be different."
From a third-person perspective, he adjusted the camera with the mouse, surveying the surroundings. The desolate, ruined cemetery was engulfed in an ash-like mist. The thick clouds in the sky completely obscured the sun. Gray and dark tones, punctuated by faint light, gave the scene a heavy and oppressive atmosphere.
Wang Han, standing by impatiently, urged him on. "Stop admiring the scenery. See those marks on the ground? That's probably the tutorial advice the dev mentioned during the press conference. I'm still waiting for you to die so I can have my turn."
"Ha! You underestimate me," Zhang Yi retorted.
"I bet I will warm this seat today."
Despite his confident words, he moved the character over to the red marks on the ground and began interacting with them, ready to dive into the game.