Afternoon.
Du Gang was struggling with today's report. As the leader of a special operations team within a particular agency, his job was to investigate the mysterious game Dark Sands. Each day, he was required to submit an updated report to his superiors.
Since clearing the Assassin Trial, he had thoroughly documented his playthrough and shared his analysis of Dark Sands and its enigmatic developers. But he knew this wasn't nearly enough.
He had hoped that, as the first player to complete the Assassin Trial, he'd be able to establish some direct communication with the game's developers. However, after a single message of acknowledgment, there had been complete radio silence from the devs. He even tried replying to that message to contact customer support but got no response.
With no other options, he continued his investigation through other means.
When he checked the Dark Sands official website earlier that morning, he saw that all four trial scenarios had been cleared. This meant he had material for today's report. He figured he could analyze the four trials, offer some theories, and get his superiors off his back for a while.
But Du Gang, being older than most players and lacking a strong historical background, found himself stumped all morning, unable to come up with any fresh angles.
"I'd rather go on ten field assignments than write one report. Ugh, this is torture. If only someone could write this thing for me."
Du Gang took a drag from his cigarette, his face lined with frustration. Writing reports was his worst nightmare. For regular reports, he usually handed off the task to his team's designated writer whenever he could get away with it.
But not this time. He was the only one with access to the closed beta of Dark Sands, so nobody else could document what he had experienced in-game. He was on his own.
After a long, unproductive morning, he decided to browse the forums, hoping to spark some inspiration.
As he scrolled, something caught his eye.
There it was—a new post from Chu Ge, the first player to beat the Scholar Trial and the one who had been posting the most guides. The title alone suggested a goldmine of insights: "Exploring Overlooked Details in Dark Sands' Four Trials and Analyzing Its Cultural Significance."
It was exactly what Du Gang needed. He eagerly clicked on the post.
Although the Scholar Trial had only been fully cleared the previous night, Chu Ge, who had been leading progress in that trial, had already shared several guides. Most of them were straightforward text-based posts with minimal detail.
But this time, Chu Ge had posted a video.
Since Dark Sands recently added forums and video-sharing features, Chu Ge was one of the first to take advantage of them. The video hadn't yet gained many comments, but the numbers were quickly rising each time Du Gang refreshed. The video was bound to go viral.
Without hesitation, Du Gang hit play.
The footage was compiled from official gameplay videos of all four trials. Chu Ge's editing skills were rudimentary—he merely stitched together clips to match his commentary, without any fancy transitions. But that didn't matter. The real substance lay in what he had to say.
"Hello, everyone. I'm Chu Ge, the first player to clear the Scholar Trial. In today's video, I'll be sharing insights I gained from my experience tackling this trial, discussing some of the nuances in Dark Sands that many people might have missed.
"You could consider this video part guide and part analysis—a way to both help with gameplay and deepen appreciation for what makes Dark Sands stand out from other games.
"Without further ado, I'll break down each of the four trial classes—Assassin, Rogue, Scholar, and Warrior—and highlight unique details in each.
"Let's start with the Assassin Trial.
"For most players, the Assassin Trial is their first experience with Dark Sands. In my view, it best represents the core of the game, as it requires players to balance three key skills: knowledge, combat ability, and role-playing—or as we often call it, acting.
"Compared to the other trials, the Assassin Trial is the most well-rounded. The Warrior Trial demands mostly combat skill, with some knowledge on the side; the Scholar Trial is knowledge-centric with a bit of acting; and the Rogue Trial is almost purely combat-focused.
"The Assassin Trial, however, requires all three. Any weakness in these areas, and you're likely to fail.
"This is what sets Dark Sands apart from other games. Its difficulty isn't based on a single aspect; rather, it challenges players across multiple dimensions. It's no wonder many find it overwhelming at first.
"But once you clear it, you realize that Dark Sands truly embodies the essence of role-playing. In other RPGs, you can do anything—wander aimlessly, ignore the story, and nothing much happens. But in Dark Sands, even the slightest deviation from your character's role can lead NPCs to suspect you, resulting in failure.
"That doesn't mean there's no freedom. As long as you stay in character, you can make unexpected choices and shift the narrative to your advantage.
"This is genuine role-playing—more authentic than even a movie set!
"So, the Assassin Trial serves as an introduction, teaching us that to progress in this game, you must excel in at least two out of three areas: combat, knowledge, and acting. You can compensate for the third area with talent skills, but a solid foundation in at least two is essential.
"Next, let's talk about the Rogue Trial.
"Unlike the Assassin Trial, the Rogue Trial is almost entirely combat-based. After watching the Rogue Trial clear video, many players noted that its style feels markedly different from the other three trials.
"The other trials are rooted in historical events, but the Rogue Trial doesn't reveal the protagonist's identity, and you can't find any records of a 'Xue Tianba.'
"To understand why, we need to look at the roles of the four classes.
"Historically, the line between rogues and assassins was blurred, especially during the Yan and Chu dynasties. Rogues often acted outside the law, sometimes impoverished from generous giving, leading them to serve as retainers for powerful individuals who might command them to assassinate political enemies.
"But in Dark Sands, the roles of Assassin and Rogue are distinct, each with unique meaning.
"This is evident in their signature skills. Assassins specialize in eliminating high-ranking, dangerous targets, often requiring careful planning and ruthlessness. Rogues, on the other hand, act as champions of justice, targeting corrupt elites and aiming to escape unscathed.
"Historically, the term 'rogue' often implied a certain lawlessness. Take Zhou Jie, the most infamous rogue of the Chu dynasty—short, unattractive, ruthless, and prone to violence over trivial matters. His fame grew as he gathered followers, though he was essentially a violent gang leader. Eventually, he met a grim end, executed by the emperor, his clan wiped out.
"Dark Sands, however, portrays rogues in a more idealized way.
"Consider Xue Tianba, the boss of the Rogue Trial. He's a tyrant and thug, more akin to Zhou Jie—a 'rogue' by the historical standard. He pretends to follow some 'code of honor' by engaging the player in unarmed combat at first, but soon reveals his true nature through his cruelty.
"In contrast, the player's character risks everything to kill Xue Tianba, not for fame or wealth—this act isn't even recorded in history.
"This is the essence of the rogue in Dark Sands: stepping up for justice when the law and government fail to protect the people.
"This journey is fraught with danger. Xue Tianba is formidable, with powerful skills and an army of henchmen. Yet, the player's rogue defeats him and escapes.
"That, to me, embodies the true spirit of a rogue: to stand for justice at great personal risk, to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves, even without recognition."