Chapter 768 - 768: Boss Lucas, Can You Speak Human?

Besides the original story of Silent Hill, many players were also deeply researching the game's more profound elements.

As more and more content from the game was revealed, players discovered that its depth far exceeded their expectations.

It also contained many themes related to religion, the occult, and psychology.

A great horror game usually leaves players feeling no longer scared after they finish it.

Many players who completed Silent Hill called it the best horror game they had ever played.

While Silent Hill might not be the scariest horror game, it's certainly the most oppressive.

The game's music, story, and atmosphere made many players declare it the true pinnacle of horror gaming.

Throughout the entire experience, Silent Hill never once relied on jump scares.

No sudden door opening scares, no looking back and finding something terrifying, no ghosts popping out – these tactics are completely absent from Silent Hill.

In fact, the game even includes a radio that emits noise when a monster is near, warning the player.

You know, scaring players is actually incredibly easy.

For instance, you could set up a plot to totally engross the player, then unleash a terrifying scare.

That would definitely trick 90% of players.

However, such design requires absolutely no skill.

It's not just for horror game designers; even a player who's played a lot of horror games could come up with countless scare tactics like that.

Therefore, Silent Hill's complete avoidance of such sudden scares, and its use of fog, environment, and sound effects to create an overwhelmingly oppressive atmosphere, is what truly amazed many players.

Of course, no matter how clever the design, how profound the content, or how much artistic value it has, one thing remains undeniable.

That is, Silent Hill has indeed left many players with lasting psychological trauma.

Many players originally aimed for the top 10,000 reward slots.

But these players were thinking too far ahead.

The winners for that spot were announced on the very first day.

Some players who just wanted to try it out and then slowly beat it within the time limit also felt devastated.

Even though they didn't initially expect the 10,000-person reward, they simply wanted to get Silent Hill and a voucher for free.

But players with that mindset are generally not big horror game players, yet they fancy themselves quite brave.

So, when they entered the game, these players were also crushed.

The dense fog, the bizarre monsters, and the need to find clues and solve puzzles in each level.

Although someone online had already compiled a walkthrough, players didn't have to think for themselves to solve puzzles and beat the game.

But this is a horror game!

Even if you follow the guide, the game's atmosphere is something you're personally experiencing.

That's really tough to deal with.

Should they give up and watch a video walkthrough, saving their lives and still learning the story?

Or tough it out to beat the game and not feel like they wasted their time, while experiencing the story firsthand through their own eyes?

These turned into serious dilemmas for players.

…

Compared to the players, Lucas is quite happy right now.

In Nebula Games' office, Lucas smiled slightly as he looked at the compiled data.

"As expected, these reward events have significantly boosted the game's completion rate! The VR version's 38% completion rate is a new high for horror games!"

Hearing Lucas, Hector and the others on the side wore speechless expressions.

What do they say about people risking their lives for wealth?

Silent Hill's performance fully illustrates this.

Players are sacrificing their well-being for a game – isn't that what they deserve?

As a horror game, Silent Hill's buzz has remained incredibly strong.

Besides the promotional activities from Nebula Games,

Silent Hill is also inherently a game suitable for live streaming.

It can be considered a "streamable game."

A streamable game is one where viewers can enjoy themselves just by watching, even if the fun they get is different from playing the game itself, it's still a form of enjoyment.

For example, Souls-like games, horror games, and games like "Sledgehammer" are prime examples of streamable games.

Viewers get their thrills by watching streamers break down in tears or get scared to death, and then they find joy in it.

Additionally, Uncharted and The Last of Us also have some of these qualities, as players can treat them like a serialized TV show or a blockbuster movie to appreciate their excellent plot and grand spectacle.

On the other hand, games like Red Dead Redemption and The Witcher 3Wild Hunt are less suited for streaming.

In fact, most open-world games are like this.

Because these games require players to experience the openness and freedom of gameplay themselves, and the story and gameplay span a long period.

You can't really feel the core of the game by just watching.

…

In the Nebula Games break room, Lucas and Hector were chatting.

About the benefits sent to players, for instance.

After all, Silent Hill's sales have even surpassed Resident Evil Village, which was previously their highest seller.

They're not far off even compared to other top-tier AAA titles from Nebula Games.

But it's just a number. Since it was boosted by reward events, it doesn't have much reference value. Unless it's purely a torture game, most games can inflate their numbers with these bonus activities.

"By the way, Boss Lucas, have you seen the posts players are discussing in the official community?" Hector suddenly remembered something and asked Lucas.

"Huh? What?" Hearing Hector, Lucas was a bit curious.

"Someone's analyzing the in-game worlds of Silent Hill, the real one and the other," Hector pulled out his phone and opened the post.

Taking the phone from Hector, Lucas glanced at it and was speechless.

The post's content, various measurements, even referencing a previous Nebula Games title, "..."

"So, when in doubt, quantum mechanics?" Lucas shook his head slightly.

It sounds plausible, but Silent Hill has absolutely nothing to do with quantum mechanics.

It's about religion, the occult, and psychology, but not quantum mechanics at all.

This includes Silent Hill's mysterious powers and Maria, who appears to grant wishes; none of it relates.

If anything, Silent Hill is more centered around Freudian psychoanalytic philosophy.

"However, Boss Lucas, may I offer a small suggestion?" Rachel couldn't help but speak up.

"Hmm?" Lucas turned his head.

"For the art style of future new projects, could we have some human aesthetics?" Rachel expressed her strong condemnation.

The most maddening thing about games developed by Nebula Games in the last couple of years has been the monster designs.

The Witcher 3, Resident Evil Village, and a string of others, including Dota and God of War released not too long ago. While there are many beautiful characters,

overall, the grotesque ones dominate. Then came Silent Hill, whose monsters' creepiness is on par with the old Bloodborne.

While not all the work fell on her, she oversaw the crucial parts, and those crucial parts were the sanity-draining elements.

To put it bluntly, during the development of Silent Hill, she suffered from sleep deprivation.

"Ahem, next time for sure." Hearing Rachel, Lucas coughed softly.

"However, in the last two years, the trend for traditional RPGs seems to be picking up again," Marcus interjected, holding a recent game sales chart.

It's been some time since God of War was released, and Silent Hill just came out. As for "Firework," it's a small-scale game, and its pricing is a disadvantage; selling 100 copies is only equivalent to one copy for others, so it didn't make the list.

But compared to previous years, the proportion of traditional RPGs has been gradually increasing.

"Development costs for VR are gradually decreasing, and traditional RPGs have an advantage on VR. With turn-based gameplay and a focus on story, players can have a stronger sense of immersion. Compared to more open-ended new RPGs that focus on action elements, it's more suitable for developers with less technical expertise and budget." Lucas wasn't unaware of this trend; he understood perfectly where it was coming from.

"Speaking of traditional RPGs, I actually have a good idea," Lucas said with a smile, having thought of something.

"Oh? Boss Lucas, what idea?" everyone asked curiously.

"You'll know when the time comes," Lucas teased.

But after saying that, seeing the expectant looks from everyone, Lucas, sitting on the sofa, felt a bit helpless and shrugged.

"It's just a preliminary idea. Have you heard the saying, 'The end of science is theology'? Although it's a fallacy, as an art theme for a game, don't you think it's cool?"

"To show a fantasy world, mechs, and deities through a scientific lens."

"At the same time, using the core concepts from Socratic philosophy, such as reason, essence, and the soul, as the basis for the game's story."

"'Who am I, where do I come from, where am I going? Is it 'I think, therefore I am,' or does the perception of others lead to my existence?'"

"It's essentially a story about the world, the universe, and the origin of the self," Lucas explained to them slowly.

Baffled, utterly baffled.

Rachel, Anna, Marcus, and Hector looked at Lucas with blank expressions.

They understood every single word, but put together, they were completely bewildered.

Boss Lucas, can you speak human?

"Boss Lucas, can you explain it in a way we can understand?" Anna managed to say after a long pause.

"Alright, if you insist, then it's a classic, heroic, hot-blooded story about a boy meeting a girl and bravely running forward to save the world," Lucas sighed, hearing Anna's words.

Why would he have to explain it like that? It completely ruined the sophistication, dropping it from the heavens to the dirt floor.

(End of this chapter)

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