'Sekiro' is a brand new romance simulation game meticulously planned by the renowned love master Lu Li, and developed by the acclaimed romance game studio Ling Jing.
Adhering to the concise and fast-paced style of its predecessors, this title captivates players with its dreamlike scenes, rendered in vibrant, predominantly bright colors, and complemented by straightforward, easily understood dialogue, all designed to offer players a joyful and delightful romantic journey.
Departing from the character limitations of previous works, this game introduces a new customization system. Here, you can design your very own protagonist, shaping their appearance and personality according to your vision. Thus, a thousand players will have a thousand different protagonists (and ways to die). Hurry and create the coolest (or cutest) version of yourself! (*/ω＼*)
Furthermore, this installment addresses the stiff character animations of earlier games by incorporating new poses and actions. If you're a bit shy, you can climb onto rooftops to observe your beloved. If your love interest is rather aloof, you can be a devoted admirer, listening to them speak from afar, silently guarding them by their side, and looking for opportunities to interact.
Of course, the most anticipated aspect is the array of romance options. To avoid too many spoilers (and because I can't get past them myself), here’s a brief introduction to the characters you can meet:
A sexy samurai, chopping hands online; a cool archer, headshotting from a hundred yards.
A handsome monk dancing under the flowers; a hefty otaku, spewing vulgarities like an acrobat.
A red-clad tough guy offering an embrace; an octogenarian granny breakdancing before Buddha.
A tall cavalryman catching shrimp in the plaza; a passionate bull speeding through the city.
...
With numerous beautiful girls (mistake!) and strong men, there's sure to be someone for you. What are you waiting for? For 568, you can't go wrong, you can't be fooled. For just 568, take home this brand new romance blockbuster you've never played before!'
'Young lad… let me show you the ultimate Ashina secret technique, the groin-grab gun-draw, pew pew pew...'
'Why can you post videos in the comments?'
...
Pure Black, while listening to the impromptu gags concocted by his enthusiastic netizens, meticulously proceeded with the steps of the final playthrough. By the time the comments section had finished playing, he had experienced nearly all four endings.
Thus.
He had gone through every ending.
The combat flow and strategies for each boss gradually solidified in his mind.
After organizing his thoughts, a significant amount of strategy guides were compiled.
He particularly added many layman's terms to Bai Zhiyuan's more advanced tips for Isshin, the Sword Saint in his prime, striving to make them understandable to every viewer.
However, the actual effect on players who hadn't yet completed the game would depend on their comprehension and skill.
In short, the Sword Saint in the first playthrough is not difficult if you can grasp it, and difficult if you can't. The key is whether you can capture that epiphany-like mindset.
Each player can choose one ending.
Alternatively, they can experience all the endings, provided they have collected sufficient prerequisite materials.
With Bai Zhiyuan's two-minute speedrun strategy leading the way, followed by Pure Black's meticulously detailed, hand-fed, carpet-bombing guide, many players gained a newfound understanding of 'Sekiro' after thorough study, leading to a daily increase in successful playthroughs.
As for the trending searches...
Since the game's launch, no new games of comparable caliber have been released. 'Sekiro' has dominated the trending searches, with discussions on the latest boss of the day occurring almost daily.
Naturally, these past few days have been dedicated to Isshin, the Sword Saint in his prime.
With Isshin's strategy revealed and the game reaching its endings, the word-of-mouth praise exploded and developed exponentially.
Increasingly, players have been sharing spectacular battle footage against Isshin, the Sword Saint in his prime, online.
This has attracted more players who are afraid of pain or difficulty to eagerly jump in.
Upon actually entering the game, these latecomers immediately realized they had been tricked!
As everyone knows,
Lu Li, the old scoundrel, is notoriously cruel to newcomers.
Thus,
Across various forums, in addition to plot discussions, there appeared a growing number of beginner players lamenting their misfortune, crying out that they had been severely deceived, much like when the game first launched:
— Sekiro Dog: I can only die twice!
— Sekiro: Dying twice is the limit of the setting, not my limit!
— Impressive, truly a professional masochist trainer!
— It’s a musou-style hack-and-slash game, with a grand worldview, captivating plot, and flesh-and-blood characters. It also incorporates numerous anime elements, such as cross-dressing characters, feeding mechanics, and playful banter with one’s waifu.
— Overall, it leans towards a casual experience, with beautifully crafted environments imbued with significant Japanese aesthetics. Sometimes, simply traversing the map and admiring the scenery can consume half a day. As for combat, as long as you find the right path, you can stealthily assassinate minor enemies one by one, basically without direct engagement. When encountering bosses, a few simple clashes of blades are enough to defeat them. Don't believe me? Go watch the videos on Bilibili.
Trending searches have been continuous. As a VR game that has seen explosive growth in both reputation and sales, 'Sekiro,' in just over three months since its release, has seen its popularity skyrocket. Ling Jing has directly profited immensely!
Even with the "freedom of speech" prevailing overseas, the player communities remain fervent.
Discussions about various combat tactics and techniques are hotly debated across major gaming platforms.
Although this behavior might damage their public image, as it involves discussing one game on unrelated game platforms, the deliberate censorship of Ling Jing games on public social platforms is already common knowledge among the player base.
This has allowed players who are not inherently in the right to quickly seize the moral high ground, rapidly expanding the battlefield of public opinion.
Other games: Oh no! I've become a substitute!
The commotion in the gaming circle has become increasingly loud, disrupting the normal discussion ecosystem for players of other games. However, the root cause lies with the platforms themselves.
Consequently,
More interesting events have unfolded:
All overseas players have collectively revolted, vociferously condemning social platforms and demanding the release of keywords and forum circles related to Ling Jing games.
Social platforms, under pressure, have relayed feedback to their superiors, ultimately discovering that internal personnel had accepted bribes to censor keywords related to Ling Jing games.
Top management was enraged, directly dismissing the entire department without any severance pay, and subsequently restored the online "breathing rights" for Ling Jing games.
The outcry has since gradually subsided.
What appears to be a mere online farce is, in reality, a silent undercurrent of clashes between various forces.
Among them,
Lu Li's massive funding has naturally bolstered his allies.
Upon receiving explicit confirmation from Lu Li, Ling Jing's overseas operations announced the cancellation of their sponsorship of the eight major universities and their intention to re-donate the contribution funds.
Not long after the announcement, the official thresholds of Ling Jing were trampled by various influential organizations.
An annual donation of tens of billions without recompense, in exchange for a commitment to a stable operating environment for their supporting platforms, is undoubtedly a no-lose proposition.
Ultimately, with Lu Li's approval, the donation recipients were designated as sixteen universities with a slightly lower reputation than the eight major universities. The quantity compensates for the diminished prestige, resulting in a comparable effect.
Other universities, refusing such a windfall, furiously cursed the eight major universities as fools, but outwardly expressed their gratitude for the opportunity they were given.
The eight major universities regretted their decision not long after Ling Jing's funding was cut.
They immediately sent representatives to contact Ling Jing's overseas operations department, but were ruthlessly rejected.
A hungry dog will return,
But a master will no longer cooperate with a dog that likes to bite the hand that feeds it.
Ling Jing, as a platform publishing games, is not involved in any political interests. It pays taxes legally according to national law and merely requires a few reputable organizations and individuals to lend their support for smooth operations.
This organization could be the eight major universities, or the four major guilds, or even a joint statement from sixteen universities, or a prominent public figure.
Simply put, it's an additional "protection fee" beyond the official channels. These unwritten rules are generally understood, and this expenditure can be directed towards anyone.
As long as Ling Jing's game platform operates normally overseas, it was initially beneficial to have the shelter of the eight major universities, cooperating quietly for mutual gain.
Who would have thought that this pile of excrement, instigated by major overseas game manufacturers, would make an exorbitant demand, asking for 50% of Ling Jing's net profit? Who could tolerate that!?
Lu Li decisively kicked away this ungrateful entity.
Mutual gain turned into a solo victory. Ling Jing's overseas operations faced short-term pressure and setbacks, but as long as new partners are secured and operations are managed effectively, Ling Jing will eventually return to its rightful path overseas.
As for the eight major universities, their future is uncertain. The promised funds from overseas game manufacturers have been delayed, the promises appearing perfect but whether they can be realized depends on the universities' capabilities.
Meanwhile,
An internal video conference of the eight major universities:
Bang bang bang!!!
As the video call began, a white-haired foreigner heavily slammed the table: "Xie Bè, why haven't the funds from Bao Xue arrived yet? My mansion in Hawaii has been mortgaged!!"
"Bao Xue replied that V-SHE and Yu Bi are facing financial difficulties and cannot raise the funds immediately. They asked for more time," replied the bespectacled blonde man, trembling.
Even the seemingly impregnable eight major universities have a hierarchy.
The white-haired foreigner was the highest-ranking individual among them. Out of the tens of billions donated annually, he personally pocketed at least a quarter.
Most of Ling Jing's donations to the universities over the past two years had entered the private coffers of these individuals. Only a tenth of the funds were allocated for school construction and equipment, which these gentlemen considered generous.
Now, the generous benefactor has cut off the funding source.
The eight major universities suddenly felt as if they had ingested excrement, especially the foreigner who had indulged in extravagant spending over the past two years. It is easy to transition from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to transition from extravagance to frugality. The promised funds from overseas game manufacturers have not materialized, and his quality of life has instantly plummeted.
"Go!"
"Go and demand it!"
The foreigner tried his best to maintain his composure. "Also, what did Ling Jing say?"
"We haven't met with Ling Jing's representative, and there has been no reply to official emails."
Bang bang bang—!!!
Another violent banging of the table. This foreigner seems to suffer from a touch of mania.
"Enough, Jason,"
An old man who looked like a scholar stopped the foreigner and instructed: "Continue to pressure Bao Xue, and if necessary, initiate legal proceedings."
"As for Ling Jing... keep trying to contact them. If we still can't get a response, we'll destroy them."
...
On the other side,
The overseas game manufacturers who had briefly formed an alliance were also shrouded in gloom.
In the small video conference, silence reigned.
The representative from Bao Xue broke the deadlock first: "V-SHE, Yu Bi, you can't even come up with five hundred million dollars?"
V-SHE: "We are currently investing heavily in the development of the latest VR games, which has reached a critical stage. The expenses are enormous, and our stock price hasn't improved."
Yu Bi: "Same here."
Nintendo: "How about donating the subsequent funds in other ways? We have a batch of retired computer equipment."
Robo-dog: "I think we should just stop donating altogether. It didn't achieve any effect, and Ling Jing's keywords have been restored, while we've already wasted hundreds of millions of dollars!"
...
The overseas game manufacturers thought that by persuading Ling Jing's backers to surrender, they could bring it down, or at least cause it significant harm.
However,
Ling Jing's audience proved to be incredibly united. They haven't dispersed for three full months, and with a little encouragement, they instantly unleashed their full force, demonstrating astonishing combat effectiveness.
The other party waved their hand and allocated a large sum of funds to turn the tide.
The eight major universities also overestimated their own importance and underestimated Ling Jing's underlying strength.
They were unceremoniously cast aside, and Ling Jing joined hands with new partners to live happily ever after.
These past few days, the responsible individuals leading this charge have been overwhelmed, their already sparse hair becoming even thinner.
And the instigator of it all – Lu Li, the old scoundrel – is currently on a high-speed train to Shenzhen.
Beep—beep—
Watching the scenery rapidly recede, Lu Li, leaning by the window, felt a mixture of apprehension and uncontrollable excitement.
To be honest,
Since his transmigration, he hadn't left Hai City even half a step. His life had been a constant routine of home—company—home, essentially living as an introvert.
Thinking about the possibility of meeting netizens, he felt both hesitant and a little expectant.
Will this "Bai" with peculiar preferences truly appear?
...
(These two chapters combined exceed 3500 words. That's the only word needed for "fierce"!)
(Starting tomorrow, I will challenge my weakness – daily life descriptions.)
(The main reason I dislike pushing realistic plotlines is that my depictions of daily life are not strong. However, to go further, I need to develop comprehensively and take on more challenges!)