Chapter 534: This Game Feels So Easy!
This boss fight was against the giant Yhorm. In the video, Onion Bro and the player each wielded a Storm Ruler, unleashing a relentless assault on the giant Yhorm.
Unlike the previous god's-eye-view videos, this one was shown from a first-person perspective, and only then did everyone feel the shock of that viewpoint.
Although the perspective was limited to a 90-degree field of view, the sheer sense of oppression from the giant Yhorm on screen made it clear how immersive the game was. Yhorm, his body burning with embers, swung his great machete, slamming it into the ground repeatedly. Thanks to the Pangu Engine, each strike caused the screen to tremble and left deep cracks in the earth.
At one point, the player was accidentally hit by Yhorm's blade and was sent flying backward. Everyone could clearly feel the immense power of the giant Yhorm, another testament to the Pangu Engine's capabilities.
However, with the combined output of the two Storm Rulers, Yhorm quickly fell to the ground, his massive body transforming into the fuel of a Lord of Cinder.
After watching the video, everyone had the same question: Was it really this easy?
In the video, the player didn't perform any particularly intricate or complex maneuvers. Since Onion Bro had already drawn most of Yhorm's attention, the player spent most of the time simply teaming up to beat down Yhorm with the Storm Ruler.
Occasionally, Yhorm would switch targets, but the player just rolled a couple of times to dodge the great machete. There was no sense of difficulty at all, further cementing the game's reputation as a "grass-cutting" title.
Still, the overall atmosphere of the game—the epic sense and sense of oppression—had already left many people deeply impressed.
Setting aside the difficulty, at least the scene design, music, sound effects, and other elements of the boss fight atmosphere were all top-notch. And experiencing it in a VR gaming pod would likely be even more thrilling.
Chen Mo explained, "Well, strictly speaking, this is a scripted kill. I can't spoil too much about that, but I hope everyone can experience it in the game. To put it simply, this onion-headed giant Yhorm has a friend. After Yhorm lost his sanity, that friend had to fulfill an old promise and defeat Yhorm himself. The two weapons the NPC and the player are using are called Storm Rulers, which Yhorm himself forged specifically to counter himself. That's why this battle looks relatively easy."
Oh, so that's it!
Many people suddenly understood. No wonder the fight looked so simple—it was a scripted kill.
It seemed that as long as you properly used this weapon against the giant, victory was a foregone conclusion.
Some players even wondered if the game might be too easy.
However, the story background Chen Mo had hinted at piqued the interest of some players. Since Yhorm was a Lord of Cinder who appeared in the cutscene, did that mean the player had to defeat all the Lords of Cinder?
Chen Mo said, "Alright, now let's open the floor for questions. Feel free to ask anything about this game, and I'll answer as I see fit."
Clearly, in this press conference, Chen Mo was only releasing these two new videos. More game content would be better left for players to discover on their own.
These two new videos—one about the game's scenery and one about a boss fight—combined with previously disclosed game materials, had already covered most of the game's key features.
The only thing Chen Mo hadn't mentioned was the game's difficulty.
As soon as the Q&A session began, the reporters perked up and started firing questions.
One reporter stood up eagerly, grabbed the microphone, and asked, "Mr. Chen Mo, most people online are guessing that this is a grass-cutting game similar to Diablo. You've never directly confirmed this. Is this a grass-cutting game?"
Chen Mo smiled and explained, "I'm not particularly fond of the term 'grass-cutting game.' In fact, Diablo isn't a grass-cutting game either—it depends on the game's numerical difficulty. If a player jumps straight into Torment difficulty, they won't be able to 'cut grass' either."
"As for Dark Souls, I think it has some of these traits to a certain extent. For very skilled veterans, they can definitely 'cut grass.' But in this game, I still hope it offers players some challenges rather than mindless grinding."
The reporter looked confused. Chen Mo seemed to acknowledge that the game could be a grass-cutting experience, but with the caveat that only highly skilled players could do so.
But thinking about it, Diablo was the same way—even grass-cutting games had high-difficulty modes. So no one paid it much mind.
Another person asked, "Mr. Chen Mo, how difficult are the boss fights in this game? In Diablo, the boss fights were often criticized because later bosses were weaker than some elite mobs. Has this been improved in Dark Souls?"
Chen Mo replied, "Although Diablo and Dark Souls are both dark fantasy games, in my design philosophy, they are two completely different works. So, please don't use the fixed mindset of Diablo to evaluate Dark Souls."
"I can say this: I believe the difficulty of the mobs and bosses in Dark Souls is very balanced. Bosses are definitely harder than mobs—that's certain—but mobs aren't without challenge. To put it another way, the level design of Dark Souls could set a benchmark for the current gaming industry."
The reporters below were slightly stunned.
Chen Mo's expression was very serious, and it was hard to tell if he was exaggerating. But from his tone, it seemed he was very satisfied with his difficulty design.
Better level design than Diablo?
Well, whether it was true or not, it at least put everyone's minds at ease.
Another reporter asked, "Mr. Chen Mo, could you give some specific examples of what you mean by 'excellent level design'?"
Chen Mo said, "It's best for players to experience this for themselves. If I say too much, it'll sound like I'm bragging. But I can reveal a little: many specific tough enemies in the game can be dealt with using environmental kills."
The reporters were taken aback. Many tough enemies could be dealt with using environmental kills? Did that mean the game's difficulty was further reduced?
It seemed like Chen Mo was making a benevolent design choice, encouraging players to win in various ways.
Well, that was nice. After all, no one would complain about lower difficulty. It was supposed to be a fun, fast-paced grinding game anyway.
Another reporter asked, "Mr. Chen Mo, hello. I'm a reporter from the SkyNet gaming channel and also a hardcore gamer. I've played your Diablo and really enjoyed it. My only regret is that I felt Diablo, as a grass-cutting game, was a bit too easy."
"When playing Diablo, it was hard to pull off flashy plays like in League of Legends or Overwatch, so it got boring after a while. Will I have opportunities to show off in this new game?"
Chen Mo looked at him. "Yes, in the new game, you'll have plenty of opportunities to show off—or rather, you can show off at every moment. I think this game will become a staple on major video sites and streaming platforms. Skilled players will gain an incredibly satisfying sense of achievement from it."