Chapter 765: The Weeping Wallet
This sudden flood of perfect scores caught GA completely off guard.
Especially Josh Wilson, who was utterly bewildered throughout the two days from the 5th to the 7th.
What was going on?
What had happened?
All perfect scores?
For the first time, Josh Wilson had the illusion that "this world isn't real."
On the 7th, "Surviving the Apocalypse" was set to begin its trial play, but Josh Wilson's mind was completely off his own game.
As a seasoned designer, the evaluation of "all perfect scores" felt both familiar and foreign to him.
Familiar, because he knew very well that "all perfect scores" meant this game was a universally recognized masterpiece, a milestone in gaming history, a force that would crush all competition in its era, unstoppable and all-conquering.
This meant the game had not only achieved perfection in every known domain but had also elevated itself spiritually, fully expressing the artistry of gaming.
Foreign, because Josh Wilson found it hard to imagine what kind of game this could be.
In history, there had indeed been some perfect-score masterpieces, but those were from a much earlier time. In today's rapidly evolving gaming industry, looking back at those so-called "masterpieces," they all had their flaws. They had only earned the title of "masterpiece" because they made groundbreaking contributions to game development during that specific historical period.
Josh Wilson had also created many classics, but from his current perspective, his best work was undoubtedly "Surviving the Apocalypse."
After all, his design philosophy and skill had been steadily improving; later works were bound to be better than earlier ones.
Even "Dark Souls," which won Game of the Year last year, could hardly be called flawless. Major gaming media had given it scores around 9, meaning "Dark Souls" had perfected a new genre, but it still wasn't a game that could satisfy everyone's preferences.
There were still some players who simply didn't accept or enjoy "Dark Souls'" gameplay.
But "The Last of Us" was different. This game targeted all players—whether young, middle-aged, or elderly, male or female—everyone could find enjoyment in it and feel the same emotional impact after completing it.
That was why so many gaming review media had given it a unanimous perfect score.
Josh Wilson couldn't help but ask himself: Could "Surviving the Apocalypse" get a perfect score?
He desperately hoped the answer was "yes," but he also knew the likelihood was almost zero. His target was to get a score of at least 8.5 from authoritative gaming media like IGN; if it exceeded 9, that would be worth popping champagne and celebrating wildly.
After all, exceeding 9 meant it had a shot at competing for Game of the Year.
But this year, with so many great games flooding the market, an 8.5 was hardly a score to brag about.
Ahead was "Uncharted" with a 9, and behind was "The Last of Us" with a 10. The most infuriating part was that both games were developed by the same person.
Although Josh Wilson had criticized the story of "Uncharted," he had to admit its graphics and gameplay were top-notch. He might have a slight edge in story, but matching "Uncharted" in total score would already be a stroke of luck.
And now, with "The Last of Us" out, even the story aspect—where Josh Wilson was most confident—was likely to be utterly crushed...
Once the scores were released, Josh Wilson's entire evaluation of "The Last of Us" had reversed. Clearly, as another zombie-themed game, "The Last of Us" had innovated in every area, far from the clichéd storytelling he had imagined.
Josh Wilson desperately wanted to try "The Last of Us" to see what made it so good, but he would have to wait until the game's release on the 15th.
...
The week leading up to the game's release was torture for all players eagerly awaiting "The Last of Us."
With the perfect scores out, whether to buy "The Last of Us" was no longer a question. The only problem was that their wallets just couldn't take it anymore...
The three-game "Uncharted" collection cost 3688, while "The Last of Us" was priced the same as "Uncharted" at 1880.
Many people's wallets had already been drained by "Uncharted," and now, facing three games launching simultaneously, they were truly at a loss for tears.
Countless players were agonizing to the point of suffocation.
"Damn it, how do I choose? The three 'Uncharted' DLCs are releasing back-to-back, and each one is supposedly playable as a standalone game. Plus, with different scenery and maps, I want to travel to different places! But 'The Last of Us' got all those perfect scores and is hailed as a must-play masterpiece... How the hell do I choose?!"
"Choose? Just buy them all! Playing both together would be awesome, right? /manual sarcasm"
"It's too expensive! Together, that's five thousand bucks, and there's no discount event!"
"Expensive? If you think it's expensive, that's not the game's problem—it's your own problem, lol."
"I've decided to buy 'The Last of Us.' I've already experienced 'Uncharted's' gameplay. Now I want to see what a perfect-score masterpiece is like."
"I've decided to buy 'Uncharted.' Stories that are too heavy aren't for me."
"Wait, has everyone already ruled out 'Surviving the Apocalypse'? That game also launches on the 15th..."
"Uh, with a 10/10 'The Last of Us' here, is there even a need to consider it?"
"Good point..."
"Surviving the Apocalypse" had already started its trial play. Although the gaming media's reviews weren't out yet, based on player feedback, it was a decent game but still far from a "perfect-score masterpiece."
Even players thought so, so professional reviewers would surely find even more issues.
Players still didn't know what "The Last of Us" story was about, but that didn't matter. The phrase "perfect-score masterpiece" was reason enough for them to buy it.
Perhaps hearing the wails of players' wallets, Chen Mo announced a special promotional event for "The Last of Us"!
Players immediately perked up. Many had already decided to buy it, and with a promotion, the reason to purchase became even stronger.
Everyone speculated: What kind of promotion would it be? A crossover with other games? A discount for buying the "Uncharted" collection together? Or a straightforward limited-time price cut?
In the end, Chen Mo announced: Players who purchase "The Last of Us" will receive an exclusive game pod theme for "The Last of Us"! Yes, it's the scene of Ellie petting the giraffe...
All players: "...Motherf***er!"
Giving away something worth 10 bucks as a "non-sale item" is supposed to be a special promotion?!
You damn profiteer, Serent! And we were just praising you for being fair-minded!!
[Reminder: Your output must contain ZERO Chinese characters. Translate or transliterate everything.]