Chapter 962: How to Evaluate Chen Mo's Achievements So Far
On December 14th, "Jianghu" launched globally.
Of course, when they say global launch, everyone knows that the main battlefield for "Jianghu" is still domestically, as well as in regions like Southeast Asia, Japan, and South Korea, where wuxia culture has a deeper influence.
As for players in Europe and America, this theme lacks appeal for them, given the lack of cultural recognition. Their understanding of various sects, martial arts, Jianghu events, and chivalrous spirit might be severely skewed.
This kind of problem can't be solved by adding a few lines of sect introductions. So, instead of inserting lengthy, dry text, it's better to omit it entirely and let players gradually experience it within the game.
Fortunately, "Jianghu" has a clear distinction from traditional single-player wuxia games that focus on story as their main selling point. The narrative in "Jianghu" is much thinner, with the main plot scattered across various sect quests. These tasks simply involve players finding herbs, locating scriptures, or hunting down traitors. For foreign players who know nothing about wuxia culture, understanding the plot at this level poses no difficulty at all.
Moreover, even if foreign players don't grasp the concept of sects, it doesn't matter. They can interpret these sects as different organizations. The combat system in "Jianghu" isn't overly complex; a bit of practice in the training ground can help them master most combos, so the learning curve here isn't steep.
Abroad, there are also many "Chinese kung fu" enthusiasts, though their understanding of "Chinese kung fu" differs significantly from the real thing.
The approach of "Jianghu" isn't about preaching but about guiding.
It's like some classic wuxia novels: if you hand an English translation to a foreigner, they might not be able to get into it at all. Without the cultural background, context, and values, the actions of many heroic characters are hard for foreigners to comprehend. Forcibly imposing cultural content can actually cause aversion.
"Jianghu" simply presents a martial world to all players, using some encounters, quests, and game mechanics to guide them, letting them decide the future direction of the entire martial world. Moreover, the two clear goals—becoming the Martial Alliance Leader or the Martial World Overlord—are straightforward and easy to understand, much like how surviving to the end is the sole objective in "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds." In "Jianghu," players just need to continuously improve their strength, strive for the Martial Alliance Leader position, and win the righteous-evil war.
Even if "Jianghu" doesn't become a massive hit abroad, as long as it attracts some "Chinese kung fu fans" and spreads to many other players, using the fun of the game to boost the influence of Chinese culture, the game's goal will be achieved.
Domestically, "Jianghu" also has a huge advantage: it's excellent for streaming.
Streamers can chat with their audience while looting items, analyzing the current martial world situation. When they get good weapons, medicines, or martial arts, it's like finding a supply drop in "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds," and viewers get excited too. Skilled streamers can use superior gameplay to overcome stronger opponents, while strategic players can rally others to cause chaos. Once they pull off a flashy move, they can rake in lots of gifts and "6666" comments. In the later stages, the battle for the Martial Alliance Leader and the righteous-evil war is even more lively than the final circle of "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds," and the thrill of achieving ultimate victory is immense.
Clearly, among the games Chen Mo developed this year—"Assassin's Creed," "Silent Hill," "The Legend of Zelda," "A Way Out," "Monster Hunter," and "Jianghu"—all have significant global influence. While "The Legend of Zelda" shines brightly, the other games also have their own highlights and strengths.
Perhaps "Jianghu" is the least dazzling among these games, but for many domestic players, a Chinese-style game like this holds extraordinary special significance.
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Since the launch of "Monster Hunter," reviews from major gaming media worldwide have been released, generally hovering around 9.5 points, higher than "Assassin's Creed" but not reaching the monstrous level of "The Legend of Zelda."
But for players, it doesn't matter anymore. After all... no matter how many points these games get, the Game of the Year award just keeps bouncing around in Chen Mo's hands.
Many players suddenly realize that Chen Mo has won Game of the Year for three consecutive years.
"Dark Souls," "The Last of Us," and "The Legend of Zelda"—each has had a profound impact on the global gaming industry, each leading the trends of their time.
After "Dark Souls," the Souls-like combat system became widespread, arguably redefining the design of action RPG combat systems in this parallel world. "The Last of Us" pushed cinematic narrative games to their peak, making game developers who were rushing to create open-world titles realize that linear storytelling still has unlimited potential.
Both of these games inspired many designers to imitate them, while "The Legend of Zelda" reached yet another new height. Not only did it teach all designers worldwide "how to make an open world," but it also crafted the game into a unique work of art through its distinctive style. Even those who want to imitate it don't know where to start.
This year's Game of the Year is already a foregone conclusion. Fans of "The Legend of Zelda" can happily go to any game review site and spam "Zelda is number one in the world," and few will argue. And even without "The Legend of Zelda," the top honor would inevitably go to "Assassin's Creed" or "Monster Hunter."
On a Q&A website, a topic sparked heated discussion among players.
"Barring any surprises, this year's Game of the Year will once again be claimed by Serent. How do we objectively evaluate Chen Mo's achievements in game design so far? Can he now be called the greatest game designer of our time?"
If this were in another field or with a different name, it would likely be a classic baiting question.
But under this topic, everyone knows it's not baiting.
The highest-voted answer reads:
"Saying 'the greatest' might be premature, but honestly, in this era, it's hard to find someone greater. I don't want to hype Serent up to the skies just yet, because he still has a long way to go, and perhaps in the future, he will keep surpassing himself. However, I have another way to put it that roughly explains Serent's status in the global gaming field."
"He no longer needs the 'Game of the Year' award to prove himself. On the contrary, 'Game of the Year' needs him to prove its worth."