Chapter 462: Chapter 284: Is This a Soulslike Game? (Part 2)

"Just simple role-playing?"

"Not really. In my view, ’Abab’s True Story’ is actually a Soul-like game!"

Yang Dong: "Huh...?"

Do you hear yourself? How can ’Abab’s True Story’ be a Soul-like game? Is that something a person would say?

Where is your Soul Element?

"Extremely high game difficulty, intense sense of frustration, and a clearance rate so low it’s shocking—isn’t that a Soul-like game?"

Chen Ba laughed heartily: "Do you really think Abab will always succeed? Wrong, absolutely wrong!"

The difficulty of ’Abab’s True Story’ is extremely high.

Chen Ba treats this game entirely according to the standards of a Soul-like game. Every task in the game is akin to a level boss.

And as everyone knows, to beat the bosses in Soul-like games, you have to die several times, even get goosebumps, and you can’t make a single mistake to have hope of defeating them.

The same principle applies.

The main tasks in ’Abab’s True Story’ are also so tough they make your scalp tingle. Players must precisely seize every opportunity and choice, and have clear thinking to barely meet the standards.

The only consolation is that Soul-like games really rely on skills, including controlling the timing of shield counters or dodges, etc.

’Abab’s True Story’ doesn’t require that much skill. Even players with poor hand-eye coordination can play it; there’s no situation where bad players can’t play this game.

But the difficulty of this game lies in the mind; if your thinking isn’t clear or your brain doesn’t work well, you’ll still get stuck, and looking at other people’s guides and videos won’t help.

"The high difficulty and intense frustration of the game are actually to lower the clearance rate as much as possible, and the purpose of lowering the clearance rate is to highlight the game’s core idea!"

Chen Ba nodded and said: "Things that are too easily obtained aren’t cherished, nor are they kept in mind. It’s what you can’t get that is most precious, and the harder it is to obtain, the more unforgettable it is."

Through the game’s extreme difficulty and intense frustration, the overall clearance rate of players is greatly reduced.

And the low clearance rate precisely reflects the core idea of ’Abab’s True Story’—please show more care to the disabled people around you, they have a hard time!

"What I want to see is nine out of ten players driven mad by the game, yelling that the difficulty is too high, asking why it’s so insane..."

Chen Ba showed a mysterious smile and said: "If someone complains to me that the difficulty is too high and wants me to lower it, then I can smoothly say that sentence."

"What sentence?"

"The game can adjust the difficulty and let you start over; what about reality?"

Yang Dong: "..."

Good, good, good!

He knew Ba must have a deeper meaning behind this; he was waiting for this! He’s just waiting for players to complain about the game’s difficulty being too high, then smoothly say those philosophical words!

But honestly, if there really are players complaining about the difficulty being too high and wanting it lowered, and Ba happens to say those words...

He’d really pull it off!

Everything is interconnected. After carefully listening to Ba’s description of ’Abab’s True Story,’ Yang Dong thought for a moment and said: "If it’s truly made, and the quality is decent, your plan might indeed work."

If this doesn’t win an award, who else could?

Come on!

If next year’s TGA’s Annual Awards has ’Abab’s True Story’ nominated, who could compete with Ba?

Probably right after the nomination list is announced, Ba would start crafting his award speech, thinking about what to say on stage and where to place the trophy back home.

No kidding, based on Ba’s description of ’Abab’s True Story,’ this game is absolutely a hot contender for awards!

About game quality?

It’s comparable to a AAA production, and it integrates multiple popular elements like open-world, role-playing, and multi-line narrative—can you really say this game has poor quality?

If the game quality isn’t poor, not much less than standard AAA games, then is it the popularity that’s lacking?

Nonsense!

It’s obvious even without thinking. If a "AAA-like" new hit surfaces in the gaming community, it’s bound to be a hot topic all over the internet, with players swarming when it launches.

Do you think this is a small game?

A creation comparable to AAA, you could say before it’s formally initiated, just a simple leak can stir up discussion everywhere.

Not to mention, Tianba Studio isn’t short of money, they’ll definitely have a massive amount of promotional articles and advertisements; players couldn’t miss it even if they tried.

Popularity isn’t a worry here.

With popularity, heat, and topics, with such high game quality, coupled with an impeccable theme, ’Abab’s True Story’ is simply undefeatable.

The only problem might be...

This game’s project size alone is so huge, just making it will cost how much? Does Tianba Studio’s current funds suffice to develop this "AAA-like" game?

"No worries, we have enough money."

Chen Ba indicated that anything could be a concern except money.

After all, when developing ’Star Emperor 2,’ Tianba Studio received a lot of sponsorships. Although those sponsorships can’t be misused and were eventually spent.

However, as the saying goes, money spent can, in some sense, be retrieved!

Just "clean" it.

...

While Chen Ba and Yang Dong were enthusiastically discussing ’Abab’s True Story’ at the company, the duo of Old Chen and Old Wang were also chatting.

But if Chen Ba were to hear their topic, he’d likely break out in cold sweat!

"Is this... genuine?"

Inspecting the killer move Old Wang brought out, even though Old Chen was mentally prepared, he was still shocked.

Sir, are you serious?

Speaking of, where did you forge this medical record? It looks just like the real thing, even has a doctor’s signature, very impressive.

"It sure is genuine!"

Old Wang animatedly said: "I know it’s hard to fool my daughter with fakes, so I used real medical records and have been preparing since half a year ago, absolutely no problem."

"Real medical records?!"

Old Chen was taken aback, eyes wide as he looked at Old Wang: "You’re really diagnosed with cancer, and have little time left?"

"The cancer’s fake, the medical records are real!"

Old Wang raised his eyebrows and said: "I secretly acquired this private hospital a year ago; everyone from the director and doctors to nurses and security guards are in on it."

Meaning he has pretended to be "sick" for six months, and this incident has ample evidence and witnesses, enough for her scrutiny and inquiries.

There’s even a hospitalization record...

Moreover, to make it more believable, Old Wang specifically hired a special makeup artist to prepare various "haggard" looks for him.

"It’s simply flawless!"

Old Chen sincerely praised: "Forget about your daughter, even I, knowing the truth, might believe you’re really dying facing so much evidence."

"But I have another question, if you’re pretending to be sick, what about your company?"

"I’ve already informed them."

Old Wang calmly replied: "Aside from a few directors, most aren’t aware of the truth. The board will keep my secret and cooperate with my act; it won’t be a problem."

That’s part of your plan too?

Old Chen was truly impressed, worthy of being a self-made billionaire of the first generation; his plot arrangement is simply perfection.

If Conan came, he’d be clueless!

"Then in your plan, how do I cooperate with you?" Old Chen asked.

"You just need to mention my illness and hospitalization to your son at the appropriate time, and then find a chance to bring him to visit me in the hospital; I’ll handle the rest."

Old Wang confidently assured: "As long as we two brothers work together, we can absolutely show these young folks that they’re aware but far from crafty!"

"Indeed, young ones playing mind games with us aren’t quite there yet! Come, in-laws, let’s have another drink..."

"Alright, alright!"

At the table, the two who originally referred to each other as old buddies gradually began calling each other in-laws, the relationship became more intimate, and the atmosphere more harmonious.