Chapter 154: This is Alex's Original Intention
The high ratings from both the media and players, the discussions about the game in various communities and forums, and the popular posts seeking friends have all driven the continued popularity of It Takes Two.
And it's not just players who are paying attention. Many designers in the video game industry are also closely following It Takes Two and analyzing its success.
While It Takes Two has quite rich content, with a main story that lasts over twelve hours and spans multiple scenes, from the cabin in the first level to the phonograph in the last, it is essentially still a mid-range game.
For some indie game designers, the scale of It Takes Two is clearly too large. However, for tier-two and tier-three game developers, it is undoubtedly within their reach.
Additionally, compared to major tier-one and tier-two game developers, who tend to focus on first-person shooters and action RPGs as their starting point, developers with far less funding and resources generally choose less popular genres and themes.
It Takes Two is clearly a very suitable candidate. Two-player cooperative games are relatively rare on the market, and the success of It Takes Two has also sparked great interest in this genre. This, naturally, created a market.
So, what exactly is the secret to It Takes Two's success? Is it replicable? Can one learn from it? These have become key concerns for many game developers and designers. The level design, numerical values, guidance, visual art, music, and other details of It Takes Two have been meticulously researched, becoming a benchmark for two-player cooperative games.
However, for Alex, It Takes Two has come to an end. Furthermore, unlike previous games like Fall Guys and Overcooked, it is not suitable for a Workshop. This game is too complex. The art style of the scene themes, the level design, and the functions of the special props are tailored to the game's story and theme.
Any change in any of these aspects would disrupt the overall experience. Therefore, although It Takes Two is a level design game, it is completely unsuitable for a Workshop.
Alex was also quite satisfied with the success of It Takes Two. After all, the original intention behind the launch of this game was to bring joy to players. In hindsight, it was practically perfect.
In Nebula Games' office, Alex was reclining in a massage chair, phone in hand, checking his official blog and the corresponding community forum. His blog was filled with comments from players who had tried It Takes Two.
Most were similar, mainly praise. But what made Alex even happier was that players had finally found him again. In a word, he lived up to his reputation as a "love warrior."
While Alex was checking his phone, there was a knock on the office door. Lynn answered, informing him: "Alex, the reporter from Game Time has arrived." "Alright, I'm coming right away," Alex nodded.
Following the explosive popularity of It Takes Two, Game Time contacted Nebula Games to see if they could get an exclusive interview with Alex about video games. After all, the hot topic lately revolved around It Takes Two, and Game Time was also looking to make headlines. As for Alex, Nebula Games and Game Time had already collaborated closely last year.
Secondly, Alex had already been interviewed by this outlet, and the content of the subsequent report was not unpleasant to him, so this time he agreed.
In the reception room, Alex pushed the door open and entered. The three Game Time employees, sitting on the sofa, stood up. Alex still had a vague impression of the journalist who was in the center.
"Last year, Game Time interviewed me, and I think he came too..." Alex asked, seeing Ryan's name on the other's chest plate.
"That's right, Alex has a very good memory!" Ryan smiled, but his mind flashed back to this time last year. He had been so naive then. Unbeknownst to him, he had become a stenographer throughout the entire interview, completely deceived. He could not make that mistake this year.
Looking at Alex, Ryan thought to himself with a smile. Determined not to make any mistakes, this time he took the initiative. "Alex, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule. Shall we begin?"
"No problem, let's get straight to the point. Lynn, bring those soda bottles," Alex nodded, sat down on the sofa, and turned to Lynn.
Lynn, who was standing beside him, responded by taking some soda bottles from the freezer and distributing them to everyone.
"Thank you..." Ryan instinctively thanked Lynn as he took the ice-cold soda. But then he froze. The scene felt familiar.
But Ryan, who had already made changes, had learned his lesson this time. As the interviewer, he spoke first: "Alex, the Dark Souls you developed last year had a profound global impact and won the Best Role-Playing Game award."
"At the same time, the plot of Dark Souls has also sparked heated debates among online players. Many believe that your next work could be a Dark Souls sequel, which would tell the complete story. But why have you brought us something so unique this year, It Takes Two?"
Alex smiled and nodded. "It's mainly a gift for players. Before, especially after the launch of Dark Souls, many players misunderstood me, thinking that I especially enjoyed watching other players being tortured. Especially after the annual game event, many misunderstood my acceptance speech, which was quite hurtful."
"After all, I have always thought from the player's perspective. Whether it's ARPG, RPG, action-adventure, or casual simulation, I'm not the type of designer who will keep working on the same genre. I prefer to challenge myself in different types of games."
"Of course, there is one thing that will never change, and that is my original intention when creating games: every game is imbued with my love for players, and I have always been committed to offering them games that will move them and fill their hearts."
"Dark Souls is known for its high difficulty, but a closer look reveals that it is not so difficult as to intimidate anyone. In fact, once you understand the level design, boss design, and combat mechanics of Dark Souls, the game becomes quite simple."
"The key is whether players can find the way. When they don't find the trick, it naturally feels very difficult, but once they do, most can complete the game with relative fluidity. The same goes for It Takes Two; players develop a tacit understanding and solve the puzzles, and then the game comes together naturally. The same goes for Dark Souls."
"It's just that Dark Souls was a subtle expression, whereas in It Takes Two, I've made it explicit."
Ryan nodded as he listened to Alex's explanation. Something felt strange, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
'Because all of this was fact!'
"Alex, can I ask you about something that concerns players a lot? Will there be a Dark Souls sequel?" Ryan decided to change the subject, afraid of getting stuck in the conversation again.
"Of course, that's already in our development plan. The Dark Souls sequel will tell the story of the prequel, but it might still be a while before its official launch. You can look forward to it at GameSpot in May," Alex said with a smile.
Although, compared to last year, a folder hadn't even been created this time, 'can a game developer's promises really be considered castles in the air?'.
That's called pre-announcement.
However, Ryan clearly had no idea. By then, he was already imagining a playable demo of the Dark Souls prequel at GameSpot in a month. Ryan's face lit up with excitement.
"Alex, how difficult is the Dark Souls prequel?"
Alex smiled. "I've said it before. With every game, I seek to bring joy and a touching experience to players. When creating a game, I don't look at whether it's difficult or not, but whether it's reasonable."
"As for what I can reveal, I can only say that it is a completely new and crazy adventure. Players will experience even greater surprises. I believe it will surpass the previous game in both art and gameplay."
Sitting on the sofa, Alex and Ryan chatted about various related topics. In addition to Dark Souls, they discussed other topics of particular interest to players, such as the international performance of some Nebula Games titles.
But for Ryan, today's interview was simply explosive! The idea of a Dark Souls prequel especially excited him, as he himself was a passionate Fire-bearer.
Under the watchful eyes of many Nebula employees, Ryan left the Nebula Games office building with a radiant smile.
The next day, on the front page of Game Time, a bold, red interview appeared: "This is Alex's original intention."
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