Chapter 170: Alex, the Big Liar!
"In ancient times, the world was still undifferentiated, shrouded in fog. Everywhere there were gray rocks, towering trees... and immortal ancestral dragons."
The screen filled with white fog, desolate stones, and towering trees. At the same time, within the white fog, a huge dragon-like shadow flashed by.
"But one day, the first fire was lit, and all differences were born!"
"Cold and heat,"
"light and darkness,"
"life and death."
The camera quickly changed and small sparks appeared in the darkness, finally forming a burning flame. This burning flame was so hot, so vast. Compared to the small flame that was burning at the end of Dark Souls, this flame before us was like the sun.
"Then, various species emerged from the darkness."
"They were drawn to the flames and found the king's soul around them."
Before the flames, countless dark shadows rose from the ground and confronted them.
"The First Dead: Nito."
A huge skeleton emerged from the infinite darkness, holding a flame in its hand and rising.
"The Witch of Izalith and the Daughter of Chaos."
A faceless woman in a wizard's hood contemplated the flame.
"Gwyn, the Sun King, and his knights."
Gwyn, crowned, also held flames in his hands, but compared to the flames of the Witch and Nito, the flames before Gwyn seemed even more intense, and behind him were countless knights waiting for their turn.
"And the Dwarves, never seen before."
In the deserted place where the flames originated, a figure, visible only as a shadow, rose, holding a flame. The flame seemed so small, as if the wind would extinguish it.
"They obtained the power of the King's Soul and challenged the immortal dragons."
"Gwyn's lightning spear pierced the rock-hard scales of the immortal dragons."
The Witch's flames formed a storm, reducing the trees to ashes.
Nito unleashed a miasma of death.
And the scaleless white dragon, Seath, betrayed the Everlasting Dragons, which led to their defeat.
The scene continuously changed. Gwyn's thunder spear, the Witch's flames, and Nito's deadly miasma ceaselessly attacked the Everlasting Dragons in the sky. Finally, the scaleless white dragon, Seath, howled over the pile of dragon corpses.
"The Age of Fire has begun, but the fire will eventually go out, leaving only darkness."
A vast royal city appeared on the screen, but it faded, replaced by infinite darkness. An instant later, a flash of fire appeared in the darkness, and a pair of hands suddenly appeared and caught the last glimmer of light.
"Now, the fire is about to go out, and the light cannot illuminate the world. The night continues eternally."
A woman knelt before the tomb in the desolate valley. Her image would be instantly recognizable to anyone who has played Dark Souls. This woman was the spitting image of the Fire Keeper.
"A cursed circle of darkness began to appear among the crowd."
She placed her hand on the knight, now zombified, and the camera zoomed out to reveal a circle of darkness. The scene then changed to a cell where countless zombies were imprisoned.
"Yes, the circle of darkness represents the curse of the undead."
"All undead will be apprehended, sent north, and held in prison until the end of time."
"This... is also your destiny."
Finally, the mid-shot of the video changed to the innermost cell. Inside was an undead figure, clad in armor, whose shape was clearly distinct from the others. He looked up, and a skylight opened, dropping a corpse from above.
A knight, with his face hidden and a shield in his hand, watched the undead inside.
The screen faded to black. The words Dark Souls appeared in the center of the screen, and below, a subtitle: The Age of the First Flame.
As this promotional video played, all the players at the exhibition erupted with excitement. Yes, that was exactly what they wanted! Although the video is not long, only about three minutes, it already reveals a lot.
First, the world setting of Dark Souls. In previous Dark Souls games, players only obtained fragments of information. However, in this trailer, players finally learn what the world of Dark Souls was like in its beginnings. They also understand the importance of fire, and some game images suggest that the timeline between both games is incredibly long, as demonstrated by the depiction of fire.
In the trailer, the First Flame resembles a huge sun. But at the end of the original Dark Souls, the flame is only a tiny flame, seemingly extinguished by the wind. In combination with the trailer's content, many passionate Dark Souls players have developed more detailed theories.
That the entire world, in its origin, existed in the soul, but was simply chaotic. This is because the trailer describes the differences and tendencies that the First Flame brought with it. This probably gave souls distinctive properties, allowing previously chaotic souls to merge and manifest in a specific form.
This was the Royal Soul, and those who received it from the First Flame were known as the Gods. They were the first creatures to be baptized by fire, receiving an orderly soul. This soul transformed their appearance and existence, transforming them into new forms.
Subsequently, these first beings to receive the power of souls waged a war against the ancient dragons, which represented disorder, for survival, ambition, or other reasons. The war between order and disorder began and, finally, with the help of the white dragon Seath, the representatives of fire triumphed, replacing disorder and marking the beginning of the Age of Fire.
Players can clearly perceive echoes of related environments in these characters, such as the white dragon Seath, closely associated with magic; the gods Gwyn, closely linked with the clergy's faith; and the witches, associated with the power of spells.
As for the dwarf, this has also sparked much discussion among players. The trailer did not mention the participation of the dwarves who had acquired the Dark Souls in the dragon hunt. Furthermore, despite being a fantasy title, Dark Souls did not mention dwarves or elves.
So, what exactly were these dwarves? And what relationship did the Dark Sign of Londor, introduced in the previous game, have with the Dark Ring mentioned in the trailer? These questions were raised to many Dark Souls players.
But, despite everything, most expressed a common feeling: "Give me the game, take my wallet, I'll buy it!".
At the conclusion of the trailer, countless players could not contain their excitement and engaged in a discussion. Those interested in the story commented on the few fragments of information revealed in the trailer. Those simply interested in eliminating bosses were even more excited. You just have to see what the game mentioned! Gwyn, the Sun King; the Witch of Izalith and the Daughter of Chaos; the first of the dead, Nito; all of them renowned figures. After having fought against the Lord of Cinder in the previous game, this time they would face the Ancient Gods directly. How exciting!
With enthusiasm, the players watched Alex return to the stage.
"As you have already seen, 'Dark Souls: First Flame' will transport the battlefield to a remote era, where players will live an even more exciting and captivating Dark Souls experience."
"Also, I can reveal crucial information. The release date for 'Dark Souls: First Flame' is tentatively scheduled for early July!".
As Alex announced, a date suddenly appeared on the large screen behind him. This time, Alex was not being sarcastic. The current progress was more than enough. After all, they were not developing from scratch; they had the base of the previous game. The main source of time and effort was the artistic resources.
Hearing Alex's words, the players applauded again. It was clear that they were excited to have a release date. Then, before the players' expectant gaze, Alex, after a few kind introductory words, left the stage, replaced by the event host.
"Wait, Alex, did you forget to announce something?".
"The hands-on session for 'Dark Souls: First Flame'!?".
Many players looked at Alex, who was leaving the stage with bewildered expressions, and then at the host, who was presenting the subsequent activities and content. This time, Alex, from Nebula Games, did not only come to participate with a trailer for the Dark Souls sequel. There was also content, such as the new version of Three Kingdoms Tactics and the new national war mode, as well as the new version of Fall Guys and various related themed maps.
Of course, there were also specific activities for players, such as playing It Takes Two together and receiving simple figures and toys as a souvenir. There was also the Dark Souls Challenge, where players could challenge different bosses and monsters, and, whether they succeeded or failed, they also received the corresponding souvenir toys.
The players, upon seeing the dancers and cosplayers perform on stage, finally confirmed a truth. That is, the supposed 'Dark Souls: First Flame' trial didn't even exist!
"I'm dumbfounded! Alex is a plagiarist!".
"Yes, I thought there would be a playable demo at the expo, but it's just a trailer!".
"Although this trailer revealed a lot, and Alex directly announced the release date, which is really exciting, but where is the playable demo?".
"That's right! That's right! He's breaking his promise!".
"Hehe, don't get too excited, guys. Look at Alex's previous official blog. It doesn't actually mention any playable demo!".
"Geez, it really doesn't!".
Although the lack of a playable demo disappointed many players, it was not a big deal. After all, there are many expos every year where there is only a trailer and no playable demo. And Alex even directly announced the release date for Dark Souls: First Flame!. At least that gave them something to look forward to.
In addition, the event was quite lively and the prizes, although not expensive, were very interesting, which made many players feel that Nebula Games values its players. Players of Three Kingdoms Tactics and Fall Guys could directly download the beta versions released at the expo to experience the new content.
The queue-less system, just like last year, connected with many players, dispelling some of the disappointment they felt after not being able to play the new Dark Souls demo.
In addition, events like the Dark Souls Challenge and the It Takes Two tacit understanding event were also largely based on collective collaboration.
"Tom, aren't you waiting in line?". Mike and Sarah were in line, watching Tom walk away curiously.
"Nothing, I want to try other games." Tom looked at Mike and Sarah, who were holding hands, and then glanced at the It Takes Two experience area, forcing a smile.
'Waiting in line? Do you think he doesn't want to play? The thing is, he can't play alone!'.
This game has been on the market for ages, and he has never played it, except by watching videos!. Seeing the images of men and women holding hands around him, Tom took a deep breath.
'I can't take it anymore, I can't take it anymore, my blood pressure is rising.'.
He plays video games to lower his blood pressure.
Looking at the Dark Souls experience area next to him, Tom silently shifted his gaze and then saw something strange. In a small corner of the Nebula Games exhibition area, there were four monitors mounted on the wall, and in front of them, four large water tanks with inflatable hammers inserted.
He had noticed it before, but at that moment he thought it was the Nebula Games work area, but now it seems it's not!.
Curiously, Tom approached.
'Could they be Nebula Games' new releases?'.
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