Chapter 171: Where There's a Heart, There's a Dream!
Like Tom, everyone thought it was the staff area, with props for the cosplayers, so no one was around. Tom was the first to arrive.
After the staff's introduction, he sat on the tank-sofa and zipped it up. From the outside, it looked as if half of his body was encased in a water tank.
"Is it really a new game?".
Upon picking up the hammer, Tom's eyes widened, surprised.
As he lifted it, the monitor in front of him lit up. Then, the Nebula Games logo appeared on the screen. A screen with a valley appeared, and next to it, a hammer hook hanging from a rock. Three interface options were written on it: "Enter Game," "Options," and "Exit Game."
'Look what he had found! A new game! And this unexpected find?'.
Some nearby players also witnessed the scene with surprised faces. However, seeing that there were three spots left, everyone rushed over. Those who had not reserved a spot formed a line nearby.
But after listening to the staff's explanation, the players instantly became angry.
"Why?".
"Yeah! There are only four spots for this new game's trial, why does it take so long?".
"Yes, isn't a half-hour trial too much?".
"Yeah, yeah, there are a lot of people in line!".
The players waiting around were instantly displeased. The staff had told them that this unknown game had a half-hour trial. This meant that even the second person in line would have to wait a full half-hour. And there were only four spots.
And yet, this game looked quite interesting, even with motion control, with a giant hammer in hand as a means of control. It must be an action game; smashing monsters with a giant hammer would be great!
Noticing the commotion, Alex arrived.
"Alex, it's okay not to have a new Dark Souls, but isn't it unreasonable for this trial to be taking so long?".
"Yes! Yes!".
Seeing Alex appear, many players expressed their opinions.
"Everyone, please be quiet for a moment. We have set such a long trial period because this game is quite unique. It requires players to master certain skills and be persistent, which is why it has been extended so much," Alex explained.
With all his heart, every word he said was true.
"Well... let's put it this way. Everyone, please be quiet and watch for ten minutes. You'll understand. This game requires time to truly experience its unique features, so we have set such a long trial period for all players to experience it." Alex reassured the crowd.
Hearing his words, the players at the exhibition, although still somewhat displeased, fell silent and focused their attention. This even attracted a group of players who were queuing for the Dark Souls Challenge nearby, traveling in pairs.
As he watched the staff restore order, Alex smiled and silently turned around, hiding his achievements.
Meanwhile, Tom, the first player to try the game, entered with enthusiasm.
But the scene that appeared the next instant left him and the other players present stunned. There were pieces of broken stone scattered on the ground, along with a dark jar-like object with a mallet next to it.
The jar began to shake and a figure emerged from it. A stocky, bald guy with a small mustache; only his torso was muscular. He was grasping the mallet with both hands. He looked like Tom outside the exhibition.
"This journey is too difficult! You can't reach the top! Give up!".
At that moment, a cartoonish-looking old man emerged from the ground, complaining, like the disheartened man from Dark Souls.
The game's interface also appeared. Normally, a mouse was all that was needed to play, but now the hammer replaced it.
'But isn't this game too rudimentary?'.
The players watching outside the exhibition complained to themselves.
But they fell silent. After all, Alex started out as an indie developer. Compared to Dark Souls and It Takes Two, weren't Alex's previous games nothing special graphically?.
Tom tried to brandish the hammer. Since it was inflatable and only had the motion sensor, it didn't weigh much. The sofa was comfortable and there was plenty of room to brandish it with both hands.
As the hammer was brandished, Tom saw the burly man in the game also start to brandish his. The gameplay was not difficult: just brandish the hammer, moving it forward, backward, up, and down.
But this game was strange!.
It wasn't just Tom; the other players who saw it had the same idea. The goal was clear: climb the mountain with a hammer. And the control simply consisted of brandishing the hammer.
But compared to the other players who were watching, Tom quickly noticed something different. This game was quite challenging. Brandishing the hammer and moving forward seemed quite simple. But when he tried it, he realized that it was not as simple as he had imagined.
Especially with the first tree in front of him, he had to hook the hammer onto its branches and then slowly flip it over. But the hammer's force points in the game were incredibly flexible. The amplitude of your movements is reflected in the game. For example, brandishing a hammer and hitting it hard against the ground creates a bounce that makes your character jump. Or hooking onto the edge of a tree trunk and pulling hard also flips it over.
However, knowing this is fine, but when you use it, the hammer doesn't respond at all.
He brandished his hammer, but he couldn't get past the tree. The other three players who were experiencing the game were practically in the same situation as Tom. Many of the players watching from outside were a little amused. It was almost like a cosplay: sitting on a water tank-shaped sofa, trying to reshape the hammer's control, only to find that the character in the game couldn't get past it. It was quite comical.
'This guy has been stuck for two minutes!'.
Everyone else is also stuck. It looks very difficult.
'Shouldn't it be? I think it should be quite easy. Just hook it over the edge and it'll be fine.'.
Tom, with the hammer in his hand, heard the murmurs of the players around him and twisted his mouth. He wanted to say: "If you can, go ahead!". But, after all, he himself had finished Dark Souls, so he had a talent for video games.
After two more attempts, he managed to get past the first tree. Seeing the other players stuck, Tom's face lit up with pride.
He kept moving forward. Tom had almost figured out what this game was about. It was about reaching the end, right? It was just a matter of brandishing a hammer.
But this game was too easy, wasn't it? There was no urgency or pressure.
As he continued to control the man in the jar, Tom felt a little bewildered. He soon reached a small canyon, and the next step was to climb a mountain. You can clearly see some elevations, probably the points where players hook their hammers to apply force.
"The controls are a bit strange, but it's actually quite simple. Just pay attention to the force with which you hit the hammer," Tom concluded. He also saw three other players nearby, who had managed to clear the first tree.
"Yes, it's a bit challenging, but it's quite rewarding after you conquer it," commented another nearby player.
"It's true. Just like in Dark Souls, you have to maintain a positive attitude in this type of game, because it's sure to get more difficult later on," commented a player with deep emotion.
"Well, come on, everyone, play with a smile," added the last player.
"Of course, you definitely have to play with a smile," repeated Tom. Everyone was very motivated.
But soon, they noticed that something wasn't right.
"Why is the modeling of this game so bad?", the players watching from behind expressed confusedly.
The scene before them was strange: a house suddenly appeared on the mountain, half embedded in it. There were also cement pipes that looked like construction sites, something out of place. It felt completely out of place.
The overall artistic style was also a little strange.
But despite the weirdness, Tom and the others didn't pay much attention. They continued playing; they were not stuck. They were now on a high, steep slope, with houses, wood, and stones: many other things to grab on to.
Brandishing his hammer, Tom climbed little by little. Suddenly, a small error in his control caused his character to fall underground, ruining all his efforts.
But Tom didn't dwell on it or get discouraged. After all, the distance was not very long. He continued to brandish his hammer.
This time, he carefully hooked the edge, finding the right balance, and went up.
'After a mistake, we learn from it again and again, just like in Dark Souls.' Tom observed the perspectives of the other three nearby players and smiled.
One of them had reached a new height, just like him, while the other two were still at the previous level.
"Keep it up, brother!". Another player, at the same level as Tom, smiled at him to encourage him.
Calming his enthusiasm, Tom continued to control his character.
A pile of rocks, this time in a narrower space, forced him to ascend on a steel plate similar to a construction crane. The passage was exceptionally narrow, and the elevations on both sides made it look a little uncomfortable.
Tom took a deep breath, slowly raised his hammer with both hands, and brandished it with all his might. Instantly, the burly figure in the game jumped high. Taking the opportunity, Tom brandished his hammer again, hooking it onto the hook.
Then, with a single blow, he prepared to jump directly onto the steel platform. An instant later, as Tom brandished his hammer, the burly figure in the game flew upward.
Tom expected him to land on the steel platform, but in reality, his flight direction was wrong. He was flying in the opposite direction.
"No!", Tom shouted with wide eyes.
But it was useless.
Like a falling stone, the canned man landed firmly at the bottom of the valley. In front stood the tree that had been at the beginning of the game.
Tom was speechless, his gaze fixed on the screen, completely stunned.
Then, in the game, the old man who had appeared before emerged from the ground.
"You've come back? I told you you couldn't, but I think you should listen to a song to relax and disconnect."
The next instant, an explosion of background music filled the game.
"When the heart is there, the dream is there. No matter the success or failure, life is heroic. It's only a matter of starting again... again!".
Tom's hand trembled slightly as he gripped the hammer, his expression still somewhat dazed.
Then, another exclamation came from the side.
Tom looked at him.
'That elegant downward curve looked so familiar!'.
The other person, watching the scene of returning to the valley, had the same slightly dazed expression as Tom. The background music played again, but it was not the same as Tom's previous one. Instead, it was an unknown melody.
"Back to the starting point, the path you started in my memory."
At that moment, the group of players watching nearby couldn't help it. Although they didn't want to gloat, the scene was really funny!
"Haha... I'm dying of laughter! This Alex must have done it on purpose!".
"I believe Alex, this game is my god!".
"Will it get even more scandalous later? Like falling from the very top!".
"Based on this tone, I think it's very likely!".
"Damn, I finally understand why they said I had to give myself 30 minutes to experience it!".
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