After Karl's family reunion, the screen went black for a moment.
[Marie, who had not heard from Emile for a long time, finally received a letter from her father a few weeks later.]
A sad BGM began to play softly, and the scene shifted to Emile's prison cell.
The cell door opened, and an officer walked in to tell Emile that it was time.
Here, Emile's clothes were tattered, and shackles were on his feet.
There were no hints, he could only keep walking forward.
At this moment, Luke, at his computer, had a terrible guess in his mind.
On the way forward, none of the soldiers looked down on Emile.
When he passed, they saluted, took off their hats, or turned their heads away, not wanting to look at him.
Even in the game, when Luke stopped controlling Emile's steps, the soldiers and officers escorting him didn't show impatience — they simply stood there, waiting for him.
No violent shoving or rushing, just quiet waiting.
With the sad piano music, Emile's narration slowly began, in step with his footsteps.
[Dear Marie, for me, the war is over. I have no regrets in my heart, I've seen too many horrors.]
[I hope fate will be kinder to you.]
[Our days together were short, but my whole life has been filled with happiness, and for that I am only grateful.]
[I have received so many blessings, especially the blessing of heaven bringing you into my life.]
[This is my last letter.]
[I was found guilty by the military court for killing an officer.]
[Even though I didn't really want to kill him.]
[War drives people mad.]
[Although I let Karl down, I know my sacrifice was not in vain.]
As Emile walked forward, one soldier after another took off their hats and saluted him.
Freddie was among them. Seeing Emile walking toward his execution, Freddie took off his hat, his face full of sadness.
Memories of the past flashed by one after another.
The dog, Anna, Karl, his daughter, and his grandson.
[I fought for my country and my freedom. I upheld my dignity.]
[Since fate has made us part here in life and death,]
[then I pray that we will meet again in heaven someday.]
[Please keep praying for me.]
[Forever loving you — Dad.]
Standing before the execution cross, there was no fear on Emile's face, only calmness.
The screen slowly faded into darkness.
Bang! A gunshot rang out, followed by the sound of a body hitting the ground.
The next moment, a sad melody began to play, and the scene shifted to a cemetery.
Under the setting sun, endless rows of wooden crosses stretched out into the distance, with the French flag waving in the wind.
[Even though their bodies have long turned to dust, they will live on forever in people's hearts]
[We must cherish these memories and never forget]
In front of Emile's grave stood the dog, Karl, and Marie with their son, quietly paying their respects.
With that, the game came to an end.
In front of the computer, Luke's eyes were now completely filled with tears.
Her eyes were red as she looked at the ending screen, and she pulled a napkin from the side to gently wipe them.
"Emile… Until the very end, Emile never knew that Karl wasn't dead. He still felt he had let Karl down." Luke's voice was slightly choked.
It wasn't that she had never played tragic games before.
Just last year, "To the Moon" had given countless players a love story that was sad yet beautiful.
But the core of "To the Moon" was not the same as "Valiant Hearts: The Great War."
If there's one word to describe it, it would be heavy.
There weren't any over-the-top, emotion-stirring scenes. It was more like boiling a frog slowly — breaking down the player's softest feelings bit by bit through quiet build-up.
What it showed was far too cruel, making players feel the weight of it all.
In Emile's final words, there was no complaining about his fate.
There was only love for his family and no regrets about his life.
Unlike many grand war games, "Valiant Hearts: The Great War" didn't have flashy scenes.
It didn't use ultra-realistic graphics to show the horrors of war.
Instead, it brought players closer to families torn apart by war and to people who had suffered because of it.
This left an even deeper impact than visuals could.
And Emile was just one of countless such stories.
You could even say that in the game, Emile and Karl were already lucky compared to many others.
But it's exactly because of that luck that the cruelty of war feels even heavier.
…
It wasn't just Luke — every player who finished "Valiant Hearts: The Great War" ended up in tears.
Because there were simply too many moments in the game that could break them.
One moment, Emile befriends a German officer, and the next, that officer is blown up.
The rescue dog meets his original owner, only for that owner to be killed by an explosion.
Karl's family of three finally reunites, but Emile is taken to be executed.
This pattern of warming your heart only to stab it right after happened many times in the game.
And it wasn't just the story — the overall presentation of the game added to it.
"Valiant Hearts: The Great War" wasn't a large-scale game at all, lasting only about three hours.
At first, its sales weren't that high. It was a small game and part of a competition event, and many players were still waiting to see how it did.
But the game's ratings shot through the roof, reaching an incredible 9.8 out of 10.
Thanks to this, "Valiant Hearts: The Great War" quickly spread among players.
Reviews and related discussions became more and more common.
"Lucas Hart tricked us again! This game showed us what it means to be a warrior of love. He promised a heartwarming work, but I was completely stunned after playing it!"
"I really want to punch Lucas Hart, but I have to admit I was in tears by the end. The ending was so touching!"
"At first, I doubted how a small game like this could really express anti-war ideas, but Lucas Hart pulled it off!"
"There's no such thing as a good war, and no such thing as a bad peace!"
"In the game, there are indeed 'Valiant Hearts,' but unlike the subtitle's other meaning, 'The Great War,' a war born from politics and profit could never be called great!"
Of course, some players didn't like this style. After all, you can't please everyone, and tastes vary a lot.
Lucas Hart couldn't possibly make a game that suited everyone.
But while players had mixed preferences, the gaming media all gave it very high praise.
(End of The Chapter)
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