Since it was just a short demo, most players thought it wouldn't be a big deal and they'd clear it easily.
But reality surprised everyone.
Right before the gameplay expo, the game industry had little big news. Many studios were holding back until the event to reveal their projects.
And so Silent Hill PT, the demo built for the new VR tests, became a hot topic for the media.
"Test demo Silent Hill PT has a day-one clear rate of 1.76%."
When many outlets reported this based on Nebula Games' trophy data, even they were stunned.
It had already been out for a full day!
And judging from online discussions, tons of people were playing it.
But not even 2% had cleared it?
Was it because it was too hard?
Or just too scary?
Plenty of media outlets were curious.
William from GameSpace nearly dropped his coffee when he saw the number.
Since it was only a test demo, not many sites had reviewed it.
But seeing the clear rate made him very curious.
So out of curiosity, he opened the Nebula Games platform, downloaded the demo, and started playing.
Ten minutes later, clutching his chest, William stood up from his chair, took a few deep breaths, and with shaking hands pulled open the curtains to let in the sunlight.
Now he understood why the clear rate was so low!
Which normal player could handle this?!
Of course, it's just scary, but honestly, quite a few players can still clear it.
After all, this isn't the highly immersive VR version. PC players have plenty of tricks to make themselves less scared.
Replacing the ghost girl models—let's not even talk about that.
Because if that goes wrong, the horror game might turn into a "shooter" instead.
But things like turning up the brightness, muting the sound and playing comedy shows or cheerful songs, or even having three to five guys sitting together holding hands to play—that all works, right?
The key point, though, is that the conditions to clear "Silent Hill PT" are actually really harsh.
It wasn't until the next day that some hardcore players, after studying the game and discussing it on forums, finally figured out the conditions for clearing "Silent Hill PT."
And what shocked many players was that even though "Silent Hill PT" is just a demo, it actually tells a simple story.
In the game's endlessly looping hallway, there are 14 loops in total, and each time you complete one, new story content is triggered.
On the second loop, the game guides the player back to see a photo of the wife on the floor. When you pick it up, three lines appear: Can you hear my voice? Can you read this message? If you come to find me, I'll wait for you forever.
This is the first hint in the game.
In different corners of the room, there are photo fragments—eight pieces in total—but ten sentences in all. Every time you collect one piece, a sentence will appear in a random language. These ten sentences are the key clues to finishing the game.
Put together, they read:
While I was waiting, I stayed still. I whispered his name. His fingertips brushed across my hand; his hand was so cold. My body trembled as I waited for it all to end. I didn't move at all. The hand reaching toward me slowly faded into the fog. I believe I heard a phone call.
Every time the player is killed by the ghost Lisa, it means game over, which crashes and closes the game. But at this screen, there's a key piece of info: the protagonist's name—J.
The deeper you go, the heavier and creepier the atmosphere becomes.
And as the story unfolds, players learn how Lisa died.
In one of the later loops, players can listen through a peephole into the bathroom.
Based on the sounds, you can guess Lisa had her eyes gouged out, her throat slit, and her stomach cut open to remove the fetus.
The bubbly sound in her voice earlier was because of the blood choking in her throat.
As for why Lisa was killed, a mysterious low voice reveals it: You got fired, so you drank to drown your sorrows. She had to get a part-time cashier job at the corner store. The only reason she earned money there was because the manager liked her. You didn't forget, right? Just ten months ago.
From this, you can guess why the main character killed Lisa—he believed she cheated on him, and the baby wasn't his.
Once all the clues are gathered, in the final loop, you need to do three steps to finish the game.
Step one: Do nothing and wait for one minute in front of the digital clock until it hits midnight.
This matches the sentence from the photo clue: While I was waiting, I stayed still.
Next, take ten steps forward. You'll hear the baby's first laugh.
At this point, you'll hear the sound of Lisa's high heels. Follow the sound, keep some distance, then speak the protagonist's name (J) into the microphone.
This matches the photo clue: I whispered his name.
Then Lisa rushes at the player and possesses you.
At the same time, the screen starts to shake slightly. In VR, players can feel the vibration through the gaming pod's motors.
On PC, if you use a controller, it vibrates; if you use a mouse and keyboard, the screen shakes instead.
This matches another clue: His fingertips brushed across my hand; his hand was so cold. My body trembled.
Then creepy music plays, but you still don't move—matching the next line: I didn't move at all. The hand reaching toward me slowly faded into the fog.
When the music stops completely, the baby laughs a second time, and the hallway phone rings, confirming the last line: I believe I heard a phone call.
Go to the phone, and you hear a voice: You have been chosen.
The door unlocks, and the trophy for clearing the game pops up.
After reading the walkthroughs that experts put together, countless players were shocked.
This is way too strict!
Especially the final steps—miss even one clue, and there's no way to guess all that.
As soon as the pros posted the guides, discussions exploded online.
"I give up! With conditions like this, even if I played for a year, I'd never beat it!"
"Bro, be more confident—you wouldn't beat it in a lifetime. You've only played for 0.1 hours! You're not clearing anything!"
"Ha! 0.1 hours? You're giving him too much credit. That's just Nebula Games' default minimum time. He probably launched the game, took a quick look, and quit. How do I know? Because that's exactly what I did!"
"I strongly suggest some energy drink brand sponsor this game. It's practically an extreme sport!"
"Your death will be beyond imagination!"
Even though the walkthrough for the demo was out, discussions about "Silent Hill PT" didn't stop.
And on streaming platforms, even with guides, streamers were still getting scared out of their minds.
A simple demo, yet it gave countless players an unforgettable psychological shadow.
Some players even joked that they were showing symptoms of PTSD. They didn't dare walk alone down the hallway at night to use the bathroom, afraid that when they opened the bathroom door, they'd find another endless hallway inside.
If there's any news that could help players relax and put them in a good mood,
it's probably that the gameplay showcase is finally starting this year.
The prequel to Dark Souls that they've been waiting for will finally have more news!
(End of The Chapter)
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