Chapter 57: Didn't You Say You Were a "Love Warrior"?
At first, Outlast live streams in the Twitch gaming section were limited to streamers familiar with Nebula Games. But as some streamers began to live stream, they realized it was quite effective, gaining popularity and attention. The barrage of comments on their streams intensified even further when they streamed this game.
This attracted even more streamers. After all, for streamers, this is their job, and Outlast is clearly a very suitable live streaming program. Upon opening any streamer's live stream, you can almost hear their heartbreaking screams.
"I don't want to play anymore! I don't want to play anymore! My furniture moved!"
"No! Dad, I was wrong, let me go!"
"Why is that fat guy chasing me again? How do I get out of this sewer?"
"Are you looking for a fuse in the women's hospital? It's completely dark! I've run out of batteries! Who knows the way? Help me!"
"Where's the weapon? Why don't I have a weapon? Give me a weapon!"
"F*** you, chihuahua! That guy in the wheelchair scared the living daylights out of me! You didn't move when I arrived and you do this to me when I leave!"
In the live streams of major streamers playing Outlast, the screams were incredibly heartbreaking. Any screenshot could be a source of inspiration. This also sparked curiosity among players who watched the live streams but didn't know Outlast.
Just like the players in the forums, they all shared one idea: "Can this game be that terrifying?"
But once they entered and tried it, they were instantly stunned. The game was even more terrifying than they had imagined. While jump scares from opening doors are sudden and unpredictable, becoming a minor scare once you get used to them is relatively unbearable.
But in Outlast, it's much more than that. Visual horror, overwhelming horror, and psychological horror are seamlessly integrated. Jump scares are a common feature of Western and Eastern horror, known as jump scares, such as door-opening scares and turning-your-back scares.
Visual horror generally embodies Western horror themes, often with disturbing imagery, such as gore. The opening scene of Outlast, where a soldier is impaled by a steel pipe and loses a finger, is a classic example of visual horror.
Psychological horror, on the other hand, usually embodies Eastern horror, focusing on the fear of the unknown and fostering insecurity. For example, levels like the basement, the women's ward, and the sewers, where enemies chase and the entire environment is completely dark, illuminated only by cameras, are classic elements of psychological horror.
Outlast seamlessly integrates these three elements of horror. Additionally, the player's role as a reporter is limited to escaping, not resisting. This further undermines the player's sense of security.
God knows how desperate it must be to be chased by monsters and have your camera battery die!
For a time, countless players were captivated by the shadow of Mount Massive Asylum. With the streamer and a growing number of players recommending the game as "friendly and helpful," its popularity and reviews rapidly soared. At first, the news was limited to horror game forums. But then, Outlast's popularity skyrocketed in major gaming communities and forums, flooded with player discussions.
"Oh my God! I'm going to break up with my friends! Is this a little scary? It scared the living daylights out of me!" "To be honest, I've embarrassed everyone. After buying the game, I didn't even dare to cross the gate of Mount Massive Asylum!"
"23333, stop here, old man in front, you're not the only one who didn't even cross the gate!"
"Haha, I didn't go in either. I turned around and closed the game to watch the video."
"Is it as mysterious as you say? I think this game is quite simple!"
"What's so scary about it?! I already finished it!"
"Two old men upstairs, could you cancel the official platform binding certification before speaking? One game lasts 7 minutes and the other 5 minutes. How can you complete the game!"
"F***, I'm speechless when you say that!"
"Honestly, this game's gameplay is too short. Let me briefly explain the process to those who join later. First, we open the game, enter the courtyard, go to the small door on the left, and crawl through the dog hole. Afterwards, we climb through the bookshelf and the window to enter the asylum. Finally, we close the game, open a video website, and search for Outlast live commentary."
With the players' enthusiasm, Outlast's popularity rapidly soared. Sales also experienced a sudden increase. More and more players who had never heard of the game became curious. Of course, most of these players were simply terrified. A significant number of players requested refunds. However, despite this large number, a significant number bought their games but refused to do so. These players also supported the game company in a different way. With this huge player base, Outlast's sales remained quite impressive.
However, around that time, someone started a trend that quickly generated buzz in major gaming community forums. It was something Alex said in an interview after winning first prize in the "Science Fiction Expedition" contest.
[After all, I always consider myself a love warrior.]
This phrase suddenly became popular among Outlast players.
"How dare Alex say that?"
"I never thought that after creating a game like To the Moon, Alex would create Outlast."
"Love warrior!" "Can this be called a love warrior?"
"By the way, Alex, this game you created is very scary, do you dare to play it?"
"That's right, that's right, there's absolutely no love in this Outlast!"
Countless players began to make a fuss on Alex's official blog. It was a huge contrast. He claimed to be a love warrior, and then he created Outlast, a game that can leave people with blank souls. There is absolutely no love!
However, despite saying this, players were basically just adding fuel to the fire and joining in the fun. But what players never expected was that Alex would respond on the official blog.
'Is that the content...?'
- - - -
Thanks for reading!
We reached our goal! With your support on Webnovel (500 Power Stones) and Patreon, this week we'll have 5 chapters a day on Webnovel and 10 chapters a day for Patreon subscribers.
Read +120 advanced chapters of this novel on my patreon
@Patreon/iLikeeMikee
Thanks again for your support!