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Chapter 108: Why Is Alex So Skilled?
Seeing Alex enter the game and recreate the "Useless Person" character, Eric and the others nearby exchanged glances and shared a tacit smile. Several of them watched the screen in front of Alex with wide eyes, as if anticipating something exciting.
As Alex continued playing, he noticed the subtle movements of Eric and the others. However, Alex said nothing, simply smiling and continuing to test the game.
The interface itself was not a major problem, including the facial modeling system, which was much more refined than in previous games. After some casual attempts, Alex entered the game using a default avatar. The first thing that caught his eye was the graphics. In previous Dark Souls games, or even in all Souls games, graphics were not the main focus. Players praised not the graphics, but the art design.
For example, the fairy-tale-like Boreal Valley of Dark Souls 3 captivated countless players who first encountered it. Both the Fountainhead Palace in Sekiro and the Sanctuary Street in Bloodborne have left an indelible mark on countless players.
However, given that the technological level of this parallel world is superior to that of his previous life, and the conventional settings are also superior, Alex could not refuse to improve the visual aspect, insisting on maintaining the same aesthetic. After all, good graphics also provide a better gaming experience.
And, based on his current experience with the game, he is very satisfied. The entire scene is in a cold, grayish tone, creating an exceptionally desolate atmosphere. The ground is littered with corpses and ashes. A faint mist floats in the air, creating a slightly unsettling atmosphere. This, in essence, defines the game's atmosphere.
For the opening animation, Alex kept the same promotional video from the previous fair. He simply edited out some gaps to create a more coherent story. After all, the entire computer-generated graphics project cost a considerable amount of money, so he wanted to get the most out of it.
Upon entering the game, Alex controlled a character wearing only shorts, holding a broken wooden shield and a small chicken drumstick, and began to practice some simple moves. Just like in his previous life, there were system prompts and warnings scattered on the ground, along with nearby zombies for players to practice on.
However, Alex clearly did not need to look at them. After all, he knew the game system perfectly: running, locking on, normal attacks, strong attacks, deploying combat skills, and even rolling. Alex tested all the movements, one by one. Then, he opened the game console and typed a line of code to create a shield capable of parrying.
The small broken wooden shield used when choosing the Unkindled only allowed for impact attacks, not parrying. Therefore, if he wanted to practice parrying, he would have to use a shield with blocking abilities. This code was for testing in the development version only and would undoubtedly be removed in the official release.
With the code-created shield, Alex approached the first zombie monster. He did not rush into action immediately, but circled around it, provoking aggression and forcing it to get up. The zombie in front of them roared and charged forward, swinging its broken sword. While Eric and the others looked on in bewilderment, a dull thud resonated from the monitor's speakers.
Eric and the others, engrossed in the game's combat system, interpreted this as the sound of a successful shield counter-attack. The character, in front of the half-kneeling zombie, paralyzed on the ground, struck it on the head with a wooden club resembling a large drumstick, instantly emptying its long health bar.
The game's execution animations are more detailed than in previous games. While different weapons in the previous Dark Souls had execution animations, outside of the general categories such as greatswords, axes, longswords, bare-handed weapons, and claws, the same animation applied to three or four types of weapons. Therefore, Alex made significant improvements in this aspect.
Whether or not to add execution animations does not have a significant impact on the game itself. However, it does have a direct impact on the player's experience. This is because these execution animations are essentially a reward.
It is similar to how in fighting games, when players build up energy and unleash their ultimate moves, landing a hit on their opponent, they are rewarded with a series of spectacular moves. This is a reward mechanism.
The same goes for executions in Dark Souls. For monsters that can be blocked with a shield, successfully blocking a shield and then executing them provides a visual reward. This also has another advantage: since each weapon has its own execution animation, players will inevitably be curious about how each weapon is executed.
"What? You said the whip has an execution animation? And this weapon?"
Upon seeing Alex's fluid and effortless shield parry, Eric and the others beside him were stunned.
'How is Alex so skilled with this shield parry? Shouldn't the correct procedure be to rush in and eliminate the zombies with a couple of slashes? He's already shield parrying! Although you designed the entire combat and movement system of the game, you were the one who created the materials and tested the game first. So, how are you so skilled now?'
Alex, in the game, moved fluidly to the first bonfire and lit it. Then, he ran and jumped onto the steps of another coffin to collect a bright white item.
Without losing a single drop of health, Alex had already reached the first boss, Gundyr, the Judge of Ashes.
Eric and the others, who were expecting something exciting, were stunned.
'It was completely different from what they had imagined!'
Despite this, Eric and the others still harbored some anticipation. After all, monsters are different from bosses. Although Alex is the producer, didn't they participate in the entire game? Knowing is one thing, but experiencing it is another.
Just like with advanced guides and techniques: the text and videos are there, but after watching them, will you be able to do it? Not only no, but you will be filled with comments like: "This author thinks I can learn this."
Everyone watched intently, waiting to see what Alex would do next. Eric, in particular, had already been soundly defeated by this boss. Most Dark Souls bosses share a common characteristic: their large size. This, naturally, creates a strong sense of oppression.
Additionally, the weapons wielded by the bosses are usually incredibly long, allowing them to attack from a distance, and they also have sweeping attacks with an enormous range.
Although Gundyr, the Judge of Ashes, was the first boss, his appearance was truly terrifying. His attacks were incredibly powerful. Although he could raise his shield to block them, they consumed a considerable amount of stamina.
Even more devastating was the fact that most Dark Souls bosses had two phases, and Gundyr, the Judge of Ashes, was no exception. The second phase, the gigantic black serpent-pus form, had stalled Eric for quite some time.
While Eric and the others watched expectantly, Alex, in the game, also prepared to face the boss.