Since the release of the game "The Witcher", it has gone through a very strange and winding journey.
At the beginning, the game wasn't highly regarded, especially by long-time fans familiar with Pokeni.
The main reason was that they didn't believe any other producer could create a game that would truly satisfy players after losing such a great producer as Furuhara Tsubaki.
However, the gamer population is certainly divided; while many players love Furuhara Tsubaki, a large portion of them are fans of galgames.
Since "The Witcher" is an action RPG, it naturally attracted players who weren't as familiar with Pokeni's style or Furuhara Tsubaki.
(Diablo is mainly popular in Europe and America; the Japanese reception of it can only be described as average.)
Without the boost from the Diablo name or a top-tier producer to lead the way, "The Witcher" didn't really have much of an advantage in terms of promotion.
Fortunately, the quality of The Witcher itself was good, so players still gave it high praise after experiencing it.
However, these reviews were polarized, causing the sales curve of "The Witcher" to resemble a roller coaster.
Pokeni even conducted surveys among many players, and the results left the development team somewhat bewildered.
"In terms of gameplay, 'The Witcher' really blew me away. I never imagined that a 2D top-down game could offer such an exhilarating experience.
Furthermore, the different moves and skills of each character mean we have to adjust our playstyle and strategies accordingly.
These are all excellent highlights.
I still feel that buying 'The Witcher' was very much worth it.
It truly lets you feel the thrill of an action game, especially when the plot reaches [Entering the Governor's Mansion] and you kill those powerful elites—I was almost shouting with excitement.
But as for the story... I'd call the first half a masterpiece, and I even think the final ending is undoubtedly a masterpiece as well.
I played the [Destroyer] ending.
However, the only part that felt uncomfortable and jarring was the female protagonist's mid-game transformation; it was too abrupt, creating a sense of disconnect and discomfort.
Fortunately, we learn in the final ending that Mia is still the same Mia; she was just using the male protagonist.
But looking back, it still feels a bit unpleasant.
I hope Pokeni will carefully consider every stage of the script in future games and look at the actual player experience."
"Exactly. Urobuchi Gen's scripts are really hit-or-miss—the good parts are amazing, full of surprises and twists after twists, and he's truly excellent at manipulating the player's emotions.
But that middle section of the plot was indeed a bit stiff. Perhaps there was a lot of background information in Urobuchi Gen's script that just wasn't fully presented.
So it feels like there's a slight flaw.
But I think the final few endings were good; they managed to bring everything back together.
I'm quite relieved about that."
"What is this? It's absolute garbage. The beginning was okay, but things went south once you entered the Royal City, especially the part where the female protagonist saves the male protagonist—it was as unbearable as eating filth.
Think about it: you're controlled every day, treated like a puppet, and he forces you to kill your own kind. If you were the heroine, would you forgive such a guy and help him?
Isn't that... Stockholm Syndrome? That's what it's called, right?
Anyway, I was cringing so hard when I got to that part.
But the explanation in the final ending somewhat redeemed the experience. When the blackened heroine reveals her true self after killing the Queen of the Night, that was the moment I felt the game 'came alive'.
Looking at it this way, there are actually issues with the plot arrangement. You shouldn't make players feel that uncomfortable and then only provide a twist and explanation at the very end.
Although I saw the foreshadowing earlier, honestly, I just couldn't stand it when I reached that point.
If it were a video, I would have wanted to fast-forward.
Fortunately, the gameplay is good—full of action with great special effects. I actually quite like the world-building; it has a mechanical feel combined with vampires. I guess it's a different kind of cyberpunk style?
For an action game, the requirements for the plot aren't that high.
Overall, while the plot has its flaws, it's enough to support the work.
I think it's pretty good."
"The game is an absolute masterpiece, provided you're just playing the game and not watching it like a movie. I happen to judge based on how fun the game is, so I think it's a masterpiece.
If you're only looking for a cinematic experience, you can skip this one.
Highly recommended for those who value controls and gameplay."
"I think the plot is fine. The story is closely integrated with the gameplay, and looking at the narrative structure, there aren't any issues at all.
The storyline is very clear, consisting of two main threads:
The war between humans and vampires: conflicts keep building up, escalating from small to large-scale, leading to the final battle.
The game progresses layer by layer, starting with small skirmishes, then liberating villages, large-scale decisive battles, and finally attacking the Royal City...
It also showcases the complexity of human nature and a sense of history. Some events are quite moving, such as the conflict and eventual explosion between the militant witchers and the 'fat maggots' of the Complacent Faction.
When power was handed over to General Paris, it was met with betrayal and suppression.
These parts are quite realistic; you can find corresponding examples in human history.
When we play through these plots, it's hard not to get immersed.
Even though it's a fictional story about vampires and humans, it makes us think of ourselves, which is quite an achievement in itself.
The final battle with the vampires is a bit idealistic, but I really like that part too.
Nix's journey from being a human transformed into a vampire to her eventual return... You could say Urobuchi Gen didn't flesh out or foreshadow this character enough, but if you think carefully and look at Nix's experiences from her perspective, you can understand her desire to finally 'go home' and return to her human identity, even if it means withering away.
Honestly, when the game's presentation and foreshadowing are sufficient, it's very moving.
The second thread is the hatred between the male and female protagonists—a process of mutual destruction, moving from one ruin to another.
This line is also very compelling.
I haven't seen a female protagonist portrayed like this in any game until now.
I have to say, Gen Urobuchi really has some guts.
To be so bold and try something new is remarkable in itself. In my mind, Gen Urobuchi is the Caesar of the gaming world.
He can flip the table at any time, shouting, 'Kill those fat maggots!'
Regardless of the ending, 'The Witcher' encompasses historical cycles, a sense of fate, and racial hatred...
These are things that leave you in deep thought after playing, which is actually quite impressive."
...
In short, players had mixed reviews for 'The Witcher,' a love-hate relationship.
What's certain is—
No matter what, at least in terms of gameplay, the players' opinions were surprisingly consistent.
That is, 'The Witcher' is absolutely an unrivaled and cool action game of the moment. Whether it's the combo system, character animations, or the impact of hitting monsters, everything is world-class.
The biggest controversy was still centered on the plot, especially the discussion regarding the conclusion.
"Sigh~"
Gen Urobuchi felt somewhat troubled and lost because of this. After reading the survey results, he let out a heavy sigh.
He furrowed his caterpillar-like brows; in truth, he was feeling incredibly regretful.
"It's all my fault for not doing my best. Otherwise, 'The Witcher' wouldn't have such controversial reviews."
Aoki Haruhi comforted him, saying, "It doesn't matter. No one is a god, and no one can guarantee that every work they make will be a masterpiece. You've actually done quite well."
"From the broad strokes of the plot, there are no issues.
Besides, the controversial parts all have foreshadowing and explanations. One day, when players revisit this game, they might have a different opinion."
Urobuchi Gen nodded, but he wasn't comforted in the slightest.
He looked up, staring at Aoki Haruhi with some surprise.
Isn't this clearly your fault?
President, at this point, wasn't this all what you said?
That it needs depth, that we need to create game scripts with intellectual height to make players think.
Aoki Haruhi looked back in surprise at the young man before him, who looked like a murderer. Good grief, have you learned how to shift the blame now?
Furthermore, he didn't believe the game's plot was truly as tragic as Urobuchi Gen imagined.
Several of the endings were quite good and could even spark controversy among players.
Controversy brings buzz; this was actually a very good marketing strategy.
Gen Urobuchi curled his lip, thinking dejectedly that it would have been better to just write a simple, heart-wrenching tragic romance.
Aoki Haruhi gave him a side-eye.
Shallow!
In the exploration of art, how can one always stay immersed in their comfort zone? If a single setback makes you retreat, how can we ever forge the future?
Players are actually very forgiving; won't it be fine as long as the next game is written well?
...
The sales curve for The Witcher moved forward in twists and turns, zig-zagging like a shivering centipede.
Fortunately, it was constantly trending upward, and the sales growth rate was showing significant numerical progress.
By July, the game had already sold 200,000 copies.
Compared to Pokémon and Diablo, it might not seem like much, but this result was enough for pokeni to make a huge profit to develop the next game.
Moreover, this was only the sales performance in Japan. Given The Witcher's gameplay, its release in Europe and America should trigger another wave of popularity.
About a month had passed since the game's release.
A player named [Red Doraemon] published an article in the Famitsu player feedback section, performing a fresh analysis of pokeni's The Witcher.
"Do you all really understand the game The Witcher?"
"This game is far from being as simple as you imagine."
"In reality, while the endings are important, they are also not that important."
"What's important is the reflection the game provokes."
"Rather than saying The Witcher is a war between humans and vampires, it is better to call it a microcosm of human history."
"This game is actually very symbolic."
"One can catch a glimpse of this from the names of the most important characters in the game:"
"First, the male protagonist's name is [Sisyphus]. In Greek mythology, Sisyphus offended the gods. To punish him, the gods required him to push a giant boulder to the top of a mountain. Because the boulder was too heavy, it would roll back down every time before reaching the summit, rendering his efforts futile."
"So he repeated this task endlessly and perpetually."
"This person is us."
"Think about it, aren't we like Sisyphus, doing repetitive things every day?"
"Being able to persevere in pushing the stone in such an environment and finding meaning within it is a special kind of heroism in itself."
"Life requires courage. This courage isn't for defeating difficulties, but for picking the stone back up when it rolls down and pushing it to the peak once more."
"The female protagonist [Mia]—actually, when you find the key item [Mia's Necklace] to open her quest line, you discover her full name should be Dysnomia."
"In mythology, Dysnomia is the [Goddess of Lawlessness] and the daughter of Eris, the goddess of discord. To some extent, this corresponds to her series of actions."
"The Goddess of Night, Nix."
"Caesar, the first dictator of the Roman Empire and the first person to break the order..."
"This also corresponds to his actions in the game."
"The only regret is that Caesar did not become a dictator; he was a hero of humanity who broke the order, only to sacrifice himself for mankind in the end."
"Caesar can be said to be portrayed quite perfectly, exactly the image of an idealist in our hearts."
"Then, there are several very clear symbols in the game:"
"First are the vampires. Have you noticed? They originate from humans, were twisted, and then became humanity's natural enemies."
"Vampires actually correspond to the exploiters in our reality."
"Humanity has two symbols: the first corresponds to the exploited at the bottom, and the other corresponds to the beneficiaries among the exploited—the ones holding the whips."
"To break it down further, among humans there are the [Brainwashed Commoners], corresponding to those humans in the vampire domains who throw stones at The Witchers. Clearly they are just blood-supply machines for others, but because their treatment is better than the commoners in the [Outer Realms], they can accept exploitation with a clear conscience and even take pride in it."
"The other part is the truly pitiful yet helpless masses of the exploited."
"They correspond to the exploited in the human regions who have little initiative, cannot see through the essence of things, and just go with the flow."
"Some of these people have already lost the will to struggle, while others are angry but dare not speak out."
"And then there are a very small number of human [Strugglers]. These people are the [witchers], they are [Paris]."
"The human armies correspond to those unions that should originally protect the exploited in reality, but in most cases, they turn into tools for maintaining peace..."
"If you can see through these, then the plot of The Witcher becomes very easy to understand."
"The conflict between vampires and humans: the conflict between exploiters and the exploited."
"It has existed for a long time and finally developed to an irreconcilable stage. The male protagonist Sisyphus, the stone-pusher, finally reached a day where he could no longer endure and became a rebel."
"The Witchers, under the leadership of Caesar (the one who breaks the order), launch a coup and resistance, eventually unifying their thoughts to launch an attack on the vampires."
"The female protagonist [Mia], the Goddess of Lawlessness, is full of betrayal. In the end, she wants to seize the fruits of victory, so she betrays the male protagonist."
"Let me talk about the five corresponding endings:"
"My personal favorite is definitely the [Destroyer] ending."
"The conflict between humans and vampires is irreconcilable, meaning the conflict between exploiters and the exploited is irreconcilable. As long as exploitation exists, it must be overthrown."
"Destroying all of this, destroying this terrifying and harmful system, is a very great feat."
"Ending Two: Symbiosis between vampires and humans. It's quite ironic; Mia's own meaning is bad order, the Goddess of Lawlessness. For such a contract to be established is a very illusory thing in itself."
"It implies that peaceful coexistence between exploiters and the exploited is almost a lie."
"However, assuming it were true, I believe this symbiotic state would be broken very quickly in the future."
"Ending Three: The Serum Returns, the vampires return to being human."
"A Utopian ending where exploiters turn into ordinary laborers and exploitation no longer exists in the world. This is even more of a dream than Ending Two."
"Ending Four: The male protagonist becomes the creator of a new human order, opening a new era and sitting upon the Throne of Night."
"To some extent, it's more like a cycle in human history."
"It signifies the male protagonist's change in status, from the originally exploited to the exploiter."
"The stone rolls to the bottom of the mountain, and humanity repeats the process of pushing the stone again."
"Ending Five: Let all humans become vampires, essentially giving humanity eternal life."
"Still a Utopia, and even more impossible to exist. In such a situation, if everyone is an exploiter, then who is the object of exploitation?"
"From this perspective, The Witcher is actually a work with considerable depth."
"As long as you read into the spiritual essence of The Witcher, you will understand the creator's painstaking efforts."
"Of course, even without delving into these spiritual contents, The Witcher is still a good game. At the very least, you can gain happiness from the gaming experience, can't you?"
"Perhaps some people might not agree, and there are certain issues with the handling of some plot points, but I am willing to call it a [Flawed Masterpiece]."
...
Sob sob sob...
So touching.
When they saw this issue of the magazine, both Aoki Haruhi and Gen Urobuchi were almost moved to tears.
It hasn't been easy; to think a player could actually understand me.
Who could understand this feeling?
"Next time, we must write a good story that is moving without being cliché, and has that kind of spiritual depth," Aoki Haruhi said.
Gen Urobuchi rolled his eyes in his mind.
Idiot.
You're the one saying all this!
In the end, the person being sent razor blades isn't you!
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