The game has started, there are absolutely no bugs this time

Chapter 190

Another unique feature of this work is that the personalities of Gojo and Ryoumen are revealed through a large amount of dialogue.

When hearing that Gojo really likes the "Girl Ramen" designed based on a real-life restaurant, Ryomen said, "I really don't understand the ramen these days" and "I'm sure I won't be able to finish it" (laughs).

Although these lines are irrelevant to the main storyline of the game, they naturally enhance the character's personality. Most importantly, the voices of both sides are so beautiful!

I know that some of the dubbing in Youxuan games is human voice dubbing, but there are also many, especially those plots where the Dragon King doesn't want others to know and secretly inserts easter eggs by himself, and the voices are all dubbed by AI.

It’s not that it’s bad. In fact, if you didn’t tell me, I would have no idea that it was all made by the Dragon King using AI.

But I know this is technology, and it feels different.

I still think the vocals are better.

I think the advantage of voice actors may be the biggest advantage of Japanese games.

(Japanese gaming community: Yeah, right, we all win by doing nothing. Technical skills can’t win. Voice actors are the MVPs.)

Another point is that as a Japanese player, there will definitely be unique fun, because the stage of Gojo and Ryoumen's adventure is built in modern Tokyo.

Although Modern Liao Zhai has various mods and collaboration activities, the main body takes place in China. That part is certainly well done, but for us, it is a foreign land.

The sense of immersion is completely different from Tokyo. This is a stealth game that is more suitable for the physique of Japanese people, and people have a stronger sense of immersion than those from other countries.

At the beginning of the game, the player's main explorable area is concentrated around Shibuya Station, but players can unlock more explorable areas by purifying the "Torii" and clearing the fog.

It should be noted that players are completely unable to forcibly explore areas shrouded in fog, and will continue to suffer damage if they enter before the torii is purified.

There are many landmark buildings in the game's Shibuya Station intersection that have prototypes in reality, and players can even enter Shibuya Station, which serves as the mission stage.

The game's map isn't a replica of the real Shibuya, but rather has been adapted to enhance the game's appeal. Famous landmarks from across Tokyo have been incorporated into the game's "small garden," creating a unique "Tokyo" feel.

For example, walking north from Shibuya Station for a short distance, you can reach an area that seems to be based on the real Yanaka Ginza in Taito Ward. For another example, the Tokyo Tower in the game actually appears not far from the center of Shibuya.

Although this game does not faithfully restore Shibuya, any player who has been to Shibuya will definitely associate the various scenes in the game with the real Shibuya, and exclaim, "Oh, there is indeed a convenience store there" or "That's the police box, right?"

I have some familiarity with the layout of the area around Shibuya, so it was natural for me to connect the game with reality while playing.

Therefore, I think those familiar with Tokyo might find this game more enjoyable. In other words, the atmosphere and imagery of the real-life setting are well-reflected in this game. However, I also feel a little disappointed because if I were more familiar with Tokyo, I would definitely have more fun...

There aren't many buildings you can actually enter in the game, but there are a number of interior spaces you can explore, which serve as the stages for main and side quests. The underground passages at Shibuya Station are also accessible, and their unique feature is that they're designed as a large maze.

But then again, every time I go to the real Shibuya station, I always encounter construction or find that some new road has been built. Isn't it like a maze?

In addition, the game's small-sized garden-style map has a very wide range of exploration, and high spaces such as open roofs further expand the scope of exploration.

While being restricted to walking might sound a bit inconvenient, fast travel made it a lot less of a pain. Not only can players climb the stairs, but they can also use spiritual energy lines to hook onto Tengu monsters and instantly soar to the rooftops—a convenient and refreshing experience. However… the cacophony of the Tengu circling overhead, flapping their wings and barking, is incredibly loud. I understand this is a design change for easier identification, but I still hope the development team can tone it down a bit in future updates.

Incidentally, the buildings in this game are incredibly realistic, and since it's a stealth game, those with acrophobia should be extremely careful when climbing onto rooftops. Falling from a rooftop won't cause any harm, so you can leap from quite high places. Some areas are even accessible only by jumping from above, and I often experienced an incredible feeling in this free-falling experience.

Speaking of bean-dipping, Gojo will use "magic" to unleash supernatural power to defeat "visitors." There are three types of ethereal combat skills: wind, available from the start, and fire and water, which are gradually unlocked during the early storylines.

The attributes here don't mean "a certain attribute is particularly effective against a certain enemy," but rather different attack methods. In addition, each attribute attack comes with a different hand movement, which is quite cool.

Normal attacks are convenient for rapid-fire bursts, but they're less powerful. Charged attacks have varying effects depending on their attributes. To use a firearm in a shooting game as an analogy, a wind-attribute weapon would be a standard pistol, a fire-attribute weapon would be a bazooka with its ranged attack advantages, and a water-attribute weapon would be a shotgun with powerful, close-range impact.

The crosshairs in this game are designed to be large, and there is a powerful auxiliary aiming function, so it is easy to hit the enemy. However, when facing the fast-moving aliens, it is not so easy to hit the target every time.

While sustained damage output can knock down enemies, it doesn't kill them. Players still need to use the finishing move, "Spirit Core Grab," to finish them off. As an enemy is repeatedly attacked, holes open in their bodies, revealing the crucial "Spirit Core." Successfully grabbing this core can instantly finish off the enemy. Players can not only grab cores from a distance, but also from multiple enemies simultaneously.

The process of seizing a Soul Core is incredibly exhilarating, and the action is thrilling, making it a must-do. Besides instantly killing enemies, seizing a Soul Core also grants various rewards, making it the foundation of the game's combat system. Furthermore, Gojo can also learn the skill of seizing Soul Cores at close range, further expanding the player's tactical options.

The game also offers players a variety of secondary weapons, including the bow, a ranged weapon, and a variety of auxiliary effects, such as amulets. Players can even stealthily place amulets on their enemies' backs to activate the stealth skill "Swift Exorcism" to carry out assassinations without being detected.

The action system isn't overly complex, allowing players to enjoy straightforward, easy-to-understand combat. However, this simplicity can also make combat seem a bit monotonous. Personally, I'd love to see more attack attributes and more impressive attack effects.

The variety of Visitors is quite impressive, and the methods for defeating them are quite varied. The number of Visitors that appear during combat increases as the game progresses, forcing players to plan their actions carefully.

I feel like the game's difficulty depends more on the enemy's movements and numbers than the player's attack strategy. I believe this is a result of balancing adjustments based on the principle of "designing combat that is accessible to the majority of players." However, there are only a few battles that are forced, and in most cases, it's fine to just ignore the enemies and move forward.

The game's most captivating aspect is collecting exploration elements scattered across the vast expanse of Tokyo. The entire exploration process is so engaging that I often find myself lost in it, forgetting to progress through the story. And as I mentioned earlier, you can even hear conversations between Gojo and Ryoumian while exploring! Below, I'll briefly introduce some of these exploration elements.

First, I have to explain the "clairvoyance" mechanic. Once activated, the route to the main quest or other destinations will be highlighted, and surrounding items, objects, and enemies will also be marked. This greatly facilitates players' exploration of the complex streets of Tokyo.

Clairvoyance has many uses, such as using it during events to follow footprints and find lingering thoughts.

Players can sometimes see floating "Ethereal Crystals" formed from various objects like motorcycles and mailboxes on the streets. Destroying these "Ethereal Crystals" can help Gojo recover the spiritual energy needed to activate his "Ethereal" combat skills. In other words, "Ethereal Crystals" act like ammunition resupply.

Occasionally, you'll see floating pots or lucky cats. Destroying them will yield the game's currency, "Hell Money." Incidentally, these ethereal crystals, which grant money, often appear in coin-operated parking lots. The reason for this is explained in detail on both sides. Furthermore, "Ethereal Crystals" aren't collectible and regenerate upon destruction, so feel free to destroy them to replenish your spiritual power.

The residents who disappeared during the Great Disappearance Incident have become floating spirits. If these spirits or the "spirit boxes" containing them are left unattended, they will be taken away by the visitors. Gojo will rescue the wandering souls of the disappeared by constantly recovering the spirits during the exploration process.

Therefore, spirit recovery is arguably the most important element of collecting. When collecting floating spirits, players need to use "form tokens" to absorb them. Form tokens can be purchased in the store, and the number of form tokens a player carries directly affects the number of spirits they can absorb.

By using the form in a modified telephone booth, the spirits in the form can be transported to areas outside Shibuya, where they can be resurrected by Ed, the two-faced assistant.

This system will give a large amount of experience points and ghost money as rewards based on the number of spirits recovered by the player, and is also linked to the improvement of the five synchronization levels. Therefore, players can regard spirit recovery as a simple development system.

(End of this chapter)