Game Director from Hell

Chapter 28: Demo Release

It all began on a dark beach.

A gloomy landscape where crimson skies, black sandy shores, and gray seas blended together.

Shoaaah―

The sound of waves washed over through the headset.

Seokhoon's gaze was drawn towards the girl in the centre.

"Oh, she's the protagonist."

The girl from the cover illustration.

A sudden feeling of awkwardness came over him.

From his perspective of not yet knowing about Hellic 2, the girl with a completely different appearance from the previous protagonist was enough to make him feel unfamiliar.

Seokhoon let out a thoughtful "Hmm."

It was different from what he had expected at the beginning.

But that feeling soon vanished.

"No, it's too early to judge."

Isn't gameplay more important than visuals in a game?

It was a moment of thought.

"Hello."

With the appearance of Navi, the script came to the screen.

Seokhoon!

Seokhoon rapidly pressed the space bar to skip the script.

He wasn't particularly interested in the story as a gamer, and with a limited playtime of 30 minutes, he didn't have the luxury to read all of this.

The conversation passed by quickly.

However, a few keywords definitely stuck in Seokhoon's mind.

"Hell, escape, guidance."

That was part of Yeonho's intention, which Seokhoon didn't know.

Whether through script placement, font changes, or skip speed, it was designed to make sure that even someone passing through the story quickly could understand the basic flow.

As a result, even without realizing it, Seokhoon understood the game's setting.

And so it began.

Finally, controlling Alice, Seokhoon burst into laughter in less than a minute.

"Ah! It's the equipment evolution tree from Hellic 1!"

The screen turned Gray when he pressed the shortcut key.

Then, a mind map-style equipment evolution route appeared around the floating butterfly.

It was a "welcome element."

It meant that the fatigue of understanding the game had decreased because it had inherited the equipment evolution tree from the previous game.

Moreover, it wasn't exactly the same as the previous game.

"A new ranged tree has been added!"

There was a ranged build using a crossbow in the main build!

A clear differentiation from the previous game, which had only melee weapons!

From that moment on, Seokhoon began to feel interested and excited about the game.

"How do you unlock the locked builds? Oh, the information is hidden! Right, I won't know what that question mark is until I unlock it, right?"

One of the most important elements in game development was "indicating direction."

It was about quickly presenting interesting elements to the player before they felt bored after starting the game.

This time, too, the intention was clear.

Seokhoon wasn't someone who analysed games.

All his thought processes were based on the perspective of a dedicated gamer, so he followed Yeonho's intentions without any filters.

The first choice.

Which of the four weapon trees to unlock: Dagger, Bludgeon, Elixir, Crossbow.

Seokhoon, who remembered Helic 1, thought without much consideration.

"For the first round, it's the dagger. The other weapons..."

"Do it on the next round."

Tap!

The butterfly transformed into a dagger and appeared in Alice's hand.

With that simple action, Seokhoon understood the role of the butterfly in this game.

"It serves as a weapon and a guide. Okay, let's follow along."

And so, Seokhoon controlled the girl and ventured through the beach.

He experienced farming various key items and battles with enemies.

His knowledge about the feel of impacts and control directions began to accumulate.

It was at that moment.

"That's a fragment of the soul! Give it to me!"

A speech bubble appeared above the butterfly's head.

Seokhoon immediately realized, "Oh! It's the currency needed for equipment growth!"

Familiar elements led to quick comprehension.

In terms of the growth system, Hellic 2 clearly inherited the system from the previous game.

"Let's see..."

A box marked with a gray question mark sparkled in front of the dagger.

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When Seokhoon, unlocked it, a longer machete appeared than the dagger.

"Oh!"

His first achievement.

However, his joy was short-lived.

It was only then that Seokhoon realized one thing that set Hellic 2 apart from the previous game.

"Quick slots?"

In Helic 2, you could seamlessly mix and use four unlocked weapons through quick slots numbered 1 to 4. This was a surprising change even for Seokhoon.

"With this, the combinations become more diverse, right?"

That was his sense of anticipation.

As an experienced player from the previous instalment, Seokhoon instantly thought of various ways to utilize the quick slots.

From combining daggers with a single route to strategically unlocking multiple routes to deal with enemies through combinations.

"Oh, why is it only 30 minutes?"

It was a moment of frustration as he felt the time was too short to explore the combinations thoroughly.

Impatience set in.

Following his feelings, Seokhoon's Alice ventured through the forest on the beach, heading into a cave.

Shortly after, a calm orchestral bass played as the background changed.

"This place is 'Hell of Heretics.'"

A bewilderingly beautiful flower garden.

A white temple.

And...

"...God?"

There stood an alien giant.

It captivated Seokhoon.

Seeing the giant, Seokhoon immediately thought of "God."

The combination of this landscape, the word "Hell of Heretics," and that giant clearly pointed towards a certain direction.

Suddenly, he felt a sense of eeriness and grandeur.

"Exploring the atmosphere here..."

With those contemplative thoughts, he continued to play.

The gameplay that followed was like this.

Seokhoon had to recognize the presence of the "God" looking down from a corner as he navigated through the map.

It was like the buzzing of a mosquito in your ear when you lay down on a summer night, both irritating and unsettling at the same time.

An unsettling presence that made itself known without doing anything, generating discomfort.

The moment when this feeling intensified had arrived.

Fifteen minutes of playtime passed.

Kugung, kugung, kugung!

Simultaneously with the ground shaking, a red circular disc appeared on the floor.

The gamer's intuition spoke.

"Dodge it."

After narrowly avoiding the disc...

Jjaeaeeaeaeang!

"Waah!"

Accompanied by the sound of shattering glass, the fist of a sudden deity descended.

Seokhun's body tensed up.

His pupils dilated.

After swallowing his astonishment and confusion, recognition followed.

"Oh!"

It was like a Cancer Giant!

It was the boss of the chapter to be faced when entering the boss room!

Papababam!

The orchestral melody in his ears became more ethereal. The music, reminiscent of a hymn, was mixed with sharp sounds, intensifying the tension and quickening Seokhoon's heart rate.

A faint smile appeared on Seokhoon's lips.

Another indication of a different direction.

How to deal with that "God" using the already known "weapon evolution route."

Seokhoon's thoughts were already heading towards the end of the chapter.

However, one regrettable fact was that Seokhoon didn't have much time left.

"It's God's trial! Let's fight it!"

Twenty-seven minutes had passed.

When he reached the boss room, there were only three minutes left in the demo.

What Seokhoon confirmed were two things.

"The boss's size has shrunk to that of a person. The circular disc is just one of the boss's patterns."

That was the end.

Seokhoon reluctantly returned to the game's main menu.

"Ah, this is driving me crazy. Seriously..."

He wanted to do more.

If he could, he would have grabbed this computer and run away with it.

There were still so many things he hadn't tried, so many things he wanted to do.

Even though it was only 30 minutes, Hellic 2 had presented numerous directions.

With all those thoughts swirling in his head, he got up from his seat.

That was the moment.

"How was the game?"

Startled, Seokhoon turned his head.

Standing there was a man much taller than himself, with a somewhat rugged and weapon-like appearance.

"Uh..."

"Ah, I'm the director of Hellic, Yeonho Cheon."

He extended his hand for a handshake.

Seokhoon was taken aback.

"Wow, this guy is the director?"

Then is "Seorim Seorim" a staff member? Maybe that blonde booth girl? She does look a bit like her in person.

Momentary unfamiliarity and surprise were quickly followed by delight and curiosity.

Awkwardly, Seokhoon shook his hand and began to speak.

Once he started, words flowed out like a flood.

Seokhoon had genuinely enjoyed playing Hellic, the previous installment, and he had come all the way to Seoul to play this one.

It was a somewhat haphazard conversation.

But one thing was clear: the other person seemed to be pleased with his words.

Seokhun's commentary became even longer, and at the end, he burst out with questions.

"When will this be released? Oh, by any chance, are there any Easter eggs in this one too?"

The director's eyes widened slightly.

Oops, did I overdo it with my excitement?

As soon as he had that thought, the director chuckled.

"The demo version you just played will be available for free on Steam in early December. As for Easter eggs... let's say 'no comment.'"

A satisfied smile crept onto Seokhoon's lips.

Early December.

It was a demo version, but it wasn't too far off.

"Th-thank you!"

"No, thank you. I'll do my best to meet your expectations. Please take care."

Seokhoon bid his farewell and walked away.

At that moment, once again, a silver-coated giant entered Seokhoon's field of vision.

"Did you... come to play the game?"

The giant was holding onto another passer-by.

"Aha!"

That giant was cosplaying as a god!

Understanding belatedly, Seokhoon smiled and quickly turned on his phone's camera.

Click!

The image captured the person who had come to the booth with a fascinated expression and the silver-coated giant next to him.

Seokhoon turned around and left immediately.

"I need to write a review on the community quickly!"

His visit to G-STAR had ended on a highly satisfying note.

***

Jo Ayoon is incredible.

For some reason, she's an amazing salesperson.

"Did you... come to play the game?"

Jo Ayoon asks people passing by with a cheerful laugh.

When she does, people turn their heads as if they've been possessed by a ghost and enter the booth.

It's more successful than initially expected.

The booth has formed a short waiting line, and the impressions of customers who have played are very positive.

"This should be good enough."

Enough to anticipate the success of the demo version.

Fists clenched.

That was the moment.

"...Senior, senior."

Kim Hyeji poked my waist.

Wondering what was going on, I looked, and Kim Hyeji pointed to Han Seorim with her chin.

"Um..."

Han Seorim's expression, standing quietly while being overshadowed by Jo Ayoon's presence, was quite hostile.

It felt like a wounded beast, glaring and with a hostile atmosphere.

Maybe that's why there are no people around.

"Senior, please go and talk to her or something!"

Kim Hyeji's voice was trembling.

It definitely seemed like she might explode if I left her alone like that.

After gathering my thoughts for a moment, I cautiously approached and asked.

"...Is it very tough?"

Han Seorim's response came after three seconds of silence.

"Sunbae."

"Yeah?"

"What am I even doing here?"

"..."

"I'm supposed to be doing something."

"..."

"But it doesn't seem like I'm needed that much."

"..."

Han Seorim's gaze turned towards me.

It was a piercing, intense stare.

Chilling to the bone.

"How long do I have to keep doing this?"

In that moment, there it was.

A moment when survival instincts drive you to find an answer before your thoughts do.

"...Shall we switch?"

Thunk!

Han Seorim's wig was placed on my head.

"I'll take a break, so just stay here."

"Okay."

And so, Han Seorim left.

It was right after that.

Click!

The sound of a shutter echoed in my ears.

***

That evening, a G-STAR review post appeared on the community.

**(Review) Waiting for Helic 2: G-STAR Experience with Hellic 2. (Booth Photos)

(Silver-coated giant photo)

To cut to the chase, I'm very satisfied!

The booth was right next to Space Craft, so it was easy to find!

If you go nearby, the person cosplaying as a silver-coated giant will guide you inside.

At first, I was puzzled about what that cosplay was, but after trying the game, I figured it out, haha!

It was really fresh and fun.

·

·

···Now, let's talk about the game, which was really fun.

At first, I felt a bit disappointed because it seemed so different from the previous installment, but within a minute, I realized it was just a misconception.

They've deepened the previous weapon evolution system, and the fact that it's so easy to understand without the need for studying is the most praiseworthy point.

Great combat controls, fast-paced action, and there's a story too, but you can understand it even if you don't read the dialogues (though I'm the type who doesn't really read the story, so I'm not very interested in it yet. I just understand the world better, maybe?)

The only downside: The demo time is extremely short.

Just by looking at it, I feel like I could spend several hours delving into it, but since the demo time is short, I feel like I'm going crazy.

The fortunate thing is that I heard the demo version will be released in early December.

I'm eagerly waiting for that.

That's it for the review; now for some chit-chat.

P.S. There was a booth girl cosplaying as the protagonist, not just the silver-coated giant. She's really beautiful, seems like she might be one of the developers.**

Seokhoon's post quickly received a flood of likes and made its way to the main page.

It was the result of a few dedicated Hellic fans in the community.

**<Comments>

┕BangbaedongLord: It was fun, I went there today too.

┕PureWithoutT: What's with that silver-coated monster, lol?

┕SweetBlueMan38: It seems like there are more advanced elements than the previous game. Looking forward to it. ^^

┕GoppiKuSwordsmaster: I'm going tomorrow!!! Tomorrow!!! Ah!!! I'm excited!!!

┕ZJohnHanSu: If the demo version comes out, I should try it. I'm in Gangwon Province, so G-STAR is too far away...**

Some users who had already attended G-STAR that day, users planning to go, and most users who were already favourably disposed toward Hellic expressed their blatant anticipation for Hellic 2.

In this community, specifically, discussions about Hellic 2 became as prominent a topic as discussions about "Space Craft 2."

Furthermore, where there is much discussion, there are bound to be incidents.

**(Small Talk)FlowerJaehuiCherryLips: Hellic 2, I'm waiting...

I also went to G-STAR today, but...

(Photo of Yeonho wearing a golden wig while working as a host)

Is this a beauty...?

Maybe...?

<Comments>

┕Helic2Waiting: N-No, it's not like that!

┕BangbaedongLord: Pervert

┕TWithoutClearSky: Homo

┕S2PobiS2: ... ^^**

The community was filled with innuendos and provocation.

The weak wouldn't survive.

Anyway, that's that.

"Seorim Seorim! Take a look here for a moment!"

Using the community's buzz as fuel, the second day of Hellic 2's debut was busier than the first.

The demo version was coming soon.