Chapter 27: The Howling Wind and Rain that Never Cease

Translator: Daoist6fubtiW

At a glance, the games of this era are filled with equipment, in-game purchases, and skins.

Games like “This Is My War” are mostly played by people for the first time.

Closing the computer, Brother Yin felt a hollow emptiness in his heart. He stared at a corner of the room, his head feeling as if it had been struck by a heavy hammer.

He had played many games, and war games were no challenge for him. Other war games usually had you defend your country by eliminating enemies with various powerful weapons. Those games rewarded you with an array of powerful weapons, where enemies were mere data points – like ants, respawnable upon death, and killing them carried no remorse.

But here, the only thing you could do was die meaninglessly like a dog.

In this game, you could choose to help other survivors, but those survivors weren’t necessarily good people.

You could also choose to kill them and loot their resources. The only restraint on you was your own morality.

This game could be considered the simplest in terms of mechanics. Yet, very few players managed to complete it.

“You’ve been playing the game for a while now, so why not leave a review for this game?”

As the player exited the game, an automatic system message popped up.

Seeing this message, everyone found it rather glaring.

Is the game really that easy? Yes, very easy. The gap between this game and action games is truly immense.

It’s just that, when making choices in the game, that mouse cursor feels especially heavy.

The game’s download count is quite high, surpassing Song Shan’s expectations. However, the completion rate of the game is quite low.

“You know how low the rating for this game has dropped this time?” Sitting across from Ye Feng, Song Shan’s eyes were filled with complexity. The atmosphere in the studio had been depressing during this period.

Song Shan remembered during the game’s development, all the employees had bloodshot eyes. Every time he looked at Ye Feng, he could see the deep resentment in their eyes.

“How low?” Ye Feng raised an eyebrow, looking at Song Shan. In his previous life, this game had been taken down for a while due to cultural censorship issues. It had to be re-submitted for review because of its content, and that indicated the seriousness of the issues the game had raised.

It bared players’ souls stark naked.

The game was divided into two modes: day and night. During the day, players could build shelters, cook food, and create tools. At night, they could scavenge or explore other areas in the midst of the war.

Interaction between people changed in the game due to the war, and dealing with others carried a sense of wariness.

You always had to be careful. Others might take advantage of your wealth and harm you.

Most importantly, the game equipped players with weapons: crowbars, axes, knives, firearms and ammunition that could be acquired. It embedded potential moral choices within.

It gave you the power to harm others, but all violent acts were avoidable.

After violent actions, your characters would feel remorse, self-reproach, and regret…

If a character died due to your choices in the game, the game would continue, but that character would be gone forever.

The game didn’t allow save-scumming; just like in real life, there were no second chances.

“If you’ve played the game for a long time, come rate the game!” A message popped up automatically as the player exited the game.

Seeing this content, everyone felt it was extremely glaring. Was the game simple?

Very simple, the difference from action games was too great.

Only, when making choices in the game, the mouse cursor felt particularly heavy.

The game’s download count was high, exceeding Song Shan’s expectations. Yet, the completion rate was low.

“Do you know how low the game’s score is?” Song Shan, sitting across from Ye Feng, had a complex look. During this period, the studio’s atmosphere was heavily suppressed.

Song Shan remembered that when making the game, everyone’s eyes were bloodshot. Every time he looked at Ye Feng, his eyes were filled with resentment.

“How low is it?” Ye Feng raised his eyebrows and looked at Song Shan. In his previous life, this game was taken off the shelves for a while, supposedly due to issues with cultural censorship. The game had to be submitted for review again because of content problems, which suggested the gravity of the issues the game had touched upon.

It laid bare the innermost corners of players’ hearts.

The game was divided into daytime and nighttime modes. During the day, players could build shelters, cook food, and create tools. At night, they could scavenge or explore other areas in the midst of war.

Interactions among people changed due to the war, and living with others became different, more guarded.

You had to be cautious at all times. Others might become greedy and attack you.

Most importantly, the game provided players with weapons: crowbars, axes, knives, firearms, and ammunition that could be obtained. These items could be used to hurt others.

Yet, this was buried in the possibility of moral choices.

The game bestowed upon you the ability to harm others, yet every violent act was avoidable.

After committing violence, your characters would feel sorrow, remorse, and penitence…

If a character died because of your choices in the game, the game would continue, but that character was gone forever.

The game didn’t allow save-scumming; just like in reality, there were no do-overs.

“Only 2.3 points. The game’s score has been dropping consistently and it might soon fall to the platform’s lowest score.” Song Shan’s eyes were complex. The game’s download count was high, yet its score was low.

Moreover, this was the first game he’d seen that didn’t deter players due to low ratings.

Ye Feng calmly opened his phone, looking at the comments below the game.

Among all the comments, he only saw one that said “super difficult,” which was posted by a player named Tuanzi.

“This is the most challenging game I’ve ever played. I couldn’t even reach the ending before winter arrived and everyone had already died. But some still claim I reached the best ending.

The game constantly tests your kind heart while also inflicting pain upon you.

There are some things in the game that can’t be avoided. A day of inaction can lead to not surviving in the war.

You guys play it, I’m just too inexperienced, I can’t handle it.”

System: Acquired Super Difficulty Rating (1/1000)

The other players continued to vehemently select “Very Simple.” If before they were doing it to mock the designer, now it was to release their pent-up anger.

“Before playing the game, I heard about the forbidden zone in the game. After finishing the game, I still remember one scene: an elderly couple in the quiet house. I also understand why it’s called a quiet house. Before the players arrived, it was peaceful and warm; after the players left, it became deathly silent.

Peeking through the door, they sat by the fireplace, reminiscing, their demeanor warm, like a haven in hell.

The door couldn’t stop me, and the two elderly folks couldn’t either. There were ample materials and plenty of food and medicine in their house.

Indeed, a quiet house!

The old man asked me, ‘Are you going to kill us?’

I remained silent, just looking here and there.

The old man grew scared and said, ‘Please, spare my wife.’

I didn’t take anything.

The old man followed me, continuously saying, ‘Please, I beg you…’

I walked back to the door and closed it.

That night was the only time I returned home empty-handed.

Perhaps I gained something, who knows.”

“If a real war happened, I wouldn’t know how to build beds, radios, water purifiers. I wouldn’t understand how to create bandages, produce alcohol, make weapons…

I wouldn’t just take a knife and start looting soldiers and terrorists.

I wouldn’t know where is safe, where is dangerous, where there’s plenty of resources, where there’s little, where there are hidden spots…

I wouldn’t know the constant sound of gunfire, the howling wind and rain that never cease. I wouldn’t know that a good night’s sleep is so hard to come by.

I wouldn’t know what I could make from the materials on hand. I wouldn’t know that even with careful calculations, it would get harder.

I wouldn’t know that a simple winter day could kill you, that snipers might target you at night.”

“When I played the game, I constantly told myself, consoled myself: this is war, I’m forced to do this, I don’t want to kill. But when my companions died one by one, I finally felt the agony of being robbed of life.”

“This is the best game I’ve ever played, also the worst game I’ve ever played.”

“I think Katya wants a drink, but I’ve lost my companions, and I don’t even have any alcohol.”

“This game made me see myself.”