C57: Banter & spread!

[POV's]

In the broadcasting area of The Shark TV. When I first heard about "Escape," it was from a few people who knew about Neon Game's new game.

However, after I started live-streaming it, I noticed that the effect of the stream wasn't bad at all. The viewership and popularity increased, hitting new peaks, and the chat room started buzzing like bees at home when the game was on.

Because of this, streamers, including me, were kidnapped into live broadcasting this game. After all, for us, this is better than nothing, and "Escape" turned out to be the perfect sheep to butcher. He-He, I am coming, what horror, it's a doodle for me.

Naively, tune in to any stream, and you'll hear heart-wrenching screams like mine.

( ´థ _ ‥థ｀)

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'I can't play it anymore, I can't play anymore! My closet is moving ༎ຶ ‿v༎ຶ !'

'No! Dad, I was wrong, please let me go!'

'Why is this fat guy still chasing me, and how do I even get out of this sewer!'

'A fuse in the women's hospital? Pitch black? My flashlight's out of battery! Who knows the way? Help me!'

'Where's the gun?! Why aren't there any guns?! I need a gun. This game calls for violence! It is all for our sanity.'

'I swear, it's a Chihuahua! This guy in the wheelchair scared me to death! He doesn't move when I come close, but when I turn around, he's coming for me like his long-lost wife!'

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In the live streams of every major commentator, including mine, when we're playing "Escape," the screams are beyond miserable and embarrassing. No, we are not embarrassed, we have certified thick skin.

Any screenshot would be pure gold. Perfect for a new trending meme and emojis.

At the same time, all this buzz has also made players who watched the streams but hadn't played "Escape" pretty interested in the game.

Just like those forum users before me in the previous chapters, we all had the same thought: Is this game really that scary?

When I entered the game and tried it out for myself, I suddenly became Spartan.

This game is scarier than I thought.

If it's said that something like opening the door and getting killed is just a sudden shock, something that I would get used to after a while, then maybe it would have been better.

But in Escape, it's not just that.

Visual horror, frightening horror, and psychological horror are perfectly combined.

Frightening terror is a feature shared by both Eastern and Western horror elements, the so-called jump scare—like when you open a door and suddenly face death scare.

Visual horror, which is generally dominated by Western-style horror themes, involves disturbing imagery—like grotesque scenes.

In Escape, the scene where a soldier is impaled by a steel pipe right at the beginning, or where fingers are cut off, are classic examples of visual horror.

As for psychological horror, it's mostly rooted in Eastern-style horror, the horror of the unknown, making me question my perception of reality.

For example, in the basement, female ward, and sewers, enemies are chasing me while the entire area is pitch dark, and I can only light it up using the camera. It's a brilliant psychological horror design.

The game Escape blends these three types of horror elements very well.

Moreover, the character I play—a reporter—can only escape, not fight back.

This severely weakens my sense of security.

God, the desperation I feel when my camera runs out of battery while being chased by monsters is terrifying!

For a while, I was completely absorbed in the dark atmosphere of this mental hospital.

As I streamed, more and more players began recommending Escape as "friendly and helpful."

I even told my fans and viewers that their Holy mission is to spread the light of Escape. Our secret motto is Misery should be shared.

Its popularity and the number of comments were exploding day by day.

Initially, it was discussed only in horror game forums.

But later, Escape gained massive traction across major gaming communities.

Players couldn't stop talking about it.

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"Damn, I'm breaking up with my friends! This is more than a bit of horror—it's terrifying!"

"I'm embarrassed to admit it, but after all the hype, I couldn't even bring myself to enter the gates of a Mental Hospital after I bought the game!"

"Don't worry, you're not the only one who didn't enter the gates!"

"Haha, same here. I wandered around the entrance and then closed the game to watch streams instead."

"Is it as bad as you all say? I think this game is pretty easy!" player_1 replied

"It's just too scary! I already cleared it!" Troll_1 replied

"To the two guys above me, could you please unlink your official platform certification? One of you played for 7 minutes and the other for 5 minutes—how did you clear the game that fast?!" Supernova mocked

"Because it was their dying wish before they passed," player_1 wrote

"Because it was their dying wish before they passed," Troll_1 wrote

"Nani! (╬⓪益⓪) " Supernova posted

"Hehe, I bought the game and didn't ask for a refund. Plus, after watching the video and the live broadcast, I understand the plot. Doesn't that mean I've cleared the game?" Troll_1 wrote it clearly

"What the hell, I'm speechless at what you just said!" Supernova replied

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To be fair, the gameplay itself is too short. So, let me briefly walk you through the process for future players. First, I open the game, then enter the yard and go through the dog hole by the left door.

From there, I get inside by climbing through the shelf and the window into the mental hospital. Finally, I close the game and head over to a video website to search for live commentary of "Escape."

As more players like me discussed the game, the popularity of "Escape" started to rise quickly.

Sales took off too.

More and more people who had never heard of "Escape" became curious about it.

Of course, most players were scared out of their minds.

Quite a few even asked for refunds.

But, many of us bought it and didn't refund it.

We support the game company in our way.

There's a huge player base now.

So, despite everything, "Escape" still managed to pull off impressive sales.

But around this time, someone started stirring up discussion on the major game community forums.

It all began with something Chen Xu said during an interview when he won the first prize in last year's science competition.

[After all, I've always been a warrior of love.]

This sentence exploded in the "Escape" player group.

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"What the heck, how did Chen Xu even dare say that?"

"I never expected that after finishing a game like 'To the Moon,' Chen Xu would bring us something like 'Escape.'"

"A warrior of love? How can you call this being a warrior of love?"

"By the way, Chen Xu, you made such a terrifying game, do you even dare to play it yourself?"

"Yeah, where's the love in 'Escape'? It's nowhere to be found!"

Countless players began booing Chen Xu on his official blog.

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The contrast was too absurd.

One turn he's claiming to be a warrior of love, and the next turn he makes "Escape," a game that can scare people out of their minds.

No love at all!

But even with all the teasing, most of us were having fun joking around.

What none of us expected was~ His reply.