Started as a comics editor

Chapter 237 is amazing!!!
anyway.

Avalon's new game has certainly stirred up some waves.

Whether it's "Yun", "Hearthstone", or "Fantasy Journey to the West".

However, the extent of this upheaval remains to be seen.

but.

The day of the announcement is not far off.

time flies.

Soon... it was May 15th.

North America.

evening.

Damian pushed open the apartment door weakly once again, the sound echoing in the empty corridor.

He blankly turned on the light, then went to the refrigerator, where only one can of beer remained.

Damian took it out, but didn't open it immediately, as if he had no strength left to even pull the ring—the argument about the review of "Eternal Warrior" today had exhausted his last bit of energy.

And finally.

Unfortunately.

He couldn't change anything.

That shit review.

He still has to write it.

Damian stood there blankly for a while, holding his beer, before sighing, walking to the table, putting the beer aside, mechanically turning on his computer, and opening the review articles he had written over the past two days.

The mouse cursor kept blinking, as if mocking his compromise.

"Nine points..."

He chuckled self-deprecatingly, then his fingers finally tapped the keyboard, displaying the game score.

But just then, a push notification popped up from the bottom right corner of the screen—a recommendation from the GP Play Store.

The Monument Valley game in your collection has been unlocked.

I saw this push notification.

Damian paused for a moment, then immediately remembered the game he had forgotten about these past few days because he was busy—a very special game based on the screenshots and promotional videos.

"..."

He stared at the news feed, hesitated for less than five seconds, and then moved the mouse cursor.

Before writing this garbage.

Let's have a good meal first.

That's not unreasonable, is it?

With this in mind, Damian clicked on the notification, then clicked to buy the game on the details page. The notification sound of successful payment echoed crisply in the empty apartment.

soon.

The game is downloaded.

Damian installed the game on his phone, then took the unopened beer and went back to the sofa.

He lay back on the sofa, the faint light from his phone screen illuminating his tired face.

"I hope you won't disappoint me, or I'll break down."

Damian muttered to himself as he started the game.

The game's startup screen slowly unfolds.

Then, the sound of whistling wind began.

Damian saw the game screen.

In complete darkness, a building composed of geometric shapes.

It seems rather illogical, with a wall on one side and emptiness on the other.

At the same time, the game displayed a prompt, instructing him to control the movement of the main character on the screen.

"The good news is that at least it's not a promotional video scam."

Damian managed to pull himself together after seeing this.

Although still half-dead, it stretched out its other hand and, following the game's instructions, pressed the gear to rotate the road.

Amidst the howling wind, the sound of musical instruments suddenly rang out.

Then, the road was moved sideways, with one end connecting to a seemingly suspended position, thus forming a complete passageway.

Damian paused for a moment, then controlled the protagonist to follow the path that appeared and begin to walk up the stairs.

rustling --

Amidst the howling wind.

The rustling sound of the protagonist's footsteps was particularly noticeable.

soon.

Damian then guided the protagonist to the platform above the stairs.

Is this level really that easy?

He just uttered that exclamation.

suddenly.

The game camera slowly pans upwards...

The howling wind was suppressed...

As the protagonist in the game looks up.

The ethereal and melodious music seemed to touch the soul.

The screen slowly pans upwards.

Towering geometric peaks emerge in the twilight, and the game's name appears—Monument Valley.

Very beautiful.

The scene is simple, yet it is breathtakingly beautiful.

Quiet and understated, simple yet elegant.

The combination of sound and image delivers a powerful emotional impact... This is the awe-inspiring power of the 'Ninth Art'!

Damian was stunned when he saw this, and then felt a jolt of electricity run down his spine.

He couldn't help but sit up straight, no longer slumped on the sofa.

At the same time, deep down, I couldn't help but exclaim "Wow!"

This game feels... pretty amazing.

As he pondered this, he began the second challenge.

The second level is called the Garden, and the first thing that plays is still that ethereal and melodious music.

Damian held his phone, looking at the clean game interface, and his mindset quietly changed. He began to experience the game from the purest player's perspective.

The game controls are very simple.

He only needs to perform very simple operations on the mechanism.

But with simple operation, the road is completely transformed... When platforms that originally seemed unconnectable are connected together, overcoming visual height limitations.

He eventually guided the protagonist to their destination.

Damian suddenly had the illusion that he was operating an intricately crafted toy.

It was fun...and very interesting.

Gradually.

He held the phone in both hands, bringing it closer and closer to his face.

He rotates valves and drags sliders in the scene, causing the block-like platforms to move or rise.

He witnessed firsthand the visual deception that defied the laws of physics, connecting paths that were in other locations to impossible ones, as if he had personally created an infinitely looping Möbius strip.

He experienced the game's unique visual style and artistic design, turning the impossible into the possible.

And in this process.

Damian discovered that mobile games... could be this exquisite!

It can also express such a unique artistic atmosphere!
Yes.

art.

Damian's finger slid lightly across the screen as he watched Princess Ida step onto that impossible path.

His breathing unconsciously softened, and his whole body relaxed.

The third level.

When Ada is seen conversing with some being, buildings rise from the ground in the darkness.

Fragmented narratives have also been incorporated.

This makes the game's atmosphere even more unique, both beautiful and lonely.

Just as Damian was enjoying this atmosphere, thinking it would continue like this,

The fourth level, 'Water Palace', features a slightly different style, injecting a refreshing feel into the game.

The dark brown buildings contrast beautifully with the emerald green water.

The pink spires and mechanisms, along with the crows in the background, bring the whole scene to life.

The game's color scheme is neither dull nor glaring. The color choices vary greatly between different levels, yet they do not feel disjointed. Instead, they subtly reveal a wonderful unified style while highlighting the unique character of each level.

As Damian played, he gradually became engrossed in the game and progressed through the levels.

He gazed at the game's beautiful visuals and enjoyed the diverse and unique music.

Then he went on to solve the ingenious puzzle that amazed him.

in the game.

Ida walked through the valley of monuments.

Damian also walked through the game, passing through level after level, and experiencing the many shocks brought by the game's ingenious ideas.

A certain moment.

He even suddenly recalled his childhood afternoons by the lake, watching the shimmering water and then picking up stones to throw them farther and farther each time—the joy of that time was pure and untainted by any commercial considerations.

Just like this moment.

Yes.

Games are so much fun!

...I almost forgot.

Time passes slowly.

Damian finally... reached the final challenge.

It took some time.

But he still managed to pass the level.

At the end, the protagonist stands on a platform, and all the black crows gather around him. Light descends from the sky, and the crows become colorful.

The protagonist opens his arms to receive the crown, and he too transforms into a white raven.

Then, leading his people, he spread his wings and took flight, swirling in the air, flying higher and higher... The scene then pans upwards again.

At the start of the game, the towering geometric peaks reappear.

At the same time, the game's name appeared—Monument Valley.

this moment.

See this scene.

Damian had only one thought left in his mind.

This is a game that only a genius could design!
What a nice view!

At the same time, it's also good for healing!
It felt like I had completed a spiritual journey.

“Jesus…”

Damian's eyes welled up slightly as he watched Ida transform into a white raven and fly into the distance on the screen. He subconsciously reached for the beer, only to find that the can remained unopened after all that time.

You can imagine how focused he was on playing.

The light from the phone screen gradually dimmed.

But in Damian's eyes, a long-lost radiance was reflected.

He picked up the beer, pulled the tab sharply, and the sound of the beer opening was particularly crisp in the silence.

"Gu dong gu dong."

Damian took a big gulp of beer; the cold liquid slid down his throat, but it couldn't extinguish the fire that had reignited in his chest.

He slammed down his beer, then glanced at his phone again, looking at the last scrolling credits, and suddenly laughed, like a teenager playing a game for the first time.

then.

He suddenly felt a strong urge to learn more about this game! To find out more about the company behind it!

So he picked up his phone. Even though he hadn't slept all night, it was very late, and his eyes were bloodshot, he still came to the computer once again.

just.

As soon as he sat down at the computer, he saw the insincere review he had written.

On the phone screen, the ending scene of "Monument Valley" still emitted a soft glow.

The text on the computer document, on the other hand, is like a silent accusation.

Damian was stunned.

Then the smile on his face vanished instantly.

He was silent.

After a long time.

It was as if they had made up their minds.

"Went to his!"

He suddenly muttered a curse under his breath, then abruptly pressed the delete button, completely erasing that insincere review!

Then! He typed a new title on top of the blank document—

[Monument Valley Review: When Games Return to Their Essence!]

"This is the kind of game I wanted to write when I first entered the industry!"

Damian muttered to himself, his fingers flying across the keyboard: "To hell with business partnerships!!!! To hell with the editor-in-chief!!! To hell with advertorials!!!"

"I'm resigning tomorrow!"

"I'm going to write a review that's worthy of this game!!!"

He cursed, but his face was full of excitement, and his eyes shone with a dazzling light.

Outside the window, the morning light of dawn was quietly climbing onto the horizon in the east.

A new day has quietly arrived.

……

at the same time.

domestic.

eight pm.

Guan Lihui also finished his day's work and returned home exhausted.

then.

I just got home.

He did nothing and immediately sat down in front of the computer.

Today is also the day of the Hearthstone test.

The test was opened at noon.

Guan Lihui just had to work during the day, so he really couldn't play.

I could only keep it in mind, patiently handle the work, and wait for the end of the workday.

I've finally made it to the end of the workday.

Guan Lihui couldn't wait any longer.

So as soon as he got back, he immediately sat down in front of the computer! Ready to start playing!
After all, online card battle games are extremely rare!

"How good is this rare card battle game?"

Guan Lihui stared at the game update progress bar, eager to get started.

If you're talking about doubts, then there definitely are some.

After all, the game's promotional page was a bit too exaggerated, with claims of nine classes and five hundred cards.

So many cards, so many classes.

How well is the balance achieved? Are most of the cards as interesting as they were shown in the live stream?
Will the actual gameplay differ from the live stream demo?

For example, the balance is terrible; the most fun part is in the live stream.

These are all points of concern for Guan Lihui, a TCG enthusiast.

Although many of these points disappeared after he qualified for the test.

But there are still some.

Ding-dong-

At this time.

The game update is complete.

Guan Lihui came to his senses.

He didn't play on his phone, since the game also has a PC version.

It's more convenient.

But none of that matters now.

Guan Lihui stared intently at the Hearthstone login screen, his eyes gleaming. He eagerly entered his ANF account, logged into the game, and then entered the test code.

Find a seat by the fireplace and make yourself at home!

soon.

Accompanied by the hotel owner's enthusiastic voice.

The game starts.

"Let me test the quality of this game!"

Guan Lihui rubbed his hands together and immediately clicked to start a battle.

The tutorial begins.

He was very familiar with this part.

After all, it was demonstrated live.

Surprisingly, playing it in person is quite different from watching the live stream!
Guan Lihui controlled Jaina, following the prompts step by step to complete the beginner's guide.

"Fireball! A direct hit to the face!"

He clicked on the card, then dragged the guide line to point at the enemy hero. The moment he released the mouse, a fireball appeared and blasted towards the enemy hero's portrait, followed by cheers at the game's conclusion.

Guan Lihui's eyes suddenly lit up.

This is a feeling I've never experienced before when playing TCGs!
That's the magic of video games!
Although it's just a simple card battle, Hearthstone's sound effects, animations, and interactive details are exceptionally well done, especially the special effects and lines when cards are summoned, each card is full of personality.

In terms of sensory stimulation alone, it's definitely much more engaging than physical cards!
This is something that is difficult to appreciate just by looking at it.

You can only truly understand it after actually playing it.

really not bad!
Guan Lihui finished the beginner's guide while sighing with admiration.

Then, I couldn't wait to enter the battle mode.

After all, the essence of this kind of game is fighting against other people, and the fun of fighting against others is endless!

The system notified him that he had unlocked the basic cards and could begin building his own deck.

"Nine professions... let's try the mage first!"

Guan Lihui opened the card collection interface, and stared at the dazzling array of cards, his eyes widening: "Hiss... they really designed five hundred cards, right?"

As he sighed, he began to build his own deck.

Just this one step.

It took him a long time.

And finally.

He also found that he couldn't understand it for the time being...

Because it's too complicated.

Given that it was his first time playing, some confusion was to be expected.

and so.

He chose to use the deck recommended by the system and play a few games first!
Yes.

Tang Yao probably guessed that too many cards would confuse players, so she set up several recommended decks.

The deck that Guan Lihui chose was the famous Freeze Mage.

He glanced at the deck composition and then clicked to start the battle.

Quickly! Match successful!
The battle begins!
then……

It's past eleven o'clock in the evening.

After another settlement, the word "Victory" appeared on the screen.

"Yes!! Patron Warrior is the perfect deck!!! It's amazing!!! This game!!! It's awesome!!!!"

Guan Lihui was so excited when he saw the victory screen that he almost jumped up.

Yes.

He has already played many of the recommended decks.

There are many sets.

And of all of them, his favorite is this slave war set!
This deck is powerful and balanced, but it also requires a lot of thought; every mistake could lead to the loss of the entire match.

This feeling is so exciting!
As for the actual gameplay experience... to be honest! It really exceeded Guan Lihui's expectations!!!
marvelous!!!!!
(End of this chapter)