I remember that the first time I opened "Firework" was on the most festive night of this holiday. The lively atmosphere in the room was just enough to dispel the excitement on the screen. There was a hint of chill, and the crackling fireworks outside the window stayed with me until midnight. Then, as the children gradually faded away, I lay on the bed with a full heart, almost Satisfied, I secretly vowed to write something worthy of such touching words for this game.
Who would have thought that after much hesitation, more than a week would pass by quietly.
In the past few days, the emotion brought by "Fireworks" gradually turned from the painful cry of a landslide and tsunami into a lingering sob in my mind. What followed was that I The pride of domestically produced games is gradually growing, and the worry of whether it is still too early:
There is no doubt that "Fireworks" is an excellent literary and artistic work from any angle. The nearly perfect game narrative is enough to convince me to stick the crown of "Best Domestic Independent Game of the Year" firmly on the head of that "Moonlight Cockroach (Producer)". Thanks to this guy for letting me see the domestic independent game again. Gamers don't give their foreign counterparts the expressive skills to survive; but there is always a small voice constantly reminding me, as a puzzle horror game, is "Fireworks" too "scientific"? Its perfection is not so much the accumulation of the Ninth Art over the years, but rather the "resurrection" of the game by the still dominant Seventh Art (film and television), so that in the advancement of some wonderful plots, those Simple operations that require me to move my fingers seem extremely cumbersome and redundant.
If such a work is favored by the market, will we have more such eccentric "narrative masterpieces"? Maybe the scene of "a team of narrative masterpieces hitting Steam" sounds as gorgeous and brilliant as fireworks, but this may not be a good thing for domestic games with a weak foundation; and if "Fireworks" is just a clever puppet from Ci Shiying Studio Yes, it is a unique and unique product in this kind of game. Then... I may still feel a little regretful (yes, it's so pretentious), but this regret has nothing to do with the quality of the game, nor does Shiying Studio It is a problem that can be solved by oneself, so instead of adding to the troubles in meaningless laments, it is better to spend some time to regain the unforgettable game experience and share with you this sad tragedy of falling into a prison and turning into rain.
The story of "Fireworks" begins at the beginning of the millennium.
That day, Lin Lizun, a new psychic police officer, received a call about arson. Then he and his partner dutifully went to Qingtan County where the reporter was located late at night to investigate. However, before the investigation could begin, he encountered A series of horrific events that make people go numb, it seems that something is hinting to the male protagonist that there is actually another hidden story behind the recent massacre of the Tian family.
First, the police car broke down for no reason, causing the male protagonist to temporarily leave his partner and face the long darkness ahead alone; then, he was supposed to die The frustrated canteen owner appeared in his store again. She gave the male protagonist a battery and recorded it in his account book; when the male protagonist finally touched the scene mentioned in the alarm paragraph, he found It was not the smoke and fire as imagined, but wreaths, portraits, and a pair of pale paper figures standing on both sides of the huge dark coffin.
Unlike their compatriots in the work of the same name a few years ago, these paper people waiting in the rough 2D world of "Fireworks" have absolutely no They have no intention of harming the male protagonist (instead, they will help in some scenes). They just wear a faint weird smile and let the blood in the corners of their eyes condense into two black masses, adorning each one like decorations. In the game scene. But even if games rarely have cheap but effective Jump Sacare, those fears deep in your and my cultural genes will still unceremoniously trigger our stress response, waking us up when these Chinese horror elements appear on the stage in any way. Trembling flight instinct.
Admittedly, this kind of fear that is closely related to cultural background is not a new technique after the "Paperman" movie many years ago. , but I vaguely remember that when I discovered in the middle and late stages of "Paper Man" that I could make these guys' souls fly away, the trembling uneasiness that I once worried about facing Ma Chen and Brother Yong disappeared with the golden light of the Demonic Pestle. Intangible.
As for the equally well-received sequel to this game, it has obviously better ghost modeling and the ability to slay demons. Although the shotgun may indeed bring the combat experience to a higher level, the price is extremely painful: when the ferocious ghosts and monsters become the prey waiting to be slaughtered in the eyes of the players, perhaps "Paperman II" is filled with Chinese horror. The scene design is still outstanding, but in fact this self-proclaimed horror game has completely failed. When players realize that they can calmly deal with even the most dangerous scenes in the game with increasingly skilled operations, that moment exudes an aura of danger. The scene suggestion becomes a non-threatening bluff, which can only bring a little disgust and discomfort to people at most.
Fortunately, "Fireworks" did not repeat the mistakes of the "Paperman" series (it is also possible that due to limited funds, there is no way to "repeat the same mistakes"), Shiying Studio not only did not let unnecessary action elements destroy Chinese-style horror has the necessary sense of mystery, and uses a story background with a strong local clan atmosphere to add some convincing authenticity to the fear. Although it also fails to solve the universal problem of "terror fatigue", But at least "Fireworks" inherits and completely continues the essence of Chinese horror from "Paperman", which is rare for a small game team like Shiying Studio.
What’s more, in the design of Shiying Studio, those shocking horror symbols are not just simple scaring tools: under the different-colored lights, Under illumination, these dazzling horror symbols often form key points in the scene together with the sound of door openings and phone calls, attracting players to approach and interact, thereby promoting the development of the storyline; in the game, "only see the dialogue, not hear the sound" "In the simple performance, these Chinese horror elements, as symbols that are generally understood and accepted by Chinese players, also play a crucial role in the narrative; in addition, the simplicity of "good and evil will be rewarded in the end" represented by these elements To a certain extent, values ??are the source of tragedy in the story of "Fireworks" and the helpless tone that the entire work tries to get rid of...
And As for whether these lingering horror symbols also hint at some obscure truths in the game... This requires players to enter the game, do it themselves, and dig through the maze of thinking to find a satisfactory answer for themselves.
Open the steam store interface of "Fireworks", and we will be surprised to find that the "Puzzle Solving" label of this game is listed. There is nothing wrong with this from a conceptual point of view, but players who have actually experienced "Fireworks" will almost certainly regard it as a "fraud that harms others and themselves". After all, they want to experience the role in this simple sketch that costs less than 1G. The happy players of Sherlock Holmes will almost certainly come here with joy and leave disappointed. It is reasonable to take some time to write a negative review while being angry - fortunately, among the more than 10,000 reviews of this game, such negative reviews He is only in his early 200s, which can be described as rare.
However, at least in terms of the game look and gameplay of "Fireworks", I think this time the comments of a few people have more reference value. We should not deny that "Fireworks" is by no means a game that can leave a good first impression on people. Its cute character design that is incompatible with the background seems to demonstrate the poor artistic taste of the production team. It is as cheap as a FLASH web game. The UI interface unscrupulously shows how stretched the production team is in terms of funds. If players who have received this warning put their hope in the puzzle-solving and investigation parts of the game, they may only fall into more desperate and angry confusion, unable to tell the difference. It is unclear whether those simple puzzles that are like child's play are being perfunctory by the production team, or are they using exaggerated sympathy to express malicious ridicule of the players' intelligence.
The above slightly exaggerated description can be said to be true, but it is also extremely disrespectful to insist on giving "Fireworks" a negative review based on this. Responsible behavior, because just as the horror elements in this game will not deliberately cause mental harm to the players, the "pediatric basic puzzles" in "Fireworks" not only provide players with something to do, but also bear more responsibilities. The important responsibility of switching between different narrative subjects and connecting chaotic scenes in an orderly manner:
The little game of "tadpole looking for mother" in the dream implicitly shows us the ignorant and delicate life of the little girl Fangfang. While thinking, she was brought back to her seat in the classroom from the memory of going to the city with her family, which also led to her later happy relationship with the instructor, which provided enough rationality for the final answer of the game. ; Similarly, in the puzzle of "Guiding the Boat", the male protagonist Lin Lizun relived the inner journey of Fangfang's mother lamenting the absurd fate of her fate, and freely switched between the perspectives of Fangfang's mother and Fangfang's grandparents, It more three-dimensionally shows the absurdity of the entire ceremony and the helplessness and madness behind it...
Therefore, considering that the puzzle solving in this game is subordinate to the narrative, I think " "Fireworks" should be seen more as an interactive narrative game, or a complex narrative game with multiple lines of interaction as genius as "One Hundred Years of Solitude". It's a pity that although "Moonlight Cockroach" is talented in narrative, I'm afraid Malk It is impossible for Spencer to calmly cram a legendary and bitter collection of family stories into this less than three-hour process.
What's more, the issues Shiying Studio wants to discuss in "Fireworks" are far more "colorful" than family legends: breaking superstition, parental authority, rural bad habits, official protection, trafficking issues, education in remote areas, etc. Wait, any one of them is enough. "Approaching Science" and "Society and Law" have been involved for several months. The complex issues are being staged in the crowded Qingtan County. It is almost inevitable that "Fireworks" will affect many people. The discussion of the problem can only be superficial, and even some concessions have to be made on the basic logic to ensure that the story is established, but it also brings some black humor full of flaws to this depressing work-if nothing else, in There is something wrong no matter how you think about letting a people's policeman who mainly relies on ghosts and gods to detect crimes to educate everyone on how to get rid of feudal superstitions, don't you think?
Although the themes and gameplay are completely different, "Fireworks" is rough but excellent and unique. The temperament still reminded me of the once-popular "Taiwu Painted Scroll" for the first time.
It is a controversial martial arts-themed turn-based strategy game and a cricket-playing house simulator. Speaking of high-end, this ancient charm, rich content, and extremely complex virtual rivers and lakes can satisfy All players' imaginations about the daily life of martial arts will be completely shattered by many curious players' martial arts dreams due to its extremely rough framework, poorly polished operating system, and cheap graphics and UI interface. But despite this, the market, which never lies, still expressed its recognition of this partial genius with millions of sales.
It's just... Now, as another "partial science genius" "Guigu Bahuang" tops the steam sales list, I look back in wonder at the successor of domestic martial arts independent games. But they found that this unruly talent who had been "first to land" for more than three years had lost his former heroic appearance in the public criticism, and seemed to be only one step away from being abandoned by the "boss to make money and run away".
There is nothing to regret. Countless cruel facts tell us that this is probably the fault of the partial geniuses in the game industry, especially the independent game industry. ***With the same fate, the sword's eccentric approach will indeed give the game the possibility of soaring into the sky in unexpected places, but without solid and stable gameplay as a stable structure, it will still be difficult for this beautiful-looking rocket to break through. At the speed of the universe, it will inevitably begin to fall before it touches the stars - in fact, "Taiwu Scroll" has greatly slowed down this process due to its own complexity. Although "Guigu Bahuang" seems to be in the spotlight It's exciting, but the creator of the game has become so low-level that he has to use abnormal character growth that makes players so irritated that they resort to modifiers as a necessary means for normal games to limit the progress of players exploring the game. The signs of its decline have begun to appear.
So, as a "partial genius", does this mean that "Fireworks" with all the points added to the narrative will also be in a paragraph? Over time, the glory has faded, and it has even been written into negative textbooks on independent game development? Of course not.
On the contrary, I think "Fireworks" does a good job of taking into account cultural characteristics and human sentiments in terms of authorial expression. The game theme is profound and complex and in line with simple mainstream values. The playable content is simple, but it is therefore extremely suitable for light players. Friendly, as long as Shiying Studio does not take the initiative to make big news, these gold medal advantages in communication are enough for "Fireworks" to easily break through the barriers of the times and serve as a classic representative of "Chinese Ninth Art" for a long time to come. And it gets newer with time.
But as briefly mentioned above, the perfection of "Fireworks" comes from the wonderful narrative, clever transitions, and profound The theme, good audio-visual expression and ubiquitous symbols and foreshadowing are precisely the weakest relationship with its "playability" - in fact, if their vital role in the advancement of the story is not considered, the performance of "Fireworks" The outstanding playability will undoubtedly be a negative factor in any environment. The great success of such works undoubtedly further emphasizes the incredible tolerance of Chinese players towards "partial geniuses" who lack gameplay. This encourages game creators to put more effort into game narrative
Of course, considering that "Fireworks" is a game with extremely high technical thresholds. With low-end game works, I believe that more conservative game groups will be more inclined to imitate and slightly improve them, thereby bringing a large number of "fireworks LIKE" interactive narrative games to the game market. I believe there may be many excellent products among them. However, this non-mainstream game type is difficult to bring real technology accumulation to the domestic game industry, and it will still do more harm than good in the long run.
< p> At this point in writing, I can’t help but lament that things are unpredictable and things are not what they used to be. Even if it was only around 2017, which was not far away, my views on similar situations should still be completely opposite to this article. After all, Jianzao at that time. Pianfeng's creativity is almost the only magic weapon for domestic independent gamers who go to Steam to survive, gain revenue, and even achieve overtaking in corners, so "Taiwu Painted Scroll", "Chinese Parent", "A Different Way Home", "The Amazing Immortal Cultivation Simulator"...etc. There should be more cost-effective works that are good at "making a big difference"
But it's almost the same. At the same time, "My Time at Portia", which seems to be still lacking some popularity, has begun to be widely advertised, showing off its solid foundation that it is still exploring; a few months later, "Paperman" showed players the exquisite graphics What kind of trembling soul shock will the Chinese horror bring... In this way, countless ancestors searched high and low, until the "Dyson Sphere Project" turned out some time ago, I think I can finally proudly believe in those who choose to go to Steam for various reasons to directly participate. The most fiercely fighting independent gamers have now laid a solid foundation to carry those unconventional games. They have truly begun to thrive in the forest of the world at the "China speed" that refuses to admit defeat, and finally have some hope of growing into towering trees.
From this point of view, "Fireworks" was introduced to everyone in this era, and its position in the history of games is a bit embarrassing. ： There is no doubt that it is an excellent work, and can even be considered the leading work in the era of "more, faster, more economical" domestic independent games; but just like the masterpiece of the previous generation, it is impossible to continue to dominate this generation. As domestic independent games enter a new development era that can easily balance gameplay and authorship, the technical and gameplay flaws of "Fireworks" will become more and more obvious - indeed, in the face of "Fireworks"'s excellent emotional narrative, These flaws are not even worth mentioning, but when we are deeply moved by the story and take the initiative to cheer for this not-so-fun game, we also need to calmly realize that its lack of gameplay is completely unable to carry domestic independent games. An increasingly abundant future.
Therefore, instead of praising "Fireworks" as the "light of domestic games" in the new era, it is better to regard it as a belated classic of the past, unique A niche masterpiece or a tit-for-tat cultural sword - compared to deletion, refund, negative reviews and abuse, I think this is the most effective practical action for gamers, and it is the most effective action against the game that disappeared on the Internet. The most powerful response to horror games.