Game Director from Hell

Chapter 41: Closed Beta (2)

Familiar screens and faces, but an unfamiliar platform and interface.

That's what new users felt when they first logged into Twitch.

James Han was busy adjusting the unfamiliar interface, wondering if those users understood what he was going through.

"Just a moment, I'm still getting used to it."

He whistled casually, as was typical of James.

However, the viewers were not in a patient mood to wait for him.

『Luka: Hurry up and play the game!』

Someone in the chat said.

And it wasn't just that one person's opinion.

As soon as today's broadcast started, the thousands of people who had rushed in were all feeling the same way.

Well, isn't Hellic 2 hotter in the gaming industry than AAA-rated games these days?

The situation was such that even the ending praised by Aldred Russo was a topic of curiosity to the tip of one's head.

But that's not all.

『Dadbom: Haven't you heard anything about the release from the developer's side?』

Those who had been watching his broadcasts for quite some time knew.

James Han's first broadcast was the Easter egg reveal of Hellic 1, and the fact that he had a personal connection with the director of Hellic.

No, it was Yeonho who initially suggested broadcasting to him.

As a result, viewers were piling up in the chat, hoping for meaningful information to come out.

In addition to his fans, there were fans of Hellic, gaming industry professionals, and even gamers from Korean communities, so the viewer count was already approaching 5,000.

In such heated interest, James finally finished his leisurely setup amidst the chaos.

"Sorry for the delay. As you can see, there were platform migration issues, and besides that, I received the closed beta version."

James shrugged.

"I ended up playing for a whole week."

The chat froze for a moment.

In summary, it was like this:

『Luka: ...You're saying you were late because you were playing a game?』

James snapped his fingers.

"Correct!"

From the viewer's perspective, their frustration was about to explode.

After all, isn't playing the game the main focus of a gaming broadcast? Is this even reasonable?

The chat filled with voices of dissatisfaction.

However, James said, "Wait a minute."

"Why are you guys so upset? Should I start over? Hey, and you, chat in English. It's hard to read Korean."

The chat went quiet as if ghosts had taken over.

Most viewers knew that James was a man of his word, even if he was being shameless.

However, the reason his broadcast didn't fail was one thing.

『DoDorian: If only there was one more guy who plays games like him...』

No one could replace his performance.

James confirmed the quiet chat and then nodded his head, switching the screen.

"Okay, let's go smoothly."

Click—

With the sound, what appeared was a grey sea under a crimson sky, and in the centre, the title.

[Hellic 2: Hell Of Alice]

It was the game's intro screen.

"As promised, I've come to do a live broadcast of gameplay. I roughly know the route, and I've completed the clear strategy. Today's content is a speed run in the new game."

The most perfect training is training that makes you not realize you are being trained.

That was James's philosophy, and it was working today as well.

『Luka: This is it!!!

Dadbom: All the way to the ending, right? Huh? Are you showing us the ending today?

DoDorian: No! It should not be a speed run; you should explain from the beginning slowly!!!』

Cheers and screams erupted simultaneously, and James wore a satisfied smile.

"Great!"

He took pleasure in the fact that he could control others' emotions, a perverted nature that defined the man James Han.

A week of preparation for today, there could be no mistakes.

There was no hesitation in his actions.

"Let's go!"

[START]

The game had begun.

At the top of the screen, a timer started ticking away.

Even the viewers who had been venting their frustration now began to focus on the game as it had started.

There was no moment to lose.

And so, the moment arrived when the first cinematic played, featuring a girl collapsed on the beach.

[SKIP]

Suddenly, the screen transitioned to the in-game view.

『Luka: ...?』

Before anyone could voice their questions, the action began.

Thud!

Alice ran forward without even bothering to check the items she had got.

And thus, the first encounter with a monster.

Bang! Bang! Pwang!

Alice swiftly shot down the black skeleton with her agile movements.

Once again, he didn't waste time checking the items she had acquired and moved on to the next.

『Zessica: ...Hey, wait a moment.』

There was no stopping her.

Alice was running ahead like a butterfly.

Before they knew it, the map had transitioned to Chapter 1.

Just as another cinematic was about to play.

[SKIP]

The screen switched to the in-game view again.

Slowly, the viewers started to feel uneasy.

『Dadbom: Could it be...』

It was as they suspected.

James spoke with a twitching nose.

Even in the midst of it all, one hand deftly manipulated the keyboard.

"A speed run, really?"

Bang! Pababang!

Alice was mowing down waves of enemies with her shotgun.

Viewers couldn't understand, and perhaps they never would, the incredible control James had over the game. But it wasn't just the controls that baffled them.

They found themselves in a situation where they couldn't understand the game's story, the identity of the girl and the butterfly, or the future encounters with the Warden.

This was something none of the people who looked forward to today had ever expected.

But there was no one who could stop it.

The controller was in James's hands.

Pabang!

All they could do was watch James navigate through Chapter 1, which had become longer than the demo version, in a bizarre and unconventional way.

It was just a matter of witnessing the god that had earned a great reputation in the demo version crumble under his grasp, without even bothering to check the items acquired.

So, the viewers were even more heartbroken.

『Kissme: The shotgun looks fun...』

Even though it should have been a situation to be angry about, what welled up was simply envy.

『micetester: The chapter length has increased quite a bit. In the demo version, it was impossible to farm this much currency at this point.』

The closed beta was different from what they had already experienced in the demo version.

They couldn't even use the term "newbie."

It was still a fruit they hadn't been granted permission to pick, making it all the more tantalizing, knowing that someday they would be allowed.

"I'll go faster."

And so, when Chapter 2 arrived and Alice reached the yet-to-be-revealed area, the viewers' despair and thirst deepened immeasurably.

He was as fast as he had claimed.

That's why he had drawn the viewers in so effectively.

The explanation of Chapter 2 through the speech bubbles from the butterfly.

[SKIP]

Even the script written on the objects.

[SKIP]

Even the patterns of monsters and gimmicks of bosses.

[SKIP]

Everything except the specific patterns that had to be shown inevitably was skipped.

Viewers watched in awe as James progressed all the way to Chapter 4, both hands free.

At some point, the atmosphere in the chat changed.

『Luka: Wow, Chapter 4 is no joke, huh?』

Now, none of them were discussing the ending.

They were captivated by the building of the character, the implemented maps, and the excitement from the battles.

It was a magic only James could perform.

It was also a mix of intentions from Yeonho.

"It was fun. The game itself was just enjoyable."

Hellic 2 was solely known for its ending.

Because a gaming industry legend focused only on the ending.

That's why Yeonho had to speak.

There are many remarkable aspects to Hellic 2 besides the ending.

『Dadbom: They mixed art design with artistic techniques. Unique. That's very tasteful.』

When visual stimulation continues, art becomes prominent.

『Kissme: The sound comes in occasionally. Will they release the soundtrack separately?』

In crucial moments, the sound that pops in adds flavour.

『DoDorian: Is this the final build? No, is this a slingshot?』

Providing achievable goals as a player stimulates the sense of challenge.

Such moments continued until the end.

Kugugung—

The human with a sheep's head pulls out a spear that was piercing through its body.

James chuckled.

"This guy is especially tough. After the final boss."

He didn't elaborate further.

He just began facing the enemy with a slingshot.

It was truly a performance art.

No, not just this moment, but the entire broadcast today.

Without any explanations, he concealed as much as possible, uncovering gimmicks that others wouldn't even understand, providing such an ecstatic experience that it couldn't be described in any way other than performance art.

In the midst of it, viewers marvelled once again.

『Khanzing: For polygon like combat, it doesn't make sense.』

Even if he added artistic depth with various techniques, the base was still ploygons.

But it couldn't be without a sense of unfamiliarity. In moments when specific patterns and gimmicks appeared in the battle, the intuitiveness of angles, sound, art, and patterns harmoniously emphasized the immersion, skyrocketing it to an unimaginable level.

James only touched upon that part.

"When directing patterns, I just had to focus on unravelling gimmicks, so it was convenient. The combat difficulty is quite well-balanced."

It was done skilfully.

The moment viewers let his words pass.

Finally, someone noticed a fact.

『Kissme: It's been over three hours since he started playing? We've been skipping like crazy, but?』

In no time, the playtime had exceeded three hours.

What did that mean?

It meant that Hellic 2 had more volume of content than what viewers had in mind.

James replied to that.

"If you play normally, it would take over 10 hours, right? Oh, of course, without dying."

The chat suddenly skyrocketed to a speed that couldn't be read, momentarily paralyzed.

James added with a smile.

"So, about a week. This idea was of showcasing a playthrough of all chapters. That's the reason I am doing this."

The fact that the highly anticipated new release had a large amount of content was good news.

Viewers began to cheer for the meaningful information.

However, the masterpiece that would satisfy them had not yet been revealed.

『micetester: So, when's the cameo appearance?』

Most viewers waiting for Hellic 2 shared this goal.

In a situation where they had already given up on many things, they had learned quite a bit about the advantages of Hellic besides that.

But the cameo appearance was something they couldn't give up on, and many viewers began to sympathize with "micetester's" message.

It's only natural that they would want to know how the protagonist of the previous work which is appearing in the sequel. How it would be involved in the game, especially after showcasing such a shocking visual in the trailer.

However, there was a regrettable thing.

The fact that what they precisely hoped for did not happen.

Chapter 4, the moment when the sheep with human body, the final boss of Hell of Destruction, fell.

Thunk―

The game was over.

『Dadbom: ?

Luka: ???

Kissme: What's going on?

Khanzing: Is it a bug?

micetester: Hey, the game just shut down.』

Everyone thought it was a temporary bug.

They thought it was a common error that could occur in the closed beta version.

But it wasn't.

"It's not a bug. I turned it off."

James said.

"I'll stop here. It's a spoiler beyond this point."

James, who was saying that, was smiling too brightly.

"But when I think about it, yeah, it makes sense. It wouldn't be fun if you knew the ending in advance. This ending can be spoiled if you play it a second time."

He turned on the camcorder screen.

On the full screen, James, who had started to grow a beard, waved his hand.

"I have to play the game again. That's it for today. You all worked hard. Oh, they're about to announce the release date soon. Keep an eye on social media."

Beep―!

The broadcast turned off.

Suddenly, as if throwing the kids who had been lost in a dream back into reality.

As a matter of course, the chat window was filled only with empty cries.

[WaitingforHellic2: You, you [expletive]!!!]

Nickname 'WaitingforHellic2,' real name Kang Seokhoon.

He cried today because he felt so unjust.