Game Director from Hell

Chapter 82: Start

The gamepad was tossed with a thud.

Then, on the screen, Harshin wielded a scimitar, cutting through the enemies.

A cinematic played.

“That’s why I love the desert. No need to deal with corpses or anything.”

Saaaah—

The gust of wind carried away the bodies of the enemies.

Harshin adjusted his turban and walked forward again.

And then, the screen went black.

“You’ve reached a save point.”

As soon as the alarm went off, the game was turned off.

It was 7 in the morning, time to get ready for work.

**

“Senior, why do you look so pale again today?” Han Seorim asked.

Did it show?

“I stayed up playing games.”

“…What?”

“I lost track of time, and suddenly it was morning. So, I couldn’t get any sleep.”

“Is it because of Ayoon, Sunbae?”

“What do you mean?”

“Why ask when you already know?”

“…”

Han Seorim’s gaze became sharp.

I had my grievances too.

“I knew it would turn out like this.”

April 2014.

The long-awaited new game from Russo, “Road to Harshin,” was finally released, delayed beyond the expected time. I played it immediately, and the result was staying up all night.

It was fun.

As always, Russo’s games wiped out all calculations in my head, leaving only the result of “fun.”

Analysis always came after the gameplay.

The amazement at the completeness of the game is felt only after it’s finished.

Perfect calculations and a neat packaging method to cover those calculations.

Somewhere in there was the ultimate goal I wanted to reach.

So, staying up all night playing games was an extension of work.

An undeniable fact, Russo’s Road to Harshin was competing with this year’s release of Hellic 3 and GOTY, wasn’t it?

My eyes were sore, but it wasn’t to the point where I couldn’t work. Besides, these days I didn’t have much work that required my direct involvement.

I asked Han Seorim, “But what’s the matter?”

“The final modeling is done. They came to confirm.”

“Already?”

“Not ‘already.’ I’ve been working on the modelling all along. It’s about time to finish, right?”

I see. It could be that the concept of time became blurry while focusing on work.

I nodded and checked the result.

A temple, a throne, war saga, and a golden gate.

The implemented model was indeed flawless.

“Yeah, let’s go with this.”

About half a year left until the planned release.

The schedule flashed through my mind.

Now, slowly…

“Take your supplements.”

“…”

“Quickly.”

I should take the supplements.

Swish—

I opened the drawer and took out the supplements. Only after taking them all in front of Han Seorim could I finally feel liberated.

It was spring.

***

In the afternoon, I received a phone call.

It was from Ayado, a colleague.

“Well, let’s go with that…”

“Yes.”

We concluded our discussion.

Soon after, I began a meeting with Yang Gilsang.

The completion of the game was imminent.

With the implementation finished, all that remained was to combine and modify it into a polished final product.

At this point, the tasks to be done were quite obvious.

“Let’s move on to marketing. Gradually.”

It was time to promote the product.

Yang Gilsang nodded and displayed the screen on the monitor.

It was the roadmap.

“Probably around mid-May, the first round of promotion will start. After that, the remastered version of Hellic 1 will be released in the summer. Following the final promotion, Hellic 3 will be released at the end of October…”

“Hellic 3 is launching then?”

“Yes.”

Thinking of Hellic 1, I suddenly remembered the development team.

I still didn’t quite understand how they managed it, but the two of them, who spent more time sparring than in development, were remarkably fast in their work, regardless of their handling of the situation.

If they were already diving into debugging at this early stage, it spoke volumes.

I took a deep breath.

“Team 2 says they’re going for sparring again today.”

“…The agenda?”

“It’s about the menu for the company dinner.”

“Don’t they just want to spar at this point?”

Yang Gilsang shrugged.

“Do you want to come and watch? Both of them have been improving their skills a lot lately…”

“…Fine.”

Strange office culture had developed.

Were these people planning to become professional boxers?

I even worried they might ask to build a boxing ring in the office at this rate.

I made an effort to shake off the eerie feeling and said, “Let’s prepare for the promotion.”

Regardless of what had happened, it was time to work.

***

In May 2014, an official post appeared on the Rewind’s official SNS account.

It was the news that all Hellic fans had been waiting for.

“Director Cheon Yeonho here. Greetings after a long time.”

As always, it started with a concise greeting.

However, the content was rich in contrast.

There were three pieces of news.

First, the release of the remastered version of Hellic 1.

“Our first game, Hellic 1, which made us who we are today, will be released as a remastered version on July 31st this summer. The versions will be divided into Steam and mobile, with improvements in graphic quality and script insertion…”

Second, the release date for Hellic 3.

“We have confirmed the release date as October 29th. For more details…”

Finally, a video to intensify the anticipation.

“This is a pre-play video. (30-minute introduction and gameplay video) Thank you. Please look forward to this year as well.”

The announcement was immediately translated and exported to communities worldwide.

The response was enthusiastic.

“(Chat) WaitingforHellic 3: It’s out, it’s out, it’s out!!!

(Chat) ZZoneHanSoo: Wow, a Hellic 1 remaster too?

(Chat) EungAeYooIp: Is Hellic 1 fun? I’ve only played 2.

(Chat) LordBangBaeDongPi: What’s with the pre-play video? Why did they make the characters like that?

(Chat) ClearWithoutT: Oh… What are those monsters…?

(Chat) MilitaryPoliceInspector: Why hasn’t the game been released even though I’ve completed my military service?”

From the gamers’ perspective, the news came at just the right time.

It seems that after E3 in June, where games like Last of Us, GTA 5, and the recently released Road to Harshin were featured, there’s now news of a new game that could alleviate boredom among gamers. Among them, the highly praised game Hellic 3 has been a topic of discussion.

Hellic has become a major IP since the success of Hellic 2, and it has gained a strong presence in the gaming industry. The focus of attention for users who have played the previous instalment was generally on the “new systems.”

While the world and narrative are essential points for the Hellic series, nothing has been revealed so far, leaving little to discuss. Naturally, the interest shifted towards the part and customization systems.

The first main system discussed was the “parts” system:

(Analysis) LordBangbaedong: The parts system looks interesting. Watching the pre-play videos, it seems like the body parts determine the build direction, and the other parts adjust the stats. Personally, I want to try a build that summons ghost horses. Can you get that early on?

Comment: S2 Poppy S2: It didn’t appear in the E3 demo, so it’s likely to come out after Chapter 3, I guess.

T Bright: James Han had a parrying-specialized build. I think I’ll go for that.

WaitingforHellic3: There was a Berserker build with an axe, and that looked good.

Next was the discussion about customization:

(Analysis) Zzone Hansu: Adding parts aesthetics is a good idea. I can’t play the game unless my character is female…

Comment:

Flower Jae-hee Angdu-lips: Female parts seem to be mostly obtained from monsters.

Zzone Hansu: True love.

Flower Jae-hee Angdu-lips:?

WaitingforHellic3: Female vibes.

Zzone Hansu: Gay.

The conversation continued for a while, but ultimately, it’s a game that still has half a year before release. The information released has only fuelled the anticipation without satisfying the thirst for details.

However, there was one fortunate thing for them. At least there was something that would quench their thirst for new information, and that was a game that would come out just before the release of Hellic 3.

(Information) S2 Poppy S2: I found information about Hellic 1 Remaster. As mentioned in the announcement, upscaling and script insertion are the main features. It seems to enhance the prisoner narrative of Hellic 1! Regarding purchases, if you previously bought Hellic 1 on Steam, you’ll get the updated version for free! In that case, the smartphone version will also follow the original Hellic 1 price! Another point I found while investigating is that there’s a different director for the remaster! It seems that a new development team has been established within Rewind! As a fan, I think it’s good news! We can expect to see more games from Rewind in the future, and if not, there might be a new game title from Rewind!

Comment: WaitingforHellic3: Oh, they hired a different director…

Gunfil-Ker Geomsa: I hope they create a new title too.

T Bright: One of the new directors used to make dating sims.

Zzone Hansu: Oh?

LordBangbaedong: Oh, that’s good news.

Sweet Blue Elf 42: Truly, it’s good news. ^^

The Hellic 1 Remaster is scheduled for release in the summer, and there’s information suggesting the establishment of a new development team within Rewind. The reactions were divided into two groups: those hoping the new team would function well, and those who were interested in Hellic 1 itself.

For the former group, the situation was unique. Normally, players wouldn’t be interested in the internal affairs of the development studio, but in this case, it was a different story. Given the long development cycles in the gaming industry, having an interested company expanding its team might mean a reduction in release gaps.

The latter group expressed their thoughts:

(Question) Eungae Youip: Is Hellic 1 fun? Someone answer.

Comment: T Bright: Buy it and try it. lol

This was from the group of new users who haven’t experienced Hellic 1 yet. At least for them, Hellic 1 was an interesting topic.

Fast forward to July 31st.

Starting from the end of spring, the news came, and the past two months went by like a flash. The Hellic 1 Remaster has been released, on Steam and mobile.

***

It’s a trite saying, but the mobile version of an existing game rarely generates significant excitement. However, if it’s the mobile version of a package with a purchase price, that makes it even more difficult. There were no miraculous sales for Hellic 1 Remastered version.

Playing a smartphone game by purchasing it involves a psychological barrier regardless of the price. So, did the mobile version of Hellic 1 fail? If you ask about that, there was a definite answer.

“Junsoo, what are you doing alone during lunchtime?”

“Oh, I was playing a game. It’s fun.”

At a company’s lunchtime, on the rooftop smoking area, a man called Junsoo showed his smartphone to a colleague. The game being played there was the mobile version of Hellic 1.

“I’ve never seen this game before. What’s the name?”

Portability itself had an inherent advantage in accessibility. Even if someone wasn’t interested in games, if there was someone nearby playing Helic, it caught their eye at least once.

So, what mattered was neatly arranged pixel graphics and simple controls. In other words, it was the first impression. The mobile version of Hellic 1 particularly paid attention to these aspects, and it was having an effect.

“I’ve never heard of this game. Is it fun?”

“It’s good for clearing your mind. It has just the right amount of tension and is easy enough.”

Junsoo smiled and recommended it.

“Give it a try. For 5,000 won, you can clear the first stage in about twenty hours.”

“You pay for games?”

“Well, the price of cigarettes is going up next year, right? From next year, a pack of cigarettes will cost more.”

With Junsoo’s logic, the colleague, who was pondering over cigarettes, looked sadly at the cigarette.

After saying that, it wasn’t really a burdensome price. You only needed to buy the game once.

‘They say smokers should just die.’

The colleague, who was feeling sad, looked at Junsoo tapping on his smartphone with curiosity.

And so, the purpose of Hellic 1 Mobile was achieved. The influx of external users attracted by accessibility, and that was a success.

The colleague asked casually, “Where can I download that?”

“If you go to the app store, it’s right there in the rankings. It was around 9th or 10th place now.”

“Wow, it seems popular.”

That day, the colleague went home, played the mobile version, and thought that he found a game that suited his taste, collecting relevant information.

Then he discovered something.

“Oh? There’s a sequel to this.”

This wasn’t just a short story; it meant there was more to the game.

The release of Hellic 3 was only three months away. The name of Helllic was spreading gradually and steadily.”