We tried playing three independent games from the Bilibili game launch event

This year's new product release conference of bilibili games released 16 games at one go, covering a variety of types and themes, including a typical anime work such as Code: Nightingale, a small hand big party with the theme of secret room escape, and even a live interactive movie game such as Hidden Truth. The final finale of Esu: The Long Night of Dreams is also a surprise for players who like the "pharaonic" Falcom's works. Such quality and quantity have left a deep impression on many players.

The appearance of several Chinese style works at the press conference also gave people a dazzling feeling, such as the martial arts RPG "Dragon and White Bird in the Great Jianghu" that focuses on pixel style and retro gameplay, the sandbox game "Code name: peerless martial arts" in ink style, and the Roguelite game "Warm Snow" that follows the dark storyline.

On the whole, the new games released at this press conference, although without obvious themes, are very diverse, mainly focusing on domestic games, including many independent works, which is somewhat different from the anime impression of past bilibili games.

Recently, at the invitation of Bilibili Games, we tried out three independent games that appeared at this press conference in advance: "Carbonate Crisis", "Warm Snow", and "Dragon and White Bird in the Great Jianghu". After watching the joint press conference, today we will talk about our feelings with everyone.

Carbonate crisis

The first game we tried was a side scrolling platform shooting game called "Carbonate Crisis". The word "carbonation" in the title, as you might think, refers to the joyful water that everyone enjoys - cola.

In the game, the "Cosmic Pirates Coca Cola Gang" wants to monopolize all the Coca Cola resources on Earth. At this time, players step forward and vow to crush their conspiracy and regain control of Coca Cola.

Although this is a side scrolling shooting game, I can feel that the game's map is quite "three-dimensional" while playing. We not only have fast moving hooks and ropes, but also can sprint, double jump, climb, and flash on the wall. Whether it's running maps or fighting, we can fly over the eaves and walls, making it very fast to play.

We used a controller when trying it out, and the game did not use the common double joystick shooting. The direction of movement and aiming were controlled by the left joystick. At first, I didn't quite adapt to this set of operations, but after getting used to it, I found that this method of operation is more suitable for the fast-paced and refreshing theme of the game, allowing players to run and shoot at the same time, and experience the pleasure of completing it in one go. In contrast, dual joystick shooting has higher accuracy, but the operating threshold will also be raised, which may weaken the current sense of rhythm.

There are two levels in "Carbonate Crisis": a clearance level that requires annihilating enemies, and a regular level that requires reaching the bottom of the level. The former will initially prompt the player with the remaining number of enemies on the map. We can use the protagonist's high mobility to engage in highly entertaining battles, while the latter allows us to use various means to bypass enemies, without bloodshed, and quickly reach the bottom of the level.

In terms of weapon selection, Carbonate Crisis adopts a design of primary and secondary weapons paired with props, supplemented by a variety of passive props to provide buffs. The main and auxiliary weapons do not need to be switched, as they operate separately and correspond to different buttons.

During the trial period, the main weapon we encountered the most was the pistol. In addition to the normal shooting mode, it can also charge more powerful bullets. The variety of secondary weapons is more diverse than the main weapon, and there are also melee options besides ranged combat. For example, in the preface, the secondary weapon used by players is a melee weapon, which satisfies players who enjoy hand to hand combat.

Prop matching is something that players need to carefully study. Carbonate Crisis provides a lot of passive props, including those that enhance bullet power and those that can shoot three bullets simultaneously. By combining these props, players can form different combat styles.

is a "one click three combo" that can shoot three bullets simultaneously

But the combination method is not arbitrary. The game is designed with a weight bearing system, and weapons and props have corresponding weights. This requires players to carefully select weapons and props, and combine them to create the most suitable style for themselves. For example, you can simply enhance the power of your weapons, play the fast pass genre with low health and high attack, pile up health points to increase fault tolerance, and even if your hands are slightly disabled, you can still play happily. Of course, you can also develop in a balanced manner, ensuring attack power while appropriately increasing health.

To illustrate from the above picture, my current total weight is 6 squares, with the main weapon pistol occupying 4 squares and not equipped with secondary weapons. I have chosen two items in 1 square to enhance weapon damage and increase maximum health, meeting my current needs while not exceeding the weight limit.

As mentioned earlier, the high mobility of characters and the combination of different props make "Carbonate Crisis" an easy to learn but difficult to master game. Ordinary players can easily play their own combat style with the bonus of weapons and props, while high players can constantly challenge their limits and explore the fastest clearance plan.

During the trial period, the overall difficulty curve of the game gave me a reasonable feeling. As the progress progressed, more types of enemies would appear, and the configuration of enemy units would become more complex. It was not possible to shoot all the way in one way. Sometimes, the level was not due to poor skills, but rather a need to change one's thinking and try different combinations.

Carbonate Crisis has already been released for trial on Steam. Friends who are interested in this type of game can download and experience it.

Warm snow

Warm Snow is a unique Roguelite game with strong visual recognition. Whether in the official trailer or in actual game graphics, you can feel the beauty of this ancient charm.

What impressed me more about "Warm Snow" is actually the worldview it portrays.

Flying snow in July is a rare occurrence, and what's even more strange is that this snow is not only not cold, but also very warm. For a moment, people were curious about what this snow really is. Unexpectedly, if ordinary people accidentally inhale this snow, they will become monsters, and from then on, the world will undergo a great change, plunging into chaos.

At this time, there are rumors that the five major families ruling the world are going against the sky, and the gods have imposed a divine punishment. Some also say that this is not a divine punishment, but a man-made disaster created by the five major families. We will transform into the mysterious hero Bi'an and venture into the territory of the five major families, searching for the secrets behind all of this and saving the people from the midst of fire and water.

Not only this relatively dark story setting, but also the protagonist Bi An seems to carry a lot of secrets. Despite carrying heavy responsibilities and having strong martial arts skills, Bi'an does not communicate with people often, and we cannot obtain too much information from him. We need to piece together the story of the game from the game scene or NPC's words. I think this way of environmental narrative is very interesting.

When it comes to combat, unlike the rich artistic charm and subtle narrative style, I think the combat style of "Warm Snow" is very rough. It is not a game that pursues precise player operation, but rather emphasizes a grand opening and closing, chopping everything up and down. The entire experience can be summarized as "cool".

In addition to close combat, the game's other attack technique, Flying Sword, makes me find it very interesting. There are several flying swords floating behind Bi'an, and when moved at will, the flying swords will greet the enemy. They can not only serve as a starting point for combat, but also as a means to restrain the enemy in chaotic situations.

is a very practical flying sword in combat

After attacking the enemy, flying swords scattered everywhere do not need to be specifically recycled. There are also special buttons that can be recalled with one click, and flying swords will cause damage to the enemy again on the return journey. This feature can be used to develop more combat routines. However, "Retrieving flying swords" has a considerable cooldown time and is usually not suitable as the main output method.

But for players like me who love flying swords, the game has also specially designed a genre that allows players to retrieve flying swords without waiting for cooldown. Correspondingly, this genre will limit the power of flying swords in other aspects. When I experienced it, I found that the attack frequency of flying swords in this genre is lower than that of other genres. How to unleash the power of flying swords still needs to be tried more.

Although combat sounds exciting, it is still a Roguelite game, and death can be said to be a daily routine for most players. As we mentioned earlier, the game does not emphasize precise operations, which makes it easy for players to make mistakes during battles. It is common to expect to be harmless, but end up relying on a set of attacks. Moreover, the small monsters in the game are all gathered in piles, and the battle scenes are often very chaotic. If you don't pay attention to movement, it is easy to be surrounded by enemies, and you can only watch Bi'an die alive.

After death, players will drop weapons, items, and some resources found on the road, but there are no other death penalties, which means that for each round, the strength of the character will not decrease due to multiple deaths. Only the red soul obtained after successfully challenging the boss will not be lost with the player's death, and the red soul can also permanently enhance Bi An's ability. That is to say, if you want to increase the strength of your character, you need to constantly challenge the boss. Harvesting ordinary monsters alone is not enough.

, if you want to fill it all up, it's a big project

In order to motivate players to continue challenging, the game has put a lot of effort into diversity and randomness.

There are a total of six genres in "Warm Snow", and each genre has two styles to choose from. The genres will be continuously unlocked as the progress progresses, ensuring that players have new content to try at different stages. You are using a faction that is mostly melee attacks this time, and next time you may want to try attacking a faction that comes with a burning effect. Only by constantly trying can one explore the most suitable combat style for oneself.

At the beginning of each game, players will have a regular sword, but they can always find divine weapons that are more powerful than ordinary weapons in the game. These divine weapons will randomly come with different special effects, some will add bonuses based on the items on your body, and some will strengthen for a certain genre. Players need to choose the most favorable equipment for the current situation based on the special effects of the divine weapons.

The selection of divine weapon also needs to consider the combination of other items

The quality of the holy items picked up on the road is random, which allows players to have additional abilities, and each holy item will have different effects when equipped in the core, strength, agility, and efficacy fields. For example, when equipped in the core, corresponding active skills can be used, while when equipped in agility, additional effects will be produced on the instant body.

Warm Snow, through its captivating storyline and diverse combat styles, has to some extent reduced the frustration of death in such games. I think this game may become the first Roguelite game for some friends.

The Azure Dragon and White Bird in the Great Jianghu

The last game I tried was a martial arts RPG game called "Dragon and White Bird in the Great Jianghu" (hereinafter referred to as "Great Jianghu"). We will play the role of a novice martial arts student who, by chance, learns unparalleled martial arts skills. During the turbulent Northern Song Dynasty, we embark on our own martial arts adventure.

I think the biggest feature of this game is freedom. At the beginning, the game did not design a clear main storyline for us, but allowed us to freely explore the entire map. Our ultimate goal is to become a peerless master, and how to wander in the martial arts world is entirely up to players to decide. However, because it is too free, when you first encounter this game, you may feel that the mission guidance is not well done?

In my personal experience, let's start with allies who accompany me to explore the world. The game greatly encourages players to find like-minded warriors, and reserves many positions for teammates in the character selection interface.

Since you are a member of the martial arts world, it is not as simple as spending money to find a mercenary. Each teammate has their own set of standards to determine whether to embark on adventures with you. Some people's joining conditions may require special events to trigger, some may see your martial arts skills, while others may see whether you are doing things openly. Exploring the joining conditions of all the heroes is also an interesting thing.

In choosing allies, "The Great Jianghu" also demonstrates a high degree of freedom. In addition to the martial arts experts, we can recruit a big yellow dog to join the team in the early stages of the game. I am already thinking about whether there will be other unexpected characters joining the team in this game.

Brave Dog, Fearless of the Jianghu

Next, if you have friends all over the world, choosing a character to play becomes a difficult task. Not only do we need to consider the enemy's configuration and the strength of our character, but sometimes it can also be influenced by the plot. For example, if you know that a teammate has a grudge against the Beggar's Sect, but when fighting against the Beggar's Sect, you find that this character is obviously not as useful as the other one. Whether to help fulfill his wish or to play for other members of his victorious faction is also a question that players need to consider.

Finally, we can also start with martial arts. Although the protagonist has already learned unparalleled martial arts at the beginning of the game, there are still many powerful martial arts waiting for us to discover in this world, and various martial arts have appeared in the official trailer. However, the combat system may need to be adjusted further. When trying out the game, it was found that fighting can be a bit cumbersome. Not only do you need to choose the appropriate moves and attack targets, but level and move upgrades will directly pop up during battles, which can affect the rhythm and is far less worry free than automatic combat.

Overall, "The Great Jianghu" gives me a very retro feeling, not just the pixel style visual effects, but also the shadows of the previous martial arts RPGs can be seen from various places, including the comical movement of the characters, the freedom to a somewhat bewildering flow, and the vast maps available for exploration. This also makes this game stand out among the many works at this Bilibili game launch.

Although it goes against mainstream games, I believe many friends who have a special fondness for this retro style martial arts RPG can appreciate the charm of this game.

The above is our trial experience of these three independent games. Although the themes and gameplay vary, all three games are trying to express themselves. The themes and gameplay of domestic independent games are gradually becoming more diverse, and game developers are also changing with user preferences, using various ways to integrate current player preferences into the game. This is also my biggest feeling after watching and trying out the new works at the Bilibili game launch event.