Does it have to be this simple and profound?
The pigeon only rested for a dozen minutes before diligently opening "Out-of-Body Simulator".
Streaming VR games is quite tiring. Before manufacturers developed assistive devices, streamers had to keep their necks still for long periods of time and move their heads as smoothly as possible to provide viewers with a relatively stable viewing experience.
Otherwise, the screen will keep shaking.
With the helper, the pressure of this stalemate will be less, but for streamers, it is still much more tiring than streaming other games.
Out-of-Body Simulator.
The first thing that appears is a black screen, followed by the logo of Zhixing Games, a Z-shaped image resembling an hourglass with flowing sand slowly passing by.
It's much more advanced than the "Corporate Slave Way" at the time, which was just a pattern on a wooden board.
It also features the already familiar logo of the Southern Games Studio.
Then I was taken to the game's splash screen.
I have to say that the art style and the exquisiteness of the visuals completely surpass the cute, chibi style of "The Town Mayor"—I'm just talking about my personal aesthetic.
The splash screen has the feel of a AAA game, produced by a major company; it's very well made.
Whether it's the UI (interface interaction buttons) layout or the overall feel, it all gives people the conviction that "this game is expensive."
Pigeon got excited and slapped his thigh: "See what I said? I told you that Zhixing Games is definitely a future boutique game company. Everyone should invest as soon as possible!"
"Let's not play this game for now. When I bought it, I found that the only label for this game was 'emulator,' and the game description didn't say anything about what kind of game it was."
"Would you all like to guess what kind of game it is?"
The pigeon kept everyone in suspense, but actually he wasn't quite sure himself. When he saw the game's name, he probably thought of one or two related games...
But it was only on the edge.
The main reason is that "Out-of-Body Simulator" is really... well, unheard of and unseen before.
[Back to edit the text: The name always sounds a bit like fantasy, could it be about cultivating immortality?]
[I hate Xiuwen: Judging from Zhixing Games' art style, this might be a work simulator. I ask you all, who doesn't want their soul to leave their body while at work?]
While watching the comments, Pigeon read aloud some of the netizens' brilliant remarks: "I agree. If it were really a work simulator, it would actually fit Zhixing's art style quite well."
Once the atmosphere had warmed up enough, we prepared to officially start the game.
"Oh, right, there's one more thing. Let me show you this little device. It's supposed to enhance the gaming experience; it's worn around your neck."
Pigeon showed off the game equipment accessories sent by Zhixing Games. This thing was very novel; it was the first time she had seen it in the VR equipment area.
"I'm not entirely sure what its specific function is, but we can put it on first."
The game appears to start automatically upon entering, without any buttons being pressed.
The pigeon looked around and realized that it seemed to be locked up in a place with bare walls, or perhaps that was an exaggeration.
Whose house is only the size of a toilet? There's no house at all, just four dark walls.
There's a cushion on the floor where the game character was just sitting.
Apart from that, there was nothing else worth glancing at.
There were no beginner's guides either... Players are left to figure things out on their own from the start. Pigeon is accepting of the lack of a tutorial, so let's figure it out ourselves.
Would a true hardcore gamer stop playing games over something so trivial?
No, it's mainly because the big spenders are paying more.
She fumbled around for a long time trying to figure out the controls, but could only manage small movements of the camera. It seemed the room was too small; there wasn't even a way to walk around it.
I seriously doubt how I, as a player, could see clearly in such a dark world with no light at all, where there are only four walls.
[Finally almost a thousand words: Pigeon, can we open our minds a bit? Did you encounter a bug as soon as you entered, causing you to be stuck here unable to move?]
The pigeon suddenly realized and immediately said, "Actually, I also considered that it might be a bug. I'm just exploring this bug here to see if it can be used later in the game..."
Exploiting bugs, which pro player doesn't know how to do that?
—Even though it's obvious they didn't realize they were caught in a bug, they still spent so much time trying to fix it.
However, the bug incident made the viewers in the live stream lose some of their goodwill towards "Out-of-Body Simulator". What kind of game would send players into a bug as soon as they enter the game?
How could the development team not have noticed and fixed such an outrageous bug?
This shows the production team's lack of effort.
I was just praising how well it was made, but it turns out it's just wrapped in a skin?
The pigeon logged out and logged back in, but it was still dark...
She exited again, and even restarted her VR device... but it was still black.
We can't keep using bugs.
Pigeon:?
Then he slapped his forehead and suddenly realized, "Could this be an escape room? The reason I can't see anything and can't move is probably because I'm tied up."
In Out-of-Body Simulator, players cannot see their own bodies; they can only see and touch the world around them.
So the pigeon began trying to trigger the surrounding mechanisms, touching every inch of the wall.
Instead of showing her any sympathy, the viewers in the live stream were even attacking her, bringing up some well-known old jokes from the TV series "Empresses in the Palace".
[1300! : Pigeon Princess: "Do you know? There are 326 bricks in my cell. But I've touched each and every one of them countless times. Thirty-one of them already have tiny cracks, otherwise how would I have survived this long night?"]
A chorus of "hahahahahahahaha" drifted by.
The pigeon pretended not to see it, and after she finished touching the wall, she started touching the floor.
In a limited space, it takes a lot of patience to feel every inch of it.
Pigeons are the stubborn type who like to get to the bottom of things, even if they're a bit indecisive. The more they don't understand something, the more they want to figure it out. The more they can't beat something, the more they want to beat it.
At first, the viewers in the live stream were somewhat interested in her high-level gameplay and nonsensical analysis, which she was spouting off at thin air.
Later on, it was basically the viewers chatting while the streamer was suffering.
[Why is there still 1500 left? Speaking of which, I only just remembered the name of this game now. Is it possible that it really is just a prison simulator? Just with a rather unusual name?]
[Let's make this up a bit more: Hahahaha, you were hilarious! You've gotten some enlightenment here in Longchang, haven't you?]
[Remember to leave a comment: I've played so many career simulators, but this is the first time I've seen one where you go to jail and eat prison food. Zhixing, you're amazing!]
[Look at the kids' pre-orders: Going to work is like being in jail! This is the real-life work simulator! Zhixing, you're really something, I'm devastated. I suggest all the bosses in the world play this game and lock them up for seventeen or eighteen years!]
The pigeon was deflated and sat down, wanting to rest for a while.
As soon as she sat down, the whole world went completely dark. Wearing VR glasses, she felt like she was blind.
Pigeon:?
Today was the day she typed the most question marks in any game she'd ever played.
Just as I was wondering if I had triggered some kind of mechanism and was about to stand up and explore a bit more, I realized that I really couldn't move at all.
Not only has he gone blind, but he's now in a vegetative state.
The viewers in the live stream were also drawn back to the completely black screen.
"My assessment is that it's rare to see pigeons that are usually so lively and energetic, but so well-behaved."
"Zhixing, keep up the good work next time."
Because the screen was completely black, the pigeon couldn't see what the comments were saying. After struggling in vain, she helplessly lay down and let herself be mocked.
Because their vision is deprived, all they see is darkness, whether their eyes are open or closed.
Therefore, the sensations of other senses become more vivid.
The pigeons faintly heard a sound, like the sound of wind rustling the leaves of some plant.
She instinctively felt that this was the first clue the game had shown her, so she immediately perked up her ears to analyze it carefully.
What kind of leaves will they be?
The pigeon frantically analyzed in its mind, then recalled how it used to cool off on the threshing floor at night when it was a child.
Occasionally, a breeze will blow.
Interspersed among them were the chirping of one or two insects, none of which were known.
The wild grass rustled in the wind.
Back then, children's joy was extremely simple. It might be catching an ugly bug and spending some happy time with it, or having a cool watermelon to eat that night.
Pigeon's grandparents were still alive at that time.
They would throw watermelons into the well during the day to soak them. The well water was drawn from underground, so it had a cool temperature that was completely different from the hot world.
The watermelon also tastes icy cold.
The wild grass was still rustling in the wind.
The pigeon was so engrossed in its memories that it didn't really feel the passage of time.
Two minutes had passed during the explanation in the live stream.
The anchor sat quietly, and the screen was completely black.
"Dude? You fell asleep after broadcasting?"
"There's sound, you're not asleep. If you're not wearing headphones, put them on and turn the volume up a bit so you can hear it."
"Yes, yes, it sounds like some kind of natural white noise. It's pretty well made, and it's probably a key prop for escape rooms. I think we should go all out with the pigeons."
The music design for Out-of-Body Simulator benefited from the extensive technical experience of Southern Games Studio in rhythm games and music.
The sound effects and background music seemed to be creating a unique spiritual space. The pigeon's breathing gradually slowed down as she followed the wild grasses that grew rapidly in the wind, continuing her search for clues.
When the pigeon opened her eyes again, the scene was no longer completely black; she could see the dim world again.
At this point, it seems that the character can now stand up.
The pigeon experimented, and the moment she stood up, she saw—on the solid wall that she had touched and understood, a window had appeared facing outwards.
The view from the window is the emotion she felt throughout her many years of gaming experience, not as a game character, nor as a player, but as "me".
The entire live stream room fell silent the moment the window was opened.
"Holy crap? They were hiding it really well."
(Anxious) (Pacing back and forth) How am I supposed to survive these seven days without this being exposed...?
Out-of-Body Simulator is indeed a bizarre game, not at all like a game, and as usual, there will be various interpretations later.
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