"Damn! Is the story really this explosive? I always thought he would eventually fall into darkness, but I never expected him to directly kill his own father!?"
"It feels like they've connected all the previous animated CGs together into one continuous sequence. Isn't this basically an entire animated movie!?"
"Although the quality is ridiculously high, if you haven't played through the game story in order, won't you still be confused? After all, the timeline spans such a long period."
"The prince who symbolizes justice is being dragged into the abyss step by step. That's awesome!"
"Was that what Frostmourne said? I thought that was Alsace's father's voice!"
"I also thought that was his father speaking. I thought he was telling him to stay calm and remain far away from the throne, because the throne had nothing to do with him. That was what ultimately pushed Arthas into killing him. After all, there have been plenty of similar examples throughout ancient history."
"Bro. Even if you didn't react immediately, the voiceovers are obviously different! Can't you tell them apart?"
The chats in Louis's stream room began flooding the screen at an astonishing speed. From everything revealed in the current "Warcraft" campaign, it was already obvious that this was a world with an enormous and incredibly intricate worldview.
However, what the players had seen so far was merely the tip of the iceberg. At the moment, if someone hadn't experienced the entire "Warcraft" story, there were still many things they couldn't completely understand.
For example, who exactly was the mysterious person that Thrall had been pursuing at the beginning? And who was the mysterious figure who had appeared in the palace and secretly warned the king? What exactly was the relationship between all these characters?
The players didn't have the answers yet.
The current campaign had mainly focused on the gradual fall of Arthas, while simultaneously using scattered side stories to introduce the enormous world of "Warcraft" to players. But even with only this small portion of the story revealed, the quality was already enough to make countless players excited. This was something that no traditional RTS game had ever accomplished before.
Louis clicked to enter the next chapter. Although "Warcraft" was technically an RTS game, he genuinely couldn't feel even the slightest bit of pressure while playing it. He controlled his hero, led his army forward, and crushed every enemy standing in his way.
Enemies were chopped apart.
Enemies were smashed into the ground.
Enemies that dared to block his path were simply swept away by the army under his command.
The feeling was simply incredible.
It was completely different from the experience of playing a traditional RTS. In the gaming industry, the developers who had previously been skeptical about PixelPioneers attempting to create an RTS game like "Warcraft" were now completely speechless.
The quality of this game... Were they really supposed to believe this was an RTS? Looking at the exquisite character models in "Warcraft", players could zoom the camera in and clearly see even the tiny textures covering a soldier's armor.
And that was only the beginning. According to a soldier's remaining health, the armor on their body would also display different forms of visual feedback.
Bloodstains.
Cracks.
Dirt.
Dust.
Damage.
Every change was clearly reflected on the model.
Even the corpses of fallen soldiers had an astonishing amount of detail.
Players could zoom the camera toward a battlefield after a battle and see all kinds of different damage effects.
Some soldiers had their swords broken in half.
Some had cracks running across their armor.
Some had lost their helmets.
Some had shields that had been smashed and dented beyond recognition.
The more players observed, the more ridiculous the level of detail became. All of these tiny details accumulated together, causing the feedback experience of "Warcraft" to rise to an almost absurd level.
Across the major studios, countless developers stared at the detailed presentation of "Warcraft" and couldn't help but purse their lips. Was this really an RTS game? Could it actually be an ARPG disguised as an RTS?
With a physics engine capable of producing effects like this, and with such an outrageous pile of environmental and character details, what exactly were they doing by putting all of this into an RTS? This thought appeared in the minds of countless developers.
Inside the studio of "The Age of Heroes", the game's lead producer and also the CEO of the company stared at the "Warcraft" footage displayed on his monitor, and beside it was the sales data released by PixelPioneers. A dazzling seven-digit number. It was almost impossible to look at it without feeling a little uncomfortable.
Before "Warcraft" appeared, they could confidently call themselves one of the leading RTS developers in the domestic market. Even when "Red Alert" had appeared back then, their position hadn't been shaken too badly.
After all, "The Age of Heroes" had already been on the market for quite some time. It had accumulated a large player base, and with years of promotional campaigns and sales activity behind it, "Red Alert" couldn't simply surpass it overnight. But "Warcraft" was different.
And that wasn't even the most frightening part. The truly terrifying thing was the technology demonstrated by "Warcraft".
The outrageous level of detail.
The enormous worldview and layered narrative.
The carefully crafted characters.
The polished presentation.
Everything combined together made it completely reasonable to say that "Warcraft" had redefined what an RTS could be.
For most players, this was an enormous shock.
Especially for players who had spent years playing traditional RTS games.
The elaborate environments.
The epic storyline filled with enormous implications.
The memorable characters.
All of it conveyed a single message.
RTS games could also be polished to this degree.
RTS games could also tell an epic story.
It was like someone had spent their entire life eating fish. They would scale the fish, clean it, throw it onto a grill, cook it, and eat it. That was their entire understanding of grilled fish.
Then one day, another chef appeared. He brought countless ingredients, carefully selected spices, sophisticated cooking techniques, and almost perfect control over the heat. He grilled exactly the same kind of fish. It was still grilled fish, but the impact was completely different.
And that was exactly how many players felt when they experienced "Warcraft". Especially when when he opened the community for his own game and saw a large group of veteran players discussing news about "Warcraft".
His expression became even more complicated. It would have been fine if "The Age of Heroes" had been comparable to "Warcraft". But how could they possibly compete? Did PixelPioneers not need money? Could they simply burn money without consequences? If someone was willing to spend that much money creating "Warcraft", they could probably buy his entire company.
The sales of "The Age of Heroes" were indeed quite high but it was ultimately a game that had been released several years ago. More than seventy percent of its sales came through discounts.
Then the platform took its share.
Channel distributors took another portion.
After everything was deducted, the seemingly impressive sales figures didn't actually leave the company with that much money and it had already been two or three years since they had released a new title.
He had originally wanted to comfort himself. So what if they were rich? Could you really do whatever you wanted just because you had money? But after looking at "Warcraft" for a long time, that thought suddenly felt rather weak. Who wouldn't want to make a 3A game if they had the money?
"I hope 'Warcraft' won't be this outstanding in competitive multiplayer." Sitting in his office, watching the growing discussions and arguments online, he could only silently pray for this one thing. As long as the competitive mode wasn't equally terrifying, perhaps there would still be a chance.
On the other side, PixelPioneers showed no intention of slowing down its promotional campaign for "Warcraft" as advertisements appeared across major media platforms one after another. It could be said that none of PixelPioneers' previous games had ever received promotional treatment on this scale.
Even the previous "Metal Gear: Phantom Pain" hadn't received such an overwhelming promotional campaign.
As for "The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim", that game had been co-produced with Gemtechs, so it couldn't really be considered under the same circumstances.
New promotional CG videos.
Various livestreams.
Website reviews.
Media articles.
Player discussions.
The news surrounding "Warcraft" had practically occupied an enormous portion of the entire domestic gaming industry. It seemed as if everywhere players turned, they could see something related to "Warcraft".
However, after PixelPioneers released the newest CG promotional trailer for "Warcraft", some of the hardcore players who had already played the game and cleared portions of its campaign suddenly began acting strangely.
Louis looked at the rapidly scrolling barrage in his livestream room, and he couldn't help but smile helplessly. "Go, go, go. Let it play again. Just one last time!"
After saying that, he suddenly seemed to remember something, then he burst out laughing. With practiced familiarity, he opened a URL from his favorites. It was the social account of PixelPioneers.
The moment he clicked into it, a video immediately popped up.
The screen displayed a vast continent.
The camera slowly pulled back.
A prosperous kingdom gradually appeared beneath the lens, then the narration began.
'My son, when you were born, the entire forest of Lordaeron whispered the name: Arthas!'
The scene changed.
Inside the palace, the old king gently looked down at the baby in his arms.
'My child! I am proud to watch you grow up every day and become the embodiment of justice.'
As the baby gradually grew older, Arthas began training under Muradin, who had watched over him since childhood.
He learned combat techniques.
He learned how to use various weapons.
He learned what it meant to stand on a battlefield.
'Remember, we have ruled this kingdom through power and wisdom. At the same time, I know that you will use your powerful strength carefully. But true victory is the hope that inspires the people!'
Armed with the Paladin's Warhammer and dressed in sacred armor, Arthas learned the ways of the Light under the guidance of Uther the Lightbringer. Eventually, he became a Paladin and joined the Knights of the Silver Hand.
The young prince who once represented justice and hope stood proudly beneath the light.
Everything seemed perfect.
Everything seemed destined to remain that way.
Until the narration reached its final sentence.
'One day, my life will reach its end, and you will be crowned king!'
The video slowly faded, and the screen turned completely black. For several seconds, there was nothing.
Then, Louis suddenly reacted as if he had been struck by lightning. His expression changed instantly. He slammed the webpage closed, then he opened another page with astonishing speed.
Two videos with completely different styles appeared before him. The moment the second video began playing, the atmosphere of the livestream changed completely.
With the sound of celebration bells ringing across the kingdom, Arthas returned to Lordaeron. And in his hand... Was Frostmourne.
For a moment, Louis's chat exploded.
"FATHER'S FILIAL SON!"
"WHAT A GREAT SON!"
"HE REALLY CAME BACK!"
"THE PERFECT SON!"
"HIS FATHER MUST BE SO PROUD!"
The entire chat was filled with a strange and joyful atmosphere.
Louis looked at the chat and couldn't hold back his laughter as the contrast was simply too enormous.
The previous CG had been filled with warmth, family affection, hope, and the expectations of a father for his son. And then, the next CG showed Arthas returning home with Frostmourne. The same prince who had once represented justice had become the person holding the blade that would change everything.
The players didn't even need anyone to explain what had happened. They understood. The fall had already begun.