The format was quite novel, unlike the traditional rhythm game setup of falling notes that had to be struck.
It replaced the beats with two moving balls trailing behind them, giving the whole game a sense of motion.
Only...
Wasn't there supposed to be a background?
And an original illustration by that artist Liu Liu?
Where was the artwork?
Since he was on the main screen and his real-time gameplay was connected to the big display, Ah Yin couldn't afford to waste time and started the game.
As the dynamic, rhythmic music began, eight-beat electronic music set the little balls in motion!
Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap...
Ah Yin instantly entered his gaming state. He nodded slightly to the rhythm while tapping away at the keyboard!
It had to be said that compared to traditional music, this kind of energetic electronic music was better suited for rhythm games.
Since he had played Xiang Tianming's "Music Master" right after entering, Ah Yin immediately compared the two games.
Clearly, in terms of opening presentation, "Dance of Ice and Fire" was far more refreshing.
As Ah Yin played, the little tiles he struck turned into puzzle pieces, gradually assembling the background!
"Yo!"
Ah Yin raised an eyebrow!
This was fun!
It looked simple, but it was quite inventive!
It added a bit more fun to the otherwise straightforward act of tapping out beats on a keyboard!
The barrage was likewise filled with surprised reactions.
'Holy shit? This is kind of interesting?'
'So the original artwork only gets put together after you clear an entire song?'
'This setting is pretty interesting.'
'It isn't necessarily hard, but it's really novel.'
'In terms of design, it's better than the one Boss played at the very beginning.'
'That game's controls still had problems. I already refunded it.'
'...'
A smile appeared on Ah Yin's face.
At the very least, in this game, he could see that the designer had put a lot of thought into enriching the player's experience.
Whether it was the two moving balls, the specially commissioned original background art, or the puzzle assembly after clearing a level to add some fun—
All of it showed how much care the designer had put into this game.
Just as he was thinking about that, in the brief moment he lost focus!
The previously straight tiles suddenly rose upward!
Tap-tap! Tap-tap!
The two consecutive heavy beats caught Ah Yin completely off guard!
The little balls instantly vanished, and the background that had been assembled behind them also disappeared into nothingness!
When he turned to look, the other three wore equally bewildered expressions.
The sudden change in rhythm had caught all four of them off guard!
They had all failed!
The four looked at one another in a daze, then burst out laughing.
"Again, again. I was careless just now."
Ah Yin waved his hand and clicked restart.
Watching from behind, Shen Yunshi pursed her lips and looked at the four streamers with pity.
Too tragic.
They didn't even know that the nightmare had only just begun...
.
"I'm here to bring you the latest news and keep you informed on gaming headlines. Welcome to today's Amusement Weekly. I'm your host, Xiao You!"
Outside Binhai Academy's exhibition hall, a sweet-faced, adorable girl held a microphone and delivered the opening lines to the camera.
Amusement Weekly had been running for five years now.
Not only was it a veteran gaming self-media outlet, but it also had tremendous prestige.
For the four top-tier global game shows—the Cologne Game Show, Tokyo Game Show, E3 Game Expo, and Suiguang CJ Game Show—they were always the first domestic media outlet to obtain the materials.
Beyond that, they also rushed to cover various smaller domestic game expos at the earliest opportunity, bringing viewers firsthand reports.
And today, they naturally wouldn't miss the Zhiyou Cup University Student Game Expo, the country's first university student game design exhibition.
"So today, as everyone can see, our program is a little different from usual."
"That's right. Today, we've come to Binhai Academy. Behind me, the first Zhiyou Cup University Student Game Expo is currently underway."
"So now, follow our cameras as we dive into the Binhai University Student Game Expo!"
Passing through the bustling crowd, the camera followed Xiao You into the exhibition hall.
"According to what we've learned, there are a total of one hundred games participating in this exhibition, with more than one hundred seventy university student game designers taking part in this grand event."
Xiao You introduced the event as she walked.
After briefly introducing the basic details of the game expo and trying out several games, the next step in the program should have been randomly selecting a few visitors and designers for on-site interviews.
But at that moment, the director following the shoot noticed that visitors throughout the exhibition hall seemed to be streaming in one direction!
At a game expo, crowds gathering in one area was perfectly normal.
But under normal circumstances, at an exhibition like this, visitors would first gather near the entrance.
After all, as both the starting point and the main attraction, it could draw in a large number of visitors with hardly any effort.
But!
This game expo seemed a little strange today?
"Why are so many visitors heading toward the back of the exhibition hall?"
Xiao You noticed the issue as well. Somewhat puzzled, she stopped a visitor hurrying past.
"Hello? May I ask what's going on in the back? Why is everyone heading that way?"
The man she stopped froze for a moment, then smiled.
"You just got here, right? Shark's four biggest streamers are here too. They say they're going crazy playing games at one of the booths in the back!"
"This..."
Xiao You turned to look at the director following the shoot, looking a little stunned.
She had only just learned that Shark's four biggest streamers had made a surprise visit.
She had originally hoped to run into those major streamers, but now she was being told that all four great figures had gathered in one place?
"What do you mean, 'this'? Isn't that perfect?"
The director's eyes lit up!
"We can catch them all at once instead of having to look for them one by one!"
"Let's go! Let's check it out!"
"Get the camera rolling!"
Although Xiao You was petite, with her extensive experience and the formidable camera crew behind her, she quickly squeezed into the crowd.
She could even keep delivering her lines as she pushed forward.
"Just now, we also noticed that many visitors were converging on a booth over here,"
"So now, let's take a look at exactly what is hidden here..."
Before she could even finish speaking, Xiao You's mouth fell open the instant she saw what was happening inside the booth!
Before you continue