Lens design.
This concept seems meaningless for a game where players can move freely.
But Li An noticed the game's meticulous attention to camera design.
The first image that appears in the flashback is the muzzle of a gun, still glowing.
To say there's no tension would be a lie.
He desperately wanted to share this profound impact with others right now, but he couldn't.
The positioning of the three characters, the design of the space—every detail reveals the production team's dedication and professionalism.
What surprised him most, however, was the unique spatial limitation of the game.
This is different from the situation when we were conducting free investigations on the ship.
In this moment of rewind, the space he can move through is smaller than before.
The captain stood blocking the doorway to the captain's cabin.
Although the door was open, he was blocking the way, preventing anyone from getting in. The outside was completely dark.
The bow of the ship, which was previously visible, is now also invisible.
The only space left for free observation and movement was the small area in front of the captain's cabin.
This... should also be considered part of the lens design.
He could clearly sense that the production team was trying to enhance the visual presentation.
The captain's cabin didn't contain the clues the player needed, so the game simply prevented the player from entering.
The bow of the ship was also removed, having no connection to the incident.
No wonder...
Li An then suddenly realized why he had suddenly felt a strange sense of exhilaration.
So that's how it is!
During the backtracking process, the entire scene was specially split up, significantly reducing the rendering load compared to the original.
The frame rate naturally increased significantly as a result. And he had already adapted to the game's standard frame rate during the long introduction process.
This sudden change gave him a sudden sense of exhilaration.
Even though it was just a return to normal frame rates, it gave him a smooth feeling he had never experienced before.
This is a unique feeling brought about by the contrast.
When a serious investigation of clues is needed, the game will try to provide players with a higher frame rate.
A very clever choice.
Despite its limited functionality, it delivers a very good user experience.
Besides, this technique actually has another very important function for development teams...
Reduce resource usage!
If each still frame includes the complete scene.
Even if models and textures are reused extensively, it will still result in serious waste of resources. Now, they only need to model the necessary parts.
In other areas, either find a way to block the view with characters, or simply design it as an invisible wall of black mist.
It can also simulate the feeling of an NPC not being able to see certain areas.
However, a problem arises.
And then what?
Li An quickly moved between the three people, noting down some simple characteristics.
It must be said that the game has a very good grasp of character design.
I don't know if it's because of the 1-bit black and white art style, but even though the picture is black and white or a bitmap, the features of the three characters are very distinct.
At a glance, you can immediately spot the features of the three characters, so you won't get them confused.
I've memorized the three characters and the situation on set.
The game finally started responding again at this point.
The screen returned to black and white as if it were beginning a flashback. The large booklet A Chronicle of Tragedy at Sea lay there, slowly turning to page 124.
[Chapter x - The Ending]
At this moment, nautical music composed of a large number of strings also resounds again.
Unlike the epic grandeur of " Pirates!!"
The music of " The Return of the Obra Dinn " carries a unique solemnity and tragic grandeur.
Everything seemed to indicate that this was going to be a tragic story.
[Part i]
Portraits of the deceased and silhouettes of the moment of death are pasted on the pages of the book.
The other side shows the location of the body on the floor plan, as well as the other people present.
"Wait a minute? There are still 3 people here? That number... isn't right?"
Based on the observation just now, the captain, the deceased, and the other traitor—there were only three people in total...
In other words, there must have been another person present in the scene just now... For a moment, Li An suddenly felt a Porky's.
Even though I was just an investigator, for a moment I felt as if I were truly a part of the event.
A small note was pasted next to the portrait of the deceased.
Who is this?
How did he die?
At this point, the core mechanics of the game finally become clear.
This is the true way to play the game.
Based on the scene of death, piece together the complete story and deduce the identity and cause of death of each person.
Based on the final outcome, the London office will provide a compensation for the deceased.
This is his real job as an insurance investigator.
"Who is this? How should I know??"
Li An scratched his head. If you asked the captain, he would definitely be able to answer.
But this is a deceased person!
He reviewed the conversation log again, but there was absolutely no clue as to the person's identity.
[This person's face remains blurry throughout the book.]
This ambiguity means you don't yet have enough information to confirm their identity.
"Oh... I see."
He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the game's notification.
It turns out you don't need to answer all the questions at once; it seems this game is played step by step.
As the investigation continues, there will eventually be a way to find out the identity of the corpse.
But at least now he has a few valuable clues.
First, this guy was shot dead by the captain.
Secondly, he at least knew who the captain was. Thirdly, judging from his attire, he was at least a senior crew member.
"That's interesting."
Li An suddenly understood the significance of this book.
I don't actually need to care about how complicated or massive the amount of information is.
When you need them, you will naturally find them.
This is a "work" that I gradually completed myself.
As the investigation deepens and I learn more, the contents recorded in this book will become clearer and more detailed.
"Damn it, I should have written them down in a notebook!"
When Li An finished his time travel and returned to the ship, the environment had changed.
The captain's cabin door, which had been tightly closed, was suddenly opened.
Was it because the captain kicked it open?
Li An doesn't know. But one thing is certain.
The two corpses lying in the captain's cabin, already attracting flies, became his next targets for investigation.
Proceed step by step.
So that's how it is!
As the story progresses, players will encounter more and more corpses.
These corpses will then lead to new clues, new stories, and help players find even more corpses.
Compared to simply placing a ship full of corpses in front of the player at the start of the game, this design is... simply amazing!
The next day.
As dawn broke and the sounds of activity outside the window began to return, a lively atmosphere gradually returned.
The truth has finally come to light...?
[Well done.] [The whereabouts of all individuals have been verified.]
When the protagonist put the finally filled-up documentary back on the bookshelf, making it an inconspicuous book among many others, Li An felt a sudden, dull thud in his heart.
[over]
"Gulp"
He swallowed hard.
"It's truly a work of art..."
To be honest, while the story is interesting, it can only be considered entertaining, not a profound and unfathomable masterpiece.
But its gameplay, its music, its art design...
Every step was so perfect it was breathtaking.
If this were a movie, it would be an epic example of a director turning a masterpiece into Oscar.
This is an epic of aesthetics, and an epic of gaming.
Li An had never felt this way before. He hadn't realized video games could achieve this level of artistry.
He had never been so engrossed in anything before.
Even when studying movies, I've never spent nearly 10 hours straight studying them, from yesterday afternoon until dawn today.
Aside from going to the toilet, I didn't even have time to eat.
Even while he was urinating in front of the toilet, his mind was constantly processing the information he already had.
During this time, he even went downstairs to buy a notebook to help him with his reasoning.
Every time a new clue emerges, overturning all previous reasoning and even redefining the entire story, his mind undergoes a complete transformation.
Even until the very end, he wasn't sure whether some of the stories he had deduced were correct.
All I can gain is everyone's fate and identity.
As for what exactly happened?
I can only fill in the gaps in my mind through fragments of the story.
Staring at the list of producers and acknowledgments popping up on the screen, Li An remained silent for a long time. "Luckily, I bought you."
He looked at the cartridge box next to the game console and suddenly let out a long sigh.
Regardless of how others evaluate or say it.
At least for him at this moment, this is the greatest work of the year, and perhaps even the greatest work in history.
Dozens of people.
Almost everyone left a deep impression on him.
Even though he was just an ordinary sailor, he gained his complete character and brilliance in the moment he charged towards the monster with burning passion.
Just a few words, a few shots.
So this is how stories can be told?
It wasn't with cameras and actors, but with... code.
Telling stories through video games.
This unique sense of interaction brings an unimaginable sense of immersion to the story. This is something that movies have always dreamed of.
"Fragmented narratives allow the audience to piece together the truth themselves..."
Apart from those directly involved, no one knows exactly what happened.
One can only try to piece together a satisfactory result through narration and limited clues.
Li An took a deep breath, dragged his aching and numb legs to his feet, and looked out the window.
Could this technique be used in movies?
He didn't know, but he would try it someday.
A movie without a truth... preferably with a nautical theme...
Just thinking about it is so exciting!
I came to Hollywood intending to find answers about my path in filmmaking.
Unexpectedly, what ultimately brought me enlightenment was a... video game.