It wasn't just Ben. Thanks to the previous success of "Human: Fall Flat" and the trust players had in Nebula Games and Lucas.
Also, from the gameplay preview, compared to the goofy noodle people from before, these fluffy little animals were clearly more appealing to many players.
Especially for some casual female players, seeing these cute little animals made them completely unable to resist. This was also true for many men.
However, while they were cute, the game controls and physics engine of "Party Animals" used the same over-the-top silly style as "Human: Fall Flat."
What's more, unlike "Human: Fall Flat" which leaned towards puzzle-solving, "Party Animals" is a game that focuses mainly on player-vs-player (PVP) content. Therefore, in terms of complex actions and difficulty, it's actually harder than "Human: Fall Flat."
The beginner tutorial at the start of the game quickly became a nightmare for many players.
Especially the fence in the second level, its placement was full of malice. At the beginning, players would usually rush forward instinctively after gaining control in the second room.
And that's where they fell into a trap!
Some players got stuck by the rope in the second level and were eliminated. They watched their cute corgi in the game get its head caught in two red ropes, struggling repeatedly and unable to break free, leading to despair and starting a new game.
Some players reached the second to last level and were hit by the thick spinning dog-beating stick. The corgi's head was swollen, and they still couldn't roll past.
Of course, more players faced the final level. The little crocodile wearing sunglasses with a medal around its neck like a gold chain, exuding a boss-like aura, was a nightmare for many new players. They would charge with their heads, grab legs with their hands, and then watch their corgi get thrown out.
However, since it was a beginner tutorial, Lucas actually added dynamic difficulty adjustments for the little crocodile.
As the number of times a player was thrown out increased, the crocodile's AI became even dumber, on top of being already quite foolish.
Even if a player kept dying, the crocodile in the game would eventually adopt a small running flying kick stance and throw itself out of the arena.
After all, this was just a beginner tutorial, and it wasn't possible to keep players stuck there forever.
However, unless it was done on purpose, there shouldn't be any players who could trigger this final game mechanic.
Once into the actual game, players quickly found something very fun.
That is, although the game was a PVP experience, it was incredibly fun.
First, there were the game maps. For example, the fighting arena was a giant stage where up to eight players could compete. Besides that, there were also submarines and airplanes.
But just like the battle royale mode in "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare," as time went on, the playable area would continuously shrink.
The fighting arena would release green poisonous gas, while the airplane would ice over causing players to slip off. As for the submarine, it would slowly submerge underwater.
Furthermore, there were various items in the game. While these items could deal significant damage to others, they could also pose a considerable threat to oneself.
On streaming platforms, different streamers played the game with their own unique styles.
......
There were players who watched from the sidelines.
In "Party Animals," players could climb to very high positions.
And unlike "Human: Fall Flat," climbing walls in "Party Animals" didn't require much skill; as long as there were protrusions, you could grab on.
"Look everyone, my position is excellent! I'm hidden on the big rock above, and nobody has found me."
"Another one down. When the time comes, we can go down and harvest! Let them know what it's like to have a god descend!"
"Here they come, here they come! This crocodile is quite fierce! It threw that grey rabbit off with just a headbutt!"
"Ouch! That otter is also really strong. It kicked the orange cat flying with an aerial kick!"
"Huh? What happened! Why did I die! Why is my screen black!"
As a qualified war correspondent, this player, who was excitedly describing the live match situation, stared blankly at his screen turning black. Then he saw his corgi in the game fall from the stone pillar.
It wasn't until he looked at the comments in his live stream that he understood what had happened.
The poisonous gas was coming from the top left and right directions! He had been climbing at the very top, which meant he was constantly in the poison!
......
There were players who played dead.
In the game, as long as you are not knocked down consecutively, you won't be defeated.
You just enter a state of unconsciousness. At this point, just like in "Human: Fall Flat," if you don't control your character, you can lie on the ground and pretend to be dead.
On the airplane map, a player who was knocked out by a little crocodile with a shovel did not get up and instead felt secretly pleased.
"See everyone? In such chaos, we just lie down and play dead."
"Who would be bored enough to pay attention to a corgi corpse that isn't moving?"
"After they've fought it out, we'll go in and clean up the mess."
This player thought this was brilliant. What is this called? The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind!
But the next moment, a dark battery flew from somewhere and landed on him.
Then he saw his little corgi let out a tragic "Ugh!" and began to twitch violently from the electric current. As it twitched, it fell off the airplane.
What's going on? Where did this electricity come from?
This player was also completely confused.
......
There were also players who lost a good situation due to misusing weapons.
"Invincible! Invincible! With these nunchucks, who can stop me!"
On the airplane map, this player was swinging a pair of nunchucks.
Everyone who got close to him was sent flying with a single blow.
Looking at his impressive little crocodile in the game, this player was full of confidence.
But the next moment, something unexpected happened.
He saw in the game that while swinging the nunchucks, one strike hit his own forehead, and the little crocodile immediately fainted.
At this time, other players nearby saw this and rushed over, lifting his crocodile.
"Go!"
As his little crocodile was thrown off the airplane, he imagined a line in his mind.
......
Soon, the sales and reviews for "Party Animals" on the Nebula Games platform began to surge.
And they were all overwhelmingly positive.
Furthermore, influenced by these two truly fun and casual games, "Human: Fall Flat" and "Party Animals."
Although they were just two small games, they attracted many users who were not previously on the Nebula Games platform.
After all, besides the core group of players, there are many casual players in the world.
They might have heard of some products and IPs under Nebula Games but didn't know what Nebula Games was or what the Nebula Games platform was.
Every game that manages to break through and achieve phenomenal success will attract these casual, untapped users.
As for the core fans, especially some of Lucas's long-time fans, they expressed their emotions.
Lucas has truly changed this time!
He delivered two consecutive games focused on fun, and so efficiently.
Thinking about the feelings when playing "Human: Fall Flat" and "Party Animals," it was truly a joy!
And within Nebula Games, watching the players' excited and joyful expressions online, Marcus, who was in charge of the new Mario game on the Switch and the subsequent "Resident Evil," couldn't help but sigh, feeling worried for the players.
How to put it?
In ancient times, condemned criminals about to be executed were given a good meal before they were taken to the execution ground.
(End of chapter)
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