Chapter 200
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 200
Chapter Title: Release – Demon's Relic 2 (1)
There are two phases in game development that literally grind time into dust.
One is in the early stages, during prototype creation and modeling. The other is debugging.
It’s a disaster beyond human control, whose end is known only to the gods.
A phase where everything depends not on the developer’s skill, but purely on heavenly luck.
The process of finding and fixing bugs in a finished game requires that much effort.
Today was no different.
“Damn it all! Why are her breasts turning into a whip?!”
Demon’s Relic 2 had successfully moved through the planning, production, and completion stages, but these damn bugs were causing trouble again.
The issue was ‘Michael’s Breast Whip.’
There was one reason Nishimura was so utterly despondent over this particular bug.
According to the concept, which had been set in stone long ago during some dark martial arts tournament, Michael was a ‘blunt, flat-chested beauty.’
But now, due to some bug, whenever Michael used the [Flame of Judgment] skill, her breasts shot out along with her sword, sweeping across the area in front of her.
It was an error that went beyond a simple bug, dealing a severe blow to the character’s very identity.
At this rate, Michael wouldn’t be a flat-chested beauty, but a monster who wielded a breast whip!
“Hey! Have you found a solution to the bug yet?!”
“P-Please wait! We haven’t identified the cause yet…”
“You have to! You absolutely have to fix it!”
“Y-Yes, sir!”
At the stern command of their dark lord, the shadow cabinet (the programming team) began investigating the cause, trembling with tears in their eyes.
But if things could be solved that easily, no programmer in the world would pray before running their code.
“Whyyyy?!”
The situation was at a standstill, and that wasn’t the only problem erupting.
“Director Copson! Metatron’s transformation gimmick into Sandalphon isn’t working!”
“Damn it…! What’s the cause?!”
“It seems like there’s a command conflict at a branching point…”
“Fix it! If you can’t fix it, you have to find another way!”
“Understood…!”
The game trailer had already been released and a launch date was set.
With only about four months remaining, failing to resolve these critical bugs meant that all the minor debugging would be completely off the table.
The infamy of releasing an unfinished game was absolutely unacceptable.
And missing the release deadline was also something that could not happen at Rewind.
Realistically, there was only one solution.
Crunch. The uncomfortable guest and old friend of every developer.
What was once thought to be a unique culture of Team 1 within Rewind was now beginning to make its presence known in Team 2.
“There is… no going home…!”
It was the beginning of hell.
The bloody martial world of Team 2 began to wage a war of silent screams, and amidst it all, time flowed on relentlessly.
It took a month just to fix the major bugs.
It took another two months to change minor bugs and presentation layouts.
Just like that, half of 2022 had already passed, and by then, Demon’s Relic 2 was preparing to reveal itself to the world.
『One More Move King: The preview is starting lol
My time begins to flow again…!』
Two weeks before the release, the game previews from external journalists were published.
***
It goes without saying, but Demon’s Relic is a console game.
It was the first commercially successful AAA-tier beautiful-girl action game in the entire industry, and at the same time, the only one.
That was true even setting aside the events before Yeon-ho’s return.
Years had passed since Demon’s Relic 1, and some might wonder, ‘Why hasn’t another AAA-tier console game with beautiful girls come out?’
And the answer to that question was always the same.
『Civil Servant: The cost-effectiveness is just too poor.
Rewind is a special case. If you’re going to sell beautiful girl characters, online gacha is more efficient. What kind of game company would pour hundreds of billions and even make an anime for a single game like that? lol』
The problem was that the beautiful-girl game genre itself had very clear limitations.
As the now-template answer stated, the ideal format for a beautiful-girl game was gacha… a lottery system where new characters were periodically updated and sold.
After all, numerous cases had already proven that this dramatically extended a game’s lifespan and contributed to its commercial success.
That was why Demon’s Relic was an anomaly in the industry.
At the same time, no other game in the industry could replace it.
Even at full price, it cost less than just dipping a toe into a single gacha game.
Yet, the satisfaction derived from it was in no way inferior to gacha games that could easily devour millions of won.
No, in some respects, thanks to the overwhelming development capital and technology of a AAA console title, it completely crushed the aforementioned gacha games.
The pros and cons were clear.
For that reason, some games attempted to be minor copies of Demon’s Relic, but they all failed at the box office.
A pure subculture AAA-tier beautiful-girl game, developed with a massive capital injection, was the product of a miraculous combination of a future-knowing investor (Yeon-ho) and directors mad with conviction (Copson and Nishimura). It was an irregular that couldn’t be formed under normal circumstances, so the result was only natural.
In any case, the conclusion was this.
The interest focused on the Demon’s Relic 2 preview was on par with any major console IP.
In fact, considering the interest from the broader subculture world outside of gaming, the level of attention was comparable to that which had turned the world upside down for Elden Ring at the beginning of the year.
The preview proceeded amid such fervent interest, but unfortunately for those waiting, not much information was released.
It was the moment the anime and manga consumer base realized that the embargo on console games was a bigger wall than they thought.
But was that really a major problem?
At least for the Demon’s Relic series, this too was an excellent marketing strategy.
An analysis and calculation of the commercial flow of subculture.
In this industry, there’s a saying: “A thirsty person digs a well.”
As a beautiful-girl game, Demon’s Relic could heat up public opinion with character appeal even before its release, simply by introducing its systems and highlighting the characters’ personalities.
『One More Move King: So the beautiful girl with the split personality was Metatron lol
How the hell did you know that an intelligent, pure girl becoming corrupted into a blonde, tanned, ditzy beauty is one of the situations I just can’t resist, Nishimura!!!!』
『Not Sunny: Noooong lol Michael nooooong lol
Noooooooong lolololol』
『Civil Servant: A gloomy, busty Camael is a rare treat…
A very stable flavor…』
As soon as the general character concepts and models were revealed, the community forums lit up with related discussions.
That wasn’t all.
As previously mentioned, Demon’s Relic 2 was a game aimed at the subculture audience.
This meant that fan creations, known as ‘creations,’ sprouted up like mushrooms, leading to the characters’ personalities being established even before the game came out.
Among them, there was a representative example.
『Poppy, Let’s Go for a Walk: Hmm… this fan art… ^^…
(Image of Haniel looking shyly at a tattoo on her lower abdomen)
Her position on the Tree of Sephiroth is correct, but… the art is very lewd…
One More Move King: Then why can’t you just say you like it?
Not Sunny: Since ancient times, pink hair has…』
The lore surrounding Haniel, the archangel inscribed at number 7 on the Tree of Sephiroth, stimulated the imagination of many users.
Haniel’s occult image is that of a naked beauty.
Her virtue is altruism, while her vices are lewdness and lust. Her microcosmic correspondences are the genitals and buttocks. These dualistic settings, combined with her model’s features as a cheerful, pink-haired beauty, provided a rich source of material for fan works.
In addition, Michael, who had given Nishimura a headache with the breast whip bug, was layered with the virtue of diligence and the vice of indolence. Her occult image was fixed as ‘androgynous,’ earning her the ‘Schrödinger’s trap’ position, similar to Paimon from the previous game.
In fact, the factor that maximized all of this was the main setting of Demon’s Relic 2 itself.
『Bloodlord of Bangbae-dong: They were really smart this time.
The way the heroines’ traits and ending branches all change depending on their growth path and affection level seems pretty innovative.
I think it’s a new and interesting point even compared to the prequel.』
Individual heroine growth routes, endings, and the preparation of all corresponding narratives.
The ultimate performance that could be shown within the beautiful-girl game category was all packed into Demon’s Relic 2.
That wasn’t all.
If all the game’s systems were in full bloom, there needed to be content to put the finishing touch on it all.
And that content was a setting that was synonymous with Demon’s Relic’s identity.
『Poppy, Let’s Go for a Walk: There are relationship events for each heroine this time too.
Joint skills have been implemented!
It’s not just activated by having two characters; the skill composition, cutscene events, and buff synergies all change depending on each character’s growth path!!!
In this aspect, the detail from Directors Nishimura and Copson really shines!』
The joint skill events, which received countless cheers in the previous game, were implemented in this one as well.
The implication of this was clear.
『One More Move King: It’s a catfight.
Gomen ne, minna.
It’s ‘cause I’m just too charming lol
Not Sunny: Tsk』
Demon’s Relic 2 was a game that could not fail, as long as they didn’t do anything stupid.
And so, the release date arrived.
***
The more important the turning point in life, the more you should maintain the same composure as in daily life.
It was one of the wise sayings Hansu had once heard.
‘Today’s the day, One More Move King.’
After finishing his ritual bath, Hansu stood naked, stroking his chin as he looked in the bathroom mirror.
His shave was clean.
His wet hair, slicked back, looked quite sexy, and his moisture-laden skin was as dewy as a slime’s.
*Smack!*
Hansu slapped his back with a towel.
Water droplets scattered in all directions.
“Hansu! Stop messing around and come out!”
“Okay! Just a second!”
Leaving his mother’s scolding behind, Hansu stepped out of the bathroom.
The air conditioner’s chill erased the muggy late-July air. Today, anything felt alright.
Hansu fumbled into his pajamas and went into his room, closing the door.
Sitting down, he saw his 32-inch monitor and his well-worn gamepad.
The sealed room was filled with the faint scent of aroma.
Hansu put on his glasses and placed a large iced Americano beside him.
Today was the day.
The release date of Demon’s Relic 2, for which he had waited with bated breath.
In ten minutes, the game would begin.
It was the end of a long wait, the time of his homecoming, to leave the fake world (reality) and return to the real world (online) where he belonged.
No more words were necessary.
For ten minutes, he meditated, channeling the will of the directors. And then, the moment the clock struck midnight.
[Woooooah!!!]
[Aaaaaaaargh!!!]
The directors’ roars echoed through the room as the signature sound.
Soon, the title appeared on the screen.
[Demon’s Relic 2]
Hansu’s eyes flew open.
‘Wait for me, Lucifer.’
I’m coming to save you now.