Thinking about the experience of "Resident Evil 2," John nodded slightly. There weren't too many issues with the overall plot.
After the Raccoon City incident, Umbrella declared bankruptcy. Leon was then dispatched to a remote European village to rescue the kidnapped daughter of the president, which ultimately led to another chain of bioterror incidents. In the end, with the assistance of Ada, he managed to resolve the crisis and escape, bringing the story to a satisfying close.
However, the gameplay had undergone noticeable changes compared to earlier entries. Martel and the team had clearly accelerated the pacing and heightened the intensity. Unlike previous titles, players no longer had to constantly worry about running out of resources. Combined with the addition of melee mechanics and multiplayer elements, the overall sense of fear in the game had been somewhat reduced.
Still, John could understand Martel's design philosophy. It was a realization he had only come to after experiencing "Outlast." A horror game isn't necessarily better simply because it is more terrifying. Striking the right balance, that was the real challenge.
From a purely horror perspective, a game featuring attractive protagonists, combined with the looming threat of a relentless pursuer like the Tyrant, created a different kind of tension. Compared to the overwhelming psychological dread of "Outlast," "Resident Evil" felt more restrained, yet still effective in its own way.
"However, we haven't abandoned the horror elements entirely," Martel said with a smile as she looked at John. "On greater difficulties, players will face extremely limited ammunition, darker environments, and enemies that are much harder to kill. That should deliver a far more intense and thrilling experience. At the same time, we're giving players the freedom to choose their preferred style through the game's opening options."
"Very thoughtful," John replied, nodding in approval.
In reality, players often have a contradictory nature. For example, certain modes in a game, like a poorly designed single-player campaign, might be ignored by 90% of players. Of the remaining 10% who try it, perhaps only half will even finish it.
Yet, the moment developers announce plans to remove such modes, players will strongly oppose the decision, even if the change comes with a reduced price.
In short, I may not play it, but you can't remove it. It's like dealing with a willful child; deny their request, and they'll throw a tantrum; fulfill it, and they'll smile, praise you, and happily support you.
"Including 'Resident Evil Resistance,' we're also developing a brand-new mode," John said, turning to Martel. "We might even connect storylines involving Chris, Jill, and Wesker. On top of that, we could organize a dedicated showcase event for the game."
"Shifting the focus to 'Resident Evil 2'? Then what about 'Metal Gear Solid: Phantom Pain'?" Martel paused, clearly surprised. She hadn't expected this decision before coming here, and the sudden shift caught her off guard.
After all, with the release of "Metal Gear Solid: Original Burst Point," along with follow-up content like "Red Alert: World War" focusing on THE BOSS, and even the earlier "Metal Gear Solid: Peacemaker" comic, everything pointed toward building momentum for "Metal Gear Solid: Phantom Pain." The post-clear animation sequences from "Ground Zero" also hinted that development progress was already quite advanced.
"Moondustries has been testing our 'Resident Evil,'" John said calmly. "It's a good opportunity to remind them what we're capable of. Besides, 'Resident Evil 2' is extremely important to PixelPioneers Games. You could even say 'Resident Evil' is our most valuable IP right now; it deserves the best possible treatment."
"As for 'Metal Gear Solid: Phantom Pain,' I want to polish it further," he added, his tone deliberately vague.
After all, he couldn't exactly admit that the game wasn't fully developed yet and that much of the released information was meant to maintain player expectations. As the head of the company, he still had his reputation to uphold.
After discussing industry trends and the promotional strategy for "Resident Evil 2," Martel eventually left. Once alone, John shifted his focus back to the "Red Alert" project. Although the informational content had already been completed, he continued to monitor its progress closely. This project was crucial for establishing a broader narrative universe. Alongside its storyline, several future games in his plan would tie directly into its background.
"Introduce leader and hero mechanics… let players experience a simplified version of THE BOSS's story through a team infiltration mode."
Sitting in the quiet office, John recalled fragments of inspiration from his memories, his fingers moving rapidly across the keyboard. Even though the peak of "Metal Gear" might not arrive until next year, its current momentum cannot be allowed to fade.
The story of THE BOSS, along with "Metal Gear: Parallel Stories," would serve to maintain that momentum, along with promotional trailers for "Metal Gear Solid: Phantom Pain."
As for THE BOSS's later narrative, such as the events mentioned at the beginning of "Metal Gear," where BIG BOSS personally kills THE BOSS and inherits her will, John planned to develop it as DLC content for "Metal Gear Solid: Phantom Pain."
"Still, the company needs to grow… we're short on manpower," he muttered.
Leaning back, John picked up a can of soda and shook his head thoughtfully. PixelPioneers Games had already grown considerably. With departments covering publishing, the newly established operations division, customer service, and even a comics branch, combined with internal development teams, the company now employed over two hundred people.
Yet, when distributed across multiple specialized projects, the workforce still felt stretched thin. Large-scale productions like "Metal Gear Solid: Phantom Pain" and "Resident Evil 2" could rely on outsourcing and contract workers. But ongoing operations, such as maintaining "Resident Evil: Resistance" and developing smaller DLCs like "Red Alert: World War," were beginning to show signs of strain. Especially when each team was already committed to its own dedicated project.
"Maybe it's time to expand… open another office?" Looking at the financial reports and thinking about the increasingly cramped workspace outside, John fell into deep thought.