Presumably old players should know that our domestic games have also been glorious, and the millennium more than 20 years ago can be said to be the golden age of domestic game RPGs. For me personally, the most impressive thing is the third generation of Xuanyuan Sword launched 24 years ago - "The Other Side of Clouds and Mountains", which can really be said to be one of the masterpieces in the domestic game industry. Even now, this piece is still impressive.
It has perfectly embodied all the essence of single-line gameplay like a Japanese RPG, for the arrangement of the plot, picture performance, multiple music tracks, etc., each of which is impressive, and the work is also the first work of the Xuanyuan Sword series to the international market, which can really be described as the light of domestic production.
The controls in this game are very simple and easy, almost as long as you move the mouse, you can easily play, and you can run by clicking the right mouse button twice, and you can switch between running and walking by pressing the "R" on the keyboard. The bigger disadvantage is the combat operation, because the battle is real-time, and the game will not pause during the command menu, so the enemy will still act at this time, and there is no shortcut key, which is easy to catch the player off guard during the battle.
When I first entered the game, I was immediately attracted by the opening words, and the effect of using silhouettes is very special, and it has a spy movie-like flavor. The most special thing about the other side of the clouds and mountains is that the adventure stage spans the Eurasian continent, and will go all the way from Venice, the water capital, to Arabia, Baghdad, and finally the highlight of the game - China.
The protagonist Seth no longer adopts the setting of Chinese as some Xianxia and martial arts works in the past, but describes a knight of the Frankish kingdom who is sent to the East to find an invincible way to war. In addition to the original fantasy setting, many historical events and characters are incorporated to make the whole trip quite interesting, and the areas that can be felt are unique and artistic.
The game's graphics can be said to have pushed the production team to the pinnacle of 2D visuals at the time. The cute Q version of the characters with the background of the ink painting style, coupled with the good music, make many scene maps unforgettable. Some visual effects such as light and shadow are also very good, shadows, reflections on water, and candlelight are all presented. Although it is a 2D screen, the overall appearance is very three-dimensional, and the atmosphere is outstanding.
Because players will travel through Venice, Arabia and China, the variety of scenes is very rich, whether it is the colorful inlaid glass of the church, the ancient Egyptian-like mausoleum, the antique and beautiful Tang Dynasty architecture, etc. They all have a dazzling artistic texture, and at the same time, they also express the differences in the cultures of various countries in a timely manner, and when playing the other side of the clouds and mountains, players can also recognize the folk customs of many countries through the game.
The overall gameplay is very relaxing and enjoyable, in addition to enjoying the story, there are also many battles with a tight rhythm. The higher difficulty point is in the maze part, and the vast majority of the field battle scenes are mazes, and the maze structure is highly repetitive, so it is easy for people to spin in place, and it will be very annoying when they can't find their way and keep encountering monsters into the battle screen.
The other side of the clouds and mountains has the most exciting system of all single-line RPGs, such as the sense of accomplishment of constantly leveling up and learning more spells, special moves, numerous side quests and collecting, hidden elements, and a fairly high level of map exploration. It features a demon refining pot system, which can reduce the enemy's HP and subdue it during battle, becoming a guardian to strengthen the ability, and can also fuse monsters and props to get more monsters.
The plot part of the story is definitely the most talked about on the other side of the clouds and mountains, although the depth part may not be good enough, and I personally reject a lot of didactic lines. However, the plot tension on the other side of the clouds and mountains is really enough, and it involves many levels. In the process, it is like tasting candied fruit, like the sweet and sour taste of life, with life and death, poignant love, interracial romance, and laughter.
It also explores the rituals, religious beliefs, wars and conflicts of various civilizations, such as hell, karmic reincarnation, reincarnation, dreams, and so on. My personal favorite part of the game is a mirage where the protagonist and his friends are confronted with inner wanderings, desires, and doubts, which are finally swept away. On top of that, there are a lot of unpredictable plots in the game.
It's a masterpiece that deserves to be savored and revisited years later, and I especially love the presentation and description of Eastern and Western cultures, where enemies are vampires, Medusa, and demons in the West, and Chinese myths and legends in the East. At the same time, cultural differences are also compared, such as the Koran, the Bible, the Buddhist scriptures, the Ziwei zodiac and the zodiac.
Through all this, people have a deep understanding of how wonderful the world we live in. The easy-to-understand text narrative and emotional character lines are also interesting. With over 20 hours of playability and the richness of the content at its best in 1999, "The Other Side of the Clouds and Mountains" is definitely a masterpiece worth trying.