On January 27, 2021, an open-world sandbox action-adventure game based on Chinese mythology called Tale of Immortal entered Early Access on Steam. Developed by Chinese studio GuiGu, the title proved to be a surprise hit, selling 1.8 million copies in its first month of release despite only being available in Simplified Chinese.
To celebrate the unexpected sales milestone, the development team announced in a Steam update that the process of localizing the game into English will begin next month. An official Discord channel has been created that will allow the studio to keep players updated on the progress of the game’s translation, and a Tale of Immortal team member will be available to respond to any urgent questions or bug reports.
It turns out many non-Chinese speaking gamers have been drawn to Tale of Immortal and attempted to play it despite the language barrier, sometimes using translation apps or websites to understand the content. In its Steam post, the Tale of Immortal developer expressed regret that it hadn’t been able to release a localized version sooner. While translating the game was a priority at launch, the unanticipated influx of players required the team to focus on stability instead.
Since its launch in early access, Tale of Immortal has ranked among Steam’s most played games, keeping company with the likes of Facepunch Studios’ Rust, Grand Theft Auto 5, Dota 2, and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. The game has also earned a "Very Positive" rating on the platform. Among the frequent requests for an English translation, players have praised the game’s smooth gameplay, customization options, replayability, artwork, and the chance to learn more about Chinese culture and mythology.
Tale of Immortal gives players the opportunity to experience the cultural background of ancient Chinese myths and stories. On their journey to achieve godlike immortality and power, gamers will face off with creatures from the Classic of Mountains and Seas, a Chinese text compilation of mythical geography and beasts that dates back to the early Han dynasty of the 2nd century BC. The distinctive art style adds to the feeling of immersion in that era.
While waiting for the English localization of Tale of Immortal, players interested in experiencing a bit of Chinese history can always check out Koei Tecmo’s long-running franchise Romance of the Three Kingdoms, loosely based on the 3rd century Chinese historical text Records of the Three Kingdoms, or Omega Force’s spin-off series Dynasty Warriors.
Tale of Immortal is available now in Steam Early Access on PC.
Source: Eurogamer