It's been five minutes since I last saw slogans like "Green waters and lush mountains, scientific development," or Wuling's signature modern Chinese style with its distinctive cyan-green tones.
Blame Andrei, that eccentric figure (bird-man?). His studio in Valley 4 was still in ruins from an angelic bombardment, yet he impulsively dove into Wuling's snowy mountains, earning himself a mysterious garden seat.
Can't be helped—who asked them to be old friends? Even if there's no merit, there's certainly effort involved. Temporarily cosplaying as a rescue team is only proper. It really made me, a hero who just crushed Nephis and Alexius while resolving the crisis in Wuling's northern restricted zone, laugh out loud.
Thus, I guided the Penguin Administrator back to its faithful snowy domain—the Cedar Forest. After completing the entire "Saving Private Andrei" storyline, I couldn't help but exclaim:
Where the hell am I? Is this still Wuling?
Although the Cedar Forest area is right next to Yinglong Pass, practically "separated by a single wall," the environment here is quite peculiar.
Upon first entering the map, cold air permeates and mist drifts. Aside from the snow on the ground and icicles on the stone walls, only a few withered trees buried in swirling snowflakes are visible—a scene of deep mountains frozen in ice and snow, starkly contrasting with Wuling's lush greenery.
If you look closely, you'll notice details on the operators, such as snow gradually accumulating on them over time and breath visible in the cold air, making one wonder what kind of superhuman constitution allows them to wear so little in such weather.
This environmental rendering also sets the stage for the already desolate cultural landscape of the area. Torches resembling sacrificial animal horns are scattered along the roadside, guiding travelers; glowing stone tablets bear familiar patterns that inevitably remind one of those times dominated by parkour enthusiasts. Exploring further, only one name comes to mind—Sami.
Yes, although the Cedar Forest is administratively part of Wuling, every plant and tree, every relic left by predecessors, seems related to that endless ice sheet and the Behemoth Sami... You can even see furniture from Sami in the small wooden house in the center of the map.
Therefore, from an atmospheric perspective, it's clear that this map intentionally distances itself from Wuling, creating a sense of strangeness.
But don't forget, this is Wuling, right next to Yinglong Pass. Regardless, there shouldn't be this much snow, should there? What is the intent behind such an anomalous scene? Is it merely to introduce variety in map design for the new version? After all, Hai Mao mentioned in a livestream that we'd be staying in Wuling for a year. If it were just the same green Wuling all year, players would probably tear down the pyramid in frustration.
It's definitely not that simple—a new map must have new characters and plots, which are fresh content. But... in my opinion, while these new elements are attractive enough, to judge their quality, we shouldn't just look at them in isolation, but rather at how tightly they integrate with the new map.
"The local environment shapes the local people." A region's geography significantly influences its stories—how they happen and how they are told. Just as European literature has been categorized into "Southern" and "Northern" styles: the pleasant southern climate fosters literature celebrating nature, while the gloomy northern climate prompts explorations of life... This isn't just regional bias; it was proposed by Madame de Staël, a French Romantic writer, in her work "On Literature Considered in Its Relations with Social Institutions."
Whether such classifications are comprehensive or universally applicable to human society remains debatable. However, undeniably, on the intuitive level where matter determines consciousness, environmental changes must correspondingly impact narrative and presentation to truly highlight the features of a "new map." To my delight, this Cedar Forest map, located next to Yinglong Pass, achieves this perfectly.
From the most intuitive perspective—the snow-covered landscape visible to our eyes—as Wang Guowei said, "All descriptions of scenery are expressions of emotion." This actually conveys a sense of conflict to us: something is wrong with this land.
This sense of conflict stems from two aspects: familiarity with Wuling versus unfamiliarity with Frozen Wuling; familiarity with Sami versus unfamiliarity with Sami on Terra. Thus, an interesting narrative rhythm of "familiar yet strange" naturally emerges, born from these distinct environments. When I joined the Administrator and Tiflos in curiosity and began exploring this, I was already captivated by Endfield's narrative techniques.
So, how does the story develop on this foundation? One word describes it: "pacing." Throughout the new version, this linear sense of pacing is extremely strong. It constantly draws you deeper down the rabbit hole, only to reveal that Everythinggj will turn out fine just when you feel trapped beyond escape.
To put it in more experiential terms, the entire gameplay flow is thrilling and satisfying with many twists. Comparing horizontally, it stands at the opposite extreme from my white moonlight of Endfield's level design—the Quarry. This time, the flow is highly cinematic; playing through it feels like experiencing a premium linear adventure game. Moreover, Everythinggj carries a strong "Sami flavor."
For instance, before the new operator Tiflos first meets the Administrator, there are several eerie foreshadowings. At that time, the Administrator had just reunited with the lost Andrei. As they walked through the mist, unable to find the correct path, they kept receiving fragmented, cryptic messages, which seemed somewhat terrifying. If you're familiar with Sami Integrated Strategies, you'd probably think you were being haunted by some Collapse or Evil entity.
When Tiflos makes her entrance, a puzzle mini-game centered on perspective shifts follows. You must find the right angle to keep multiple runes within attack range for a set duration before breaking them, thereby opening the path forward. This can be considered the core puzzle of the Cedar Forest map, or perhaps just a pleasant "palate cleanser."
Because throughout the entire storyline, from small-scale battles to operator experiences from Tiflos's perspective, to the aforementioned puzzle mini-game and subsequent map exploration... each stage possesses a strong sense of purpose. They are structured as a series of small, interlocking objectives, ensuring there is always something to do. This is also a manifestation of "pacing"—linear presentation and levels often rely heavily on the skills of level designers and scriptwriters, as players must follow the designer's vision; any misstep can break immersion.
The journey in the Cedar Forest, thanks to its good sense of pacing, combines Everythinggj and converges on the core—the plot. From the three arrows Tiflos obtained from Amma, to the three dreamcatchers left by the Snow Priest in her search for Sami, to the layered adventure of entering dreams to save Andrei, when all storylines intertwine, a sense of fate emerges.
What is the fate of the Sami people? Perhaps it is nature itself. They believe all things possess spirits, thus respecting and worshipping nature; in return, nature bestows gifts upon the Sami.
In this storyline, the Old Snow Priest may have become one with nature, seeing Everythinggj. The strange narration at the beginning, the occasional purple text in the task log, and numerous revelations... she guides Tiflos, and even the player. Through excellent narrative and presentation pacing, you naturally accept this, and it is in this state that the animistic "Sami" flavor is fully expressed.
From this perspective, the protagonist of this storyline seems more like "nature" itself—whether it's the Old Snow Priest pursuing nature, or Tiflos coming from nature, their actions can be described as "all things grow and return to their roots; Everythinggj begins here."
In the end, accompanied by all the buildup, the three arrows once used to shatter dreamcatchers reappear and converge. The long arrow tears through the night sky and pierces the dream, bringing the plot to its emotional climax. Tiflos follows Amma's traces, yet creates Amma's legend with her own courage. This method of characterization is unique to this Sami-style map, a hymn for those who revere nature.
Of course, Endfield's consistent humor hasn't been lost either—to enter Andrei's dream, the Administrator needs to pluck some feathers for a spell. You can spend five minutes plucking like I did; although you won't bald Andrei, you might wake him up from pain. Doesn't the impact feel satisfying? (Anyway, Supervisor Qin in the dream takes the blame.) Throughout the process, banter and emotional engagement are well combined, making the new version's overall flow extremely rich and self-consistent.
If I had to name the greatest contributor tying all these elements together, it would be the music. While this may be subjective, I genuinely believe the new version's soundtrack is the perfect adhesive, seamlessly binding the already well-fitted parts together.
You can hear abundant bagpipes, whistles, and small harps in this soundtrack, dancing with strings, mostly expressed in triple time, appearing exceptionally light and lively. Meanwhile, the use of medieval modes gives each piece unique color through specific interval relationships, adding an exotic touch. Furthermore, the main melody often spirals around the root note like a dance, finally returning to it, as if completing a grand adventure... If you know a bit about music, you'll understand the style I'm describing.
Yes, it's Celtic music.
Celtic music belongs to the Celts, one of Europe's oldest ethnic groups. It sounds quite "ancient," naturally carrying a medieval fantasy vibe, and is often used in modern game soundtracks. Looking at Endfield's new map, with its Nordic culture and exotic flair, it would be strange if it didn't feature Celtic music. Thus, even if you don't understand music, upon entering this map, you will inevitably be infected by this hidden exotic atmosphere, recognizing it as a region distinctly different from Wuling.
Ultimately, the well-paced flow designs, the familiar yet strange Sami-style content, and the Celtic music that firmly binds them together, collectively shape this convincing new map, giving it a true soul.
But... that's not all.
What surprised me even more was reflecting on the map after completing the storyline. In retrospect, I realized it is still part of Wuling.
In the Snow Priest's hut, Yinglong team members from the research station once visited, showing great respect and reverence to this seeker of Sami.
In the confusing forest, messages from Yinglong team members guide lost souls on how to find their way out.
Even in the Old Snow Priest's dream within a dream, you can see supply crates refreshed along the roadside, filled with emergency food produced in Wuling, along with route indicators leading to shelters—all connected to Wuling.
After completing the entire storyline, you'll also encounter many Celestials from Wuling within the map—equally relaxed and carefree. Some are keen on learning Sami Originium Arts, simply so they "won't need a fridge at home anymore"; others lack sportsmanship, claiming to compete in archery with Tiflos but actually winning through written exams... If you look closely, you'll find wonderful details everywhere. Yet, they don't overshadow the inherent atmosphere of the Cedar Forest itself, blending in seamlessly.
In that sense, this truly is Wuling—its unique humanistic temperament is indeed distinctive. The "cyan-green modern Chinese style" is not all there is to Wuling; appearances can be deceiving. As long as the soul remains, new maps will always bring different surprises.
In the latter half of the version, when we enter the map named "Suiming" and see Wuling's buildings frozen in snow, what kind of story and gameplay will Endfield craft based on this environment? Having appreciated the characteristics of the Cedar Forest, I now have new expectations.
