In recent years, while browsing online, I've often wondered if I'd crossed a temporal singularity into some kind of "nostalgia server." Scrolling through recommendations on various streaming platforms, the homepage is rarely filled with the latest memes, movies, or games. Instead, it's dominated by older classics.
The platform's algorithms seem to have figured out my preferences. The trendiest extraction shooters no longer appear in my feed, replaced by linear RPGs with pixel graphics and millions of words of text. Viral hits dominating Douyin and Kuaishou, like "The Drop Tower," never show up in my daily recommendations; instead, music apps serve me classic singles by JJ Lin or Jay Chou. Rather than new dramas featuring young actors trying to look youthful, video sites prefer recommending classics like "Ming Dynasty in 1566" or iconic TVB series such as "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" and "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils."
In fact, the character that left the deepest impression on me last year was none other than the idiom master, living embodiment of Tian Ji, chosen unlucky guy, known as the Xing Daorong of the Song Dynasty, and Qiao Feng's remote control—the Western Monk Jiumozhi from the '97 version of the old "Tianlong."
Whenever this unfortunate soul tried to show off and question the prowess of the Central Plains martial arts world, the man with his own background music would appear and thoroughly beat him up. Although only three people in the entire martial world could defeat him, Jiumozhi somehow managed to have all three stand against him simultaneously—Wait, I'm taking on the entire martial world of the Song Dynasty? For real?
Yet, this seemingly comical villain earned top-tier acclaim throughout the series. To this day, countless fans create fan art and content featuring him, often propelling him inexplicably to the top of platform-wide rankings. In today's film and entertainment industry, a character maintaining discussion momentum until year-end is considered a huge success, but this character, over two decades old, remains fresh and resilient—a true marvel.
This phenomenon is partly due to Jin Yong's brilliant portrayal of Jiumozhi as a martial arts obsessive who broke rules for his craft but never killed, as well as Mr. Li Guolin's profound acting skills. Ultimately, however, our nostalgia for Jiumozhi and the old "Tianlong" goes beyond remembering classic characters and plots; we are mostly reminiscing about our own past. What we cherish are those youthful days spent in front of bulky CRT TVs, watching broadcasts, breathing on VCD cases to clean them, viewing with family, or heatedly discussing with friends.
Recently, we "nostalgia enthusiasts" received some great news—Mr. Li Guolin, now 71 years old and famous for his role as Jiumozhi, has returned to the spotlight!
Where?
The answer lies in the "rebirth" of the classic "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" PC game, "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils: Returns," which opens for public beta on July 25th.
This nostalgia-driven game hasn't rested on its past laurels; instead, it has received investment comparable to a brand-new title. The recent pre-launch events for the open beta clearly demonstrate Changyou's high expectations for "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils: Returns." As mentioned earlier, Mr. Li Guolin, still sharp as ever, returned to the Jianghu halfway through the pre-beta period, donning his familiar monk robes to challenge players.
Subsequently, starting July 22nd, "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils: Returns" held grand open beta celebrations in Wuyuan, Xi'an, and Hangzhou. Against the picturesque landscapes described by Jin Yong, the glow of iron flower fireworks and "water fire pots" illuminated the entire river. Majestic music accompanied the emblems of major martial arts sects soaring through the night sky. The journey of the "Tianlong" series over more than a decade unfolded like a scroll across a curtain formed by a thousand drones, with the IDs of community ambassadors flashing in the air.
At the climax, a giant dragon symbolizing the rebirth of "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" flew out from a "Time-Space Gate" formed by drone swarms. Accompanied by bursting fireworks, it announced the grand opening of the July 25th open beta... Only truly blockbuster titles deserve such a magnificent entrance.
What prestige, what a surprise! This is "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils: Returns'" most sincere tribute to its players.
However, no matter how spectacular the launch celebration is, "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils: Returns" is ultimately a game. When evaluating a game's quality, we cannot rely solely on nostalgia—the game itself must be excellent. In this regard, "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils: Returns" has not disappointed us.
As I mentioned earlier, "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils: Returns" is not one of those half-hearted "so-called nostalgia servers." It fully retains classic gameplay elements like the Old Three Rings, trade runs, and map grinding, while perfectly restoring the original nine major sects. This ensures players can rediscover their initial excitement the moment they log in. Furthermore, expanded servers supporting tens of thousands of players guarantee a smooth, lag-free experience for every returning "Tianlong" player.
More importantly, as versions evolved over more than a decade, "New Tianlong" gradually introduced numerous progression systems like Baojian and Tiandao. While these added depth to character builds, they significantly increased cultivation costs, deterring returning players. Fortunately, in "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils: Returns," you don't need to worry about these issues. "Returns" retains only the most basic progression lines—equipment, gems, and mental cultivation methods—making character strength straightforward and intuitive, ensuring every player enjoys an authentic experience.
Moreover, do you remember the unique gameplay where free-to-play and low-spending players capped at level 69 to narrow the gear gap and enhance PK enjoyment? In "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils: Returns," this classic level-capping mechanic has been inherited and optimized. Now, with level 69 gems capped at tier 5, the stat disparity between capped players is further reduced, ensuring greater competitive fairness. Additionally, the developers offer these players the benefit of purchasing three refined stats directly with Jiaozi (in-game currency) at ultra-low prices, allowing even tier 1 refined stats to be crafted into "Deep Blue Great Eight-Star" items.
Of course, "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils: Returns" hasn't strictly adhered to the original gameplay. It has introduced modern features like the Water Prison dungeon, which incorporates roguelike elements by randomly providing special affixes upon clearing levels, allowing for flexible build combinations. There's also the new "Escort Journey" escort mission, focusing on unstructured, fun-filled outdoor brawls, and a maze treasure hunt filled with random events. While recapturing the nostalgia, players should also try these updated features, which promise fresh experiences and new challenges.
Even if you wish to avoid the Jianghu's conflicts and prefer a peaceful life of chopping wood, farming, fishing, or mining, "Returns" has significantly boosted outputs for all lifestyle activities. Fishing and farming can now "burst" with gold and large amounts of Jiaozi. These resources can be directly exchanged in the Jiaozi Shop for core growth materials like Golden Silk and Soul-Nourishing Stones, which previously required intense grinding or heavy spending... With such efficient yields, I could happily fish by the river all day long.
Beyond the content itself, "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils: Returns" has implemented numerous modern improvements to its systems. The players who once grinded dungeons and ran trade missions together are now likely established with families and careers. In the official video titled "Why Did You Stop Playing Tianlong?", most departing players hadn't lost their passion for the game. However, as adults with heavier responsibilities and more people to care for, they reluctantly had to let go of their pursuit of character progression in "Tianlong" and gradually quit.
"Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils: Returns," designed for veteran players, keenly addressed this issue—their solution is "reduce burden, not content." The Dragon Dungeon, which once required 3 to 4 hours of high investment for high returns, can now be completed in just 10 minutes. Even solo players can easily reap rewards without dedicating excessive time.
Meanwhile, tasks in the "Old Tianlong" that consumed significant player time through repetitive labor, such as sect missions, guild tasks, map grinding, treasure digging, and escorting, no longer require manual execution. Now, you simply click in the UI, and the system automatically performs the corresponding tasks, enabling one-click idle grinding.
Even in multiplayer dungeons, players can comfortably "idle and grind." Only the party leader needs to initiate combat, while other members can free their hands and let the system handle the fighting, without worrying about missed or misplaced skills causing a team wipe. Players can redirect the saved time and energy toward core gameplay aspects like socializing, PK, and high-difficulty raid dungeons. They can also run a few sessions during fragmented time, such as breaks at work or lunch, to earn rewards anytime, anywhere.
Furthermore, the developers have promised to implement a "Sky Eye System" to crack down on studios and other behaviors that disrupt the game's economic balance. This ensures that resources earned through players' hard work retain their value, rather than being devalued by inflation caused by gold-farming bots...
There used to be a saying: young people trade time for money, while middle-aged people trade money for time. Now, "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils: Returns" tells you that if the developer is generous enough, both "time" and "money" can be given away for free.
The above only covers the reduced workload in terms of "operations." Regarding your "wallet," this title offers significant concessions: all equipment now comes with three socket slots by default, eliminating the need for extra materials or fees to add sockets. Gems, enhancements, and engravings on equipment can be transferred instantly without loss, so players no longer need to worry about inheriting enhancements when upgrading gear.
Additionally, to ensure these sockets are well-utilized, the developers are offering massive gem benefits during the launch period. In the first month alone, they will give away 60 tier 3 gems, ensuring players can achieve "full tier 3, socket tier 4" within the first month—meaning all sockets will have at least tier 3 gems, with key equipment capable of holding tier 4 gems.
While saying "full tier 3, socket tier 4" sounds easy now, back in the day, players of the old Tianlong either spent heavily or grinded exhaustively, raising multiple alt accounts to support one main—a goal impossible for casual players to achieve... In "Returns," however, all players can achieve this target at zero cost.
That's not all. Veteran players surely remember the expensive "Chonglou Shoulder" armor from the old "Tianlong." Back then, countless people spent fortunes trying to obtain it—actually, a fortune wasn't even enough; any single "Chonglou" item cost tens of thousands. Now, in "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils: Returns," the authentic, untouched "Chonglou Shoulder" is given away just for signing in.
Honestly, this feels somewhat similar to the neighboring game's "login to get the Fire Qilin, accessible to everyone" promotion. The inherent rarity of this equipment will undoubtedly diminish due to this direct sign-in reward—but... so what? Being able to experience top-tier gear in my most familiar game, something I wouldn't have dared to dream of before, is enticing enough in itself.
Honestly, just for the chance to claim the once-elusive "Chonglou Shoulder" armor set for free, I couldn't miss the July 25th open beta. At noon on that day, the game's four launch servers—"Tianlong Returns," "Half-City Smoke and Sand," "Reunion in Jianghu," and "Immortal Couple Romance"—will go live. Interested players can jump in immediately to retrace their Jianghu journey with friends from back in the day. Meanwhile, the game's official WeChat account and website will host share-to-win events, and followers can receive a bundle of server launch gift codes, giving everyone a head start upon returning.
If you miss the first wave of server launches, don't worry—at 7 PM, two more servers, "Forbidden Peak" and "Number One Under Heaven," will open, ensuring every player eager for Jianghu adventures can join in the fun.
In fact, as a series with a large, stable player base and high IP value, "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" could have easily rested on its current achievements and coasted through the next decade. But perhaps the spirit of Jianghu lies in the boldness to take risks. They chose to boldly combine nostalgia with innovation, launching "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils: Returns," which incorporates eighteen years of accumulation from the series. We need not worry that "Tianlong" has grown old; upon its "Return," we will rejuvenate alongside this Jianghu world.