At night, a wave of casual players—frustrated after being crushed by the game—poured into major livestream platforms and video sites looking for walkthroughs.
To be honest, 'Kenshin' was challenging, but nowhere near unreasonable. Still, you can always count on gamers to plumb new depths of "noobness."
Balancing difficulty in a game is notoriously hard—make it too difficult, and players quit; too easy, and they get bored fast.
But 'Rurouni Kenshin' had the support of tens of millions of movie fans. Many people bought the game mainly to experience the story; the gameplay itself was secondary. But if you can't beat the bosses, the story can't move forward either.
That night, the buzz around 'Kenshin' skyrocketed in the gaming community. On various livestream platforms, game streamers with decent skills and full-game playthroughs saw noticeable increases in viewer numbers.
And this wasn't just happening in Great Zhou, but overseas as well.
The next morning, Jing Yu sat in his office with a serious expression, waiting for something. Thirty minutes later, his assistant arrived with the first-day sales figures for the 'Rurouni Kenshin' game.
Global Sunday sales totaled 1.2 million copies.
Jing Yu's face remained calm upon seeing the numbers, while the head of the game division, who had entered with the assistant, nervously watched his reaction.
Was he disappointed?
But 'Kenshin' wasn't like 'Fate/Zero', where the game launched shortly after the drama aired, boosting sales significantly. 'Kenshin' was a sequel game released five or six years later. A first-day total of over a million copies—what more could the boss want? It's not like he expects to instantly turn into a goldmine.
This was already the second-best first-day sales figure for any game released in the second half of the year.
The division head was filled with doubt.
After pondering for a moment, Jing Yu finally spoke.
"Well done. I'm satisfied with this result." He offered some reassurance to his team.
It wasn't that he found the results lacking—far from it. Breaking a million on day one was impressive. But for someone like Jing Yu, whose company regularly dealt with financial flows in the hundreds of millions, sometimes even over a billion per month, a first-day income of 50–60 million after platform cuts wasn't enough to move him emotionally.
Especially considering that during the peak of 'Ultraman' and 'Gundam SEED' merchandise sales and overseas licensing, the company was making tens of millions in daily profit.
The division head, relieved, began his detailed presentation.
He cited the first-day numbers, estimating total sales to exceed ten million, making 'Kenshin' the third game this year to cross that milestone.
He also argued that the success of this action RPG would greatly enhance the company's gaming brand, laying the groundwork for next year's 'Pokémon' and 'Yu-Gi-Oh!' Games.
Jing Yu already knew all this, but still listened patiently.
"Alright, I got it." He smiled and dismissed the employee.
Once alone, Jing Yu opened his browser to review player feedback on the game.
Rating: 9.4. In terms of story, Rurouni Kenshin faced little criticism from fans of the movie. After all, the female lead, Yukishiro, had already died, and the game avoided romance subplots, focusing more on intense battles—more in line with today's market tastes.
Of course, there were some criticisms:
The game was too difficult and made people want to quit.
Some fans were upset Kenshin had ambiguous moments with other women—betraying Yukishiro.
But overall, with its multi-billion yuan budget and high production values, Kenshin was considered a success.
By late November, the game had impressed industry insiders globally.
Its story couldn't be copied—those came down to the writing. But its gameplay innovations caught attention.
Some mechanics were common in Jing Yu's previous life, but to gamers in Great Zhou, they felt fresh and new. These "innovations" were emphasized in the next day's gaming media coverage, spreading rapidly.
The first-day sales were only the beginning. Movie fans would mostly show up on Day 1; long-term performance would depend on the game's own merit.
'Kenshin' had around 20+ hours of content for skilled players. Most average gamers spent hours just clearing one stage.
Realistically, with 7–8 hours of daily play, it wasn't until the third day after launch that many reached the final chapter.
Looking back, it was a feast of Wuxia action:
Kenshin and Kaoru's growing bond…
The dual-blade Aoshi Shinomori appeared…
An epic showdown with the ultimate boss, Shishio and his Ten Swords…
Sanosuke learning two-tier and three-tier Qi strikes with the monk…
Life-and-death battles between masters and disciples…
And finally, the nightmare fights against the Sword Saint—tense duels where one mistake meant instant failure…
Only after intense struggle could players unlock the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu sword techniques, defeating the final bosses breathtakingly.
Fans described the experience:
"So this is what it feels like to stand at the top. I'm too good—I actually beat it."
"Tears. It took me 30 hours. Shishio is insane. That flaming sword eats half your health with one hit."
"It felt like I was watching a martial arts film. Every movement was clean and precise. Absolutely stunning."
"The last two bosses—no room for error. One mistake and you're done. That's real high-level combat."
"Honestly, I cried at the end. I fought hard to beat them, but I respected their beliefs and personalities. Especially the Sword Saint—his backstory really hit me."
"Best martial arts game I've ever played. No question."
There were still some flaws:
Hit feedback could improve.
Some background transitions were torn during Chapter 4.
But overall, the difficulty, story, and gameplay depth were top-tier.
"Game of the Year."
"Hold on—don't jinx it. I agree it's amazing, but in the first three days, it sold 2.9 million. It ranks fourth this year. 'Firefly Blaze 7' broke 4 million."
"Awards aren't about sales alone. They also look at reputation and innovation. 'Firefly Blaze' is a 15-year franchise with over 90 million in lifetime sales—unfair comparison."
"Still, I believe 'Kenshin' has a shot. I've played all the games that broke 10 million this year. 'Kenshin' is the most fun."
"Let's just not jinx it. Angry fans from other games could tank 'Kenshin's reputation if we brag too much."
"Will there be a sequel? I'm lost after finishing the first run."
"Why are you even here? Go start a second playthrough—or challenge Kenshin's master!"
"Nah, screw that. I trained for three hours and couldn't last a minute against his master. Too OP."
By the third day, fan discussions exploded across all forums—not just gaming ones.
Debates over whether Kenshin and Kaoru's relationship betrayed Yukishiro.
Where to buy reverse blade sword merch.
Character breakdowns for Shishio, the monk, and others.
The Sword Saint is becoming the second most popular character among female fans.
The first? Obviously, Kenshin, who shared Jing Yu's face.
More and more fans, still emotionally charged after finishing the game, started aggressively promoting it online.
Many even flooded the official website of Bluestar Media & Film demanding a sequel.
Meanwhile, the game's sales soared—over 4 million in the first week.
That said, like movies, most game sales spike in the first two weeks, accounting for half of total revenue.
Bluestar began new marketing pushes, and Jing Yu himself emerged from his passive mode, actively attending domestic gaming expos to promote the game.
Domestic fans were far more fanatical than international ones.
When Jing Yu appeared in live-action Kenshin cosplay, he became the spotlight of every event. For two weeks, Kenshin and Jing Yu dominated the headlines.
He demonstrated Kenshin's various sword moves at every exhibition.
Of course, the swordplay looked cool in-game due to flashy effects and mechanics—not something a normal human could replicate. Still, Jing Yu's effort kept hype levels high during the second week.
But that's about all it could do. Hype marketing only lasts so long. Two weeks in, everyone who wanted to buy had already done so.
Once Kenshin passed 7.5 million units sold, daily sales leveled off, settling at 100–200k per day.
However, Bluestar's real gain wasn't just revenue—it was reputation.
Unlike 'Fate/Zero', which sold mainly on TV drama hype despite average gameplay, 'Kenshin' stood on its own. Even players who'd never watched the movie still gave it high ratings.
Both fans and insiders recognized Bluestar's serious game development chops.
Now, expectations shifted toward the company's two upcoming mega-games—'Pokémon' and 'Yu-Gi-Oh!'—each with investments exceeding 300 million.
Given that 'Kenshin' only cost 200 million to make, people began to wonder:
"Will these new games surpass 'Kenshin'?"
After all, Jing Yu had proven repeatedly that the more he invested, the better the results—a record with zero failures.
He even said in interviews that every project's budget was based on projected success and returns.
If Jing Yu had the same sharp instincts in gaming as he did in film and TV, then 'Pokémon' and 'Yu-Gi-Oh!' could seriously shake up the industry.