Popular game takes aim at Xi'an history

Bai Xudong enjoyed the best of both worlds during his summer trip to Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province, early last month.

The video game enthusiast from Shandong province found elements from his beloved game CrossFire, featuring a series of tactical first-person shooters, at major scenic spots in the city.

Besides the city's ancient history, the man in his 20s was impressed by a voice-activated "ice screen" device in front of the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, a monument to Buddhist culture and architecture originally built during the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

The screen looked like clear glass, but when activated, it displayed an image of the pagoda that overlapped with the actual pagoda in the distance, creating a layered visual effect.

"When you shout 'summon the dragon', animations appear layer by layer, 'lighting up' the digital pagoda. The louder you shout, the more layers light up," Bai says.

"Each time a layer is lit, a character appears and interacts with the screen and the pagoda behind it. Eventually, you get a dragon spiraling upward, which matches the city's vibe perfectly," he adds.

The screen was part of a series of immersive experiences launched by CrossFire's publisher for the Chinese mainland, Tencent, and Xi'an authorities.

Game elements have been added to an urban cultural route in Xi'an that includes its ancient city wall, Datang Everbright City, which is known for its Tang Dynasty architectural elements, and Yongxingfang, a cultural and shopping complex that hosts a cluster of intangible cultural heritage items, such as shadow puppetry, and gourmet food outlets.

Bai really likes that the bravery and determination of the city's Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) soldiers is finding digital expression, as he feels it allows more young people to engage with and appreciate history and culture.

In addition to the interactive installation near the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, Bai also visited other spots with game elements that led him to interact with vendors and experience culture and food in Yongxingfang, such as roujiamo (Chinese meat sandwich) and biangbiang noodles, a local dish in the province.

"It is sort of like a trendy check-in tour where you visit special spots to interact with your favorite game elements and cosplayers, and receive corresponding rewards while soaking up what the city has to offer," Bai says.

He met many other players gathering outside Datang Everbright City specifically for a photo op with a giant installation incorporating all the game's major elements in a tasteful design.

Xu Guang, general manager of Tencent's interactive entertainment group, says the project with the Xi'an culture and tourism authorities is intended to create sparks between the city's culture and Cross-Fire, leveraging the digital IP's appeal among young people to create an innovative cultural and tourism experience.

First launched on the Chinese mainland in 2008, CrossFire games have more than 40 million active monthly users, Xu says.

"We have seen interactive experiences bring big crowds to tourist attractions in the city," Xu notes.

Fine wine, hidden treasures, poetry and game scenes allow visitors to better experience the vitality and beauty of Xi'an, he adds.

CrossFire has also worked with the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum and created Terracotta Warrior characters, game props and a Terracotta Warrior-themed gameplay map.

"We are trying to create a cross-era journey that will allow the millennia-old cultural treasure and resilient national spirit to continue to be passed down," says Chen Kan, who is in charge of the game's publishing on the Chinese mainland.

In terms of character design, the armor the Terracotta Warriors wear is combined with modern special forces equipment.

Defenders wear black attire as historical records show that the emperor favored the color, deeming it a symbol of royalty.

Characteristics of the heavy armor worn by the Terracotta Warriors have been retained for game characters. The fish-scale armor on the upper body has shoulder shields and the lower half of the uniform incorporates a modern cut and military-style boots that blend historical and contemporary elements, which enhances the character's visual appeal and silhouette, according to the CrossFire development team.

Qin Dynasty patterns, like connected clouds, floral motifs and animal designs, have also been added to enhance the look.

Xu Weihong, a Qin era expert at the Shaanxi Academy of Archaeology, believes the digital culture of the series has had a positive effect on promoting the history and culture of Xi'an.

"It's a commendable exploration and practice of cultural revitalization," she says.

"History is inherently vibrant. An artifact might correspond to an event or person. In its static form, we can only experience a single moment or aspect of history," Xu Weihong adds. "Cross-disciplinary IP collaborations can bring history's multifaceted nature, vibrancy and authenticity to life, transforming abstract concepts into tangible experiences. This offers a new way of enhancing the interest and understanding of young people in history and culture."

However, in terms of content, she stresses that enhancing the dissemination of deep cultural connotations is essential.

"Professional guidance should be required. Additionally, the processing and refinement of materials need greater innovation, with a focus on shaping public curiosity about historical figures and events from the perspective of the humanities," she explains.

South African short-video maker Nico enjoys the game's Chinese elements, like lanterns and dragons.

"I think it's pretty cool," says the man who goes by the moniker "Nico Loves Meat Buns" on short-video platform Douyin with more than 970,000 followers.

"There were many interesting experiences delivered in tandem," he adds.

Nico believes gaming can play an important role. Many cross-border friendships have been created through online gaming and more than a few gamers have picked up foreign languages through the medium.

According to the developers, CrossFire has included a number of Chinese cultural and tourism elements over the years.

In 2020, they worked with Suzhou in Jiangsu province to deliver an immersive experience that involved the city's food, art performances and esports.

In 2022, it worked with the Shanxi culture and tourism authorities and drew inspiration from the image of a raging Yellow River to design a game prop.

Last year, it worked with the Sichuan Opera Troupe and created a series of props featuring Sichuan opera and hotpot images.

Speaking about future developments, Chen says that CrossFire will continue to explore possibilities for the digital IP to feature Chinese cultural elements.

At the same time, the series will continue to update, explore new gameplay integrations and improve the user-generated content platform that pools the creativity of the player community.

"By simplifying the development threshold and increasing support measures, the UGC platform aims to provide creators with greater space for innovation," Chen says.