What really hurt me about Atul's departure was my later realization "wait, he probably SWAM to the Everdoor so he wouldn't inconvenience me with the detour"
i honestly just discovered this some days ago... it's probably my fifth playthrough. i just wanted to see what materials they'd give you back. but nice that you actually can't...the ship would look so sad
I really like the fact that the story about stella moving on starts before you end every spirits stories. Some of the later story lines are alot harder to get through and require more grinding, but i think that is intentional. For me the game went from pretty happy with some deeply sad goodbyes, to actually depressing (in a good way) when atul leaves. He has been there since the very start and is your rock and point of stability when everyone else around you is coming and going. His silent departure made a shift into the boat feeling empty it got to a point where i litteraly could not handle playing the game because my boat became such an emotionally charged place. Every time i picked up the game i would see one of the many empty houses and start crying. Which was perfectly timed because right when i got to that point was the moment i got the option to let stella move on. I never finished the rest of the quests in the game, but im happy with that. This game had such an amazing impact on my life, and it gave me the option to leave it behind when i felt ready, and i think that is a part of the message it tries to convey. Which is why I believe they added the more grindy quests to the late game so that everyone can spend the exact amount of time they need in this game. Everyone decides what they leave behind and when they do it.
By the point i got bruce and mickey on my boat, i had already embraced the way of thinking that stella clearly has. Even though they were difficult and annoying at times, i loved them and wanted to help them through their struggles. It took a bit longer for me to get overwhelmed by the spirits i had on the boat and more importantly those i didnt. That was the point where i felt stellas journey was done.
I'd never made those connections about Atul's depression and the way he left. But what you said makes perfect sense and is way more heart breaking. Man, very time I watch a video about this game I think I'll be fine, but just thinking about playing it makes me really emotional. This really is such a special game. I'm glad you did a video on it! Also "lol Judy Hopps idk" absolutely killed me! That was so dumb funny. XD
I know that in some point during the last part of his dinner quest, you see his mood drop one last time. When I played it, it dropped right before it faded to white, and that just made it hit so much harder. And i'm glad you appreciated the Judy Hopps bit ahaha, I was trying to think of an appropriate clip from a movie that would fit, so i picked that one and did all the text...and then realised Judy Hopps was just kind of...there...
I didnt think Atul commited suicide but rather an implication that his passing in life was sudden, he may have had a heart attack from his boisterous lifestyle along with the stress of his depression. I saw him wandering off too far to be helped by his loved ones and as such, no one got closure. I don't know which interpretation is easier to come to terms with.
It's said in the wiki, among other sources, that he disappeared without a trace and was never found again. No body, nothing. It's almost certainly suicide. His clearly deteriorating emotional state led me, and many others, to interpret this as an indicator of self harm
@@CurmudgeonMedia and his departure still bloody hurts so bad especially cause ya get so attached to him and his upbeat attitude. I loved frog uncle. He made me smile through out the game.
Amazing video, I loved how you got the emotions across that the game probably makes everyone feel, the feeling of loss and the memories are just there I love this game And I really hope this video motivates a lot of people to play it too! Great work
I started this game back in December of 2022 after seeing Discord's official channel post a video about it. The game looked interesting, but at the time, I didn't know the meaning behind it, until I had sent Gwen through the Everdoor. I slowly realized what this game's deeper meaning was, and let me tell you, it was extremely impactful to me, in a fantastic way. It was the only game I could play for the longest time. I unfortunately took a break for awhile and only recently started playing again. This game really has changed me and how I view a lot of thing about life, and life as a whole. And I just wanted to say thank you for making this amazing video
Hey I actually only played this game because my partner Kitto mentioned you were making a video on it and recommended it! I cannot stress how much I loved it. Felt like playing a Studio Ghibli film. I'm glad I played it when I did because not long after a close family member's cancer returned. It's an incredibly tough time but playing this game helped bring me some solace. So thank you Tom the video is great x
It's interesting you should say this, because I lost a family member to cancer about a week before posting this video. This video was extremely personal to me. I'm very glad it, and the game, resonated with you as well
I just got 100% on spiritfarer today. And dead god, this game made me bawl my eyes out. It's such a soft, yet hard hitting game. It's painful, yet it's my favorite game
Ive never found something thats inspired me and changed me more than spiritfarer. I honesty think it effected me so much, its such an important game to me so seeing others love it always makes me feel happy ♡
Gosh thank you so much for this video! When Atul disappeared it hit me so muh more than I expected and seeing your points made me put two and two together and mannnnnn this game is good ;-;
I took years to finish the game, more because of the intense farming requirements and similar stuff (and also because I locked progression with Bruce that delayed some upgrades); but, even then, when I finally finished it this year it just broke me. Atul had remained in the ship with me since I started the game back in 2021, and how he left was painfully similar to how a family friend left us when I was a teenager; Jackie hit very close to home, with his worries and internal conflicts; Stanley's childish worries just destroyed me, and Gustav's leaving after such a long time, with those hugs he gave me, felt like watching that cool professor you had go away. It's a very kind game, which can make you cry a lot, but never because it's trying to hurt or cheaply tear-jerk you: instead, it speaks from the heart, and that's why it hits so hard. Thanks for the vid, Curmudgeon!
@@CurmudgeonMedia Hahah I mean it is a perfect visual, and one that most people know even if they haven’t seen the full movie since they used that bit in the trailer so much!! But yeah Judy is also there! 😂
Really a top-notch video and I wish it had more views. I just finished the game over the weekend, and have been watching related video content about the game. I loved your video's focus on Atul as he is really the deepest and most complicated character in the narrative. Since he is one of the first spirits you pick up, I naturally assumed he was kind of the "easy mode" character since he likes pretty much everything and is really helpful to have around. Later characters obviously get much more picky and require more direct attention. However, as you point out, Atul's story actually ends up really dark, and his unexpected exit at the conclusion of his story was an absolute gut punch. At that point I was just feeding him whatever I had a lot of, giving him the occasional hug, and taking for granted that I could always easily bump him to ecstatic phase where he would play the flute and improve the mood of my more difficult spirits. I didn't realize I was just taking him from granted and what was happening until he was just suddenly gone - which was EXACTLY the point of this character. Tremendous work on their part and on yours for calling it out. Just as an aside - you might want to include "analysis" or "critique" in the video title to help discoverability. I didn't find it until about my third or fourth search sweep as "Spiritfarer" is literally the only searchable word with which to find your video. Wishing your channel all the best going forward.
hey dude, thanks for the thoughtful comment and the tip for the title! it's always interesting for me reading other folks' experience of the game and the characters therein, and knowing my video connected with people is more important to me than views--but I'll definitely be popping an extra word in there for discoverability aha
i had the joy of playing this game before i'd experienced the loss of pretty much anyone close to me and it still hit me hard, literally life-changing and makes me feel better any time i have a bit of existential dread. now that i have lost someone close to me, and armed with a little more knowledge going into it, i'm going to need to replay the game soon so i can feel that comfort again. amazing video, rarely do i see an analysis of the themes of a game that actually delves into how the gameplay tells those themes as well, but it's vitally important for this game. one day i'll make a video of my own but for now i'm glad i have this one :)
Beautiful video brother, I LOVED this game and made me feel very sad when I played it but it also taught me a lot of things. I really think that you captured the soul of the game and were able to put it in this video! greetings from Argentina
Absolutely brilliant video, couldn't have said it better myself if I tried. thanks. Only thing I would add is that I personally don't see the connection with Atul and suicide - There's nothing in the game that leads to that conclusion and the only source of Atul's depression in the game is the lack of his family and loved ones, not a prior sense of dread.
it's just my reading. canonically, atul went missing and was never found. i'm not sure how else that could be read than suicide, especially in conjunction with his behavioral patterns. "While Stella was still in Europe in her early twenties, Atul disappeared without a trace. This was a great shock to Stella, and she never truly learned what had happened to him", pulled from the wiki
I'm in the middle of my second playthrough of the final update/editoon of the game. Even though I knew about Atul, it still hit me like a truck both times.
Honestly i was kind of surprised you said that you tried to destroy the houses of those you brought to the everdoor. I never even thought of trying that.
I had an idea to finally get into TH-cam with a bit deep dive into spiritfarer, seems someone beat me to the punch by a few months, guess I gotta stop putting it into my backlog every few months
You should still make the video. I feel like I only really scratch the surface with this video, since it's intended as an analysis of a specific part of the game's thematics. There's still yet to be a TOTALLY comprehensive breakdown, and you should be the person to make it. It's good to be conscious of what other creators are putting out, but there's always room for addition.
Nice video but i wish u explained what Stanley, Daria and Buck are? Why did Stanley come out from a seed unlike the rest of the characters? Why is buck the only spirit that we cant take to the Everdoor? Why was Daria locked in a hospital?
I love this game so much, but I haven't actually beaten it because the music puts me to sleep if I'm even the slightest bit tired so its taking me forever to complete lmao
What really hurt me about Atul's departure was my later realization "wait, he probably SWAM to the Everdoor so he wouldn't inconvenience me with the detour"
It never came to my mind salvage the spirits homes.
And now, I'm crying again.
I don't even think you can. I just finished it and it always says 'unsalvageble'
i honestly just discovered this some days ago... it's probably my fifth playthrough. i just wanted to see what materials they'd give you back.
but nice that you actually can't...the ship would look so sad
Alice crushed me. Reminded me too much of my grandmother's passing. Dementia is difficult.
I really like the fact that the story about stella moving on starts before you end every spirits stories. Some of the later story lines are alot harder to get through and require more grinding, but i think that is intentional.
For me the game went from pretty happy with some deeply sad goodbyes, to actually depressing (in a good way) when atul leaves. He has been there since the very start and is your rock and point of stability when everyone else around you is coming and going. His silent departure made a shift into the boat feeling empty
it got to a point where i litteraly could not handle playing the game because my boat became such an emotionally charged place. Every time i picked up the game i would see one of the many empty houses and start crying. Which was perfectly timed because right when i got to that point was the moment i got the option to let stella move on.
I never finished the rest of the quests in the game, but im happy with that. This game had such an amazing impact on my life, and it gave me the option to leave it behind when i felt ready, and i think that is a part of the message it tries to convey.
Which is why I believe they added the more grindy quests to the late game so that everyone can spend the exact amount of time they need in this game. Everyone decides what they leave behind and when they do it.
By the point i got bruce and mickey on my boat, i had already embraced the way of thinking that stella clearly has. Even though they were difficult and annoying at times, i loved them and wanted to help them through their struggles. It took a bit longer for me to get overwhelmed by the spirits i had on the boat and more importantly those i didnt. That was the point where i felt stellas journey was done.
Wasn't expecting to start crying in under five minutes but here we are
I'd never made those connections about Atul's depression and the way he left. But what you said makes perfect sense and is way more heart breaking. Man, very time I watch a video about this game I think I'll be fine, but just thinking about playing it makes me really emotional. This really is such a special game. I'm glad you did a video on it!
Also "lol Judy Hopps idk" absolutely killed me! That was so dumb funny. XD
I know that in some point during the last part of his dinner quest, you see his mood drop one last time. When I played it, it dropped right before it faded to white, and that just made it hit so much harder.
And i'm glad you appreciated the Judy Hopps bit ahaha, I was trying to think of an appropriate clip from a movie that would fit, so i picked that one and did all the text...and then realised Judy Hopps was just kind of...there...
Thats why Spiritfarer is my favorite game
Your analysis of Atul was so heartbreaking and real, I'd honestly be interested in a video of you going through the story of every passenger
I've been incredibly depressed lately and especially today, randomly found this video, glad I did, thank you
thank you for watching, and thank you for leaving such a meaningful comment. take care
I didnt think Atul commited suicide but rather an implication that his passing in life was sudden, he may have had a heart attack from his boisterous lifestyle along with the stress of his depression. I saw him wandering off too far to be helped by his loved ones and as such, no one got closure. I don't know which interpretation is easier to come to terms with.
It's said in the wiki, among other sources, that he disappeared without a trace and was never found again. No body, nothing. It's almost certainly suicide. His clearly deteriorating emotional state led me, and many others, to interpret this as an indicator of self harm
@@CurmudgeonMedia and his departure still bloody hurts so bad especially cause ya get so attached to him and his upbeat attitude. I loved frog uncle. He made me smile through out the game.
Amazing video, I loved how you got the emotions across that the game probably makes everyone feel, the feeling of loss and the memories are just there I love this game
And I really hope this video motivates a lot of people to play it too!
Great work
thanks so much!
I started this game back in December of 2022 after seeing Discord's official channel post a video about it. The game looked interesting, but at the time, I didn't know the meaning behind it, until I had sent Gwen through the Everdoor. I slowly realized what this game's deeper meaning was, and let me tell you, it was extremely impactful to me, in a fantastic way. It was the only game I could play for the longest time. I unfortunately took a break for awhile and only recently started playing again. This game really has changed me and how I view a lot of thing about life, and life as a whole. And I just wanted to say thank you for making this amazing video
Hey I actually only played this game because my partner Kitto mentioned you were making a video on it and recommended it! I cannot stress how much I loved it. Felt like playing a Studio Ghibli film. I'm glad I played it when I did because not long after a close family member's cancer returned. It's an incredibly tough time but playing this game helped bring me some solace. So thank you Tom the video is great x
It's interesting you should say this, because I lost a family member to cancer about a week before posting this video. This video was extremely personal to me. I'm very glad it, and the game, resonated with you as well
I just got 100% on spiritfarer today. And dead god, this game made me bawl my eyes out. It's such a soft, yet hard hitting game. It's painful, yet it's my favorite game
Ive never found something thats inspired me and changed me more than spiritfarer. I honesty think it effected me so much, its such an important game to me so seeing others love it always makes me feel happy ♡
Gosh thank you so much for this video! When Atul disappeared it hit me so muh more than I expected and seeing your points made me put two and two together and mannnnnn this game is good ;-;
I took years to finish the game, more because of the intense farming requirements and similar stuff (and also because I locked progression with Bruce that delayed some upgrades); but, even then, when I finally finished it this year it just broke me. Atul had remained in the ship with me since I started the game back in 2021, and how he left was painfully similar to how a family friend left us when I was a teenager; Jackie hit very close to home, with his worries and internal conflicts; Stanley's childish worries just destroyed me, and Gustav's leaving after such a long time, with those hugs he gave me, felt like watching that cool professor you had go away.
It's a very kind game, which can make you cry a lot, but never because it's trying to hurt or cheaply tear-jerk you: instead, it speaks from the heart, and that's why it hits so hard. Thanks for the vid, Curmudgeon!
Honestly I've never once though about dismantling any of the homes. Even if we could I just...I couldn't.
11:48 “Atul being chill” & “Judy Hopps lol idk” freaking killed me oh my god
@@Alskasaur I conceived of the visual without accounting for the fact that Judy Hopps was also there and was just like "oh shi what do i do" 😭
@@CurmudgeonMedia Hahah I mean it is a perfect visual, and one that most people know even if they haven’t seen the full movie since they used that bit in the trailer so much!! But yeah Judy is also there! 😂
Really a top-notch video and I wish it had more views. I just finished the game over the weekend, and have been watching related video content about the game. I loved your video's focus on Atul as he is really the deepest and most complicated character in the narrative. Since he is one of the first spirits you pick up, I naturally assumed he was kind of the "easy mode" character since he likes pretty much everything and is really helpful to have around. Later characters obviously get much more picky and require more direct attention. However, as you point out, Atul's story actually ends up really dark, and his unexpected exit at the conclusion of his story was an absolute gut punch. At that point I was just feeding him whatever I had a lot of, giving him the occasional hug, and taking for granted that I could always easily bump him to ecstatic phase where he would play the flute and improve the mood of my more difficult spirits. I didn't realize I was just taking him from granted and what was happening until he was just suddenly gone - which was EXACTLY the point of this character. Tremendous work on their part and on yours for calling it out.
Just as an aside - you might want to include "analysis" or "critique" in the video title to help discoverability. I didn't find it until about my third or fourth search sweep as "Spiritfarer" is literally the only searchable word with which to find your video. Wishing your channel all the best going forward.
hey dude, thanks for the thoughtful comment and the tip for the title! it's always interesting for me reading other folks' experience of the game and the characters therein, and knowing my video connected with people is more important to me than views--but I'll definitely be popping an extra word in there for discoverability aha
When you see the jelly swarm again for the first time since sending Gwen off and you realize she's not here to react to them with you
Great video, I wanna play this game now! This channel will be huge one day 💛
thanks for the kind words, glad you enjoyed!
i had the joy of playing this game before i'd experienced the loss of pretty much anyone close to me and it still hit me hard, literally life-changing and makes me feel better any time i have a bit of existential dread. now that i have lost someone close to me, and armed with a little more knowledge going into it, i'm going to need to replay the game soon so i can feel that comfort again.
amazing video, rarely do i see an analysis of the themes of a game that actually delves into how the gameplay tells those themes as well, but it's vitally important for this game. one day i'll make a video of my own but for now i'm glad i have this one :)
one thing I forgot to say good video as always.
Thank you for this video
thank YOU for watching!
What an incredible video. To anyone thinking of trying Spiritfarer, go for it. It’s a beautiful game and the maker of this video did it justice.
thanks for this tom ❤️
I've yet to play the game but after hearing you talk about it I really wanna try it out. Great art as always 👍
I didn’t know this game existed but now I am dieing to play it
fr you totally should, it gave me many FEELINGS
Beautiful video brother, I LOVED this game and made me feel very sad when I played it but it also taught me a lot of things. I really think that you captured the soul of the game and were able to put it in this video! greetings from Argentina
This video has made an impact on me and I want to be the best person I can be being nice not insulting anyone and doing anything for people ❤
Such a beautiful video! I’ll love to see another video about all the characters
This video deserves more!!
A fantastic video, for a fantastic game. Well done! 😄
Absolutely brilliant video, couldn't have said it better myself if I tried. thanks.
Only thing I would add is that I personally don't see the connection with Atul and suicide - There's nothing in the game that leads to that conclusion and the only source of Atul's depression in the game is the lack of his family and loved ones, not a prior sense of dread.
it's just my reading. canonically, atul went missing and was never found. i'm not sure how else that could be read than suicide, especially in conjunction with his behavioral patterns.
"While Stella was still in Europe in her early twenties, Atul disappeared without a trace. This was a great shock to Stella, and she never truly learned what had happened to him", pulled from the wiki
I liked the vid. Nice editing.
I'm in the middle of my second playthrough of the final update/editoon of the game. Even though I knew about Atul, it still hit me like a truck both times.
Honestly i was kind of surprised you said that you tried to destroy the houses of those you brought to the everdoor. I never even thought of trying that.
Found the game accidentaly, played it, cried, came here
This is such a good video
One mention of atul and I am already crying T-T
Well said.
Thanks!
I finished this a month ago and I still think about it. Also I kept Atul hostage all the way til the end lol
I had an idea to finally get into TH-cam with a bit deep dive into spiritfarer, seems someone beat me to the punch by a few months, guess I gotta stop putting it into my backlog every few months
You should still make the video. I feel like I only really scratch the surface with this video, since it's intended as an analysis of a specific part of the game's thematics. There's still yet to be a TOTALLY comprehensive breakdown, and you should be the person to make it. It's good to be conscious of what other creators are putting out, but there's always room for addition.
Thanks, Just mainly got to get around to finishing it, I keep putting the game down every few months
Another game that teaches you about accepting the end of things is "Outer Wilds", gratly recommended.
Dammit I'm crying again; why'd you have to talk about Atul FUJJUUUUUUUUCKCKCNCN
i'm still cryin bout Atul
Nice video but i wish u explained what Stanley, Daria and Buck are? Why did Stanley come out from a seed unlike the rest of the characters? Why is buck the only spirit that we cant take to the Everdoor? Why was Daria locked in a hospital?
@@zal5752 the wiki answers all these questions. The purpose of this video is not to explain the lore of Spiritfarer
I love this game so much, but I haven't actually beaten it because the music puts me to sleep if I'm even the slightest bit tired so its taking me forever to complete lmao
That's so valid lmao, the music is beautiful. There are a couple of tracks that play right at the end and I can't hear them without crying