How The Forgotten City Creates The Perfect Mystery

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 พ.ค. 2024
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    Every year I break down the design and development of one of the year's most innovative games. This time: it's the time-travelling, day-looping, crime-solving, remake of a Skyrim mod, The Forgotten City. How was this remarkable game made?
    === Before you watch ===
    Content warning: Some violence
    === Chapters ===
    00:00 - Intro
    03:24 - The Forgotten City (Spoilers)
    15:26 - Honourable Mentions
    === Games Shown ===
    Snake Pass (2017)
    Event[0] (2016)
    Her Story (2015)
    Watch Dogs: Legion (2020)
    Baba is You (2019)
    Loop Hero (2021)
    Solar Ash (2021)
    The Forgotten City (2021)
    Return of the Obra Dinn (2018)
    Outer Wilds (2019)
    Disco Elysium (2019)
    Paradise Killer (2020)
    The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011)
    BioShock (2007)
    Prey (2017)
    The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015)
    Toodee and Topdee (2021)
    Unpacking (2021)
    Before Your Eyes (2021)
    Wildermyth (2021)
    Unsighted (2021)
    Silicon Dreams (2021)
    Inscryption (2021)
    Slipways (2021)
    Chicory: A Colorful Tale (2021)
    It Takes Two (2021)
    Genesis Noir (2021)
    === Credits ===
    Music by Todd Siesel, under CC License - toddsiesel.bandcamp.com
    Music from The Forgotten City OST, by Michael Allen
    Palm Springs, courtesy of Neon and Hulu
    === Subtitles ===
    Contribute translated subtitles - amara.org/en-gb/videos/Fb5dzK...
  • เกม

ความคิดเห็น • 614

  • @TheModernStoryteller
    @TheModernStoryteller 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2612

    Developer here: Thanks for the kind words and interest Mark! Even I learnt something about how TFC works while watching this! :-P

    • @spavaai
      @spavaai 2 ปีที่แล้ว +27

      Loved the game and the video. Do you have something new in the works?

    • @muhajir1427
      @muhajir1427 2 ปีที่แล้ว +131

      @@spavaai The Remembered City, it's the opposite of this game where you play as the perpretator and have to break the rule without anyone knowing it, make everyone suspicious of each other, think the quest 'Whodunit' from TESIV-Oblivion
      jk, i'm not even OP

    • @HibiTeamQueso
      @HibiTeamQueso 2 ปีที่แล้ว +62

      @@muhajir1427 shit, I was hyped 😂

    • @WiresDawson
      @WiresDawson 2 ปีที่แล้ว +22

      love the Forgotten City! it was super cool to learn that an Aussie dev made one of my favourite games in recent years!
      btw for anyone interested, there's a great NoClip documentary about this game's development that also came out the other day

    • @Sousless
      @Sousless 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Thanks for such a cool game! Just finished it and came to continue watching this video.

  • @itsapplepai
    @itsapplepai 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1659

    Hovering over that 3 minute mark in a cold-sweat debate if my insane interest from the pitch and wanting to experience the game unspoiled can overcome how much I love listening to Mark talk about games he really likes. Agony

    • @DeathnoteBB
      @DeathnoteBB 2 ปีที่แล้ว +30

      Watch Secret Sleepover Society’s streams of it at least! It’s a great game their VODs are archived on TH-cam. The comments might be riddled with spoilers though

    • @__bri.
      @__bri. 2 ปีที่แล้ว +23

      Please, please play this for yourself if you can. It's worth it even if you have to wait.

    • @brundeasie_OG
      @brundeasie_OG 2 ปีที่แล้ว +75

      Avoiding spoilers at all costs is the best way to experience this game. Highly recommend playing before watching anything about it.

    • @itsapplepai
      @itsapplepai 2 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      @@brundeasie_OG I'm sold!! thank you!!

    • @ChaoticNeutralMatt
      @ChaoticNeutralMatt 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Ditto

  • @MujjMujj
    @MujjMujj 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1246

    The key to being the most innovative game of the year is to be a detective game

    • @GMTK
      @GMTK  2 ปีที่แล้ว +1223

      I'm like one of those bosses where my weak-spot is extremely obvious and exposed

    • @volodyadykun6490
      @volodyadykun6490 2 ปีที่แล้ว +58

      Don't know about snake one, but Baba definitely fits

    • @AnotherDuck
      @AnotherDuck 2 ปีที่แล้ว +19

      @@GMTK You've been analysing too much Zelda, probably. ;)

    • @mrhoapro1
      @mrhoapro1 2 ปีที่แล้ว +33

      @@GMTK as gaming journalist would say, you're truly "the dark souls of youtuber", mark

    • @fungers1514
      @fungers1514 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Yeah and regardless of quality as proved by this year's entry.

  • @Secreto31126
    @Secreto31126 2 ปีที่แล้ว +272

    The greatest thing of this game is the "auto-follow" NPCs, such a simple yet amazing function

    • @AninoNiKugi
      @AninoNiKugi 2 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      I never used that 😅 Was it really useful? I counted 2 follow me task on top of my head.

    • @Secreto31126
      @Secreto31126 2 ปีที่แล้ว +46

      @@AninoNiKugi I used it 4 times max, twice at the first cycle, but it was nice having it instead of manually following the NPC who knows where
      Thinking about it, it is quite useful at the introduction, when you still don't know how's the map, and it lets you look around while following Galerius

    • @AeroGold1
      @AeroGold1 2 ปีที่แล้ว +34

      Also the shortcuts with the ziplines to get back to places without having to walk all the way back.

    • @Reject101Personal
      @Reject101Personal 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Yeah pretty telling when that's the best part of this game really. But it was a great adition

    • @11clocky
      @11clocky ปีที่แล้ว

      …You can autofollow NPCs?

  • @Sponska
    @Sponska 2 ปีที่แล้ว +119

    One thing I love about detective time loop games like this and others like The Outer Wilds is that „oh yeah, it‘s all coming together“ moment towards the end when all the puzzle pieces click together to form an epic conclusion

  • @CapnShades
    @CapnShades 2 ปีที่แล้ว +565

    Me: "Why does this game almost look like Skyrim haha"
    Mark, 10 seconds later: "This is actually a shiny remake of an old Skyrim mod"
    Floored. Just floored.

    • @petelovagssecondaccount5291
      @petelovagssecondaccount5291 2 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      I was thinking the exact same thing!!!

    • @sephypantsu
      @sephypantsu 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      I hope they didn't bring over the combat too :(
      but story & design wise, it's an amazing game

    • @zacsch5364
      @zacsch5364 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      this game was original made by the same skyrim modder who made "The forgotton city" mod
      thats kinda why it plays like skyrim

    • @Kris-wo4pj
      @Kris-wo4pj 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@sephypantsu i know im late but if ya havent played it yet. the combat is simple like skyrim but ya actually dont do combat except for literally one area. all the npcs die in one hit. ya break the golden rule if ya kill someone and have to do another loop so combat isnt a big thing in this.

  • @divinkitty9452
    @divinkitty9452 2 ปีที่แล้ว +341

    Me: I... feel like I know this premise...
    Mark: "It was originally a Skyrim Mod."
    Me: YES! I REMEMBER THAT MOD!
    Was my favorite mod in Skyrim. Such a fun and engaging story.

    • @micahjones7837
      @micahjones7837 2 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      I played it right before I quit playing Skyrim. Definitely the best one I'd ever played. I had the weirdest deja Vu the first time someone started telling me about this game!

    • @SterbsMcGurbs
      @SterbsMcGurbs 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      I loved that mod! It deserved to be further fleshed out.

  • @christopherjones8689
    @christopherjones8689 2 ปีที่แล้ว +253

    I actually did stop at the three minute mark, play through this 6.5 hour game in 2 days, and came back to finish this video! Very fun and enjoyable game, thanks for the recommendation! And, as always, a great video.

  • @itacotaco1480
    @itacotaco1480 2 ปีที่แล้ว +251

    The idea that this game's origins are a mod, just like the MOBA genre and TF2 is very fascinating

    • @kevind3974
      @kevind3974 2 ปีที่แล้ว +26

      And the fact that it was a lawyer of all things that made the thing.
      Doing similar things to this was his actual job

    • @CSM100MK2
      @CSM100MK2 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      get over yourself

    • @itacotaco1480
      @itacotaco1480 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@CSM100MK2 what 💀

    • @WilhelmScreamer
      @WilhelmScreamer 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      The Stanley parable too

  • @live_kaito_reaction
    @live_kaito_reaction 2 ปีที่แล้ว +53

    I played this on game pass because of the spoiler warning and I'm so glad I did. One of my favorite games of this year.

    • @LORdREDSTOneNR1
      @LORdREDSTOneNR1 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      The game even warns players not to spoil, and so far everyone I have seen is following those rules! It's genius. Well, actually, it should be common sense, but this is the first time I've seen it implemented in an actual warning before you start the game.

    • @amsterdamG2G
      @amsterdamG2G ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@LORdREDSTOneNR1 .....because if someone spoils the whole gaming community will die

    • @eyesack6845
      @eyesack6845 ปีที่แล้ว

      I got sad because I thought each time you looped it started a new timeline and you just left behind the old one. I didn't think of it as a rewind, I thought of it as a timeline hop. I just couldn't take watching them die over and over.

  • @hmp01
    @hmp01 2 ปีที่แล้ว +17

    The perfection of voice acting in this game is mindblowing, every character has their charisma, humour and cleverness at the max

  • @gargravarr2
    @gargravarr2 2 ปีที่แล้ว +405

    Todd Howard you did it again! You even managed to make Skyrim GMTK's 2021 GOTY!

  • @ShinoSarna
    @ShinoSarna 2 ปีที่แล้ว +160

    This game does something really interesting that I've been thinking about for a while - an adventure game, but structured like an RPG, just with (almost) no combat. After all, adventure games and RPGs are actually very similar in the core gameplay loop if we exclude combat.

    • @Pingwn
      @Pingwn 2 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      Well, adventure games were inspired by the table top role playing genre (and it shows with the main mechanic of interacting with a story).

    • @harshamohite1289
      @harshamohite1289 2 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      Kinda like Disco Elysium?

    • @ShinoSarna
      @ShinoSarna 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@harshamohite1289 Yeah!

    • @purplewine7362
      @purplewine7362 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      I wish it had zero combat though.
      SPOILERS: Not even with those golden statues.

    • @ShinoSarna
      @ShinoSarna 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@purplewine7362 It's funny because it's like opposite of a walking simulator. When Fullbright de facto created the genre with Gone Home, they asked themselves "would puzzles contribute to our game experience? No? Okay, we're making adventure game with no real puzzles." It's subtractive design, like in Ico.
      And here devs were like "Fuck it, toss it the combat too, why not!" :P

  • @gregoriocervejeira3600
    @gregoriocervejeira3600 2 ปีที่แล้ว +111

    Its awesome that a anti frustration feature becomes a plot point in one of the quests.
    (Spoiler)
    First, Galerius is just a way of not needing to help all those people in the same run every time, but then, after you use him to help everyone, you can promote him to magistrate and get one of the plaques.

    • @purplewine7362
      @purplewine7362 2 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      yea, pretty smart indeed

    • @sephypantsu
      @sephypantsu 2 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      Also when Sentius mentioned that I needed to create a paradox to free myself, then see that I need to make him open the portal...
      Then I thought to myself... what if he died?

    • @kiryls1207
      @kiryls1207 2 ปีที่แล้ว +16

      (spoiler)
      and that galerius shortcut to not help everyone becomes a legend of an oracle that guided a hero to save people from the last tyrranical god. woah, my god it was good

  • @yudhok
    @yudhok 2 ปีที่แล้ว +29

    This game is made by a guy and a few others that helped him. It was started as a passion project, a skyrim mod that become a true and brilliant experience. Im disappointed this game don't get any awards. you can feel the care put in in this game.

  • @seanloughran6714
    @seanloughran6714 2 ปีที่แล้ว +380

    After all the horrible things most of these people went through, the shmaltzy ending just felt RIGHT. And I love that the selfish pricks didn't get to join in on that. I truly did enjoy this game, you nailed all the things that just felt amazing about the game.

    • @JeremyComans
      @JeremyComans 2 ปีที่แล้ว +46

      I do love a good victory lap. And you're right, super shmaltzy, but it worked for me.

    • @TimTeboner
      @TimTeboner 2 ปีที่แล้ว +25

      Yup. Cathartic as hell after the time I'd spent with them all.

    • @purplewine7362
      @purplewine7362 2 ปีที่แล้ว +16

      I think schmaltzy was the correct tone

  • @bean5350
    @bean5350 2 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    ofc! i've heard of this through Jacob Geller's essay on it, glad to see it getting more recognition

  • @tesseract_uk
    @tesseract_uk 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    this is the first time when a youtuber has said ‘you should go away so i don’t spoil this for you’ and i’ve actually listened. this is probably my favourite game of recent memory so i’m very glad in heeded mark’s advice here

  • @Everyone-Games
    @Everyone-Games 2 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    Thank you. I bought this game on your recommendation (a couple of others too, you are a sponsors' dream). One thing you missed. How good the script and acting is. I get you're talking about games for a Design perspective, but no game made me like and care about the characters as quickly, and it's because of the excessively good voice actors, and the subtle facial expressions.

    • @tolbiny36
      @tolbiny36 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Totally! Fantastic writing and very charming characters. There's something about their faces... they're modeled in a unique and endearing way.

  • @lightedtwice
    @lightedtwice 2 ปีที่แล้ว +34

    „A good game doesnt need to make new ideas to be good, it is how we put those ideas together” - Some popular game designer I forgot.

  • @Threecreation
    @Threecreation 2 ปีที่แล้ว +83

    THANK YOU! If any single-player title deserved more attention this year, it's The Forgotten City. Such a remarkable, specific experience that everyone should see to the end. For fans of New Vegas or KotOR, this is like peak Obsidian/Bioware writing. Thought-provoking and exactly what you've wanted for years.
    Also, I guess explaining what memes are to a temple priestess and finding statues of giant penises was cool too.

    • @RedwoodRhiadra
      @RedwoodRhiadra 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Heh - my sister has a doctorate in ancient history - her PhD thesis was originally going to be about those statues (they were an actual thing), until one of the professors on her committee was replaced with a jerk who made her change her topic and start over.

  • @GmodPlusWoW
    @GmodPlusWoW 2 ปีที่แล้ว +67

    When I heard about the time loop, my first thought was Majora's Mask. I never owned an N64, and even still, my mind instantly goes to Majora's Mask whenever someone brings up time loops.

    • @Pingviinimursu
      @Pingviinimursu 2 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      So your brain is in a time loop where the reset trigger is someone mentioning a time loop? :D

    • @lewiscarrol6193
      @lewiscarrol6193 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      "Getting some Boss Baby vibes from this"

    • @Hoffy17
      @Hoffy17 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      To be honest I feel like a lot of what Mark said in this video could also apply to Majora’s Mask and the side quests around Clock Town, but I suppose this game achieves a lot more by making its characters the focus.

  • @RodolphMars
    @RodolphMars 2 ปีที่แล้ว +87

    I totally agree with you. This game surprised me a lot for how good it is. I also like the writing a lot. There are some genuinely good twist and humor in the story which i enjoyed. For example *SPOILER*:
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    The clever twist of the Karen joke, the plot twists along the way, the fact that you can actually trick Desius to invest in Blockbuster, and so on. Also the part that Aurelia is tricked by the "Nigeria Prince" is my favorite bit of joke, I laugh so hard learning about it.

    • @bradyk6017
      @bradyk6017 2 ปีที่แล้ว +29

      At first I thought the Karen jokes were lame since they felt forced and out of place in a game about a Roman City. But then that made the "revelation" in the middle of the game even more satisfying

    • @philipcottone6203
      @philipcottone6203 2 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      they also had a great "alexa" joke in one of the final interviews

    • @purplewine7362
      @purplewine7362 2 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      I also liked when I gave that prick a bad investment advice

    • @Zgrblfx
      @Zgrblfx 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      I took 5000 from Desius every. Single. Loop.

  • @palebluenarratives
    @palebluenarratives 2 ปีที่แล้ว +165

    I'm glad that this game has drawn the attention it deserves, it was not a foregone conclusion. Congrats and thanks to Nick Pearce, he created a solid experience that shows one more time the narrative potential of videogame medium.

    • @glendarjj3991
      @glendarjj3991 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Yes his comment is a day old. It's because of patreon. You're welcome.

  • @smokeyeo
    @smokeyeo 2 ปีที่แล้ว +48

    For what it's worth, this is on Game Pass so before even getting the elevator pitch, I'm installing it right now and I guess I'll check back in once I've played it

    • @orzaround1410
      @orzaround1410 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Oh thank god, I was about to buy it. Probably gonna spend that money on the honorable mentions then

  • @carterlee5626
    @carterlee5626 2 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    I noticed a weird loop. One thing that helps makes these videos amazing, is the input from developers on what they did during production. Showing the devs his channel when asking them for their input makes them want to help, in turn making better videos, in turn making a more complex portfolio to then show more devs.

  • @TheGuitarifier
    @TheGuitarifier ปีที่แล้ว +2

    From the beginning, I could not put this game down. I truly and deeply enjoyed exploring this world.

  • @pedroviniciuspreiswelter4710
    @pedroviniciuspreiswelter4710 2 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    I had that mod installed for years on my Skyrim and never played it. But when I saw they made a full game out of it I instantly bought it to try and it is indeed amazing.

  • @willthemost
    @willthemost 2 ปีที่แล้ว +33

    Hey Mark, given your love for detective games I think you might enjoy 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
    It is a sci fi point and click that has RTS mini games, and the way the story unfolds is entirely nonlinear and relies on the player to be smart enough to piece what’s going on together. I think it’d be super cool to get your thoughts on it!

    • @JeremyComans
      @JeremyComans 2 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      The way that 13 Sentinels manages to be so non-linear, yet still dole out so many coherent eye-opening revelations about what's going on, is really superb organisation by the designers.
      It has so many layers where you think you work out what is happening, and then the game is like, 'yes, but we go deeper still'. What a fantastic game.

    • @Road_to_Dawn
      @Road_to_Dawn 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      I actually just finished writing a comment about 13 Sentinels, since a lot of what Mark talked about sounded very similar. Glad to see someone else had the same idea! One of my absolute favorite games in recent memory, and sadly incredibly overlooked.

    • @purplewine7362
      @purplewine7362 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      i looked it up after your comment aaaaaand it's a ps4 exclusive with the only planned release being on switch. bummer though, because it looked very interesting and I can't buy a new console just to play some exclusives. and the developer hasn't ever released anything on PC.

  • @kairee1
    @kairee1 2 ปีที่แล้ว +15

    I remember this game as a skyrim se mod, and it was so much fun for me to roleplay and immerse myself in this story.
    If you didn't play it as a skyrim mod, definitely pick it up!

    • @decimusanothos5178
      @decimusanothos5178 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Even if you did play it as a mod, it's worth playing as a stand-alone!

    • @kairee1
      @kairee1 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@decimusanothos5178 maybe, I just personally get bored when playing something I already played, especially if much of the enjoyment of the game comes from the story and mysteries

    • @Kochen51
      @Kochen51 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@kairee1 yeah, but they apparently changed a lot of the story (I haven't played the original mod)

  • @unmilanmukherjee
    @unmilanmukherjee 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Thank you for mentioning Wildermyth! Such a gem and underrated game imo.

    • @20storiesunder
      @20storiesunder 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Love that game, got really invested in my characters.

  • @GMTK
    @GMTK  2 ปีที่แล้ว +256

    That's 2021 Wrapped! You got new GMTK episodes, a return to Boss Keys, a massive new Game Jam, a new game dev series, and more. If you want to support the work I’ve done this year you can pledge monthly, for awesome rewards, at Patreon - www.patreon.com/GameMakersToolkit

    • @adityaanuragi6916
      @adityaanuragi6916 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      It's a bit late but what're your thoughts on Ghost of Tsushima and it's combat system
      I never played the game and couldn't find videos properly shining the light at it's combat system, enemy design and stuff

    • @vedaryan334
      @vedaryan334 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@adityaanuragi6916 i don't think it had anything new to discuss. It perfected whatever came before but nothing new

    • @slyceth
      @slyceth 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      I played the game but it was bad, the phylosophics are not as good as Talos Principle

    • @adityaanuragi6916
      @adityaanuragi6916 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@vedaryan334 what about the"stances" system??

    • @Canadas_Very_Own
      @Canadas_Very_Own 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Yay for more Boss Keys. LOVE that series!

  • @voidify3
    @voidify3 2 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    I actually did the thing nobody ever does, and went and bought and played this game before watching the spoiler bit, and GOD am I glad I did that. The first twist, the one the priestess tells you in the bathhouse, had me standing up from my computer and going “WHAT THE FUCK. WHAT THE FUCK. OMG”. Then my genuine reaction after the white hallway twist was “HOLY SHIT. WHAT????” Plus it’s just a really good and well written game but the twist amazement was the thing I would have lost if I’d done the normal thing of ignoring the spoiler warning and pushing forward
    Everyone, the game is on winter sale, BUY IT BEFORE WATCHING THE SPOILERS!!!!!! You won’t regret it, and you might regret not doing it

  • @MrHGravity
    @MrHGravity 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I know this sounds shallow and cheezy. But among the many highlights of the game. Being able to bring a gun back in time with you lead to some truly hilarious and empowering moments. Especially when people want to hurt you.

  • @kyousouka
    @kyousouka 2 ปีที่แล้ว +60

    When listing honourable mentions in the future, would you mind also including a list of them in the video description so that it's easier to look them up after the video? Scrubbing through the video for the split second of the title screen isn't very fun xP

  • @GrizzLee30
    @GrizzLee30 2 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    One of my favorite games of the year! Up there will Outer Wilds

  • @bswift1991
    @bswift1991 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    A near perfect "puzzle box" style adventure game. Loved every minute of it. Open enough to give you tons of options, self contained enough to not get messy

  • @PokeRedstone
    @PokeRedstone 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    An interesting thing about this game for me was how self important it was. Which I rolled my eyes at a few time but it didn’t put me off totally like it normally would because it needs to be self important to tackle the question it asks, which I consider to be inherently self important and full of philosophical pomp. It’s a great game.

  • @iamnoimpact
    @iamnoimpact 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Awesome video! It's been tough to find someone who can break down this game so succinctly. Most of the videos and articles I've read about it refuse to give away the game without FURIOUSLY winking at the disembodied camera and saying that they don't want to spoil it. I think you've done a fantastic job.

  • @ShadowDatsas
    @ShadowDatsas 2 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    one of the very best games I've played in my entire life, very happy to see it highlighted here. It is really as masterfully crafted as you present and delivers an experience completely unique. As the intro of this video says, it "sounds familiar with other games", but it really isn't. It's as unique as it gets.

  • @Musutka85
    @Musutka85 2 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    Holy crap Mark I just finished the game a few days ago and I was awestruck.
    This game is amazing and I recommend it to everyone.
    Nice video as always, kudos to you.

  • @SourceOfBeing
    @SourceOfBeing 2 ปีที่แล้ว +14

    I think I recall you doing videos on games that redefined a genre, but have you ever done videos on games that created a genre?

  • @LawalMuhammad
    @LawalMuhammad 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    I've now realized that the autonomy given to the player is what I loved about this game. It felt like the game wanted you to be the one to break the Golden Rule. Of course, in my play through I then proceeded to do all I could to avoid that! And the game allowed you to play that way and even rewarded you for it. Definitely, my most memorable game experience of 2021.

  • @tjmichael
    @tjmichael 2 ปีที่แล้ว +15

    This game is like a really good Davies era Doctor Who episode. Hammy acting, elements of horror, an ernest love for history, a love for intellectualism and philosophy, a cheesy ending, a candid self awareness of its structure, a central moral quandry, and an ending reveal that's VERY VERY Doctor Who.

  • @stratidemic
    @stratidemic 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I legitimately cried when I reached the ending, they really deliver on the emotional aspect of helping everybody

  • @Platitudinous9000
    @Platitudinous9000 2 ปีที่แล้ว +30

    Hell yeah, fantastic choice! This game has had a long path to where it is, but I'm glad it exists.

  • @dexter765
    @dexter765 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    A great game. I bought it on a whim having never heard of the original mod. Was not disappointed. Was invested the entire playthrough and the ending mattered so much more because of it. Great to see it get the recognition it deserves. Great video too. It's so interesting seeing how the game was designed and the rationale behind the features.

  • @peterchu5609
    @peterchu5609 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    One of my favourite things about The Forgotten City , is the way it slowly makes you think like Sentius. It's alright to steal this, I'll get another go.

  • @retinas2001
    @retinas2001 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Thank you for not holding back on spoilers, it's annoying when other videos do that for games like this.

  • @hemangchauhan2864
    @hemangchauhan2864 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Thank you for another great year.
    Happy Holidays, Mark!

  • @lolt642
    @lolt642 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    stopped at the intro, bought the game, played it all the way through, came back. genius. thank you

  • @mySDK3333
    @mySDK3333 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Thanks for the recommendation!
    What a nice experience to close up 2021.
    And really great analysis!
    Love how you lean to focus more on the feeling the game create with invisible design.

  • @ty_teynium
    @ty_teynium 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Thank you for sharing your journey in game journalism and indie development; be behind you all the way; Happy holidays and a pleasant and happy healthy new year!

  • @sudarshanseshadri5504
    @sudarshanseshadri5504 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Closed the video months ago because I wanted to experience it for myself unspoiled. I finally got around to it, and am now going to watch this video for the first time fully!

  • @blinkerz4676
    @blinkerz4676 ปีที่แล้ว

    0:44 that "Salve friend" was on beat and sounded epic!

    • @blinkerz4676
      @blinkerz4676 ปีที่แล้ว

      fr, that shi was fyeee

  • @icedragon769
    @icedragon769 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Not even finishing the intro on this one. Obra Dinn, Outer Wilds, Paradise Killer, and Disco Elysium are all some of my favorite games of all time, a combination of all of them is exactly what I want to play right now

  • @juve9383
    @juve9383 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    "Toodee & Topdee is a genre-mashup where you swap between a platformer and a puzzler"
    Sounds like a familiar topic...

    • @alessiaagazzi8605
      @alessiaagazzi8605 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      We're getting into meta level jokes in the gmtk lore

  • @ForeverMasterless
    @ForeverMasterless 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Forget 2021, this is one of the best games I've ever played period.

  • @positivelink6961
    @positivelink6961 2 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    This game seems incredibly fascinating and I’d love to play it without any spoilers, but for some reason Cloud Gaming has been a trend for getting some games onto the switch. Yeah it allows for prettier games, but what about when you don’t have WiFi access at the moment or unreliable WiFi connection? It fundamentally goes against the portable nature of the Switch.

    • @ChaoticNeutralMatt
      @ChaoticNeutralMatt 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      In a manner it does. It relies on a good connection which isn't always the case. Sorry to hear that

  • @kitthekat6844
    @kitthekat6844 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Really surprised that it wasn't Before your eyes! Sadly haven't played forgotten city yet, but I'll surely be back next year!
    Thanks for the great year of content and have a good holidays, Mark!

  • @BlekYT
    @BlekYT 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Finished (one of the story lines) last night after the Noclip doc. So happy to see it getting love here.

  • @ianpittman6544
    @ianpittman6544 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    These are always some of my favorite videos to watch!

  • @TheBeastlySolution
    @TheBeastlySolution 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I'd really like to see you go over Inscryption. The subtle clues and "Easter eggs" were amazing to experience

  • @michelles9666
    @michelles9666 2 ปีที่แล้ว +31

    Confession: I played the Skyrim mod version of this game completely blind in 2015 and did not understand the time travel premise. I got that I wasn’t supposed to steal anything or fight anyone, so I just wandered around talking to people and figuring out which areas I could go into without lock-picking or trespassing until I stumbled into one of the relatively good endings.

    • @philipcottone6203
      @philipcottone6203 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      same thing happened to me. They didnt really explain that items basically duplicated themselves w the time loop. On one hand I like that theres no hand holding but on the other it doesnt at all capitalize on the experience in the way this game does

    • @dovahkiin53839
      @dovahkiin53839 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Lol I 'cheated' my way to the best ending by using histskin and healing spells to tank the area with ambient damage, clever platforming to get places I shouldn't have been able to, and otherwise exploiting high-level abilities for all they were worth- but it still felt deserved, like an impression of how powerful my character had become in the wider world by then.

  • @AdamIannazzone
    @AdamIannazzone 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Loved your honorable mention for Slipways! It's such a tightly-made puzzle game

  • @zebra3girl110
    @zebra3girl110 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I just finished this game and was really impressed by it, even more so after finding out it was made by only 3 people. The story captivated me from the beginning, and the canon ending felt satisfying and rewarding after all the time and work I put into helping all the characters. Hopefully we get more games by this studio in the near future!

  • @leonmsampaio
    @leonmsampaio 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    glad you mentioned unsighted as honourable mention, it is really making some noise

  • @Svamenzi
    @Svamenzi 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Great video, I love how you and Danny usually pick the same topic at the same time so I get to see if from two perspectives.

  • @wykah
    @wykah 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I just played this last night and stuck with it to 3 of the 4 endings. A great video but it's missed that this game was put together by a team of 3. Power to the little guys!

  • @SAmaryllis
    @SAmaryllis 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Ohhhh I was actually very interested in Before Your Eyes! Would love if you could do a vid on that, the entire mechanic being based on blinking was so fascinating to me

  • @kirakosarin
    @kirakosarin 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Paused at 3 min and played this entire game in two days - and I can't overstate how worth it it was! Back now the watch the rest of Mark breaking it down. Highly recommend!!!

  • @michaelmaage
    @michaelmaage 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Great video. Happy holidays

  • @cheeseface1st821
    @cheeseface1st821 2 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    Hell yeah! I loved the skyrim mod! Now I gotta play the game.

  • @mariacargille1396
    @mariacargille1396 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Thank you! I just took this game off my Steam wishlist the other day. This elevator pitch got me interested again, and I skipped out at the bail point. Looking forward to coming back after I play it to hear you dig in. :)

  • @stevewood8914
    @stevewood8914 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Just checking back in to say thanks for the recommendation, I really enjoyed it!

  • @jspiro
    @jspiro 6 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    It took two years, but I saved this video for finishing the game tonight 😅

  • @Lady_de_Lis
    @Lady_de_Lis ปีที่แล้ว +1

    This game really shocked me when I first played, in more ways than one lol
    During the very first conversation with Sentius, a family member of mine randomly stopped by to visit. I'm not the type to have a guest wait for me to finish my game, so I just left the game sitting with Sentius staring at me on his balcony. A few hours later, I come back to find Sentius gone, my character just standing there on the balcony all alone like a chump, and the entire game world having gone to hell in a handbasket while I wasn't looking.
    Found out later, the game continues progressing the timer even when you are in conversation with characters and will forcefully stop your conversations with characters sometimes. So, of course, the Golden Rule was eventually triggered as always. I'm just surprised my character wasn't killed by the Furies. I'm guessing Sentius's balcony is a safe zone or something? If only the poor underground philosopher guy had known about that lol

  • @IQzminus2
    @IQzminus2 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Finished playing this about one and a half months ago, but it still lingers in my mind. Once in a while it will pop into my kind, and I’ll give it a moment.
    Good length aswell for the game it sets out to be.
    It’s not hundreds of hours of gameplay. But for the world it builds, to tell its story or topics it delves with, I think it gives itself just enough to pull it off really well.
    Just feels really well-executed.
    And it’s nice to have a really great game-experience you know is very feasible to finish pretty fast, even with all the rest of your life happening.
    Great writing, really enjoyed exploring the world and it’s characters.

  • @Juniper-111
    @Juniper-111 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    8:30
    I think it's important to realize that the default is the helping hand. It feels great to rebel and find one's own path. If the guided tour wasn't the default, I imagine fewer people would do it, even if it would benefit them.

  • @truehare
    @truehare 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I love how your still didn't give any major spoilers for the story in your analysis. Not that it would have bothered me, I played it obsessively at launch anyway, but very considerate to the people who haven't yet experienced this gem.

  • @jr637-1
    @jr637-1 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    That description of Before Your Eyes sounds amazing and intriguing.

  • @mbillard
    @mbillard ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Just finished playing after putting the game on my backlog when this video came out, super worth it! Loved this game. It felt a little slow at the beginning when there's still a lot to learn about all the characters, but once you've made the rounds the pace picks up and never lets go. I also could've done without the combat.

  • @dolcruz6838
    @dolcruz6838 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Good Video have a good rest of your year

  • @Road_to_Dawn
    @Road_to_Dawn 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    The whole bit about blocking off spoiler reveals until you’ve made sufficient progress, and constantly presenting surprises and satisfying reveals, reminds me of how the story mode works in 13 Sentinels. After the intro chapters, you’re free to bounce around between whichever characters’ stories you like. Each story is broken up into different parts that feel kinda like interactive episodes of an anime, and every single one of them has some twist or revelation, etc, that leaves you surprised and excited to see more. To keep you from getting too far ahead of yourself and being spoiled, you’ll sooner or later come across roadblocks that keep you from, say, playing part 4 of character B’s story until you’ve played part 3 of character D’s. On top of that, you don’t start out with access to every character; some different routes will unlock other characters once you reach a certain point. And every single one is all intertwined with another, so one character’s story will fill in the gaps between another’s, and you’ll be able to see how each part of the story influences another and fits together.

  • @shawnheatherly
    @shawnheatherly 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I had a blast with this game, it's nice to see it highlighted here.

  • @96FENIR96
    @96FENIR96 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Great video, thabk you for carrying me through my chores!

  • @AlexBaldwinFTW
    @AlexBaldwinFTW 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Definitely my game of the year, really happy to see you enjoyed it so much too!

  • @ygyeung2056
    @ygyeung2056 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

    thx for review. i will go try it before the deep dive.

  • @nielskirkns2122
    @nielskirkns2122 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    This guy writes the best scripts i've heard in a long while

  • @puchi6157
    @puchi6157 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Loved how mark just had enough and popped the roman guy with the 9 lmao

  • @siamesegirlmrb
    @siamesegirlmrb 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    thank you for another amazing year! your videos have kept me afloat during this year. also would kill for u to make a vid abt disco elysium. definitely joining the patreon

  • @holgerlarsson7531
    @holgerlarsson7531 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    I watched the whole video before playing the game! So grateful and impressed how you managed to keep out store spoilers even though you explained how the whole game works! Still intrigued to play it now!

  • @yassinesobh4165
    @yassinesobh4165 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Just finished this game after having it on my backlog for ages. Was blown away by how good it is and ran straight to this video to hear your thoughts. Excellent breakdown of the game 👍🏻

  • @Technomancr
    @Technomancr 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Finding the resin was one of the last optional quests I did. I think that made me miss the item/loop mechanic for quite a while.

  • @Trikeman728
    @Trikeman728 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Just a point of order that Forgotten City being a mod from 2015 doesn't make it predate Outer Wilds. That was a student project finished in a smaller, less-polished form in 2013. It definitely was *less* well-known in that form, but got some decent attention even back then.

  • @ghibodeus
    @ghibodeus 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Thanks for letting me know about this game

  • @seankeogh8134
    @seankeogh8134 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Nice video Mark!

  • @atwistedwarmembrace
    @atwistedwarmembrace 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    This one is getting a lot of attention at the moment due to the end of year roundups and it is absolutely deserved.
    I checked it out on a whim a week ago and finished it in just 3 days. I literally couldn't stop playing it and used every free moment I had to just progress the story a little bit more. It was the video game equivalent of a page turner book, where you just need to know what happens next and it consumes your every thought until you finish it.

  • @sirlukas73
    @sirlukas73 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Man I just subscribed like one minute ago, timing is poggers

  • @comicknightzero
    @comicknightzero 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I watched this intro and was immediately intrigued by the game's premise. So I paused the video and went to get this on game pass. After about a couple days, I'd completely all the endings. Really cool and satisfying game. I love the twists and turns of the story and just overall design of the game. Would highly recommend. Now time for me to actually finish this video, lol