The Genius of 'Black Velvetopia' (Psychonauts)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ก.ค. 2021
- Do not use any of the Information contained within this video diagnose yourself or others. If you have concerns regarding your mental health, please see a professional opinion.
With Double Fine's Psychonauts 2 around the corner I want to re-explore the genius level design of Black Velvetopia as it gives us an in depth look into the mind of Edgar Teglee, an individual coping with the ghosts of his past, unable to break free of his obsession with the bull, the matador, and his lost love. The level is able to cleverly illustrate Edgar's intense rumination and hatred for his past, creating a world of art in his mind to escape into. Edgar has in turn repressed the actual events of his life in favor of leaning into his obsessions. So let's dive into the mind of Tim Shafer and the rest of the Psychonauts team's work and see what makes this level so incredibly special.
I do want to note that all counselors will come at situations from different theoretical orientations, backgrounds, and belief systems. My opinions correlate with my own education and professional experience up to this point in my professional life.
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I hope you enjoyed the video! What was you favorite level in Psychonauts? And are you planning on getting Psychonauts 2?
Finally, a Psychonauts level analysis video that isn't about The Milkman Conspiracy! It's a good level, don't get me wrong but it seems to be all anyone talks about.
"In the end, Razputin, are we not ALL just dogs playing poker?" -Edgar
Black velvetopia is personally one of my favorite mental worlds in psychonauts, I know Boyd’s milkman conspiracy mental world is the fan favorite but I like black velvetopia the best because of the vibrant colors, the artwork and the level design.
Really excellent to see people taking a serious analytical look at Edgar! He's my favorite of the inmates and more relatable than he should be. High school trauma is still trauma, and the fact that Edgar is never once made fun of for his trauma having stemmed from a teenage relationship means a lot to me.
I liked the breakdown of what a compulsion was. It makes a lot of sense re: El Odio, given that nobody's happy about him being there, and his entire shtick is that, once hit by him, you're forced to retread your steps. It's a frustrating gimmick sometimes, but thematically appropriate.
Between Psychonauts 1 and 2, this is still by far my favorite level. The revelation that El Odio was Edgar all along was something I didn't expect and made me really think back on the whole level
One thing I honestly wonder is how much is the Bull thwarting the tower... intentional. How much is he aware of the truth but always sabotaging himself so he doesn't see it?
I really liked this level, though my favorite out of the Asylum would probably be Waterloo World. It's the only level in the Asylum I never got stuck on even a little bit. It just felt like it had a good flow and didn't let you miss critical information, while there are some fairly obtuse moments in the other levels.
No wonder I like Edgar so much, he was so relatable without me even realizing it
I actually had a much harder time with this level than the milkman conspiracy. That dang bull would kill me every time I fell down
What I loved about it is how it walks a good line of pointing out how Edgar is humanized rather than just being portrayed as a spiteful loser.
Never thought of Edgar's level being interpreted in this manner, I always thought it was just a huge anger problem that went out of control. But then again, El Odio is literally "the hatred", so for someone to hold a grudge for that long isn't exactly just mere anger issues. Guess I learned something new today.
Terrific analysis! My personal favourite level is Waterloo World because I just love the aesthetic of the board game world, but Black Velvetopia is probably the best level overall if you'd ask me. It's just always been oddly overshadowed by the Milkman Conspiracy despite being at least as clever (and like you said, Raz is also notably more successful and compassionate at helping Edgar through his issues than Boyd).
Always enjoy the perspective from a clinical professional on these.
I frankly can't choose my favorite stage! From a design standpoint I really like the tower as you climb up it-I can't help but imagine that the warped state of it developed once it was abandoned as a result of the warped minds of the residents and that dang psychic rock. I'm VERY much looking forwards to the sequel, though I don't know all that much about it. I've only seen the Brain in a Jar trailer, on purpose. Two weeks left!
I'm excited to see what new stories are written within the minds when Psychonauts 2 comes out
This is my favorite level in the entire game! So glad to see someone finally analyze it!
What I wonder the most is how much of what we see in the minds we enter are genuinely metaphors for the subjects’ psyches, and how much is a product of Raz perceiving and interacting with those psyches.
This is very interesting because in real life mental health diagnosis, one of the most tricky situations to distinguish between is severe OCD with no insight and straight up delusional disorder or schizophrenia (e.g. psychosis of varying degrees).