The Creation of Fromsoftware's Kuon | The Rarest PS2 Horror Game | Game Documentary
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.ค. 2024
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#fromsoftware #fromsoft #kuon #ps2 #horrorgaming
Learn about the creation of Kuon, a rare Fromsoftware horror game, and the people who brought it to life.
0:00 Intro
8:20 Development Begins
19:10 Art Design
25:05 Sound Design
27:00 Advertising
30:31 Release
35:20 Closing
TGM is a horror game analysis channel with a heavy focus on Silent Hill, & other Japanese horror games.
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Muse. Besides "Undertale", is there any horror game that makes it clear that the player is manipulating the world for sheer amusement ?
lmao
The muse now has sponsors. I'm tearing up. I remember when your videos where just text and I watched them during lunchtime at work.
Now here you are, making documentaries and getting sponsors.
Such a journey!
very well done video!
When I was younger I didn't realize how many PS2 games weren't actually 3D and we're just really pictures flat pictures. Which really explains a lot. And it was until PS3 we started really getting 3D environments and then the nowadays where you have these actual massive 3d environments with high detail
So rare I've never heard of it until now. The official PS2 library is scary huge!
It's a shame FromSoft doesn't try to do more of their weird experimental stuff anymore, I think a lot of the crowd they gathered with the Souls series would like their other games' styles too
I mean Miyazaki and FromSoft made Deracine back in 2018, it’s just stuck on PSVR so nobody talks about it.
And while I don’t want to say that FromSoft shouldn’t try different things, I’m glad they’re seemingly sticking to the Soulslike formula they’ve curated over the past decade for the time being. They’ve very much hit their stride and I think the massive success of Elden Ring is the culmination of that. With that being said however I’d be open to trying anything they put out at this point just because I love what they do (assuming they don’t somehow go the full live service/microtransactions route that is).
FromSoft Silent Hill?
@@efnfen swamp madness
I wanna see armored core
Nah they gonna make another Dark Souls game and slap a new title on it.
I find it fitting that just a week after uploading this Silent Hill came back with the most abundantly japanese inspired game in the series being announced, proving your point right that now is exactly the era where people might be more open to hearing this story out
The thing that makes me so mad is I had most of these early horror games and I let my friend convince me to trade all my stuff in for 360 stuff. I’d have such a nice collection of rare stuff right now if I’d have just kept it
Dont think like that... I have what is yours and thats cool!
@@theoperatripleaxel5417 LOL
That's really sad. 360 sucks. We all have these stories tho.
@@FredHerbert999 I mean 360 wasn’t bad I had good times on my 360 but I just get so mad that I had games I’ll probably never be able to buy again because the prices are too high
@@Sentientmad9m 360 was awful. It s--t the bed in Europe so hard and only the dumb ignorant muricans kept rebuying that redring scam trash.
Today PS2 is still the most popular console in the world. Next is PS3. Tells you much what gaming is and which system stood by the times.
When these new scam systems vanish no matter which company since they all became the same scum, after they die out you will still see a living PS2.
Many people I know quit gaming including myself and if I ever will go back to play a game it will be on a PS2 system. Not because of nostalgia, but because of common sense. I grew up in 80s and 00s have no nostalgic impact on me just the fact it had PS1 and PS2 the most coherent games, complete upon releases and wasn't expensive. And chipping your consoles so as file sharing kept games alive not the dumb companies.
I had no idea Kuon was as rare as it appears to he online. I have 2 copies one sealed and one played. I do this when ever I buy a new game. I almost choked on my cereal when I read the current price tag.
Same here
Kuon is really a weird interesting game, I really like it because it's such a departure from the more western-oriented survival horror games
I played Kuon a couple of years ago and loved it! Thank god I picked it up before it shot up in price during covid... Such a disturbing game, both visually and thematically. This video really gave me a new level of appreciation for the game. Another amazing video, Muse!!
This game was already up in price long before covid hit. The game was ok I guess. also you'd have to be insane paying eBay asking price for it.
I had to pay $200 for my copy back in 2017
LoL I got a hdmi moded ps2 with that game already installed on it looks like I might have to try this 200$ game right after i finish Tenchu.
@@jinmark9453 it’s now $1000 lol
Get a pc get a emulator boom u got every ps2 game under the sun
Honestly the only bad point I have about this game is the loud as hell jumpscare sound effects. Is literally impossible to play Kuon with headphones without risk of losing your hearing into oblivion 😢
Emulated this last year such a great game
I freaking ADORE your history lessons!
Kuon is a great gem of ps2 era "j-horror". I really miss the 90's/2000's era of AA quality Japanese horror games, it really went downhill from there. AFAIK though Rule of Rose is THE rarest ps2 survival horror game in any region, while an NTSC-J copy of Kuon is still somewhat affordable. I got mine for maybe $35 on eBay 5 years ago but imagine it's like 3x that now, but still at least half the price of Rule of Rose. Speaking of Rule of Rose I'd love to see that get a similar treatment in a video.
I just found about 6 copies of Kuon selling for over $1,000 each. Kinda ridiculous. I'll just emulate it lol.
@@DrownInLysergic Yes, US and PAL copies of Kuon are probably a lost cause at this point. I personally would buy the original language version anyway even if the international versions were more reasonable. We're obviously way past needing original discs just to actually play ps2 games now, both on original hardware and on Pcsx2, but I still like to scratch that collector's itch, within reason.
These videos go into such detail on the history surrounding the games and their development, they're some of my favorite on the platform. This is some super high quality stuff, keep these vids coming cuz they're great
I bought this game from a Gamestop bargain bin many years ago. The checkout dude was like 'Are you sure? If you want to trade it back in you'll only get, like, a dollar for it.' I STILL HAVE IT, BRAD! I keep my PS2 in a safe space just for my favorite games like this, and HOW DARE YOU!
You know, we had copies/at least one copy of Kuon about 15 years ago when I worked at GameStop during highschool. I constantly kick myself I never picked it up (I think it had the cover with just her face) but there's no way to have known how sought after the game would become.
What are the songs used in the video? That one track with the chanting, guitar, and beat is infectious.
@thegamingmuse I would also love to know if this song is from the games OST. Also please keep up the good work on these videos. They are so so incredible and informative. Love your editing work and voice
I remember seeing this game around at very very random times in my life, just going to people's houses or at stores selling bootleg stuff or wherever else. The artwork by Kyosuke Chinai/Tinai disturbed me a whole lot whenever I came across the cover. Very gritty, the reds, muted tones, etc.--just amazing command on it all to make me feel a very specific way.
Also, I think it's always funny how often some works turn into cult classics even if it's not particularly good or improved on, but this game seems to simply be one of those works that were never given the proper exploration due to the time it was published. I hope it gets picked up again by horror-loving gamers someway, somehow.
This has become my favorite gaming channel! Thanks for covering all of these interesting and sometimes underrated games.
My flex? I own this and Rule of Rose.
I actually got Kuon pretty cheap and I found a copy to replace my Rule of Rose disk that had stopped working at a Gamestop for $20 when it was $160 online. The PS2 Survival Horror gods have always smiled upon me!
Great video, no idea this existed. Love hearing about esoteric games, especially in the horror genre. You put this together great, clearly put a lot of effort into your research.
Just know you can emulate Kuon on PCSX2, should you ever want to play it. I did very recently and quite enjoyed it. I think a remake would be great- the combat is kind of janky but other than that I really, really enjoyed it.
Can you post a link to the download? I can't find anything on PCSX2
This felt like an old school pbs or a&e documentary. Especially the narration.
You are incredibly well spoken! I had never seen those storyboards for the opening, how fascinating.
Shadow Tower, Echo Night 2, and Kuon were like decades ahead of their time. I remember playing these games way back and awed by their uniqueness. From Software focused on Armored Core (which was their biggest hit back then and was also unique in its own right specially the first game) and Tenchu (which was a very unique stealth game), then Demon Souls came out (which was very unique in a time where hand holding was the common theme for almost every games released). When the Souls games eventually became even more popular (thanks to Dark Souls), FROM SOFTWARE 's focus on unique and new type of games kinda ended. We still get Cookies and Cream, Otogi, and Derachine type of games from time to time (very weird but really well done video games) but it's obvious that the experimentation and artistic phase have been replaced by a more mainstream niche kind of thinking. Souls games have become a genre and there are so many games, movies, TV shows, books, comics, art, and many others that were directly inspired by it. Hope they still develop future titles that showcases their "going against the trend attitude", because those games are gold, it might just take decades before people realizes their worth.
Even Elden Ring made some western devs flip out because it ignored a lot of genre conventions. From continues to do what they want even if not like their indy days.
These behind the scenes videos you’ve been posting recently has been amazing, muse! Thank you sharing your great research
Wait, I have a copy of this game. I paid 9.99 at Gamestop. Edit: this just sent me down a rabbit hole going through the back of my closet. I'm really glad I bought everything I could get from From Software.
Incredibly well put together! There's so much I learned about this game thanks to this video, despite being a huge fan of this game! I was never aware of the names of the art teams or some of the intricacies of the development cycle for it! MASSIVELY impressed with this video! Thank you for making and sharing this with the world. :)
omg Kuon has been my favorite horror game since it came out! so happy you're doing this!! it's a shame that this game was not on everyone's radar back then. so sad how much material has been lost over the years.
I have a sealed copy. And a sealed copy of haunting ground, and silent hill shattered memories on ps2.
@@jonb2756 we need an Oceans 11 style caper movie where a bunch of otaku and gamers try to break into someone’s house to steal their collection of games and toys in original packaging.
Oh how great it would be to have a remake of this on current-gen consoles.
I played this game when I was younger and I thought it was too damn scary. I bet I'd still think the same now #bringKuonback
I remember picking this game up for like $20...still love it and kept it ^^
Awesome video Muse, I was waiting for this game to be covered
These long 'making of' documentaries are supremely comfy
I played Kuon when I was a young teenager, in my country pirated games were more common than real copies until online gaming was introduced in later consoles and stricter policies were placed on piracy by Sony and other companies. At that time I played the Fatal Frame and Silent Hill series and I was really excited when I saw Kuon in the shop, I played all the routes many time and really enjoyed it but due to my poor English I didn’t fully understand the plot, I was also disappointed at the lack of appreciation when I looked up the game online, so it’s funny now that it’s selling for a lot of money by resellers. The early 2000s had some real horror masterpieces in gaming and I am sad lots of them were not properly preserved, I couldn’t take my PS2 and games with me when I moved out because of the legality of owning pirated games and console, but I was able to find a PS2 in goodwill and SH2 and 3 for a good price. It’s a shame Kuon isn’t accessible but I am glad it’s getting more attention and TH-cam videos explaining the plot.
KU-ON! I adored this game when I had a PS2 and it was one of the last PS2 games I gave up as I moved on to later-gen consoles. The conversation around From Software always centers around their Soulsborne entries, but Ku-On was my introduction to FromSoft and always the first game I think of when I hear the name.
You can tell this game was lovingly and carefully crafted up to the minor details, as per usual From Software standards. They managed to produce whet they set out to, a traditionally horror sensual work.
As other people stated in the comments I hope From goes back to doing different things, namely horror games like this. We have seen some elements being reproposed again in titles like Sekiro but it would be nice to have a completely different kind of gameplay and experience.
Amazing video, I love your insight into dev history
I really love this. Thank you for making this video!
I got so lucky with my copy. I got it for like $30 online about ten years ago, and the price has just skyrocketed from there. It’s the most valuable game in my collection nowadays, even compared to Rule of Rose and Haunting Ground! But I agree: it’s a perfect time for From Software to give this game another shot on a different platform. Even a remaster would be greatly appreciated, since games don’t last forever. It’s still a dream to see a full sequel, but hey. There are series that have gotten sequels decades after the fact that were very successful, like Kid Icarus: Uprising. FS has certainly kept their toes in the horror pond all these years, and Sekiro even has one enemy that shares some parallels with one of Kuon’s most infamous bosses. I wish they would pay attention to things like this, to us fans of their older stuff, instead of just sticking to the Soulsborne stuff.
What is the catchy music in the background of the video?
I've owned this game for a few years now but have yet to play it. Great video, as always!
First off... thank you for not letting me make the mistake of opening my copy. Second off... I got a copy of this new factory sealed in a box of other Japanese horror games (all still factory sealed) back in 2017 for ~60$. Just checked those games.... looks like I won't be opening any of them any time soon. Most likely will get them graded and hung up on my display wall!
I got real lucky with my copy of this game. I was in San Diego for my birthday back in 2015, me and my friends stumbled into a local used games store. I saw Kuon, complete in box with the manual and a good condition disc and it was only $70 when it was going for over $600 online at the time.
This game was so common and cheap when I worked at a game store, I'm glad I grabbed one when I could. Should have grabbed a bunch if them but who can say what will gain in value at the time...
Loved Kuon when I was younger. One of my horror games of all time.
i like the little backstories to the artist that make the game work. no other does that
Such a wonderful presentation. Great work!
Fantastic video, extremely thorough and effectively presented. this is really some chef kiss stuff right here
I enjoyed this video, Kuon was one of my favorite games as a kid and since then it has occupied and inspired so much of the themes and aesthetics I enjoy in media since. It really is such a shame it didn't get the reception it deserved because so much thought went into it, and even as a kid I respected that even though much of the source content was lost on me. I always hated fixed camera games, but this one actually worked the fixed cameras in such a way that was so much more creepy, with many subtle scary things happening in the margins of your view or the background, that if ya blinked, you'd miss.
I've tried so hard to recreate the perfection of atmosphere this game has to me, to no avail. It's an unappreciated masterpiece in my eyes, and this video helped me learn so much more about it, so thank you!
The aesthetics of this game are so gorgeous and unsettling, and the plot and history of the game is so fascinating! Thank you for making this. I hope this game will get the flowers it deserves.
Played this one a while back and I really enjoyed it's visuals, lore, and atmosphere. The gameplay is a nice change of pace from the usual titles too!
what about the consent "heal and destroy your enemies around button" that you can basically use whenever you want? Totally breaks the game.
wow incredible research work!
Such a hidden gem of a game I remember finding a copy for €20 in France still have today
I'd never heard of kuon before, I randomly came across it for £24.99 a few years ago at a cash converters. Still can't believe I got it so cheap 😆
Well its the NA release thats worth the most, by far.
it was fun playing this, My friend played the first character, I played the 2nd character and my younger brother played the 3rd character
Great!
I had left a comment on one of your latest videos saying how good it was Kuon. Et Voilà!! Thank you! 😉
I used to have this game! I lost during one of my many moves……. It’s insane to see how much it goes for on the secondary market these days.
This game is soooooo good. I played, but had no idea it was from Fromsoftware. I did all three characters.
Nice job on this video and very informative. I haven't heard of that author you mentioned before but now I'm interested in tracking down his books (if they're in print) and a copy of Kwaidan as well.
This gem deserved a remaster, both in graphics & combat system.
Thanks for this amazing video. I still have my copy of KuOn and loved it from the start although it's story left a huge question mark in my head after playing. But playing Silent Hill kinda had the same effect tbh! That's why the bad reviews from back then used to upset me. Another fact worth mentioning why KuOn failed in the western countries is that some of the translations into European languages were atrociously bad. I hope for a part 2 or remake now that so many old horror titles receive one.
Ah, a video about one of my favourite horror games ever, great!
I got my copy two years ago for 190€ (it was my present for my bachelor's degree). Still more affordable than Rule of Rose, which costed me...400€.
FromSoft has been pretty cagey about their next project, but it's clear they're 'returning' to an older property. Could it be a remake? Or even a continuation, Kuon 2?
Kings Field V
Kuon sold horribly, which is why it's insanely expensive nowadays since there aren't many copies. There is no way we will see a return or a sequel. The only survival horror games that were able to survive beyond the PS2 era were Resident Evil, Fatal Frame and Silent Hill.
Kuon, Rule of Rose, Extermination, Haunting Ground, Clock Tower, Siren, Obscure all died in the mid 2000s and it's nearly impossible to see any of them return since they sold so poorly and some still have undisputed copyright issues to this day.
At best it's King's Field, Armored Core or Tenchu (technically, Sekiro already feels like a re-imagined Tenchu).
It's pretty much confirmed to be a new Armored Core game which I'm very excited about!
Man this game brings back memories.
Now subscribed, thank you for the hard work.
It still lives on the piracy ship, played it on my ps2 chipped, it's freaking awesome
I once owned this game, along with rule of rose… had to sell them for rent money. Years later, I wish I would’ve just became homeless & held onto these
I am so glad I bought a copy of this when it was like $30 used.
Silent Hill 2 remake and more newer Silent Hills just got announced! 🙌
Hope you're doing well, Muse. I enjoyed the video. I just replayed DMC2 after like twenty years and came to youtube looking for retrospectives. Your video was pretty much the only one that wasn't overdramatic hatred of it. Thanks for your content; it's always informative.
No way! I was just recommended this game on Amazon the other day!
It was worth hunting it down to play...and smartly sold it afterwards...A great experience and surprise twists in the game keep you enticed. However...My opinion the end boss was a little....Well, you'll see if you even play it...A SURE game to make you jump and cringe in great setting!
I've owned this gem for about 12 years now. I was actually playing it last night showing it to my friend who's never heard of it until now. And I only paid $4.99 for it from gamespot back in 2010 😅
I remember yeeeeeeeeaaaaars ago I went to a used game store, and I found this little game called Kuon. I was intrigued, so I went back home and googled it. It looked very interesting, so I bought it for 50 dollars! So happy I did! It's a lovely little game.
I use to have this game and every day I miss playing it I still have the box never got to beat the giant monkey guy.
one of the best games ever made. wish FS would revisit this. also would you cover Michigan Report from hell? that'd be a fun one to see
Holly popo!! I literally have this game in my hands rigth now and it has been on my collection along side Rule of Rose and many other since the begining of the century. A few years ago a borrowed it to a friend and now i am really gratefull he didnt stole it.
I really should get around to playing my copy.
I'm in my 40's and a video game collector. I own Kuon! I've purchase it in the 90's, in a garage sale for 10$. It's one of the creepiest game i've played in the 90's! But it's a really good game! I've a pretty big collection...But in the time, i could purchase a full box of video games for 25-30$... Now, i'm still collecting more the news collectors, day one or regular games! I really miss those times when i could go back home, with 2 ou 3 full boxes with mix consoles game for less than 100$ They should really try to find a way to revive it with modern technology! Here some horror ideas : Clock tower ( 1 to 3), Parasite Eve 1 and 2, Rule of rose, Hunting ground, Nightmare Creatures, Fear effect 1 and 2, Siren, Fatal frame ( 1 to 3), Galarians, Alone In The Dark ( all), Dino crisis 1 and 2, The City of Lost Children, Obscure etc... I own those games too...and yes..thank to the 90's affordable time, where collecting games was not as big than today! Because, i could never afford those as easely today! Way to pricey!
I loved to hear my favorite and sadly abandoned franchise, Armored Core, mentioned so much, sometimes people ignore it when speaking about FROMSOFTWARE
You'll be Happy to learn From Softs next game to be released is a new AC game :) I'm very excited.
The strangest thing to me, in this vid, is Ghost Hunter beating out Crimson Butterfly and The Room. Tf were these guys ingesting? FF 2 is, to this day, one of my favorite games to ever be put to disc and the SH franchise is my favorite series. I'll admit, Kuon was jarring for me upon its release but beating it countless times and studying up on it gave me a whole new appreciation for it. I was offered $600 for my copy a couple years back. I passed.
Glad I got a copy of this when I did
I need to ask, what's the music you're using at the end of the video when you're giving your final thoughts? I love the track!
FromSoft should leverage the huge popularity that they have right now to re-release games such like this one, even if it's just a Remaster.
I remember picking this up for $7 at GameStop, who knew it would become so expensive 🤷♀️
Appreciate these videos, I listened to your documentary on the creation of Silent Hill 2 and enjoyed it immensely. Reminded me of the G4 Icon days of yore. These vids have been a god send since living arrangements have been a literal hell at the moment. Keep'em coming.
Finally people we get a Silent Hill even if is a remake still exited
Koei Tecmo on the other hand is bringing their Fatal Frame titles to the new gen, specially to the PC, though one might say they are trying to revive those that did not sell that well because they were tied to certain systems namely the Wii (Fatal Frame IV) and the Wii U (Fatal Frame V). Fatal Frame V is already out, while IV is on its way, not sure if they will port 1, 2 and 3 as well but given there is already established digital distribution nowadays, Fromsoft might want to consider bringing Kuon to the modern platforms too, given that there is a more interested demographics lately and a lot of them are also highly interested in studying the context involved in these games. I hope they do consider a re-master or a re-make of this title.
What an interesting and detailed analysis. Hopefully one day you can do a review of Rule of rose. Greetings.
Nah, I had to follow you all because of Kuon. That game is amazing and hardly anyone is talking about it.
I cherish my copy with all my heart that and rule of rose my treasures they are
Hey! A new Silent Hill video game has been officially announced!
I have a complete hard copy of this game and when I see the prices on Ebay I'm not gonna lie I get tempted to sell it 😅
Bought this for $15 in 2010....love this hidden gem
Dang it...remember playing this game at night alone😅🙈
Muse would you ever consider doing one of your deep dive style videos on the Siren series or at least the original? I would absolutely love that, ive obviously seen other video essays on it but nobody else quite makes it feel like a cool gaming documentary the way you do with your videos lol
I just looked up a copy on ebay, that has been officially graded... £2,500, with 11 watchers.
Yes, this is a rare game.
I need this game! Fatal Frame is the reason I bought the ps2 and even if Crimson Butterfly was the only game I ever wanted it would have been worth it.
Some things, just are, "doomed to obscurity". That seems like my life in a nutshell, and if the light ever did shine, _maybe_ I wouldn't like it that much anyways.
I have Rule of Rose and Haunting Ground, this is the last of the trifecta of rare ps2 horror that eludes me. Cause its to damn expensive.