having grown up in a very small town that I frequently revisit, this game is *PAINFULLY* relatable and accurately conveyed - which is much more unsettling to me than the spooky plot developments later on in the game.
The real specter of Possum Springs isn't out there in the woods. It's the abandoned glass factory, the broken down buildings, the remains of the old grocery store at the edge of town. It's the kids leaving to find their futures elsewhere, and the adults staying without any job prospects. It's the desperate attempts of an older generation to cling to the life they once knew but is now long gone. The scariest part of this game is the visible rot and rust that is encroaching upon a once lush and vibrant town. This game portrayed the death of a small town more accurately than any piece of media I've seen. The themes of mental problems might hit close to home for some people, but the themes of societal problems is far more frightening to me. (Also, love your vids, man. Keep being awesome.)
JJ Barajas Yah I think that Beatrice mentioned how they were in the Rust Belt, and many have speculated Possum Springs is the equivalent to many small western Pennsylvanian mining towns that are in the decline.
+Futheadfan I was actually getting /fit/ as fuck before I left but, like my bank account, college absolutely destroyed that Sitting at 190 now, with a big, thicc, manly ass. Bought a fedora, considering a neckbeard and katana. Maybe instead of studying journalism, I can study the blade
See, I think the one detail that the devs nailed with this game is the lack of character identity. Mae is a character with no purpose, and no identity. She grew up in a small town, with a best friend who is a terrible influence on her. She goes away to college, and the stress of having no friends, and being alone (in an environment where your told that friends come to you naturally, that's the myth anyway) causes her to have a physical and emotional breakdown. The only solution she sees is to try and be a kid again, because the stress and anxiety of the adult world were way too much for her to take on. Then, it turns out that hometown life has it's own dose of BS, but on a much more terrifying scale, so not even her childhood life is sacred anymore. Mae completely loses track of who she is in the span of a year. I can't think of anything more relatable than that.
The fact that the character is relatable is exactly what I don't like about it. I don't want to play a character that has the same problems in life I do. If I wanted to be a character like myself, I'd just live my life. I play games to forget about that.
@@troodon1096 Man I really get you. The worst part is that one of my former friends who was in a situation like this loves the game. And she's living a great life now, without me. I'm still here with the same problems and no education...
@@kanalkucker14 I didn’t think the game music was anything too special but I did think it was very fitting with it’s soothingly gloomy and cute playful tones, it’s good. This game had me wanting to go back and replay it again though, the characters were so investing and I really felt for them. I think the crazy ending section of the story was kind of lack luster and rushed compared to the charismatic, relaxing, soul searching adventures of the likable characters given. Want more games with actual characters and personalities to follow.
I knew EXACTLY what Mae was talking about in that scene at the end where she's lying on the couch with either Bea or Gregg. It was actually kind of difficult to take in. It meant a lot.
Conversations with Mae's mom in the morning are like, the most pleasant part of the game. That's why her getting angry at you in the middle (for like, two days) hits so hard. Just wanted to make sure we are being fair to Mae's mom! ^o^//
As someone who grew up in Pennsylvania (where the game CLEARLY takes place), this game resonated with me in a way I've never felt before. This is a game made for those who have wished to "Die Anywhere Else". This game hit very, VERY close to home for me.
I wonder how many others think the game clearly took place in their home state? I think the game is specifically designed to be reminiscent of any small state town. Kinda reminds me of how the reason the town in the Simpsons is named 'Springfield' is because almost every state has one so you can never truly guess where it's supposed to be.
The game is pretty specifically modelled after small town Pennsylvania and/or the east coast parts of the rust belt. You got hill and valley geography, you got eastern european artefacts like pirogies, you got a history of coal mining and industry that dried up. The creators of the game or at least Scott Benson come from the area.
This review was WAY more fair then most out there, most out there are from the perspective of someone who "Totally gets it so it's amaaazing" without talking about it's flaws or who it's really for or if it's that great. This was more fair, the game's not for everyone but it does have some great things about it.
7:17 "Is Night in The Woods a good game? I dunno it's kind of a broad question." "Is Night in The Woods right for you? I dunno but that's probably the better question here." That there sort of answers it.
Brandonious15987 i played it through and yeah. basically if you can relate to bojack's personality you will relate to the characters and themes in this game and youll love it.
It's a shame that half of the video was spend by explaining that there are works which are aimed at a narrower audience. Shouldn't that be common knowledge?
Not gonna lie, I kinda love this game, and it's certainly grown on me over time. What I initially interpreted as bad pacing issues and repetitious gameplay slowly became positives in my mind, as I began to realise the thematic importance of almost every those aspects, and almost every other aspect, of this game. The dialogue is all incredibly entertaining, the intrigue is excellent, and the characters' backstories are wonderfully drip-fed to the player in a way which never felt forced or patronising (a rare feat we don't see much in most games). One thing I loved was how the characters are all animals in colourful environments, likely deliberately contrasting with the heavy realism of the world these people inhabit. This is the only new game I've played in 2017, so I guess for now it's my Game of the Year. A further note: Gregg rulz ok.
It's kinda sad how these artistic story based games like this, Firewatch, and Gone Home get so much vitriol. Like the very idea of a game like this is so infuriating to some people. I've never played any of these games and they don't seem like something I wanna spend my money on but I appreciate their existence and would probably enjoy them at least somewhat if I got around to them.
I didn't think this game would appeal to me but George's review and the art style convinced me to give it a shot. It is safe to say that this game has had a profound impact on my life and I am grateful that I did play it. It may not be for everyone, but if it is for you then it will undoubtedly be a very prevalent experince
It seems to me that you don't really enjoy playing a protagonist with heavy character flaws, but to me Mae is one of the most interesting video game characters in a long time, especially because she is kind of a dick. It's not like she is a bad person, just that her actions and consideration for anyone she doesn't agree with won't be considered good behavior. Without Mae the game could never explore its theme in such a realistic and heartfelt approach.
iMonikah I think it's because Mae is such a realistic character, people are all going to have very different opinion on her. My boyfriend (who is a serious dude) found Mae to be a sad character, but ultimately he was just mad at her most of the time as he watched me play. Because I saw a lot of my younger self in Mae, I was often amused and distressed for her. I loved Mae, so watching her make her mistakes was like watching a train wreck. People will call Mae annoying, sad, spoiled, funny, tragic, dumb, honest, etc. and they would all be right in a way. She's probably one of the most compelling video game characters I've ever played.
>Without Mae the game could never explore its theme in such a realistic and heartfelt approach. You assume such a person is the only type that would venture where she ventures.
Hmm. I can see a lot of similarities between myself and Mae from your description. As a young man in my 20s I'm at this point where I can feel the burden of having to begin actively partaking in something relevant to my future career, but my general lack of interest in any particular thing keeps me pinned to the same spot I find myself in day in and day out. I feel like I wake up each day and coarse through the area I'm used to for news of what has "popped up." I haven't taken classes at my local community college in a few semesters because it feels unimportant to me as I haven't made any goals out of it. It's a strange case of being unconcerned with my position yet feeling engulfed by the pressures to strive for something. I'm just kind of holding out for my own night out in the woods, so to say. A stumble into some purpose -- something fulfilling. I'm not big into Indie games, but this one is calling my name. You have an interesting way of reviewing games.
Great review! I'm probably just a pretentious twat but the economic elements felt like a big focus to the game so I was just a little disappointed when you didn't cover those as much, but to be fair a lot of perspective on that only comes from finding slightly hidden things in game, I don't really understand why people are proscribing some weird illegitimacy to this game's writing and the way the characters work and talk. I come from the same economically disenfranchised region of Appalachia, I'm in the game's age group, and I will tell you playing it felt like a documentary. You may not know 20-somethings that act like this, but I do, and I went through the whole game shuffling my feet out of shameful relation to Mae's worst personality aspects, while also seeing a lot of myself in her friends and the side characters too. Every situation has a real parallel I've experienced, and people having a problem with the 'SJW' aspects just don't realize that living in a region of the United States totally fucked over by economic shifts and changes can very easily produce a far left perspective like the one that Scott Benson holds and bolsters through the game's narrative. I think this just lends to the point that the more/less you relate to the game, the more you're going to enjoy/dislike it. Which is fine, but I wish some of you did not turn relating less to the game than others into...Somehow accusing it of being a disingenuous, artificial concoction.
Agreed! I was looking forward to George's opinion on this because if there's a channel that's going to go on a tangent about that. it would be this! I thought the way it paralleled Mae's journey in all it's possible iterations with how the side characters in town seem to all cope differently with the shift between the town's former bustling self and it's new and depressing service based economy subsistence was very neatly weaved into the core plot. And it does it both subtly and in your face depending on how you look at it. Here's hoping they cover that thoroughly in the podcast.
+WoomyB well, in Brazil we Live a very harsh economical crisis, and People constantly throws fault on one another, in most cases politicaly. This made politics and the menance of corruption gladly made me insightful but not fully related to politics. With all that gargatuan shit happening and People litteraly waging "Facebook text wars" I got the conclusion that looking at the kind of thing like night in the Woods mostly on a political spectrum is TOTAL BULLSHIT! i'm so tired of shit-head hipocrits bulging their shit-bathe ideias into my Head as If their were the truth and I were an idiot Look I know the staff behind this game do not make it any rigth on that way, but you making that kind of "OH THERE IS A HIPSTER AND AN HOMOSEXUAL THIS GAME IS TOTAL HOGWASH LEFTIST CRAP THAT DOES'NT EXIST! ONLY /POL/ RETARDED FUCKS THAT KEEP THINKING ON HOW SIMPLY SAYING RACIST THINGS WITHOUT ANY MORE EFFORT PUT IN THE JOKE IS REALLY FUNNY AND EVERYONE THAT DISAGREES IS SJW SCUM THAT SCREWED WITH HUMMANITY!" is not any respectable by the way I consider myself on pretty rigth-centrist bubble of politics, but still do not see that problems on your SJW problems with SU and NitW, and Will be thinking most of this kind of Biased leftists and rigthists are dumb on analysing a game on such BULLSHIT LEVEL btw²: I am kinda sorry for such large text, its just that this topic annoys me so much
There are very little actual far leftists in america, compared to the far right. From a european social democratic perspective (which isn't very far left), the american democrats would be considered right-wing.
yeah, there is not an inch of left in the US politicians, im from latin america and I laugh whenever I see reps calling dems "socialists", or something silly, it's like, all the US knows is far right and center-right
George, I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate the content you create; I always feel so much more about a game after you've discussed it. you have a skill for describing things in ways that even the creators themselves couldn't. from a person who sucks at receiving compliments, I hope you take this to heart; you make content which feels enriching, that is to say, I feel better and learn so much from watching it. you have a zealousness and passion for this calling that I can only hope to emulate. thank you for making what you make. also I need your automats review so bad, this game took over my life for almost three straight days
Fungusdude42: If you haven't looked them up, check out Joseph Anderson. If you like those three, you'll probably like his videos too. They're on the long side though
i absolutely adore this game it's such a good look at mental illness and growing up because nobody can convince me mae isn't either schizophrenic or that she doesnt have some form of DID or something. and like i actually didn't dislike her because i guess i've struggled with identity and disassociation in my life to an extent. it sort of felt good to see a character portrayed like that when i can sometimes feel alone with my issues. theres just such a charm to the game and i loved the tonal whiplash. it was just such a nice contrast to the "real world" issues and such. it was just such a memorable game for me and i hope they make a successor. not a sequel, but maybe something that takes place in the same universe with the same art style and stuff. great review though!
holy, youre sharp :D yeah its the painting Yusuke makes in his Confidant Rank 2 sequence. It was honestly a very random pick off my phone gallery, props to you!
It's kind of disturbing seeing the vitriolic hate for this game in the comments based on preconceptions around the "hipster" aesthetic alone. Expressing dislike towards a game is fine (it's practically idiomatic to equate liking CoD to having poor taste), but it's always games in the same nook as Gone Home, Her Story, Fire Watch (etc.) which receive the most bile. People act as though they're offended for their very existence, which is absurd.
Hyperbolic? Maybe. Sensitive? Not really. It's less that I'm upset that people have this gut reaction to these kinds of games, and more confusion. And I should clarify (towards Aidan's case), this confusion is not at all towards people who've played the game and dislike it based on its content, but just towards people who display their strong disgust based on a little more than a surface impression.
LexHollow I don't hate walking simulators, (I actual like them cuz fighting sucks sometimes) but I can't stand pre-teen humor that's just kindergarten talk. I understand the demographic, but I understand why people hate games that are made for such a millennial way of thinking.
Honestly I can’t thank you enough for your work. This review convinced me to get this game and I haven’t felt so impacted by a game in such a long time Night In The Woods is something I constantly think about yet I tend to only play in the weekends at night when I can be undisturbed. I have an almost strange reverence to this game and I have to thank you George for your in depth reviews that describe what kind of experience you will be getting, and yet don’t spoil much and make you hungry for more. Any game would be lucky to have you write a review for them and anyone would be lucky to read it.
I played this every Sunday morning for a couple day cycles, for about a month or so. In spite of that, by the time I got to the end, I was genuinely invested in the characters and plot and started looking forward to Sunday mornings. Absolutely loved Night in the Woods, and didn't expect that I would.
Great review. Without spoiling anything, the story to this game gets really good by the end. It's not just about a college student dealing with her own personal demons, but some of the "entities" she meets in her dreams and in the real world turn the story into a Lovecraftian horror. I feel like this element was missing from the review, but I found it to be my favorite part of the game, allowing for multiple interpretations of the various events that took place.
I have bipolar depression and I act like Mae a lot. Playing the game helped observe my behavior from a distance. I really relate to Mae, especially because she uses humor to get through her issues.
I wouldn't necessarily call Mae the equivalent of Luanne. Mae's more like Lucy Ricardo from I Love Lucy, with bits of Madeline Kahn, Toad from Wind in the Willows, and Kipling's Cat that Walked by Himself. Interestingly, Toad from WitW, who is also eccentric, mischievous, and childish in an endearing way, was inspired by Kenneth Grahame's son Alastair, who also suffered from depression. (I can see a NitW spin-off based on WitW). I've known some people who reminded me of Mae too, but I find Mae, despite her faults, to be more self aware and considerate then those people. I especially like Mae when she rekindles her friendship with Bae, as well as spending time with Mr. Chazakov, Selma, Lori, Pastor Kate, and Germ. And Mae's mother doesn't really yell at her every day: just that one day when she's frustrated with bills. I found Mae's mother, as well as her father, to be warm and wonderfully eccentric, and despite their family squabbles, had a closer bond than I anticipated. I don't think the supernatural element is the cause of Mae's depression. It's definitely a very clever metaphor for battling depression. It's more like Mae's problem was exacerbated by the supernatural element, and Mae's mental sensitivity allows her to be more aware of what lurking behind the scenes. It coincides a little with William S. Burroughs' observation: “A paranoid is someone who knows a little of what's going on. A psychotic is a guy who's just found out what's going on.” As I said before, Mae is not inconsiderate. The friendships she makes in game causes her to develop more awareness of herself and her situation. If you pursue the friendship with Bae, it's suggested that Mae and Bea have a better understanding of each other, and that Mae may mature over time. I agree that when Mae does stupid things, regardless of your choices, it's almost unbearably painful. Still, I can't write her off as being deplorable, because, despite her awful moments, she's rather sensitive and affectionate, in a very eccentric way. I think what she needed was a mentor, like a Shaolin abbot or a Zen Samurai, to guide her through her turbulence. In my experience, people with different degrees of depression and disability can't always make it on their own: they need guidance. I think Bea serves as Mae's mentor, and I think Mae has a better chance moving forward with Bae's help. I can even see Bea serving as Mae's equivalent of Frank Dux's Shidoshi, Senzo Tanaka. On another topic: because of the supernatural element in the game, I can't help but imagine Mae and her friends partaking in future misadventures which resemble a parody of Quake and Clive Barker's Undying.
Mom's upset with you because they might lose the house after taking a predatory loan to put Mae through college. That explained pretty well the day after she really gives it to you. Other than that, lovely review as always bunny man!
Ayup. This game was really damn good. But yeah, your enjoyment of it is going to entirely depend on how much you can relate to or empathize with the very specific kinds of characters that are in the game. You also have to be okay with the game not letting you do "the smart choice". Like, theres some situations where the main character is just not emotionally mature enough to know the right thing to say, and these parts are frustrating, because you basically have to choose between a few really bad/stupid things to say. You have to be okay with this to enjoy that game!!
WoomyB Thats some nonsense right there. Why are some people so interested in putting down arbitrary lines in what they consider video games or not? What an embarrassing waste of time. Scare quotes around "game"? Grow up man
+WoomyB Just because it's more of a interactive story, that doesn't mean it's "barely a video game." That's like saying The Walking Dead: Season 1 is barely a video game just because it's more of an interactive story. Use your common sense next time.
what does and what doesn't constitute a game, you are talking semantics by that point, it is pretty much an interactive story telling, but it fits well withing what games are. Adventure games were and are considered games even if the gameplay is "lacking" so to say.
I just finished it like 8 hours . Went in blind and miaow what a masterpiece. I get that it’s about life struggles and personality disorders but I laughed so much of the dialogue in the game , more than a game had for a long time .
I love this game, playing as Mae was very unique in the sense that for once in my lifetime I actually felt like I was the main character in the game. I found her and her struggles to be the most I have ever related to a character in any game and maybe any media at all. Definitely a game worth playing imho. The normalcy elements of this game are painfully relatable.
I'd not really compare it to King of the Hill. I can't think of a film or show off the top of my head that I would compare it to, but personally it reminded me heavily of Caitlín R. Kiernan's novels and short stories. It has that sort of neo-weird fiction vibe with its plot and its focus on tone and mood above things like particularly tight and brisk pacing. And then there's Mae. Mae who is the lens through which the story is experienced and who is gone into the extent that if you do not like Mae or can at least tolerate her you probably will hate the game. While Mae isn't quite the exact same sort of depressed, self-destructive, flawed women that are the main characters of a Kiernan novel she is something that nears the mark in a way. And Kiernan novels tend to be hated for similar reasons. Unlikable main characters that grate on people, an unwieldy or even poor sense of pacing with an overemphasis on tone and theme, a lack of a proper resolution...Things like that. Personally I loved the game a lot and put it among my favorite games that have affected me a great deal. Mostly because I've been the Mae. I'm working very, very hard to not be the Mae of my life. And to see something like this not just as a movie but something I control that railroads me into the sort of shitty situations that are entirely my fault really grabbed at me. Especially when it has a that sort of small town evil cult and spooky weird supernatural thing that you find in weird fiction. Weird fiction probably being my favorite genre. It's just kind of a weird perfect storm of hitting my personal buttons just right.
I’ve only started playing this game, but it’s really resonating with me. Partly because I was a kid that grew up in a small midwestern town not unlike Possum Falls and know people that are very much like the characters in the game. You are right about Mae’s character. I know some people who are like her. It feels like to me she’s one of those people who didn’t really mature until they get older. I don’t necessarily hate the slow start either. I feel every minute I’m playing this game, I’m slowly peeling back the layers of Mae’s character and her relationships to her friends, family and the villagers.
I think it's worth mentioning Mae left college because of a mental health issue. I've heard some people say depression, some people say dissociation (furthered by her talking about things becoming 'just shapes'), but the point is she didn't just come back because she felt like it. That statue you destroy in one of the dream sequences is the same one that drove her away from her college. So Mae isn't exactly as rude or as selfish as I think you made her out to be, just troubled. Sure she's snarky and passive-aggressive, but going from that to outright being a douchebag sorta depended on your dialogue choices in-game. Your options of dialogue were pretty much always, "Slightly less douchey Mae", and "Slightly MORE douchey Mae", with occasional "Regular Mae" or "Genuinely Nice-but-maybe-faked Comment". It's just worth pointing out, I think, that she didn't leave college for no reason.
People who refuse to acnowledge and actively combat their mental jealth pronlems are responsible for their own suffering. You cant just absolve anyone of responsibility because they have depression or some other minor behivoir disorder. Hell, about a third of all people suffer from minor deprrssion, a fifth from stress induced irritable bowel syndrome., similar numners from bornout. These are known quantities, and people are responsible for preventing recognising and treating themselves.
I have probably the best way to tell if you'll like this game or not. When you played Psychonauts (and if you haven't then play it) was your favorite or one of your favorite parts the thing where after each level nearly all npc dialogue changes and each seemingly unimportant npc in the hub each has their own background and side plot? If so then yes.
Interesting to hear the perspective of someone who sees Mae more so like someone they KNOW more so than being immensely relatable on just about every level. Me and basically all my friends who have played are around the same age group as Mae and her friends, so the experiences that they go through in the game and in their lives felt almost like they were ripped right from our own, with some of my friends, and myself, falling into a weird dissociative panic attack after playing. Gregg is perhaps my favorite character in fiction now purely because of how insanely I relate to his character, and especially his relationship with Mae and how much it parallels my friendship with my best friend. I feel like you could almost graph the games appeal based on who is playing it, with those who don't relate to Mae or know anyone like her probably finding very little interest in the game, and those who relate to Mae heavily seeing the game as basically the best thing ever, and I lie closer on the latter end.
Sorry for my poor english. Remind me of one of my roomate at the university. A smart and snarky guy who was slacking the whole time. Now, he is 30, still unemployed and totally act like Mae (I'm more a mix of Anson (geek/ready to help ) and Gregg (weird and cheerful with friends ) Im now at the chapter two, it's a little frustrating to "hang" with these people because they are quite boring. (Minus Gregg) It's like following Chloe in lis, I have no interest to watch her being a jerk while doing nothing interesting. I think Mae suffer from depression (or slowly recover from it). She can't really connect with other people and hide behind a mask of sarcasm.
Good review. The only detail I disagree with is how you talked about Mae's relationship with her mom. Mae's mom doesn't really "yell" at Mae until a significant amount of time has passed, and even then she is mad at Mae for one day in particular. It's implied that her frustration with Mae's lack of meaningful activity or willingness to take charge of her life or even explain why she left college to begin with (plus home life stress that Mae doesn't realize until later). I personally loved seeing Mae talk with her mom every morning (major exception being the specific day in question of course) because it felt so genuine and their relationship was so sweet, but I suppose that's just my perspective.
Nice succinct video. I find most channels that talk about this game focus on the feelings that they got, it's nice to have a more objective viewpoint. Any chance of a Nier: Automata review?
rationallity is also an emotion, studies have shown that rationality is tied to our emotoin on things too, there is not a subjective view on things other than, pressing button jumps, walking moves, controls work, game has bugs/no bugs, etc
Night in the Woods appeared on my recommended games list out of no-where, and I hadn't heard anything about it before hand. I thought the art style looked cool, and it was cheap, so I bought it. I've never experienced anything like it before, or since. Towards the end of the game, there was an actual pit in my stomach- That kind when something really bad happens and you're just trying not to worry about it because there's nothing you can do, and you just sit there and wait around and try to be normal. I don't know _how_ Night in the Woods did it, but the characters felt (almost paradoxically, considering the simple art style) more real and human than in any other game I've played through.
Game was relatable. Possum Springs totally feels like an old steel mountain town in Pennsylvania, like Bethlehem or something. Knew a lot of people in those towns growing up so the first act was totally a nostalgic rush. Second half was kind of stupid.
What he did? He got born :^) But, honestly, that's kinda expected. Almost everytime some really professional/interesting/creative/just plain good at his job person have shitshow, and some freaks and shitheads like DSP have too much adequate and reasonable crowd. That's how youtube (or, more likely, LIFE) works, because life IS a shitshow and you should just say "fuck it" and enjoy the most you can. And now it's time to UNSUBSCRIBE FROM SUPERBUNNYHOP again.
She did have a fight with Mae towards the middle of the game even in Jesse's playthrough. As for Mom's dialogues overall, I heard they were quite different in Dodger's playthrough, so I'd imagine there are small things all over the place that affects it.
SJ.Fox I wouldn't say she "yelled" as much as she just gets into a fight with Mae. And yeah, if you interact with Mom more and visit her by the church you get a broader sense as to her character beyond being Mae's mother and why Mae's situation is so distressing for her. The one thing that through me off in this review is that George doesn't know WHY Mae's mom is upset with her?? Like, even if you don't explore her extended dialogue it's not too hard to understand why a parent would be frustrated with their unemployed, uncommunicative college drop-out kid.
I would like to add, it is so fitting you mentioned screaming at the screen, because of Mae. I did exactly that, though at different parts. Despite not being like Mae (thank God) and not knowing anyone quite like Mae (thank God), and screaming at her when she kept not doing what I wanted her to do, I loved this game, and I loved Mae.
Top notch review! It definitely is that easy for a player who doesn't know someone (or is) similar to Mae to dismiss her as someone "straight out a Why Millennials Are Ruining America article" and while I personally don't think the supernatural twist is a metaphor it's a worthwhile angle to consider. That music tho, I'm so glad Alec's still making these amazing dreamy soundscapes, Aquaria wouldn't have been half the game it was without his personal touch and I was so happy to hear his signature style in NITW
I dropped out of a university and it was the most annoying time of my life. People were all talking behind my back and to my parents. Lucky I entered a college and finished studying. Going outside of your town and study isn't easy.
Yeah I really get very anxious by some friends that are very similar to Mae. I don't think I want to experience more of that as a hobby. Very nice review
It's not really about a small town. It's about a once-proud middle-class American society destroyed by 40 years of falling real wages, gangster oligarchs, Wall Street scams, and kleptocratic misrule -- and more importantly, about how a small group of young people decide to resist.
Night in the Woods seems like the perfect example of a game that is probably not for you but is very much for its audience that you probably aren't a part of unless you are in which case you'll love it. To criticize it for not appealing to more people is to praise The Big Bang Theory and Sword Art Online. Reviewers should venture to be humble when criticizing it *as a whole*.
Even a bit more than that! It had a lot of musical and visual homages to stuff the author is clearly into, and nods to previous material he collaborated with, like his earthbound romhacks or his work with homestuck. Even the over the top ending is channeling shonen tropes straight out of something like Gurren Lagann.
I think you hit it spot on. I bought this game right after the review came out, because I love these types of narrative driven, homey games, that while a lot of gamers just snark at it being "not a true game" (which is a whole other debate), I love them and its one of my favorite types of games. I'm about half way through, right where stuff is actually "going down" and a mystery is starting to form, as he puts it in his review. And man, some of the characters frustrate the hell out of me. I find it funny that I relate and appreciate Bea, the character presented for you not to like (at least at first) visually and story wise, than Gregg, who seems to be "that character" for the game (as in the character everyone loves and latches onto in a game). Mae is a mixed bag. Sometimes she's cool and seems kinda logical. Hell, I could even get behind her shoplifting from a privileged position where she doesn't need to. I've done it before. But then she gets mad at asinine things like her mom asking why she dropped out, and then insults her. Even despite that, I can admire the systems that are in place in order to give those type of people who would like it a sort of "kick in the ass" metaphorically. Even though I come from a well off suburban family, which I never really had a sort of edgy or "we're kids man!" phase, I can relate to some of the dialogues, like Bea's speach to Mae in her bedroom. And like George says, I know a couple of people who are like Mae. So I still hold a sense of reliability. Kinda went off on a tangent there. Forgot what I was ultimately trying to say. Oh well.
SpaceManSpliffz The weirdest playing-high game experience for me was being absolutely stoned on Max Payne 3 multiplayer. I went 35 and 5 if that says anything about the game.
As much as I love complex characters and stories, I have such a hard time getting myself to play them in a sidescroller/point and click context. Should I try to find some way to watch the game and see the story like that?
Do you like JRPGs? Do you want to kick some metaphysical ass? Do you want to explore relationships that somehow make you kick more metaphysical ass? Why are you on the fence. The game is great.
Well if you liked all of the other Persona games so far, Persona 5 is a great combination of all of them with a slightly more focused story and tone than 3 or 4. The mechanics work well and is pretty forgiving to newcomers. The only thing I would warn anyone about is that the subject matters discussed in the main story are pretty dark and can get uncomfortable. Instead of focusing on death like in the other games, P5 focuses more on personal and political issues. Haven't finished the game myself because apparently it's about 100 hours long but it's been very enjoyable so far.
This game broke me and now I can't stop thinking about it, even god damn Demontower was good. I'll probably end up listening to the ost until I eventually tire out haha. Mae is so lucky, she can still turn the table around, I chose the worst path in life and now I'm paying for it for sure, I couldn't cope and neither my body.
As a person living the definition of this suburbia "vagueness", this game is incredibly interesting to me. (Not a dropout or anything, but several of my friends and acquaintances fit on that category)
[spoilers] I think the tonal whiplash is a little less severe if you interpret the experience of mae at college (and before, the 'just shapes' thing) as being someone struggling with a completely mundane mental illness rather than that specifically having supernatural roots, and the supernatural elements being something that happened to her upon her return to possum springs. Her age at the time lines up when lots of different pretty serious mental illnesses could manifest after all. A supernatural force symbolizing an opportunistic political poison makes a lot more sense portrayed as someone preying on the disabled into acting against their own self interest than it somehow causing her problems to begin with
So weird playing this in highschool and now today also being a disassociated youth. I literally just dropped out of college after a year and a half. In the middle of the night I took one of the cars and left. It's been a couple days, I'm not sure what I'm doing right now. But this game is something I've decided to revisit on my laptop in this cold car.
great review, however I'm surprised by how much you insist on mae's mom always being angry. In my playthrough she was really sweet and caring and her and Mae only fought once. maybe it depends on your in-game actions?
happy to see this review. I was wondering what it was about considering the love a few blogs have Given it, and I can say without a doubt this game is not for. Mainly because I don't see the art to be all that special, the gameplay is weak (main reason I play video games), and I would absolutely hate the main character, in game and real life.
I fucking loved this game, It had me freaking out whenever I see Mae say something, or a joke that i said before. I don't think I've ever had a character I have ever really related too this much and I even forced some of my friends to buy it and tell me I'm not a crazy person. And uh, Apprently I'm not.
having grown up in a very small town that I frequently revisit, this game is *PAINFULLY* relatable and accurately conveyed - which is much more unsettling to me than the spooky plot developments later on in the game.
RichaadEB Whoa i'd never expect to see you here
The real specter of Possum Springs isn't out there in the woods. It's the abandoned glass factory, the broken down buildings, the remains of the old grocery store at the edge of town. It's the kids leaving to find their futures elsewhere, and the adults staying without any job prospects. It's the desperate attempts of an older generation to cling to the life they once knew but is now long gone.
The scariest part of this game is the visible rot and rust that is encroaching upon a once lush and vibrant town. This game portrayed the death of a small town more accurately than any piece of media I've seen. The themes of mental problems might hit close to home for some people, but the themes of societal problems is far more frightening to me.
(Also, love your vids, man. Keep being awesome.)
Geoffrey Precht Rust Belt?
JJ Barajas Yah I think that Beatrice mentioned how they were in the Rust Belt, and many have speculated Possum Springs is the equivalent to many small western Pennsylvanian mining towns that are in the decline.
Ha, I dropped out of college and DON'T have friends! Dodged a bullet there!
And thank GOD I didn't drop out just to start a TH-cam channel that'd go nowhere.
O h w a i t
Dropped out of school and no friends, planning to do TH-cam
isn't life beautiful?
+Ralox Almost as beautiful as the noose hanging in my closet
Me? you bet
+Futheadfan I was actually getting /fit/ as fuck before I left but, like my bank account, college absolutely destroyed that
Sitting at 190 now, with a big, thicc, manly ass. Bought a fedora, considering a neckbeard and katana. Maybe instead of studying journalism, I can study the blade
See, I think the one detail that the devs nailed with this game is the lack of character identity. Mae is a character with no purpose, and no identity. She grew up in a small town, with a best friend who is a terrible influence on her. She goes away to college, and the stress of having no friends, and being alone (in an environment where your told that friends come to you naturally, that's the myth anyway) causes her to have a physical and emotional breakdown. The only solution she sees is to try and be a kid again, because the stress and anxiety of the adult world were way too much for her to take on. Then, it turns out that hometown life has it's own dose of BS, but on a much more terrifying scale, so not even her childhood life is sacred anymore.
Mae completely loses track of who she is in the span of a year. I can't think of anything more relatable than that.
The fact that the character is relatable is exactly what I don't like about it. I don't want to play a character that has the same problems in life I do. If I wanted to be a character like myself, I'd just live my life. I play games to forget about that.
Amen, brother.
@@troodon1096 u sound like u hate urself
@@troodon1096 Man I really get you. The worst part is that one of my former friends who was in a situation like this loves the game. And she's living a great life now, without me. I'm still here with the same problems and no education...
@@troodon1096 if you have an issue with art that speaks to you specifically, then you have an issue with the concept of art
Gregg rulz ok
May Erise ugh
Gregg rulz ok
Gregg's sad ok
@@F1RSTN4M3BUNCHOFNUMB3RS crimes
@@alexellik2939 crimes
I'm kind of surprised George didn't mention the music, I think it really stands out.
It's one of the best parts of the game!
@@kanalkucker14 I didn’t think the game music was anything too special but I did think it was very fitting with it’s soothingly gloomy and cute playful tones, it’s good. This game had me wanting to go back and replay it again though, the characters were so investing and I really felt for them. I think the crazy ending section of the story was kind of lack luster and rushed compared to the charismatic, relaxing, soul searching adventures of the likable characters given. Want more games with actual characters and personalities to follow.
I knew EXACTLY what Mae was talking about in that scene at the end where she's lying on the couch with either Bea or Gregg. It was actually kind of difficult to take in. It meant a lot.
Shapes
Conversations with Mae's mom in the morning are like, the most pleasant part of the game. That's why her getting angry at you in the middle (for like, two days) hits so hard. Just wanted to make sure we are being fair to Mae's mom! ^o^//
As someone who grew up in Pennsylvania (where the game CLEARLY takes place), this game resonated with me in a way I've never felt before.
This is a game made for those who have wished to "Die Anywhere Else". This game hit very, VERY close to home for me.
I wonder how many others think the game clearly took place in their home state? I think the game is specifically designed to be reminiscent of any small state town. Kinda reminds me of how the reason the town in the Simpsons is named 'Springfield' is because almost every state has one so you can never truly guess where it's supposed to be.
The game is pretty specifically modelled after small town Pennsylvania and/or the east coast parts of the rust belt. You got hill and valley geography, you got eastern european artefacts like pirogies, you got a history of coal mining and industry that dried up. The creators of the game or at least Scott Benson come from the area.
Ah yep that's clearer then. Didn't know that much about Pennsylvania going in so must've missed a lot of that stuff.
Yep. Benson is from Pittsburgh. I'd bet cash money that "Possum Springs" is just "Beaver Falls" run through a synonym generator.
Certainly hooked me when Mae is walking at night past the trains in the distance not but 20 minutes after I took a stroll past a freight depot myself
This review was WAY more fair then most out there, most out there are from the perspective of someone who "Totally gets it so it's amaaazing" without talking about it's flaws or who it's really for or if it's that great. This was more fair, the game's not for everyone but it does have some great things about it.
7:17
"Is Night in The Woods a good game? I dunno it's kind of a broad question."
"Is Night in The Woods right for you? I dunno but that's probably the better question here."
That there sort of answers it.
If only I could read past the first 4 lines of a comment without reloading the page
"King of the hill of video games" and now my mind races through all those youtube poops ive wasted hours on
HEDGES AND CLIPPERS
Dallas? Sallad!
Boggle?
SEAKING! SEAKING! OILPAINTINGSOILPAINTINGS *SEAKING!*
Peggy hiell is down to her last PEINCEL
Instead of King of the Hill this sounds like the Bojack Horseman of video games.
Brandonious15987 i played it through and yeah. basically if you can relate to bojack's personality you will relate to the characters and themes in this game and youll love it.
Metamorphosis is perhaps the work I would compare it to the most.
Wow my thought exactly!!
Yep, Bojack Horseman minus the money -- or rather, Bojack Horseman, but set on the opposite end of the socioeconomic spectrum.
@@ineednochannelyoutube5384 Josuke ending is canon
I think games like these are the perfect answer to the question "are review scores outdated?"
It's a shame that half of the video was spend by explaining that there are works which are aimed at a narrower audience. Shouldn't that be common knowledge?
You'd think so, but then you read the comment section...
Not gonna lie, I kinda love this game, and it's certainly grown on me over time. What I initially interpreted as bad pacing issues and repetitious gameplay slowly became positives in my mind, as I began to realise the thematic importance of almost every those aspects, and almost every other aspect, of this game. The dialogue is all incredibly entertaining, the intrigue is excellent, and the characters' backstories are wonderfully drip-fed to the player in a way which never felt forced or patronising (a rare feat we don't see much in most games). One thing I loved was how the characters are all animals in colourful environments, likely deliberately contrasting with the heavy realism of the world these people inhabit. This is the only new game I've played in 2017, so I guess for now it's my Game of the Year.
A further note: Gregg rulz ok.
Wanna do crimes?
Eff the cops
doki doki?
Hey Bea.
Did U get my texts?
It's kinda sad how these artistic story based games like this, Firewatch, and Gone Home get so much vitriol. Like the very idea of a game like this is so infuriating to some people. I've never played any of these games and they don't seem like something I wanna spend my money on but I appreciate their existence and would probably enjoy them at least somewhat if I got around to them.
They are a different medium Id argue.
And people are upset because they expect something different.
I didn't think this game would appeal to me but George's review and the art style convinced me to give it a shot. It is safe to say that this game has had a profound impact on my life and I am grateful that I did play it. It may not be for everyone, but if it is for you then it will undoubtedly be a very prevalent experince
It seems to me that you don't really enjoy playing a protagonist with heavy character flaws, but to me Mae is one of the most interesting video game characters in a long time, especially because she is kind of a dick. It's not like she is a bad person, just that her actions and consideration for anyone she doesn't agree with won't be considered good behavior. Without Mae the game could never explore its theme in such a realistic and heartfelt approach.
So, she's entitled/spoiled? And why is that important for its thematic material, what are its themes?
Mae can be both tremendously flawed and an interesting and compelling character. I didn't find her annoying at all.
iMonikah I think it's because Mae is such a realistic character, people are all going to have very different opinion on her. My boyfriend (who is a serious dude) found Mae to be a sad character, but ultimately he was just mad at her most of the time as he watched me play. Because I saw a lot of my younger self in Mae, I was often amused and distressed for her. I loved Mae, so watching her make her mistakes was like watching a train wreck.
People will call Mae annoying, sad, spoiled, funny, tragic, dumb, honest, etc. and they would all be right in a way. She's probably one of the most compelling video game characters I've ever played.
Mae has her moments, but she's mostly pathetic.
>Without Mae the game could never explore its theme in such a realistic and heartfelt approach.
You assume such a person is the only type that would venture where she ventures.
Hmm. I can see a lot of similarities between myself and Mae from your description. As a young man in my 20s I'm at this point where I can feel the burden of having to begin actively partaking in something relevant to my future career, but my general lack of interest in any particular thing keeps me pinned to the same spot I find myself in day in and day out. I feel like I wake up each day and coarse through the area I'm used to for news of what has "popped up." I haven't taken classes at my local community college in a few semesters because it feels unimportant to me as I haven't made any goals out of it. It's a strange case of being unconcerned with my position yet feeling engulfed by the pressures to strive for something. I'm just kind of holding out for my own night out in the woods, so to say. A stumble into some purpose -- something fulfilling.
I'm not big into Indie games, but this one is calling my name.
You have an interesting way of reviewing games.
Great review! I'm probably just a pretentious twat but the economic elements felt like a big focus to the game so I was just a little disappointed when you didn't cover those as much, but to be fair a lot of perspective on that only comes from finding slightly hidden things in game,
I don't really understand why people are proscribing some weird illegitimacy to this game's writing and the way the characters work and talk. I come from the same economically disenfranchised region of Appalachia, I'm in the game's age group, and I will tell you playing it felt like a documentary. You may not know 20-somethings that act like this, but I do, and I went through the whole game shuffling my feet out of shameful relation to Mae's worst personality aspects, while also seeing a lot of myself in her friends and the side characters too. Every situation has a real parallel I've experienced, and people having a problem with the 'SJW' aspects just don't realize that living in a region of the United States totally fucked over by economic shifts and changes can very easily produce a far left perspective like the one that Scott Benson holds and bolsters through the game's narrative. I think this just lends to the point that the more/less you relate to the game, the more you're going to enjoy/dislike it. Which is fine, but I wish some of you did not turn relating less to the game than others into...Somehow accusing it of being a disingenuous, artificial concoction.
Agreed! I was looking forward to George's opinion on this because if there's a channel that's going to go on a tangent about that. it would be this! I thought the way it paralleled Mae's journey in all it's possible iterations with how the side characters in town seem to all cope differently with the shift between the town's former bustling self and it's new and depressing service based economy subsistence was very neatly weaved into the core plot. And it does it both subtly and in your face depending on how you look at it.
Here's hoping they cover that thoroughly in the podcast.
Are you trying to be ironic with the Splatoon avatar?
+WoomyB well, in Brazil we Live a very harsh economical crisis, and People constantly throws fault on one another, in most cases politicaly. This made politics and the menance of corruption gladly made me insightful but not fully related to politics. With all that gargatuan shit happening and People litteraly waging "Facebook text wars" I got the conclusion that looking at the kind of thing like night in the Woods mostly on a political spectrum is TOTAL BULLSHIT! i'm so tired of shit-head hipocrits bulging their shit-bathe ideias into my Head as If their were the truth and I were an idiot
Look I know the staff behind this game do not make it any rigth on that way, but you making that kind of "OH THERE IS A HIPSTER AND AN HOMOSEXUAL THIS GAME IS TOTAL HOGWASH LEFTIST CRAP THAT DOES'NT EXIST! ONLY /POL/ RETARDED FUCKS THAT KEEP THINKING ON HOW SIMPLY SAYING RACIST THINGS WITHOUT ANY MORE EFFORT PUT IN THE JOKE IS REALLY FUNNY AND EVERYONE THAT DISAGREES IS SJW SCUM THAT SCREWED WITH HUMMANITY!" is not any respectable
by the way I consider myself on pretty rigth-centrist bubble of politics, but still do not see that problems on your SJW problems with SU and NitW, and Will be thinking most of this kind of Biased leftists and rigthists are dumb on analysing a game on such BULLSHIT LEVEL
btw²: I am kinda sorry for such large text, its just that this topic annoys me so much
There are very little actual far leftists in america, compared to the far right. From a european social democratic perspective (which isn't very far left), the american democrats would be considered right-wing.
yeah, there is not an inch of left in the US politicians, im from latin america and I laugh whenever I see reps calling dems "socialists", or something silly, it's like, all the US knows is far right and center-right
"Slow paced narrative driven WarioWare" - This is *how I **_live._*
George, I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate the content you create; I always feel so much more about a game after you've discussed it. you have a skill for describing things in ways that even the creators themselves couldn't. from a person who sucks at receiving compliments, I hope you take this to heart; you make content which feels enriching, that is to say, I feel better and learn so much from watching it. you have a zealousness and passion for this calling that I can only hope to emulate.
thank you for making what you make.
also I need your automats review so bad, this game took over my life for almost three straight days
"At the End of Everything, Hold onto Anything Because we won't know when will it End."
So what kind of fun cheat codes are available for this game?
-Make your head bigger?
-Change your outfit colors?
-Infinite money?
-Moonjump?
You remain the most mature and worthwhile video game critic on TH-cam.
Max Moran uhhh acg and errant signal?
+vVAstrAVv acg is kinda full of himself.
Fungusdude42: If you haven't looked them up, check out Joseph Anderson. If you like those three, you'll probably like his videos too. They're on the long side though
Max Moran I actually disagree hard and I point toward his BotW video and MatthewMatosis for comparison.
*coughMrBtongue*
Rest in peace Alec. Thanks for creating this game.
i absolutely adore this game
it's such a good look at mental illness and growing up because nobody can convince me mae isn't either schizophrenic or that she doesnt have some form of DID or something. and like i actually didn't dislike her because i guess i've struggled with identity and disassociation in my life to an extent. it sort of felt good to see a character portrayed like that when i can sometimes feel alone with my issues. theres just such a charm to the game and i loved the tonal whiplash. it was just such a nice contrast to the "real world" issues and such. it was just such a memorable game for me and i hope they make a successor. not a sequel, but maybe something that takes place in the same universe with the same art style and stuff. great review though!
the game mentioned Shoegaze. never thought that'd happen. I love everything Shoegaze.
great review. this game is far from flawless with an odd ending but it has a unique point and excellent writing
I swear i've seen your profile before, is that from persona 5 or is it something else?
holy, youre sharp :D yeah its the painting Yusuke makes in his Confidant Rank 2 sequence. It was honestly a very random pick off my phone gallery, props to you!
It's kind of disturbing seeing the vitriolic hate for this game in the comments based on preconceptions around the "hipster" aesthetic alone. Expressing dislike towards a game is fine (it's practically idiomatic to equate liking CoD to having poor taste), but it's always games in the same nook as Gone Home, Her Story, Fire Watch (etc.) which receive the most bile. People act as though they're offended for their very existence, which is absurd.
LexHollow
I strongly disliked the plot and most of the charecters, I regret giving the game so much of my time, mostly bc I liked the aesthetics 😂
Hyperbolic? Maybe. Sensitive? Not really. It's less that I'm upset that people have this gut reaction to these kinds of games, and more confusion. And I should clarify (towards Aidan's case), this confusion is not at all towards people who've played the game and dislike it based on its content, but just towards people who display their strong disgust based on a little more than a surface impression.
Whyamibzsdmhalt1 How would this be a parody?
LexHollow I don't hate walking simulators, (I actual like them cuz fighting sucks sometimes) but I can't stand pre-teen humor that's just kindergarten talk. I understand the demographic, but I understand why people hate games that are made for such a millennial way of thinking.
haven't you heard snowflakes somethign something, easily offended something something
anyways here is my long 20 lines paragraph on how SJW are....
"honest depiction of a disassociated youth" :D
*never brings up disassociation* D:
Honestly I can’t thank you enough for your work. This review convinced me to get this game and I haven’t felt so impacted by a game in such a long time Night In The Woods is something I constantly think about yet I tend to only play in the weekends at night when I can be undisturbed. I have an almost strange reverence to this game and I have to thank you George for your in depth reviews that describe what kind of experience you will be getting, and yet don’t spoil much and make you hungry for more.
Any game would be lucky to have you write a review for them and anyone would be lucky to read it.
I played this every Sunday morning for a couple day cycles, for about a month or so. In spite of that, by the time I got to the end, I was genuinely invested in the characters and plot and started looking forward to Sunday mornings. Absolutely loved Night in the Woods, and didn't expect that I would.
Where's the ramen George wtf
5:35
Ericgi231 Took me a while but holy shit it's actually there
Joshua Buliga does he hide ramen in the videos?
Butts420420420420420 Except Not Weed I don't know.
Joshua Buliga but does he add it to all his vids??
this game is the most slice of life story I've ever experienced
"I'm in a Shoegaze band."
"Is the music about gazing at shoes?"
"With a lot of reverb."
Fucking amazing dialogue. I am definitely playing this.
Great review. Without spoiling anything, the story to this game gets really good by the end. It's not just about a college student dealing with her own personal demons, but some of the "entities" she meets in her dreams and in the real world turn the story into a Lovecraftian horror. I feel like this element was missing from the review, but I found it to be my favorite part of the game, allowing for multiple interpretations of the various events that took place.
I have bipolar depression and I act like Mae a lot. Playing the game helped observe my behavior from a distance. I really relate to Mae, especially because she uses humor to get through her issues.
I wouldn't necessarily call Mae the equivalent of Luanne. Mae's more like Lucy Ricardo from I Love Lucy, with bits of Madeline Kahn, Toad from Wind in the Willows, and Kipling's Cat that Walked by Himself. Interestingly, Toad from WitW, who is also eccentric, mischievous, and childish in an endearing way, was inspired by Kenneth Grahame's son Alastair, who also suffered from depression. (I can see a NitW spin-off based on WitW).
I've known some people who reminded me of Mae too, but I find Mae, despite her faults, to be more self aware and considerate then those people. I especially like Mae when she rekindles her friendship with Bae, as well as spending time with Mr. Chazakov, Selma, Lori, Pastor Kate, and Germ. And Mae's mother doesn't really yell at her every day: just that one day when she's frustrated with bills. I found Mae's mother, as well as her father, to be warm and wonderfully eccentric, and despite their family squabbles, had a closer bond than I anticipated.
I don't think the supernatural element is the cause of Mae's depression. It's definitely a very clever metaphor for battling depression. It's more like Mae's problem was exacerbated by the supernatural element, and Mae's mental sensitivity allows her to be more aware of what lurking behind the scenes. It coincides a little with William S. Burroughs' observation: “A paranoid is someone who knows a little of what's going on. A psychotic is a guy who's just found out what's going on.”
As I said before, Mae is not inconsiderate. The friendships she makes in game causes her to develop more awareness of herself and her situation. If you pursue the friendship with Bae, it's suggested that Mae and Bea have a better understanding of each other, and that Mae may mature over time.
I agree that when Mae does stupid things, regardless of your choices, it's almost unbearably painful. Still, I can't write her off as being deplorable, because, despite her awful moments, she's rather sensitive and affectionate, in a very eccentric way. I think what she needed was a mentor, like a Shaolin abbot or a Zen Samurai, to guide her through her turbulence. In my experience, people with different degrees of depression and disability can't always make it on their own: they need guidance. I think Bea serves as Mae's mentor, and I think Mae has a better chance moving forward with Bae's help. I can even see Bea serving as Mae's equivalent of Frank Dux's Shidoshi, Senzo Tanaka.
On another topic: because of the supernatural element in the game, I can't help but imagine Mae and her friends partaking in future misadventures which resemble a parody of Quake and Clive Barker's Undying.
Mom's upset with you because they might lose the house after taking a predatory loan to put Mae through college. That explained pretty well the day after she really gives it to you. Other than that, lovely review as always bunny man!
Ayup. This game was really damn good.
But yeah, your enjoyment of it is going to entirely depend on how much you can relate to or empathize with the very specific kinds of characters that are in the game. You also have to be okay with the game not letting you do "the smart choice". Like, theres some situations where the main character is just not emotionally mature enough to know the right thing to say, and these parts are frustrating, because you basically have to choose between a few really bad/stupid things to say. You have to be okay with this to enjoy that game!!
WoomyB Thats some nonsense right there.
Why are some people so interested in putting down arbitrary lines in what they consider video games or not? What an embarrassing waste of time. Scare quotes around "game"? Grow up man
+WoomyB
Is it a game? That's a broad question.
Do you think it's a game? That's the better question.
Should you go around making labels? Hell no.
+WoomyB Just because it's more of a interactive story, that doesn't mean it's "barely a video game." That's like saying The Walking Dead: Season 1 is barely a video game just because it's more of an interactive story.
Use your common sense next time.
what does and what doesn't constitute a game, you are talking semantics by that point, it is pretty much an interactive story telling, but it fits well withing what games are. Adventure games were and are considered games even if the gameplay is "lacking" so to say.
But Mae is like 20 and behaves like 15 lol
Just the visuals of this game seem incredible.
I haven't had a game resonate with me this strongly in a VERY long time. Truly a work of art.
That Hitler pic makes this comment perfect.
I dont even like this game, but this review was done very well and I felt that he talked about it pretty well.
I just finished it like 8 hours . Went in blind and miaow what a masterpiece. I get that it’s about life struggles and personality disorders but I laughed so much of the dialogue in the game , more than a game had for a long time .
I love this game, playing as Mae was very unique in the sense that for once in my lifetime I actually felt like I was the main character in the game. I found her and her struggles to be the most I have ever related to a character in any game and maybe any media at all. Definitely a game worth playing imho. The normalcy elements of this game are painfully relatable.
I'd not really compare it to King of the Hill. I can't think of a film or show off the top of my head that I would compare it to, but personally it reminded me heavily of Caitlín R. Kiernan's novels and short stories. It has that sort of neo-weird fiction vibe with its plot and its focus on tone and mood above things like particularly tight and brisk pacing. And then there's Mae. Mae who is the lens through which the story is experienced and who is gone into the extent that if you do not like Mae or can at least tolerate her you probably will hate the game. While Mae isn't quite the exact same sort of depressed, self-destructive, flawed women that are the main characters of a Kiernan novel she is something that nears the mark in a way. And Kiernan novels tend to be hated for similar reasons. Unlikable main characters that grate on people, an unwieldy or even poor sense of pacing with an overemphasis on tone and theme, a lack of a proper resolution...Things like that.
Personally I loved the game a lot and put it among my favorite games that have affected me a great deal. Mostly because I've been the Mae. I'm working very, very hard to not be the Mae of my life. And to see something like this not just as a movie but something I control that railroads me into the sort of shitty situations that are entirely my fault really grabbed at me. Especially when it has a that sort of small town evil cult and spooky weird supernatural thing that you find in weird fiction. Weird fiction probably being my favorite genre. It's just kind of a weird perfect storm of hitting my personal buttons just right.
I’ve only started playing this game, but it’s really resonating with me. Partly because I was a kid that grew up in a small midwestern town not unlike Possum Falls and know people that are very much like the characters in the game.
You are right about Mae’s character. I know some people who are like her. It feels like to me she’s one of those people who didn’t really mature until they get older.
I don’t necessarily hate the slow start either. I feel every minute I’m playing this game, I’m slowly peeling back the layers of Mae’s character and her relationships to her friends, family and the villagers.
Review Damn by Kendrick Lamar
UIKOJLIJ UHIJ My personal game of the year
UIKOJLIJ UHIJ
Bunnthony Hoptano here
It's boring and mediocre.
I think it's worth mentioning Mae left college because of a mental health issue. I've heard some people say depression, some people say dissociation (furthered by her talking about things becoming 'just shapes'), but the point is she didn't just come back because she felt like it. That statue you destroy in one of the dream sequences is the same one that drove her away from her college. So Mae isn't exactly as rude or as selfish as I think you made her out to be, just troubled. Sure she's snarky and passive-aggressive, but going from that to outright being a douchebag sorta depended on your dialogue choices in-game. Your options of dialogue were pretty much always, "Slightly less douchey Mae", and "Slightly MORE douchey Mae", with occasional "Regular Mae" or "Genuinely Nice-but-maybe-faked Comment". It's just worth pointing out, I think, that she didn't leave college for no reason.
People who refuse to acnowledge and actively combat their mental jealth pronlems are responsible for their own suffering.
You cant just absolve anyone of responsibility because they have depression or some other minor behivoir disorder. Hell, about a third of all people suffer from minor deprrssion, a fifth from stress induced irritable bowel syndrome., similar numners from bornout.
These are known quantities, and people are responsible for preventing recognising and treating themselves.
man your gonna trigger me a fuckin' existential crysis in a minute
I have probably the best way to tell if you'll like this game or not.
When you played Psychonauts (and if you haven't then play it) was your favorite or one of your favorite parts the thing where after each level nearly all npc dialogue changes and each seemingly unimportant npc in the hub each has their own background and side plot? If so then yes.
Interesting to hear the perspective of someone who sees Mae more so like someone they KNOW more so than being immensely relatable on just about every level. Me and basically all my friends who have played are around the same age group as Mae and her friends, so the experiences that they go through in the game and in their lives felt almost like they were ripped right from our own, with some of my friends, and myself, falling into a weird dissociative panic attack after playing. Gregg is perhaps my favorite character in fiction now purely because of how insanely I relate to his character, and especially his relationship with Mae and how much it parallels my friendship with my best friend. I feel like you could almost graph the games appeal based on who is playing it, with those who don't relate to Mae or know anyone like her probably finding very little interest in the game, and those who relate to Mae heavily seeing the game as basically the best thing ever, and I lie closer on the latter end.
Sorry for my poor english.
Remind me of one of my roomate at the university. A smart and snarky guy who was slacking the whole time. Now, he is 30, still unemployed and totally act like Mae
(I'm more a mix of Anson (geek/ready to help ) and Gregg (weird and cheerful with friends )
Im now at the chapter two, it's a little frustrating to "hang" with these people because they are quite boring. (Minus Gregg) It's like following Chloe in lis, I have no interest to watch her being a jerk while doing nothing interesting.
I think Mae suffer from depression (or slowly recover from it). She can't really connect with other people and hide behind a mask of sarcasm.
this helped me realize why i love the game so much.
Good review. The only detail I disagree with is how you talked about Mae's relationship with her mom. Mae's mom doesn't really "yell" at Mae until a significant amount of time has passed, and even then she is mad at Mae for one day in particular. It's implied that her frustration with Mae's lack of meaningful activity or willingness to take charge of her life or even explain why she left college to begin with (plus home life stress that Mae doesn't realize until later). I personally loved seeing Mae talk with her mom every morning (major exception being the specific day in question of course) because it felt so genuine and their relationship was so sweet, but I suppose that's just my perspective.
Nice succinct video. I find most channels that talk about this game focus on the feelings that they got, it's nice to have a more objective viewpoint.
Any chance of a Nier: Automata review?
rationallity is also an emotion, studies have shown that rationality is tied to our emotoin on things too, there is not a subjective view on things other than, pressing button jumps, walking moves, controls work, game has bugs/no bugs, etc
*the s u c c*
Night in the Woods appeared on my recommended games list out of no-where, and I hadn't heard anything about it before hand. I thought the art style looked cool, and it was cheap, so I bought it.
I've never experienced anything like it before, or since. Towards the end of the game, there was an actual pit in my stomach- That kind when something really bad happens and you're just trying not to worry about it because there's nothing you can do, and you just sit there and wait around and try to be normal. I don't know _how_ Night in the Woods did it, but the characters felt (almost paradoxically, considering the simple art style) more real and human than in any other game I've played through.
Game was relatable. Possum Springs totally feels like an old steel mountain town in Pennsylvania, like Bethlehem or something. Knew a lot of people in those towns growing up so the first act was totally a nostalgic rush. Second half was kind of stupid.
Whenever I want to lose faith in humanity, I visit a Super Bunnyhop comments page.
Hey, I know way quicker ways.
What he did? He got born :^)
But, honestly, that's kinda expected.
Almost everytime some really professional/interesting/creative/just plain good at his job person have shitshow, and some freaks and shitheads like DSP have too much adequate and reasonable crowd. That's how youtube (or, more likely, LIFE) works, because life IS a shitshow and you should just say "fuck it" and enjoy the most you can.
And now it's time to UNSUBSCRIBE FROM SUPERBUNNYHOP again.
Thanks for making me scroll up
I didn't think they were that bad on this one. Maybe the real shitty ones got bumped down already.
jon wong they did, previously it was just a whole bunch of "this game sucks"/"shitty hipster game"
best game reviewer hands down. i always get so happy when you upload
my opinion on the game is
IT'S A WHOPPAH
I really loved playing the bass songs over and over again!
Wait, wait, I watched Jesse's playthrough and his mom didn't yell at Mae. I don't recall a situation where it would change the dialog so drastically.
She did have a fight with Mae towards the middle of the game even in Jesse's playthrough. As for Mom's dialogues overall, I heard they were quite different in Dodger's playthrough, so I'd imagine there are small things all over the place that affects it.
SJ.Fox I wouldn't say she "yelled" as much as she just gets into a fight with Mae. And yeah, if you interact with Mom more and visit her by the church you get a broader sense as to her character beyond being Mae's mother and why Mae's situation is so distressing for her.
The one thing that through me off in this review is that George doesn't know WHY Mae's mom is upset with her?? Like, even if you don't explore her extended dialogue it's not too hard to understand why a parent would be frustrated with their unemployed, uncommunicative college drop-out kid.
I would like to add, it is so fitting you mentioned screaming at the screen, because of Mae. I did exactly that, though at different parts. Despite not being like Mae (thank God) and not knowing anyone quite like Mae (thank God), and screaming at her when she kept not doing what I wanted her to do, I loved this game, and I loved Mae.
Welcome back George. Missed your videos dude.
Top notch review!
It definitely is that easy for a player who doesn't know someone (or is) similar to Mae to dismiss her as someone "straight out a Why Millennials Are Ruining America article" and while I personally don't think the supernatural twist is a metaphor it's a worthwhile angle to consider.
That music tho, I'm so glad Alec's still making these amazing dreamy soundscapes, Aquaria wouldn't have been half the game it was without his personal touch and I was so happy to hear his signature style in NITW
Curious fact: one of eurogamerspain's crew members worked in this game
Really good review here. Pretty much sums up the game perfectly.
love the video but real talk is there ever going to be a mgs4 critical close up?
I dropped out of a university and it was the most annoying time of my life. People were all talking behind my back and to my parents. Lucky I entered a college and finished studying. Going outside of your town and study isn't easy.
Gregg rulz ok ?
Yeah I really get very anxious by some friends that are very similar to Mae. I don't think I want to experience more of that as a hobby. Very nice review
I had a pit in my stomach the entire last act. Yeah, this game really conveys anxiety
It's not really about a small town. It's about a once-proud middle-class American society destroyed by 40 years of falling real wages, gangster oligarchs, Wall Street scams, and kleptocratic misrule -- and more importantly, about how a small group of young people decide to resist.
Night in the Woods seems like the perfect example of a game that is probably not for you but is very much for its audience that you probably aren't a part of unless you are in which case you'll love it. To criticize it for not appealing to more people is to praise The Big Bang Theory and Sword Art Online. Reviewers should venture to be humble when criticizing it *as a whole*.
That's basically the one core problem Undertale had. It assumes you're into at least a bit of the author's inside jokes.
Even a bit more than that! It had a lot of musical and visual homages to stuff the author is clearly into, and nods to previous material he collaborated with, like his earthbound romhacks or his work with homestuck. Even the over the top ending is channeling shonen tropes straight out of something like Gurren Lagann.
Except unlike shonen manga or anime where you only watch bullshit about the power of friendship, undertale makes you an active participant.
Well, yeah welcome to interactive media.
I think you hit it spot on. I bought this game right after the review came out, because I love these types of narrative driven, homey games, that while a lot of gamers just snark at it being "not a true game" (which is a whole other debate), I love them and its one of my favorite types of games.
I'm about half way through, right where stuff is actually "going down" and a mystery is starting to form, as he puts it in his review. And man, some of the characters frustrate the hell out of me. I find it funny that I relate and appreciate Bea, the character presented for you not to like (at least at first) visually and story wise, than Gregg, who seems to be "that character" for the game (as in the character everyone loves and latches onto in a game). Mae is a mixed bag. Sometimes she's cool and seems kinda logical. Hell, I could even get behind her shoplifting from a privileged position where she doesn't need to. I've done it before. But then she gets mad at asinine things like her mom asking why she dropped out, and then insults her.
Even despite that, I can admire the systems that are in place in order to give those type of people who would like it a sort of "kick in the ass" metaphorically. Even though I come from a well off suburban family, which I never really had a sort of edgy or "we're kids man!" phase, I can relate to some of the dialogues, like Bea's speach to Mae in her bedroom. And like George says, I know a couple of people who are like Mae. So I still hold a sense of reliability.
Kinda went off on a tangent there. Forgot what I was ultimately trying to say. Oh well.
Also the soundtrack is incredible. Wish more reviews mentioned that.
after this video i'm getting high and going to play doom
SpaceManSpliffz Nice, my dude.
SpaceManSpliffz The weirdest playing-high game experience for me was being absolutely stoned on Max Payne 3 multiplayer. I went 35 and 5 if that says anything about the game.
Why does this resonate with me. Rip and Tear dude.
I love your work, George
Is that Notes from Underground or Catcher in the Rye?
As much as I love complex characters and stories, I have such a hard time getting myself to play them in a sidescroller/point and click context. Should I try to find some way to watch the game and see the story like that?
please never leave again i missed you and prayed that you don't get japanified
wow, the story sounds like things I've gone through. not an indie game fan but I want to check this out.
George when are you going to make a video on Tides of Numenera?
I'd love to see Bunnyhop review Persona 5. I'm still on the fence and his opinion is always good on things like this.
Do you like JRPGs? Do you want to kick some metaphysical ass? Do you want to explore relationships that somehow make you kick more metaphysical ass?
Why are you on the fence. The game is great.
Do you like persona? Because if you do you'll love it.
Well if you liked all of the other Persona games so far, Persona 5 is a great combination of all of them with a slightly more focused story and tone than 3 or 4. The mechanics work well and is pretty forgiving to newcomers.
The only thing I would warn anyone about is that the subject matters discussed in the main story are pretty dark and can get uncomfortable. Instead of focusing on death like in the other games, P5 focuses more on personal and political issues.
Haven't finished the game myself because apparently it's about 100 hours long but it's been very enjoyable so far.
This is an obligatory reminder of how shitty Atlus was to people who bought the game. Also Mitsuhide betrayed Nobunaga.
i'm not really sure George is into JRPGs since he's never covered or referenced them on his channel
Thinking of buying this. Anyone know how long this game is?
I had kind of written this game off as something I probably wouldn't enjoy, but you're making me reconsider it. Maybe someday.
So is it like oxenfree? Where you can make your own choices?
This game broke me and now I can't stop thinking about it, even god damn Demontower was good.
I'll probably end up listening to the ost until I eventually tire out haha.
Mae is so lucky, she can still turn the table around, I chose the worst path in life and now I'm paying for it for sure, I couldn't cope and neither my body.
Could you take a look at "Everything" by David O'reilly?
As a person living the definition of this suburbia "vagueness", this game is incredibly interesting to me. (Not a dropout or anything, but several of my friends and acquaintances fit on that category)
[spoilers]
I think the tonal whiplash is a little less severe if you interpret the experience of mae at college (and before, the 'just shapes' thing) as being someone struggling with a completely mundane mental illness rather than that specifically having supernatural roots, and the supernatural elements being something that happened to her upon her return to possum springs.
Her age at the time lines up when lots of different pretty serious mental illnesses could manifest after all. A supernatural force symbolizing an opportunistic political poison makes a lot more sense portrayed as someone preying on the disabled into acting against their own self interest than it somehow causing her problems to begin with
I was on the fence about getting this game, but this video got it on my wishlist.
Now to wait for a sale.
Well, this review convinced me to give this game a shot.
The more I hear about this game, the more I'm convinced it's exactly my kind of thing.
So weird playing this in highschool and now today also being a disassociated youth. I literally just dropped out of college after a year and a half. In the middle of the night I took one of the cars and left. It's been a couple days, I'm not sure what I'm doing right now. But this game is something I've decided to revisit on my laptop in this cold car.
great review, however I'm surprised by how much you insist on mae's mom always being angry. In my playthrough she was really sweet and caring and her and Mae only fought once. maybe it depends on your in-game actions?
This game was made for people like me, I’m all about it.
happy to see this review. I was wondering what it was about considering the love a few blogs have Given it, and I can say without a doubt this game is not for.
Mainly because I don't see the art to be all that special, the gameplay is weak (main reason I play video games), and I would absolutely hate the main character, in game and real life.
I fucking loved this game, It had me freaking out whenever I see Mae say something, or a joke that i said before. I don't think I've ever had a character I have ever really related too this much and I even forced some of my friends to buy it and tell me I'm not a crazy person. And uh, Apprently I'm not.
If I'm being totally honest like 80% of the reason I love this game so much is because of Gregg.
spinningninja2 Gregg rulz ok?
If I was a TH-cam reviewer who reviewed TH-cam reviewers, you would be at the top of my inevitable Top 10 List video