I just realized that Pearl, Ray, and the dog behave differently depending on the ending. In the neutral ending Pearl is tapping the wall, the dog is growling, and Ray is bashing his work table. In the good ending Pearl is happily talking to Ricky, the dog is panting happily, and Ray is being gentle with his work. A lovely little detail in how comforting the puppets affects them in the long run.
I'm pretty sure legally they can't age any of the main characters. Zelda is the same age has Link but I guess she's still 15 years old after 100+ years. Tbh the story is dumb cause the main characters can't really lose cause they can't die.
Max Payne, Joel (the last of us), Jhon Marston and Arthur Morgan (RDR 1-2), Kratos (God of war), Solid Snake (Metal gear solid), Marcus Fenix (Gears of war), Geralt of Rivia (The witcher), Alan Wake, Frank West (Dead rising), Bigby Wolf (The Wolf aMoNgUs) Michael (GTA V), Wei Shen (Sleeping dogs). I think we got a wide variety of them 😅
@@reversereality6799 depends where you live, really. I have a guy that does puppet shows for fairs and the like, and he's got it with him quite often. I lowkey think he's schizophrenic and using the puppet as an outlet, but he's not hurting anyone so it's fine.
Can’t tell you how refreshing it is to have a children-themed horror game NOT have the “they were inhabited by the souls of dead children” twist and instead be something that felt more natural.
@@DeathnoteBB Fnaf started out more like a concept and I think it worked. This game expanded on it and made a coherent story on it. With all the mascot horrors and generally the horror genre just having twists of friendly characters being actual monsters or such, the subversion of having no twist and they are what they are at face value is pretty good twist of a horror game. It's using the expectation of horror as horror and uses the mascot horror atmosphere so it's not restricted to just some fucked up lore or metaphorical scary monsters but it'd still be horror
8:42 Hearing one of the puppets belittle someone (not sure who) after Gordon was done comforting Pearl is a level of comedic timing many games can't even do one purpose.
Also pleasantly surprised Ricky is just straight up helpful. No goofy twist or actual boss reveal. A refreshing surprise given how many helper characters end up doing a heel turn to betray you and become the final boss.
Yes! He's a little evasive, and maybe a bit jaded (at least, as jaded as a sock puppet can be), but he's a genuinely good guy! No betrayal, no plots, just hope!
@@MyShiroyukiI disagree with this assessment. I feel it undermines all the people out there that are genuinely trying to change the world for the better. It’s not all doom and gloom yet.
@@andrewb6194 Well, that is kind of the point though: while there are people trying to do good in the world, we still tend to focus on the awful parts of it, just look at the news. When do we get the random acts of kindness, the common sense or the good things we're doing instead of the hit pieces that just leave that bug of anxiety in your ear? While this is kind of a simplified way to look at it, with Ricky's quote about people preferring the dark to the light, it's not entirely baseless. Heck, there has been this trend in entertainment with confusing cinism and nihilism for realism and maturity like an edgy teen would that it's almost exhausting. Still, it's also the reason why a simple but nuanced game like this feels refreshing BECAUSE it gives a humane touch to the mascot horror trend, instead of just going through the works.
It’s nice to see a horror game that changes its plot of evil deeds. Simply having the puppets go mad when they see horrible content, makes more sense than they dumpling being people souls inside of that want out.
It also flips the trope of the evil corporation, since the company that made the puppets and their shows genuinely wanted to just spread joy with no ulterior motives. You keep looking for that "Aha, obviously evil!" bit of lore but never find it, instead having the CEO's goodbye letter being one about always searching for goodness in everyone.
Don't forget the fact that they suffered from years of abandonment and isolation. It's been so long that they aggressively hug the first person they see, Gordon even acknowledges the fact that their hugging him 13:21.
@@Necrowolf81 No it doesn't. It has "a corporation." They exist to make profit so they focus on that directive. They aren't evil, just fulfilling their purpose. There's no evil mad scientist trying to kick puppies to create immortality or major secret facility trying to create puppet themed weapons of war or any such nonsense that people are referring to when they say "evil corporation."
That honestly wasn't hard. I wasn't very focused on the video at that part and I still managed to remember them all. I think it may have something to do with how you remember your surroundings and directions as well as what details in the environment grab your attention more.
This is a total breath of fresh air as a take on the "children's show/franchise gone wrong" idea. It seems like it's having fun with its premise, glad to see it
@@howardmurphy8019I felt like it had a great opportunity to get creepy at the end; like have the final area be the “unfriendly neighborhood,” though, I was disappointed to find the section lasting only five minutes, if even that.
i like how the puppets were never really evil, they were just lonely for so long and were traumatized after watching something horrible...also i like games that let u befriend the enemies :]]
yeah it was strange hearing a video game sock puppet literally describe how the real world in today's society actually is, i have a ton of respect for these devs.
I was unsure how to feel about Ricky at first tbh. Then the park scene happened and I was blown away by how incredibly based he is. He really called Gordon out for how his treatment of the puppets echos the awful shit that they did in Vietnam. And he was immediately proven right when Gordon responded to him by escalating it into violence.
@@wasperfly tbh, it wasn't exactly violence, I'm pretty sure those letters can't actually do any real damage. And it was very clearly a sensitive topic for Gordon, an deep wound he was trying to open up and the violence to the puppets is justified, since if you just let them do what they want they will kill you.
@@aguyontheinternet8436 Getting shot by the gun in game clearly causes the puppets pain. Sure it's not causing any damage, but it's still violence. And I don't think Gordon shooting the puppets is unjustified. Even if accidentally, they are hurting him. But in the end they still are just hurt and unstable innocents.
The most surprising thing is probably that random eye boss that pops up. It's not named, it's not mentioned, it's not referred to, it just appears, you fight it, and then it disappears. Also the only boss you can seemingly just 'kill' with no repercussions (that is, it doesn't lock you out of the true good ending) Kind of feels like it was a fight mechanic they had in mind but didn't know how to integrate it with any of the other characters.
This game is amazing not just gameplay wise but storywise too. It's so refreshing to find a horror game involving puppets that DOESN'T use dead kids or satanic bullshit as it's main plot. MFN genuinely sounds like a good company too from the notes we see. The plot is as simple as tv studio sets out to bring joy and cheer into the world, everything starts off great, views start to dwindle, company goes bankrupt, puppets watch unsupervised tv, goes insane, tv antenna gets turned on again, queue main game. Simple, fun, and surprisingly deep. I hope this game bring more innovative RE-likes to the indie market.
These puppets went "mad" when they were exposed to the darkest bits of the world without filters or explanations. This says to me that the puppets are themselves children who've been neglected, in essence; and children need adults, especially their parents, to give them context for the things they encounter. They can't understand, so they act out, both in imitation and in fear. 10/10 game; will probably buy and play. Good messages, good content.
I think its cheesy but after 5th hearing I kept coming back to repeat it. It spoke a lot to me when I turn off, wander around and see what incoherent noisy ruckus that my nephews and cousin watched. This game is truly an art in the sea of content. Maybe thats why I was feeling aimless and wandering even while watching things I am not sure I liked.
@@neofulcrum5013 have you seen that picture of mickey comforting kermit when the muppets creator passed? It gave me similar vibes. All these friends wanted to do was bring cheer and got cancelled because the times change. That picture though always makes me think. The creators of these beautiful things wanted to bring joy, when they leave what happens? Walt would not be happy at how disney is. The muppets i think are still the same, i hope so anyway. Sesame street is still lovely. Sorry just a long thought lol
At 14:20 I had to yell “THAT IS SUCH A GOOD DETAIL”, I have not seen any other game make you lose a bullet for a cutscene after shooting. Even Call of Duty executions don’t have that. Bravo.
I remember a handful of games that do it but still a rare detail. Ive played games that actually leave you with less health after a cutscene where you get hurt as well, like E.O.E.
The puppets were truly innocent creations. They were corrupted by the media and the tensions between people after the war. The company really wanted to spread happiness. The CEO's last message was truly heart wrenching. He did everything he could to bring the friendly neighborhood to everyone, but the bitterness of the media corporations and post-war fatigue put the the show under.
Reminds me too much of real life in the US. Everyone just wanted to get along, yet the bitterness and hatred of the MSM and Government types pushed people to a huge divide that seems endless.....its way too relatable when you think about it. Shit is so fucked up.......
Way darker than i think some people realize, i'm almost certain "the war" it keeps referencing is a take on the real life civil war caused by a division in political beliefs nowadays that many including myself truly believe we are on the verge of, this game is telling a story that is way more true to life than many realize.
I like how helping the puppets wasn't about making *them* better, but making *Gordon* better. Making him willing to accept their help by helping them. It's a nice subversion, and makes the obvious parallels between Gordon and the puppets feel way more natural. I also have to say, I adore this setting. Setting this world of literal magic with puppets that come to life in a world that's fresh out of a pointless viet-ganistan style war, and facing the full brunt of the consequences of corpos in unregulated slums? All at the turn of the 90s? Aside from just making the position of the puppets make perfect sense given their place in this world, it's also just relatively unexplored space overall too.
oh. oh this comment made me realize the connection of Gordon and the puppets _both_ being victims harmed by the war. Gordon by having to fight in it, and the puppets by having that be their first exposure to what was going on in the world outside of their little corner of it.
I don't know why but watching Manly take a moment to calmy show off inventory management at least once in a video feels right. It's a nice change of pace compared to watching someone get frustrated because they have to sort inventory at all
A small detail most can appreciate of this game too, the mag for the "pistol" is Z-A which represents each stack of 26 in your inventory, thats why some stacks say A and Z, Z means theres only 1 bullet in that stack, while A is 26. Also shoots out in order of ABCD too. The details man, this dev was KEEN on the details. I wish more game dev's were this finely detailed with their games, would do wonders for actual mechanics.
It would of been so easy to just making this another "Child's soul" "Evil cooperation's using evil goo to make monsters" and so on, but they CEO genuinely wanting to see some good in the world, helping the puppets become happy and solving their problems. And Ricky's speech was on point! It's a horror game with a good message and I don't know, that's a bit more rare these days. It was amazing, I hope things work well for those funky little puppets.
The point they made in the game reflects everything especially with the horror genre like you said. Everyone is unfriendly, everyone runs from the light and everyone is obsessed with darkness. The Friendly Neighborhood was made to show kids and the rest of the world that things don’t have to be so grim and scary.
People keep talking like "children's souls" is ahuge overused trope, and yet the only example I can think of is the original FNaF. Which only used that as an (at the time HIDDEN) explanation for the animatronics constantly trying to kill security guards.
@@fist-of-doom487Neither of those stories are about child souls however. With the ink machine they are only based off of real people and in Poppy it’s humans of all ages that are turned into toys via science gone too far.
31:20 His hesitation to attack the dog to the point of straight up letting it bite him, then checking to see if it would be okay when he retaliated before running to the door. 🥺Wonderful man with a good heart. Great content my dude, actually fairly interested in the game now after not having heard of it before 🤘
This... Was a really cool change of pace for a 'horror' game, honestly. We've had a billion mascot horror games playing up the uncanny, creepy aspect of old kid's shows and the like. This is more of a reconstruction. Yeah, sure, they're a little creepy, a little off... But there's no dark backstory here, no evil experiments or serial killers or anything. The notes make it clear the sentient puppets were ALWAYS the ones making the show, and they're legitimately doing their best to make a better future for this dismal place. Sure they're off-putting, but they just needed to be given a chance. That's downright heartwarming, and that isn't what I expected going into this from the demo.
Well it does get a bit darker when you get to the final area. Where the puppets down there are maliciously crazy, actually having weapons and their leader is an amalgamation abomination. The puppets never got the chance to grow up, took it the wrong way and once they saw the kind of horror that's out there in the real world... some of them fell harder than others.
I absolutely love the cardboard level. What a cool and unique design. This game is definitely charming. I feel like it would be a good intro horror game for people who are usually too scared to play horror games.
the cardboard level is SUCH a cool setpiece!!! and the little detail of the PC being functional and 'refreshing' the screen by swapping out cardboard panels was genuinely clever. they didn't need to go to the trouble of adding that, nobody would've noticed or cared if it was just a static 'screen', but that little detail adds so much.
I finished this game and yea I agree! I wished each puppet had different *Moments* that caught you off guard. (Like Norman exploding into a bunch of Normans.) That's honestly my only complaint with the game. Other than that, this was the most wholesome horror (never thought I'd use those words together) game I've played all summer. Edit-changed *attacks* to *Moments*
@@itzlazzers You missed the point. They were not trying to attack you. They had been isolated so long that they were just happy to see someone and were being a little too aggressive hugging you. It wasn't an attack, it was a hug.
I’m really happy that this story had a happy ending. The puppets weren’t all evil like I expected coming into this, and I’m really glad they weren’t. I liked the characters too! Especially Gordon, which isn’t really a surprise considering he’s the main character. The ending theme was nice too.
this was honestly amazing, a fresh take on the mascot horror/kids media horror take. i do wish the war was delved into a little more, especially thinking that gordon mightve been in it given his reaction to ricky joking about it, and the war movie scene in the theatre, but this was honestly amazing! thank you manly for playing it
I’m hoping they will get into this either in dlc or sequel or prequel. This game isn’t A money grab, so id throw money at it for history on it. Gordon does seem like a veteran and it feels like he may have even lost a friend or a son/daughter to or during the war Not just anyone can empathize like he was, especially with goody looking puppets
@@lindyloohoo I'd disagree, only because I really think most people can empathize, if they let themselves. It's just that Gordon belongs to a generation that was taught to translate that empathy into competent action, and hasn't had his confidence taken away from him. There are so many lessons the recent generations never received. I'm hoping we'll see more games and stories like this one, so people will feel emboldened to care, figure out ways to enact it...and really, feel like it's okay to try to help with your own hands, instead of just leaving it up to hirelings who will stop pretending to care as soon as the money dries up.
i don't think they really need to go into it any further. the war was clearly a Vietnam analogue, Gordon is definitely implied to have been a veteran of that war, and the puppets are implied to have been traumatized by seeing news footage of the war on TV. I think that's all that really needs to be said about it - if you caught on to the parallels to 'Nam then you can fill in the blanks.
I absolutely adore this game for 2 main reasons: first, it's not just a "fairy tale goes grim" type of story. It is clear that the developers put thoughts when they crafted the background the story takes its place. They are not just bloodthursty monsters-they have their purpose and conflicts that the players could empathize. Second, I can see the developers defintely had some fun while making the game; funny cheats(check out the demo video if you haven't 😂), secrets, hilarious easter eggs, and infinite lines for the puppets to spit out, etc. I think that's something lacks in many recent indie games; making profit is (and should be) the number one priority for any game development, but I don't usually find such bright enjoyment from the games developed for quick cash\merchant sales lol Love it, and thanks Manly to do a video for it!
I love how the game somewhat critiques the whole new wave of the horror genre basically saying that it doesn't have to be edgy to be good The message really hit close to home because I remember being in one of the low points of my life just full of anger and hatred, I just sat down feeling sorry for myself until I came across an episode of Elmo's world Not ashamed to admit that it made me tear up even being more than 2 decades old now Remember to be kind kids
Honestly, I was expecting Ricky to turn out to be some final boss for the game. But instead, he's been given a moral role and I appreciate that much more. Thanks for playing this.
this was... so refreshing. the puppets are not evil, they are just lonely and traumatized. ricky is not the big bad, just a bit... unhinged, at times, because he also saw the terrible things, and he probably has spent all this time trying to keep everyone semi-sane. in the end, they just wanted what everyone wants: comfort, to feel they are not alone, to feel hope. just like gordon. i also really loved how different gordon sounds between the neutral ending and the true ending. in the neutral one, he sounds... fine. not good, not bad, just... fine. in the true ending though he sounds actually happy, hopeful. it's lovely. thank you for playing the game Manly, and thanks to the devs for making it!
I liked this, hope it does well. And like the others have pointed out, it's actually surprisingly well-written. It's basically an alternate history where "what if Sesame Street was cancelled in the 80's?" and the world basically went to shit because people forgot to be kind. And the puppets all going nuts because they watched trash television is hilariously dark.
Not going to lie, I love this game JUST because you can see through the whole storyline and even how the puppets "attack", the Puppets were like normal children, they needed constant human affection and attention to keep them going. Being around humans made them happy as humans cared and loved them, even if it didn't seem that way to us, they were severely wanting that connection with a human again. And like over excited puppies, they acted a little rough with Gordan and hurt him when they ran over to hug him. I really hope more people play this game because it's so good. It's about healing and also subverts normal genre issues most mascot horrors have. I feel like the puppets also are a great repersentation of neglected children, in a way they feel like children who've watched the wrong tv shows and are parroting them without knowing what it means. Children who need a hand to hold and to guide them to where they can go. The good end brings in the idea that they get their human affections again, the human interaction that these puppets need is bound to improve how they act and interact in their world. If there's a sequal, which I sincerely doubt, I would like to see something more with the puppets, maybe even just a story from one of the Puppets POV since it seems like things are so different in their minds. Sorry, I just love how this game portrays the puppets and shows how they become so violent unintentionally since they seem to only want a hug and a hand to hold.
I love how in this world nobody questions how the puppets came to life and became actual characters. It's nice to see that they aren't some evil demonic creations. I still really want to listen to all of the puppet's speaking because they have some of the most unhinged lines. I find it funny that Manly was also getting sick of the wall Muppets lmao
I think ricky is sort of like a pyramid head for this game, both may be something that bears a strong connection with the mc, but their motives are different, while pyramid head objective is punishment, ricky is comfort and friendlyness, see everything in a positive light(even around crazy puppets).
44:57 HA! I found an easter egg! A box of Tim brand curry on a puppet pirate set? Clearly, it can only mean one thing! What a great Muppet Treasure Island reference!
I don't know why but this game gives me hope for the future. Not only for mascot horror but just in general. The dialogue, ending, and puzzles are very entertaining and just perfect. If there were more original, less cash grabbing games like this out there I think I'd play them all.
I also think it's just a good throw back to resident evil 1 and the like; the creators defiantly took quite a lot of inspiration from that and those types of games so must have really really liked them and wanted to give them a shout out; good detail in my opinion
My gosh, this game was such a breath of fresh air. The Bioshock vibes of the serious yet goofy environment, the amount of exploration, the silly yet deep and actually thought provoking lore! The devs put a lot of heart and love into it. So good. Also, I noticed that the devs names are John and Evan Szymanski. Are they related to David Szymanski in any way, the dev of Iron Lung and Dusk, among other things?
@@mitch-te5ss wow, that's so good to hear! I felt the names were not a coincidence because of the vibe of the game, it fits the Szymanski work character!
Some comments in part 1 said : . "Maybe the puppets is simply hugging him. But because he is sooo allergic of stranger suddenly being kind to him he is shocked and that is where the damage comes from" . I dont really remember the actual comment but it goes like that.
there's also the fact that when he manages to get them to let go, he falls onto his back while hitting the ground which likely causes the most damage in the situation as hitting your back on the ground does hurt quite a bit, especially on hard floors
The emotional themes in this game are really cool. The puppet show being a force of toxic positivity, and for those (Ray, the frog guy, Pearl, etc) that dont fit into that mold, are outcast by the rest of their little society. Interesting to note as well how every puppet you help, i think, is one that Ricky has stated is really aggressive and will fuck you up. Gordon, also being misunderstood and outcast by the people around him, finds some kind of kinship in those puppets and has some absolutely endearing moments where he's able to tell them exactly what they need to hear. This game is honestly really sweet. And gordons show of ernest social awkwardness with Pearl is kinda wholesome lol. When he touches her again she flinches, and when she does instead of doubling down or grumbling or getting uptight, Gordon immediately apologizes and stops. I mean...sure pearl is a giant bird who can fuck him up lol but still.
Something that also really gets me (in a good, effective way) is being able to tell which Sesame Street characters the ones Gordon helps represent--in order to get the best ending, you have to help Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Oscar and Elmo. And then of course Ricky is the obvious Kermit stand-in. Also I think what Gordon apologized to Pearl for was the crack about being shocked seeing yourself in the mirror.
Gotta give you a(n actual) thumbs up for remembering where all the puppets were for the tack puzzle. The ends were way more wholesome than I thought they'd be considering the old school horror setup. I grew to like Gordon and the puppets. Good game.
The endings are kind of interesting. The puppets needed Gordon just as he needed them in a way because their plans don't succeed without him. Even in the worst ending where he just leaves, they still don't get their show aired because outside of turning on the antenna, they have no clue what to do next.
As I was watching the first part of your playthrough, I decided to stop and buy the game myself. I played through the whole thing and WOW I'm glad I did!! Can't wait to watch this one and see which secrets you found :)
I got to him giving Pearl her glasses and decided to get the game myself. Finished it myself last night and then today I get to watch Manly play the game. Hopefully he enjoys it as much as I did.
I love that the last page (final message) is found not only near the start of the game, but in a room that clearly setup to be the creator of the show at a simple desk.
Absolute love old men protags that are hardened and grumpy but are actually very soft deep down. I loved how Gordon comforted Gobletta in the last video when she got depressed during the movie. It's sweet he's just trying to fix an antenna but gets roped into helping puppets that don't really know how to help teach kids the 'right' way. they're absolutely innocent in the fact they just don't know any better. And i like that it all feels more complicated than straightforward. Lovely story for such a game and very clever presentation. Thank you for playing it, Manly ;w;
the cardboard set was my fave! honestly the backgrounds were engaging and set the tone well, and gordon was a grumpy contrast to everything, which is great lol
Im so happy this turned into a fun, goofy and introspective adventure game with horror elements. I was worried this was going to have some "the puppets/the producers are secretly eevil!!!!" as opposed to the very refreshing direction of the innocent puppets being so traumatized by how Awful media is that they went crayyyzeeee
This game was truly refreshing, and honestly I wouldn't even classified this as a horror game at all unless you got a fear against puppets or something. What I loved most is the fact there aren't any deep lore or hidden secret about something horrific that happened at the studio. There are no curses, inhumane experimentations, or children murdered. The protagonist, and in turn the setting itself, just acknowledge that Sesame Street muppets are real and living entities. They didn't come out as twist villains out for revenge or stop Gordon from shutting down the broadcast. Even the messed up "Unfriendly" puppets or the giant abomination only shove you around as what they called "being mean" and dying in this game literally just meant you get knocked out for banging your head on the ground. It just a commentary about the post-war world and cynical society. And I don't think it needed anything more than that.
it's honestly kind of refreshing that the extent of the "deepest lore" in this game is the implication that the puppets were all traumatized by watching news coverage of the not-Vietnam War which Gordon also seems to be a veteran of. sometimes you don't need deeper lore and that's fine.
@@TheGuindo Yeah, and in a sense the game is a dig at all the mascot horrors of recent years and their fans coming in expecting to find something sinister. The sock puppet even tell you how people are more obsessed with stuff like true crimes over lighthearted shows, much like the mentality of players always trying to find some hidden, cynical meanings from video games.
There are different ways to achieve horror. Mascot Horror games have conditioned me to expect something malevolent and supernatural behind the attacking puppets; With all the reminders of the Not-Vientnam-War, I thought maybe this was ghosts from Gordon's past come to haunt him in some way. It kept coming up, and I got more and more curious on how it all tied together, because... they weren't building up to any malevolent supernatural entity behind all this, we just kept getting reminded that A War Happened. This isn't really a Horror game, but it managed a moment of true horror with its final big twist. MBH's soft, sympathetic "Oh, no..." at around 1:13:45 mirrors exactly how I felt. My stomach dropped as the realization of what's happening with these puppets hit.
Im honestly so glad ive waited for this game to release, i knew from the demo it would be amazing and im not dissappointed! The attention to detail and the consistency in the story is so good! Not to forget the overall gameplay, balanced different weapons and the ambient background noises (like ambulances going past when your outside). Everything about this game makes me happy
14:11 I like how this games cut scenes can be effected by the player, I saw this part while watching a streamer and his Gordon tried to shoot but couldn't cause the player either didn't have it loaded or was out of ammo so after ricky ran he looked at the empty gun lol.
Why is this felt puppet survival-horror game weirdly touching and heartfelt?? And the references! The game is basically set on Sesame Street, but the world around it is Who Framed Roger Rabbit! It's so good! Thanks for showing us this game!
I started to watch someone else's playthrough of this but I love Manly's commentary so much that I couldn't bring myself to continue watching someone else until he finished this. Thanks for another great video and humor is still on point. Now I think I'll finish the other person's playthrough tomorrow just to see what ending they get MFN was definitely an interesting game but also pretty fun to watch and I still find the puppets pretty endearing, unhinged, but still endearing. Ricky kinda was right though, there's really no true bad guys in this, just a bunch of people and puppets trying their best to cope in a world they know is broken and that made me kinda feel sorry for just... Everyone. Gordon, the members of the neighborhood who were left alone and abandoned, the city you only get to know through various articles and context clues. What a bittersweet story, but at least it still had plenty of funny moments and I liked how instead of defeating the bosses, you just have some wholesome moment with them then leave them be afterward, definitely a twist to most games where the only solution is escape or elimination and I respect this game for being different and pushing the boundaries of its genre. More variety in the fights woulda been nice though, but since the puppets aren't actually true enemies and more just tortured souls that genuinely don't understand how to interact with humans despite their best (blunt force trauma) efforts, might be just a design choice that they don't really have proper attacks P.S. I hope they find that cat
Gordon will raise his hand like he's going to shoot, but his hand will be empty and he just looks at it and sighs. I actually liked it a lot more than him just shooting at Ricky because of that reaction.
I so agree of course but while watching the first MBAH video of this game, I fell asleep and had a dream I was playing Gordon basically, getting attacked by these Muppets in person. I was so scared LOL
This was an amazing game, the heartfelt story, the good ending. The sympathetic characters who you can "save", fresh tone without any dead kids. The LOORE. Also the overall positive message. Not at all what I was expecting when I clicked on "puppets wants to stomp on you" lmao I loved it
I love, love, love how by keeping things "low key" and grounded -- really just *grazing* horror tropes, really -- it makes a statement about the true sense of darkness people actually go through.
I don’t know why… this made me cry. Like it feels a loss of childhood in a way, and gordon helping them… makes me so so happy Thanks for playing this manly. This is a beautiful game
This game is amazing wow... The protag was amazing, the supporting roles were great, even the enemies had such great uses and fun roles. Even the ending speech made me genuinely hopeful and happy. Holy hell you can feel the passion from this...
_The Resident Neighborhood_ This was such a good game. I really loved it. Loved the lil mice and the famous paintings turned into muppet versions lol. There was so much love put into this. A lot of secrets and cheats. Even neat details like flashlights pointing in certain directions. Really love the concept of the weapons. Its really unique even though they are just guns re-skinned to look cool with unique ammo. The voice actors were really good and really sounded like actual muppet characters. The area that was essentially elmos world was pretty neat. The unfriendly part was neatly creepy but not too much cause they are muppets lol. I like that it wasnt really a horror game despite being very resident evil like. I like the bit about the whole escapism and that even there is darkness in the world there is a light you can reach out to. The muppets really wanted to show some positivity despite being cancelled and in the end do get the help to do it properly.
i just thought about this but the way manly say’s secret always sounds really nice. like imagine if there is a video compilation and its just manly finding secrets.
I could tell this game had so much heart behind its story and themes, it really was a breath of fresh air in the "corrupted kids media" types of games. I agree with your criticisms, but also enjoyed the watch and was charmed.
This is such a refreshing horror game. The fact that the entire plot is just a company wanting to spread joy, society completely destroys them, and the abandonment of the puppets plus watching footage of the war leads to the main plot, it's so simple yet so poignant. No satanic bullshit, no child's souls being stuck in the animatronics cliche, it's just.....the result of an uncaring society pushing a company that genuinely just wanted to bring joy to the world to the brink of collapse, and the puppets stopped being taken care of and were left to wander which resulted in them watching war footage, which just leads you to pity them the more you listen to the background dialouge. The CEO just wanted to make people happy in a time everyone wanted to be miserable fucking assholes, and they succeeded in it which is basically the main plot once you read through the letters. Is so simple yet so sad. Well done to the developers for doing something genuinely different that is still very decent, this game was definitely worth the wait.
Overall, I loved the game. My only issue is, It feels like they were really generous with the ammo, but the amount of enemies felt rather limited compared to the supplies given to you.
14:21 I wonder what happens if you go into this cutscene without any ammo... I wouldn't be surprised if it was the same but it would be funny if Gordon threw the wrench at Ricky or something
This is literally a combo of RE games and it's actually so awesome and clever (The suitcase being from RE4, while the health meter being from classic RE games (1,2 & 3))
not only that, but the hotel area (where goblette is) has a really similar layout to raccoon city police station from the RE2 remake with the desk in the middle and then two big staircases behind and to each side and a big monster chasing you.
When I first heard of this game I absolutely despised it. Then I forgot about it. Then I learned it all came in one piece and not in the exploitative chapter by chapter release and I was pleasantly surprised enough to wanna give it a deeper look. Now, I'm gonna be honest, the ending just legitimately hit me hard. No real villains, just mentally ill but well meaning puppets.... I can say with certainty that after a long while I have legitimately been touched by a mascot horror game
Surprised pleasantly by how delightful this little game actually was after seeing another mascot horror game. Gave me a lot of Resident Evil vibes too, anyone else? Just goes to show you really that if done right, a supposedly 'bad' genre/concept can be executed well.
I was pleasantly surprised with this game, the gameplay is solid (with a few weak spots but overall great) and the story refreshing for a survival horror game. I think the game did throw too many consumables at you, less inventory management and more decluttering. Also I was surprised we were playing Shadow the Hedgehog at 45:25 😂
SAAAAME the game had me squinting for several minutes like "Where have I heard... is that Arlo???" looked him up, like "Even if it is, I don't think I know his real n-- oh what do you know! He's just credited as 'Arlo'!"
This wasn't so much survival/horror feel, more like you stumbled onto VHS tapes your Mom recorded your favorite children's show on. Not corrupted or some millennia spanning cosmic plot...just a forgotten part of your childhood dusty from disuse. This was refreshing and surprisingly touching. Thank you Manly. Gordon (Freeman!) was obviously a veteran of the "War in the North", hence being difficult for his employers to deal with and wanting just to "keep my head down" so not to attract unwanted (or unwarranted) attention. This was the story of him eventually re-learning to be a "Good Neighbor" again. Could also be the result of a Psychiatrist using mushrooms to help Gordon deal with his PTSD.
Currently at the point of the video where Manly is talking about how the game doesn't need loading screens. I personally think it is more of a trigger spawn/move/check taped enemies to prevent some pop in on lower performance devices.
Okay Gordon has become one of my favorite video game protags for like new games. Gruff, grizzled and tired, but still sympathetic when the time is right. Really we need more protags like Gordon.
![Deadly Muppets Want To Throw You Down & Step On You - My Friendly Neighborhood [ 1 ]](/img/n.gif)
Welcome to the Hey Get Out Of There Club how Hey Get Out Of There are ya? Previous part of this series here th-cam.com/video/eeOxaqimT4Q/w-d-xo.html
Very lol
Hey Get Out Of Dare
Geddowdaheeeeer
ok
I'm so Hey Get Out Of There that I was never there in the first place! :D
I just realized that Pearl, Ray, and the dog behave differently depending on the ending. In the neutral ending Pearl is tapping the wall, the dog is growling, and Ray is bashing his work table. In the good ending Pearl is happily talking to Ricky, the dog is panting happily, and Ray is being gentle with his work. A lovely little detail in how comforting the puppets affects them in the long run.
I like our protagonist, we don’t see a lot of 50+ year-old grumpy wrinkly men being at the forefront of a story like this.
And he’s super relatable. Just wants things overwith, but if he can help he does ❤️
Well link is kinda old as shit if we look at tears of the kingdom/breath of the wild
I'm pretty sure legally they can't age any of the main characters. Zelda is the same age has Link but I guess she's still 15 years old after 100+ years. Tbh the story is dumb cause the main characters can't really lose cause they can't die.
@@SyLuX636 the good o'l plot armor
Max Payne, Joel (the last of us), Jhon Marston and Arthur Morgan (RDR 1-2), Kratos (God of war), Solid Snake (Metal gear solid), Marcus Fenix (Gears of war), Geralt of Rivia (The witcher), Alan Wake, Frank West (Dead rising), Bigby Wolf (The Wolf aMoNgUs) Michael (GTA V), Wei Shen (Sleeping dogs). I think we got a wide variety of them 😅
The puppets being a normal part of the world feels refreshing after the amount of “children souls” origins.
I just got here.
Puppets are considered normal occurrences?
Like I'd see a puppet across the street?
@@reversereality6799 depends where you live, really. I have a guy that does puppet shows for fairs and the like, and he's got it with him quite often. I lowkey think he's schizophrenic and using the puppet as an outlet, but he's not hurting anyone so it's fine.
It's almost concerning how many games use that as a premise for stuff like this
Yeah they seemed to have gained sentience
@@buttermanaws4693Yeah they're basically actors in a way some.
Can’t tell you how refreshing it is to have a children-themed horror game NOT have the “they were inhabited by the souls of dead children” twist and instead be something that felt more natural.
When FANF did it the concept was original but everyone wanted to ride the franchises coattails
@@fist-of-doom487Hell when FNAF 1 did it, they didn’t even do it. It was pure theory for a while
@@DeathnoteBB Fnaf started out more like a concept and I think it worked. This game expanded on it and made a coherent story on it. With all the mascot horrors and generally the horror genre just having twists of friendly characters being actual monsters or such, the subversion of having no twist and they are what they are at face value is pretty good twist of a horror game. It's using the expectation of horror as horror and uses the mascot horror atmosphere so it's not restricted to just some fucked up lore or metaphorical scary monsters but it'd still be horror
@@DeathnoteBB No, it was there from the start. That's literally why the animatronics kept going after security guards.
I keep seeing people saying the kids soul bit is overdone, yet I can only think of two examples tops?
8:42 Hearing one of the puppets belittle someone (not sure who) after Gordon was done comforting Pearl is a level of comedic timing many games can't even do one purpose.
what is puppet saying? i cant figure out
@liletakonfeta, she's saying, "You're ugly, you're boring, you're untalented, you're unpopular, you're useless" and so on
IT CAUGHT ME SO OFF GUARD LIKE "EXCUSE ME?"
@@jacobgra5 thank you!
STRAIGHT AFTER THE "Having a moment" CONVO, JUNE PLEASE YOU'RE BETTER THAN THIS 😭😭😭
Also pleasantly surprised Ricky is just straight up helpful. No goofy twist or actual boss reveal. A refreshing surprise given how many helper characters end up doing a heel turn to betray you and become the final boss.
Yes! He's a little evasive, and maybe a bit jaded (at least, as jaded as a sock puppet can be), but he's a genuinely good guy! No betrayal, no plots, just hope!
I like that he’s more insightful into human nature than even humans themselves, knowing humans would rather be evil than good.
@@MyShiroyukiI disagree with this assessment.
I feel it undermines all the people out there that are genuinely trying to change the world for the better. It’s not all doom and gloom yet.
@@andrewb6194 Well, that is kind of the point though: while there are people trying to do good in the world, we still tend to focus on the awful parts of it, just look at the news. When do we get the random acts of kindness, the common sense or the good things we're doing instead of the hit pieces that just leave that bug of anxiety in your ear?
While this is kind of a simplified way to look at it, with Ricky's quote about people preferring the dark to the light, it's not entirely baseless. Heck, there has been this trend in entertainment with confusing cinism and nihilism for realism and maturity like an edgy teen would that it's almost exhausting. Still, it's also the reason why a simple but nuanced game like this feels refreshing BECAUSE it gives a humane touch to the mascot horror trend, instead of just going through the works.
It’s nice to see a horror game that changes its plot of evil deeds. Simply having the puppets go mad when they see horrible content, makes more sense than they dumpling being people souls inside of that want out.
It also flips the trope of the evil corporation, since the company that made the puppets and their shows genuinely wanted to just spread joy with no ulterior motives. You keep looking for that "Aha, obviously evil!" bit of lore but never find it, instead having the CEO's goodbye letter being one about always searching for goodness in everyone.
@@joshuakim5240Even demonstrates what tends to happem to the good ones, rung out and offed by the systems there are in place.
Don't forget the fact that they suffered from years of abandonment and isolation. It's been so long that they aggressively hug the first person they see, Gordon even acknowledges the fact that their hugging him 13:21.
@@joshuakim5240 except it does have an evil corporation just not the one that started the studio.
@@Necrowolf81 No it doesn't. It has "a corporation." They exist to make profit so they focus on that directive. They aren't evil, just fulfilling their purpose.
There's no evil mad scientist trying to kick puppies to create immortality or major secret facility trying to create puppet themed weapons of war or any such nonsense that people are referring to when they say "evil corporation."
how the hell did manly just remember the locations of all the puppets right the first time, this man is literally a quantum computer
I thought the same thing, dude's got a PhD in indie game puzzles
Yes
Photographic memory goes brr I guess. Or he's a genius
OMG IKR, and he makes it look so simple too, the man must have an IQ of over a million.
That honestly wasn't hard. I wasn't very focused on the video at that part and I still managed to remember them all. I think it may have something to do with how you remember your surroundings and directions as well as what details in the environment grab your attention more.
This is a total breath of fresh air as a take on the "children's show/franchise gone wrong" idea. It seems like it's having fun with its premise, glad to see it
It's arguably barely a horror game, but in a good way.
@@howardmurphy8019I felt like it had a great opportunity to get creepy at the end; like have the final area be the “unfriendly neighborhood,” though, I was disappointed to find the section lasting only five minutes, if even that.
@@evanrutledge-sz4yotrue i agree too but damn the overall game was so perfect that it overwrote that small complaint
i like how the puppets were never really evil, they were just lonely for so long and were traumatized after watching something horrible...also i like games that let u befriend the enemies :]]
Writing notebook: I'm believing you dipper! Just do your wham wham fight the puppets thing. Give em the ol Abc and 123!
Dipper: Thanks for tip.
I bet the lore says that the guy can't crouch or jump because he is too old to do so.
Arthritis.
if you use one of those healing stations I think it says he's old, overweight, and has asthma, so yeah pretty much.
@@min0uetey i have asthma and take offense to this! I can crouch, not run though 😂
@@lindyloohoo I think crouching would be because of the age combined with weight lol
@@min0uet lol i know that was the sarcasm 😅 hard to tell on text tho
The voice actors had to have had SO much fun with this lol
8:40 "you're ugly, you're boring, you're untalented, you're unpopular, you're useless"
must have been SO fun to voice
@dauclairdelune reminds me of that "you're nothing!" short dude berating the trumpet player video
yeah Arlo really killed it
Hahahaahha, right!😂
Ricky was so right about the world and network, never thought I hear a puppet spitting facts.
yeah it was strange hearing a video game sock puppet literally describe how the real world in today's society actually is, i have a ton of respect for these devs.
I was unsure how to feel about Ricky at first tbh. Then the park scene happened and I was blown away by how incredibly based he is.
He really called Gordon out for how his treatment of the puppets echos the awful shit that they did in Vietnam. And he was immediately proven right when Gordon responded to him by escalating it into violence.
@@wasperfly tbh, it wasn't exactly violence, I'm pretty sure those letters can't actually do any real damage. And it was very clearly a sensitive topic for Gordon, an deep wound he was trying to open up
and the violence to the puppets is justified, since if you just let them do what they want they will kill you.
@@aguyontheinternet8436 Getting shot by the gun in game clearly causes the puppets pain. Sure it's not causing any damage, but it's still violence.
And I don't think Gordon shooting the puppets is unjustified. Even if accidentally, they are hurting him. But in the end they still are just hurt and unstable innocents.
we need Ricky to sing biggering lol
The most surprising thing is probably that random eye boss that pops up. It's not named, it's not mentioned, it's not referred to, it just appears, you fight it, and then it disappears. Also the only boss you can seemingly just 'kill' with no repercussions (that is, it doesn't lock you out of the true good ending) Kind of feels like it was a fight mechanic they had in mind but didn't know how to integrate it with any of the other characters.
Don't remember where you find the boss's name, but it's called Curtain Call, fittingly enough
Exactly what I was thinking! It just appears and that's it.
It's what's known as a "Big Lipped Alligator Moment". It shows up unannounced, has little bearing on the plot, and is never brought up again.
@@SandJosieph Traditionally it's also just called a non sequitur, though BLAM certainly works well to describe especially bizarre ones.
Curt 'N Call
This game is amazing not just gameplay wise but storywise too. It's so refreshing to find a horror game involving puppets that DOESN'T use dead kids or satanic bullshit as it's main plot. MFN genuinely sounds like a good company too from the notes we see. The plot is as simple as tv studio sets out to bring joy and cheer into the world, everything starts off great, views start to dwindle, company goes bankrupt, puppets watch unsupervised tv, goes insane, tv antenna gets turned on again, queue main game. Simple, fun, and surprisingly deep. I hope this game bring more innovative RE-likes to the indie market.
I dunno, satanic bullshit sure is a good plot device for many horror situations if you ask me.
Nice Profile Picture, Well be watching. (i have a feeling i have replied to you before.)
These puppets went "mad" when they were exposed to the darkest bits of the world without filters or explanations. This says to me that the puppets are themselves children who've been neglected, in essence; and children need adults, especially their parents, to give them context for the things they encounter. They can't understand, so they act out, both in imitation and in fear.
10/10 game; will probably buy and play. Good messages, good content.
The true ending hits deep. A message of finding the light in the constant darkness of the society we built.
It made me cry so much. It’s so beautiful. The innocence the puppets represent, and ricky never gave up hope.
This is a lovely game.
@@lindyloohoo as someone who grew up watching Sesame Street, it definitely brought back memories.
I think its cheesy but after 5th hearing I kept coming back to repeat it.
It spoke a lot to me when I turn off, wander around and see what incoherent noisy ruckus that my nephews and cousin watched. This game is truly an art in the sea of content.
Maybe thats why I was feeling aimless and wandering even while watching things I am not sure I liked.
@@neofulcrum5013 have you seen that picture of mickey comforting kermit when the muppets creator passed? It gave me similar vibes. All these friends wanted to do was bring cheer and got cancelled because the times change.
That picture though always makes me think. The creators of these beautiful things wanted to bring joy, when they leave what happens? Walt would not be happy at how disney is. The muppets i think are still the same, i hope so anyway. Sesame street is still lovely.
Sorry just a long thought lol
@@lindyloohooi'l never forget his name, Jim Henson
This game was a lot better than I expected. Its refreshing to be honest.
At 14:20 I had to yell “THAT IS SUCH A GOOD DETAIL”, I have not seen any other game make you lose a bullet for a cutscene after shooting. Even Call of Duty executions don’t have that. Bravo.
i wonder if you didn't have any Ammo for your pistol, or didn't even had a pistol. would you just dry fire the gun, like just throw something at ricky
I believe a couple of the Halo Reach cutscenes did that
I remember a handful of games that do it but still a rare detail. Ive played games that actually leave you with less health after a cutscene where you get hurt as well, like E.O.E.
I mean it makes more sense in this game since ammo is limited
@@nocanseegreen3845 in Manly's gameplay ammo was clearly not a problem
The backstory of this game is much deeper that it seems. This game is so tragic and dark, yet it plays with your emotions so good, love it!
At first you find the puppets creepy, then begin to hate them as your enemies. And then you learn what happened and just feel sorry for them.
The puppets were truly innocent creations. They were corrupted by the media and the tensions between people after the war.
The company really wanted to spread happiness. The CEO's last message was truly heart wrenching. He did everything he could to bring the friendly neighborhood to everyone, but the bitterness of the media corporations and post-war fatigue put the the show under.
Reminds me too much of real life in the US. Everyone just wanted to get along, yet the bitterness and hatred of the MSM and Government types pushed people to a huge divide that seems endless.....its way too relatable when you think about it. Shit is so fucked up.......
Games like this always make me emotional. I really hope theres more to this. Its so beautiful.
This is what growing up is like sadly… and it aches
Way darker than i think some people realize, i'm almost certain "the war" it keeps referencing is a take on the real life civil war caused by a division in political beliefs nowadays that many including myself truly believe we are on the verge of, this game is telling a story that is way more true to life than many realize.
I like how helping the puppets wasn't about making *them* better, but making *Gordon* better. Making him willing to accept their help by helping them.
It's a nice subversion, and makes the obvious parallels between Gordon and the puppets feel way more natural.
I also have to say, I adore this setting. Setting this world of literal magic with puppets that come to life in a world that's fresh out of a pointless viet-ganistan style war, and facing the full brunt of the consequences of corpos in unregulated slums? All at the turn of the 90s?
Aside from just making the position of the puppets make perfect sense given their place in this world, it's also just relatively unexplored space overall too.
oh. oh this comment made me realize the connection of Gordon and the puppets _both_ being victims harmed by the war. Gordon by having to fight in it, and the puppets by having that be their first exposure to what was going on in the world outside of their little corner of it.
I don't know why but watching Manly take a moment to calmy show off inventory management at least once in a video feels right. It's a nice change of pace compared to watching someone get frustrated because they have to sort inventory at all
looked so satisfying when he was done with it!
@@Konani_the_unicorn_queen We need some satisfying game inventory sorting videos for sure
RE4 inventory Tetris. Fun and satisfying.
A small detail most can appreciate of this game too, the mag for the "pistol" is Z-A which represents each stack of 26 in your inventory, thats why some stacks say A and Z, Z means theres only 1 bullet in that stack, while A is 26. Also shoots out in order of ABCD too. The details man, this dev was KEEN on the details. I wish more game dev's were this finely detailed with their games, would do wonders for actual mechanics.
It would of been so easy to just making this another "Child's soul" "Evil cooperation's using evil goo to make monsters" and so on, but they CEO
genuinely wanting to see some good in the world, helping the puppets become happy and solving their problems. And Ricky's speech was on point!
It's a horror game with a good message and I don't know, that's a bit more rare these days. It was amazing, I hope things work well for those funky little puppets.
The point they made in the game reflects everything especially with the horror genre like you said. Everyone is unfriendly, everyone runs from the light and everyone is obsessed with darkness. The Friendly Neighborhood was made to show kids and the rest of the world that things don’t have to be so grim and scary.
People keep talking like "children's souls" is ahuge overused trope, and yet the only example I can think of is the original FNaF. Which only used that as an (at the time HIDDEN) explanation for the animatronics constantly trying to kill security guards.
@@ElFreakinCid theirs a lot of smaller games that revolve around that same trope the more notable ones are Bendy and the Ink Machine and Poppy
@@fist-of-doom487Neither of those stories are about child souls however. With the ink machine they are only based off of real people and in Poppy it’s humans of all ages that are turned into toys via science gone too far.
@@theredsir869 don’t split hairs, you get the picture
31:20 His hesitation to attack the dog to the point of straight up letting it bite him, then checking to see if it would be okay when he retaliated before running to the door. 🥺Wonderful man with a good heart. Great content my dude, actually fairly interested in the game now after not having heard of it before 🤘
But bro hit the bird even tho he knew it wasn’t dangerous
(No offence Manley ilyyy)
This... Was a really cool change of pace for a 'horror' game, honestly. We've had a billion mascot horror games playing up the uncanny, creepy aspect of old kid's shows and the like. This is more of a reconstruction. Yeah, sure, they're a little creepy, a little off... But there's no dark backstory here, no evil experiments or serial killers or anything. The notes make it clear the sentient puppets were ALWAYS the ones making the show, and they're legitimately doing their best to make a better future for this dismal place. Sure they're off-putting, but they just needed to be given a chance. That's downright heartwarming, and that isn't what I expected going into this from the demo.
Well it does get a bit darker when you get to the final area. Where the puppets down there are maliciously crazy, actually having weapons and their leader is an amalgamation abomination.
The puppets never got the chance to grow up, took it the wrong way and once they saw the kind of horror that's out there in the real world... some of them fell harder than others.
I absolutely love the cardboard level. What a cool and unique design. This game is definitely charming.
I feel like it would be a good intro horror game for people who are usually too scared to play horror games.
I think the cardboard level is meant to be an homage to Elmo's World, much like the Neighborhood itself is an homage to Sesame Street.
the cardboard level is SUCH a cool setpiece!!! and the little detail of the PC being functional and 'refreshing' the screen by swapping out cardboard panels was genuinely clever. they didn't need to go to the trouble of adding that, nobody would've noticed or cared if it was just a static 'screen', but that little detail adds so much.
I finished this game and yea I agree! I wished each puppet had different *Moments* that caught you off guard. (Like Norman exploding into a bunch of Normans.) That's honestly my only complaint with the game. Other than that, this was the most wholesome horror (never thought I'd use those words together) game I've played all summer.
Edit-changed *attacks* to *Moments*
Norman exploding was a glitch the dev kept in.
The glitch was patched out, but it was readded as a feature
@@scrittlei understan like imagine you shoot one enemies suddenly million enemy pop up like wtf is that
@@rachelsheppard9122 I understand it was a glitch turned into a feature, I just wish there were more moments like that with the other puppets.
@@itzlazzers You missed the point. They were not trying to attack you. They had been isolated so long that they were just happy to see someone and were being a little too aggressive hugging you. It wasn't an attack, it was a hug.
I’m really happy that this story had a happy ending. The puppets weren’t all evil like I expected coming into this, and I’m really glad they weren’t. I liked the characters too! Especially Gordon, which isn’t really a surprise considering he’s the main character. The ending theme was nice too.
this was honestly amazing, a fresh take on the mascot horror/kids media horror take. i do wish the war was delved into a little more, especially thinking that gordon mightve been in it given his reaction to ricky joking about it, and the war movie scene in the theatre, but this was honestly amazing! thank you manly for playing it
I’m hoping they will get into this either in dlc or sequel or prequel. This game isn’t A money grab, so id throw money at it for history on it.
Gordon does seem like a veteran and it feels like he may have even lost a friend or a son/daughter to or during the war
Not just anyone can empathize like he was, especially with goody looking puppets
@@lindyloohoo I'd disagree, only because I really think most people can empathize, if they let themselves. It's just that Gordon belongs to a generation that was taught to translate that empathy into competent action, and hasn't had his confidence taken away from him.
There are so many lessons the recent generations never received. I'm hoping we'll see more games and stories like this one, so people will feel emboldened to care, figure out ways to enact it...and really, feel like it's okay to try to help with your own hands, instead of just leaving it up to hirelings who will stop pretending to care as soon as the money dries up.
i don't think they really need to go into it any further. the war was clearly a Vietnam analogue, Gordon is definitely implied to have been a veteran of that war, and the puppets are implied to have been traumatized by seeing news footage of the war on TV. I think that's all that really needs to be said about it - if you caught on to the parallels to 'Nam then you can fill in the blanks.
Manly: why do I have so much spare ammo and healing. Also Manly: a god-tier veteran for whom the difficulty level was definitely not intended for.
I absolutely adore this game for 2 main reasons: first, it's not just a "fairy tale goes grim" type of story. It is clear that the developers put thoughts when they crafted the background the story takes its place. They are not just bloodthursty monsters-they have their purpose and conflicts that the players could empathize. Second, I can see the developers defintely had some fun while making the game; funny cheats(check out the demo video if you haven't 😂), secrets, hilarious easter eggs, and infinite lines for the puppets to spit out, etc. I think that's something lacks in many recent indie games; making profit is (and should be) the number one priority for any game development, but I don't usually find such bright enjoyment from the games developed for quick cash\merchant sales lol Love it, and thanks Manly to do a video for it!
Also an ending to just leave through a truck. It is an arguably lazy ending but it makes a lot of sense why someone would do that
I love how the game somewhat critiques the whole new wave of the horror genre basically saying that it doesn't have to be edgy to be good
The message really hit close to home because I remember being in one of the low points of my life just full of anger and hatred, I just sat down feeling sorry for myself until I came across an episode of Elmo's world
Not ashamed to admit that it made me tear up even being more than 2 decades old now
Remember to be kind kids
To quote Nietzche, “In every real man a child is hidden that wants to play.”
honestly real. a lot of what people are missing in life is whimsy. and putting love into the world even if you didnt get it when you needed it.
Honestly, I was expecting Ricky to turn out to be some final boss for the game. But instead, he's been given a moral role and I appreciate that much more. Thanks for playing this.
who needs movies when manly uploads an all-endings video
true
No joke, this video game was really good and the voice acting is amazing! Way better than a lot of movies that go through theaters
no it's ALL ENDINGS
this was... so refreshing. the puppets are not evil, they are just lonely and traumatized. ricky is not the big bad, just a bit... unhinged, at times, because he also saw the terrible things, and he probably has spent all this time trying to keep everyone semi-sane. in the end, they just wanted what everyone wants: comfort, to feel they are not alone, to feel hope. just like gordon.
i also really loved how different gordon sounds between the neutral ending and the true ending. in the neutral one, he sounds... fine. not good, not bad, just... fine. in the true ending though he sounds actually happy, hopeful. it's lovely.
thank you for playing the game Manly, and thanks to the devs for making it!
I liked this, hope it does well. And like the others have pointed out, it's actually surprisingly well-written. It's basically an alternate history where "what if Sesame Street was cancelled in the 80's?" and the world basically went to shit because people forgot to be kind. And the puppets all going nuts because they watched trash television is hilariously dark.
Not going to lie, I love this game JUST because you can see through the whole storyline and even how the puppets "attack", the Puppets were like normal children, they needed constant human affection and attention to keep them going. Being around humans made them happy as humans cared and loved them, even if it didn't seem that way to us, they were severely wanting that connection with a human again. And like over excited puppies, they acted a little rough with Gordan and hurt him when they ran over to hug him.
I really hope more people play this game because it's so good. It's about healing and also subverts normal genre issues most mascot horrors have. I feel like the puppets also are a great repersentation of neglected children, in a way they feel like children who've watched the wrong tv shows and are parroting them without knowing what it means. Children who need a hand to hold and to guide them to where they can go.
The good end brings in the idea that they get their human affections again, the human interaction that these puppets need is bound to improve how they act and interact in their world.
If there's a sequal, which I sincerely doubt, I would like to see something more with the puppets, maybe even just a story from one of the Puppets POV since it seems like things are so different in their minds.
Sorry, I just love how this game portrays the puppets and shows how they become so violent unintentionally since they seem to only want a hug and a hand to hold.
I love how in this world nobody questions how the puppets came to life and became actual characters. It's nice to see that they aren't some evil demonic creations.
I still really want to listen to all of the puppet's speaking because they have some of the most unhinged lines.
I find it funny that Manly was also getting sick of the wall Muppets lmao
All the voices files have been compiled into vids. Go enjoy.
Yeah it was more shocking realizing puppets just naturally exist in this universe
It's meant to be like the Muppets, how the characters are treated like they're real living beings who just naturally coexist with people.
*Kermit Voice* oh boy, we’re really in it now
ok
*elmo voice* elmo says we’re in it for the long run!
Can't believe Gordon was free-climbing without a safety harness tied off. Three points of contact, Gordon!
I think ricky is sort of like a pyramid head for this game, both may be something that bears a strong connection with the mc, but their motives are different, while pyramid head objective is punishment, ricky is comfort and friendlyness, see everything in a positive light(even around crazy puppets).
44:57 HA! I found an easter egg! A box of Tim brand curry on a puppet pirate set? Clearly, it can only mean one thing! What a great Muppet Treasure Island reference!
I really enjoy seeing this story turn out as an old man finding new meaning in his life. You're never too old to turn your life around
I don't know why but this game gives me hope for the future. Not only for mascot horror but just in general. The dialogue, ending, and puzzles are very entertaining and just perfect. If there were more original, less cash grabbing games like this out there I think I'd play them all.
To address the "curious" decision to have doors load; I think it may be a way to cordon off areas that the player visited.
I also think it's just a good throw back to resident evil 1 and the like; the creators defiantly took quite a lot of inspiration from that and those types of games so must have really really liked them and wanted to give them a shout out; good detail in my opinion
Or... Gordon off areas?
@@leopard-1a585 Nah, let them cook.
My gosh, this game was such a breath of fresh air. The Bioshock vibes of the serious yet goofy environment, the amount of exploration, the silly yet deep and actually thought provoking lore! The devs put a lot of heart and love into it. So good.
Also, I noticed that the devs names are John and Evan Szymanski. Are they related to David Szymanski in any way, the dev of Iron Lung and Dusk, among other things?
yes! iirc, theyre brothers.
@@mitch-te5ss wow, that's so good to hear! I felt the names were not a coincidence because of the vibe of the game, it fits the Szymanski work character!
@@dash8425 yep! i checked, and i did remember right. being a good game dev must run in the family, lol. i love iron lung, too.
Seems like it did need more peril.... But at the same time maybe that is part of the themeing? The puppets were broken and hurt, not monstrous.
Some comments in part 1 said :
.
"Maybe the puppets is simply hugging him. But because he is sooo allergic of stranger suddenly being kind to him he is shocked and that is where the damage comes from"
.
I dont really remember the actual comment but it goes like that.
@@vanzeralltheway8638 nah they are just so manic and unable to handle the stimulation they accidentally hurt him.
@@taddad2641 Yeah, they were literally hugging him too hard.
there's also the fact that when he manages to get them to let go, he falls onto his back while hitting the ground which likely causes the most damage in the situation as hitting your back on the ground does hurt quite a bit, especially on hard floors
@@zizuedarkwitch3425yeah and adding the fact that he’s a middle aged man… oof
The emotional themes in this game are really cool. The puppet show being a force of toxic positivity, and for those (Ray, the frog guy, Pearl, etc) that dont fit into that mold, are outcast by the rest of their little society. Interesting to note as well how every puppet you help, i think, is one that Ricky has stated is really aggressive and will fuck you up.
Gordon, also being misunderstood and outcast by the people around him, finds some kind of kinship in those puppets and has some absolutely endearing moments where he's able to tell them exactly what they need to hear.
This game is honestly really sweet.
And gordons show of ernest social awkwardness with Pearl is kinda wholesome lol. When he touches her again she flinches, and when she does instead of doubling down or grumbling or getting uptight, Gordon immediately apologizes and stops. I mean...sure pearl is a giant bird who can fuck him up lol but still.
Something that also really gets me (in a good, effective way) is being able to tell which Sesame Street characters the ones Gordon helps represent--in order to get the best ending, you have to help Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Oscar and Elmo. And then of course Ricky is the obvious Kermit stand-in.
Also I think what Gordon apologized to Pearl for was the crack about being shocked seeing yourself in the mirror.
Gotta give you a(n actual) thumbs up for remembering where all the puppets were for the tack puzzle. The ends were way more wholesome than I thought they'd be considering the old school horror setup. I grew to like Gordon and the puppets. Good game.
The endings are kind of interesting. The puppets needed Gordon just as he needed them in a way because their plans don't succeed without him. Even in the worst ending where he just leaves, they still don't get their show aired because outside of turning on the antenna, they have no clue what to do next.
this game is so well made! its good to see something original in a sea of the same mascot horror over and over again.
As I was watching the first part of your playthrough, I decided to stop and buy the game myself. I played through the whole thing and WOW I'm glad I did!! Can't wait to watch this one and see which secrets you found :)
Thank you for supporting this team ❤️ i don’t have a system i can play this on. And this game is so beautiful
I got to him giving Pearl her glasses and decided to get the game myself. Finished it myself last night and then today I get to watch Manly play the game. Hopefully he enjoys it as much as I did.
This was so much better than the demo made me think it would be!
Right? I was annoyed how long it took, but i would honestly wait even longer if i knew it would be THIS amazing
Exact opposite for me.
Gordon was a really well done character, and he really connected into the larger story well.
I love that the last page (final message) is found not only near the start of the game, but in a room that clearly setup to be the creator of the show at a simple desk.
Absolute love old men protags that are hardened and grumpy but are actually very soft deep down. I loved how Gordon comforted Gobletta in the last video when she got depressed during the movie. It's sweet he's just trying to fix an antenna but gets roped into helping puppets that don't really know how to help teach kids the 'right' way. they're absolutely innocent in the fact they just don't know any better. And i like that it all feels more complicated than straightforward. Lovely story for such a game and very clever presentation. Thank you for playing it, Manly ;w;
it was refreshing to see that it wasn't really a horror game and how hopeful everything was in the end.
Hopefully Manly checks out chapter 2 of Malediction, that interactive youtube game he played a while back
I hope so
the cardboard set was my fave! honestly the backgrounds were engaging and set the tone well, and gordon was a grumpy contrast to everything, which is great lol
Im so happy this turned into a fun, goofy and introspective adventure game with horror elements. I was worried this was going to have some "the puppets/the producers are secretly eevil!!!!" as opposed to the very refreshing direction of the innocent puppets being so traumatized by how Awful media is that they went crayyyzeeee
This game was truly refreshing, and honestly I wouldn't even classified this as a horror game at all unless you got a fear against puppets or something.
What I loved most is the fact there aren't any deep lore or hidden secret about something horrific that happened at the studio. There are no curses, inhumane experimentations, or children murdered. The protagonist, and in turn the setting itself, just acknowledge that Sesame Street muppets are real and living entities. They didn't come out as twist villains out for revenge or stop Gordon from shutting down the broadcast. Even the messed up "Unfriendly" puppets or the giant abomination only shove you around as what they called "being mean" and dying in this game literally just meant you get knocked out for banging your head on the ground.
It just a commentary about the post-war world and cynical society. And I don't think it needed anything more than that.
it's honestly kind of refreshing that the extent of the "deepest lore" in this game is the implication that the puppets were all traumatized by watching news coverage of the not-Vietnam War which Gordon also seems to be a veteran of. sometimes you don't need deeper lore and that's fine.
@@TheGuindo Yeah, and in a sense the game is a dig at all the mascot horrors of recent years and their fans coming in expecting to find something sinister. The sock puppet even tell you how people are more obsessed with stuff like true crimes over lighthearted shows, much like the mentality of players always trying to find some hidden, cynical meanings from video games.
There are different ways to achieve horror. Mascot Horror games have conditioned me to expect something malevolent and supernatural behind the attacking puppets; With all the reminders of the Not-Vientnam-War, I thought maybe this was ghosts from Gordon's past come to haunt him in some way. It kept coming up, and I got more and more curious on how it all tied together, because... they weren't building up to any malevolent supernatural entity behind all this, we just kept getting reminded that A War Happened.
This isn't really a Horror game, but it managed a moment of true horror with its final big twist. MBH's soft, sympathetic "Oh, no..." at around 1:13:45 mirrors exactly how I felt. My stomach dropped as the realization of what's happening with these puppets hit.
Im honestly so glad ive waited for this game to release, i knew from the demo it would be amazing and im not dissappointed! The attention to detail and the consistency in the story is so good! Not to forget the overall gameplay, balanced different weapons and the ambient background noises (like ambulances going past when your outside). Everything about this game makes me happy
14:11 I like how this games cut scenes can be effected by the player, I saw this part while watching a streamer and his Gordon tried to shoot but couldn't cause the player either didn't have it loaded or was out of ammo so after ricky ran he looked at the empty gun lol.
Why is this felt puppet survival-horror game weirdly touching and heartfelt?? And the references! The game is basically set on Sesame Street, but the world around it is Who Framed Roger Rabbit! It's so good!
Thanks for showing us this game!
I started to watch someone else's playthrough of this but I love Manly's commentary so much that I couldn't bring myself to continue watching someone else until he finished this. Thanks for another great video and humor is still on point. Now I think I'll finish the other person's playthrough tomorrow just to see what ending they get
MFN was definitely an interesting game but also pretty fun to watch and I still find the puppets pretty endearing, unhinged, but still endearing. Ricky kinda was right though, there's really no true bad guys in this, just a bunch of people and puppets trying their best to cope in a world they know is broken and that made me kinda feel sorry for just... Everyone. Gordon, the members of the neighborhood who were left alone and abandoned, the city you only get to know through various articles and context clues. What a bittersweet story, but at least it still had plenty of funny moments and I liked how instead of defeating the bosses, you just have some wholesome moment with them then leave them be afterward, definitely a twist to most games where the only solution is escape or elimination and I respect this game for being different and pushing the boundaries of its genre. More variety in the fights woulda been nice though, but since the puppets aren't actually true enemies and more just tortured souls that genuinely don't understand how to interact with humans despite their best (blunt force trauma) efforts, might be just a design choice that they don't really have proper attacks
P.S. I hope they find that cat
Gordon: *comforts giant bird*
The audio in the background at 8:42 : "YOU'RE UGLY! YOU'RE BORING! YOU'RE UNTALENTED! YOU'RE UNPOPULAR!"
If you lose ammo while shooting Ricky in a cutscene does that mean the cutscene is different if you have no ammo left?
They probably took that in account. Something like Ricky got jumped by Gordon pulling the gun out and made conversation short without shooting part.
Gordon will raise his hand like he's going to shoot, but his hand will be empty and he just looks at it and sighs. I actually liked it a lot more than him just shooting at Ricky because of that reaction.
Your videos are great for background sound while a game / eat and perfect for helping me fall asleep with the window fan on.
I so agree of course but while watching the first MBAH video of this game, I fell asleep and had a dream I was playing Gordon basically, getting attacked by these Muppets in person. I was so scared LOL
This was an amazing game, the heartfelt story, the good ending. The sympathetic characters who you can "save", fresh tone without any dead kids. The LOORE.
Also the overall positive message.
Not at all what I was expecting when I clicked on "puppets wants to stomp on you" lmao I loved it
I love, love, love how by keeping things "low key" and grounded -- really just *grazing* horror tropes, really -- it makes a statement about the true sense of darkness people actually go through.
I don’t know why… this made me cry. Like it feels a loss of childhood in a way, and gordon helping them… makes me so so happy
Thanks for playing this manly. This is a beautiful game
This game is amazing wow... The protag was amazing, the supporting roles were great, even the enemies had such great uses and fun roles. Even the ending speech made me genuinely hopeful and happy. Holy hell you can feel the passion from this...
I only felt the same shallow as a parking lot puddle cringe I get from 'I'm fourteen and this is deep'.
This game is such a breath if fresh air when it comes to Mascot horror. Like it actually has heart and charm to it
_The Resident Neighborhood_
This was such a good game. I really loved it. Loved the lil mice and the famous paintings turned into muppet versions lol. There was so much love put into this. A lot of secrets and cheats. Even neat details like flashlights pointing in certain directions. Really love the concept of the weapons. Its really unique even though they are just guns re-skinned to look cool with unique ammo. The voice actors were really good and really sounded like actual muppet characters. The area that was essentially elmos world was pretty neat. The unfriendly part was neatly creepy but not too much cause they are muppets lol.
I like that it wasnt really a horror game despite being very resident evil like. I like the bit about the whole escapism and that even there is darkness in the world there is a light you can reach out to. The muppets really wanted to show some positivity despite being cancelled and in the end do get the help to do it properly.
i just thought about this but the way manly say’s secret always sounds really nice. like imagine if there is a video compilation and its just manly finding secrets.
Someone should be compiling them, lol.
“Empty like my soul”
“Secreeeeet”
“Take it easy”
“Hohoho”
Some of my fav quotes lol
@@lindyloohoo Lmao i imagine a Manly plush with a string attached that says thoes lines
@@lindyloohoo No love for DOOR STUCK ? If you haven't seen the classic video it's a reference to it's not as good I suppose.
@@lindyloohoo "Squeak."
I could tell this game had so much heart behind its story and themes, it really was a breath of fresh air in the "corrupted kids media" types of games. I agree with your criticisms, but also enjoyed the watch and was charmed.
A cow walks into a bar
The bartender says “whatcha doing here little fella”
And the cow replies “moo”
Thank you, I’ll be here all video
I got one a blind man walks into a bar he says ow
@@UhhhhwhatdoIcallthis- I’d die for you
A man walks into a bar with a chunk of asphalt.
He says, "Bartender, I'll take a drink for me and one for the road."
@@parkergroseclose6956I actually really like this one haha.
Two guys walk into a bar
The third one ducks
This is such a refreshing horror game. The fact that the entire plot is just a company wanting to spread joy, society completely destroys them, and the abandonment of the puppets plus watching footage of the war leads to the main plot, it's so simple yet so poignant. No satanic bullshit, no child's souls being stuck in the animatronics cliche, it's just.....the result of an uncaring society pushing a company that genuinely just wanted to bring joy to the world to the brink of collapse, and the puppets stopped being taken care of and were left to wander which resulted in them watching war footage, which just leads you to pity them the more you listen to the background dialouge. The CEO just wanted to make people happy in a time everyone wanted to be miserable fucking assholes, and they succeeded in it which is basically the main plot once you read through the letters. Is so simple yet so sad. Well done to the developers for doing something genuinely different that is still very decent, this game was definitely worth the wait.
>no child's souls being stuck in the animatronics cliche
You mean the thing that's only a thing in one game?
@ElFreakinCid My guy do you have any idea how many one off rip offs of FNAF there are out there? 😕
Overall, I loved the game. My only issue is, It feels like they were really generous with the ammo, but the amount of enemies felt rather limited compared to the supplies given to you.
So play on Hard mode
This game is such a breath if fresh air given it's genre. Its nice to see someone break away from the mold and do it incredibly well.
Words cannot express how happy I am they got the piano scene right
I like the idea of homicidal puppets becoming a trend . Reminds me of Hello Puppets. I especially love the prequel Hello Puppets Midnight Show.
Aw, they're not homicidal, they're just too strong for their own good and have had their brains twisted by bad TV!
14:21 I wonder what happens if you go into this cutscene without any ammo... I wouldn't be surprised if it was the same but it would be funny if Gordon threw the wrench at Ricky or something
Apparently he points and it spooks Ricky.
This is literally a combo of RE games and it's actually so awesome and clever (The suitcase being from RE4, while the health meter being from classic RE games (1,2 & 3))
not only that, but the hotel area (where goblette is) has a really similar layout to raccoon city police station from the RE2 remake with the desk in the middle and then two big staircases behind and to each side and a big monster chasing you.
I really love Gordon. He’s such a likable and believable protag
After the ending I just couldn't stop smiling, that's just legitimately so sweet damn
When I first heard of this game I absolutely despised it. Then I forgot about it. Then I learned it all came in one piece and not in the exploitative chapter by chapter release and I was pleasantly surprised enough to wanna give it a deeper look. Now, I'm gonna be honest, the ending just legitimately hit me hard. No real villains, just mentally ill but well meaning puppets.... I can say with certainty that after a long while I have legitimately been touched by a mascot horror game
Shows a lot of whats happening in our world, hope this reaches a lotta people, making them rethink how we should treat others
Surprised pleasantly by how delightful this little game actually was after seeing another mascot horror game. Gave me a lot of Resident Evil vibes too, anyone else? Just goes to show you really that if done right, a supposedly 'bad' genre/concept can be executed well.
the Mr.Rogers refence at the end choice of helping or not really hits a special spot 1:20:48
hell yes, i just watched the first earlier today and was really hoping you'd finish this soon, you truly are a Hero Manly!
I was pleasantly surprised with this game, the gameplay is solid (with a few weak spots but overall great) and the story refreshing for a survival horror game. I think the game did throw too many consumables at you, less inventory management and more decluttering.
Also I was surprised we were playing Shadow the Hedgehog at 45:25 😂
I’m so glad Arlo voiced Ricky I knew it was his voice and he did so well!
SAAAAME the game had me squinting for several minutes like "Where have I heard... is that Arlo???" looked him up, like "Even if it is, I don't think I know his real n-- oh what do you know! He's just credited as 'Arlo'!"
This wasn't so much survival/horror feel, more like you stumbled onto VHS tapes your Mom recorded your favorite children's show on. Not corrupted or some millennia spanning cosmic plot...just a forgotten part of your childhood dusty from disuse. This was refreshing and surprisingly touching. Thank you Manly.
Gordon (Freeman!) was obviously a veteran of the "War in the North", hence being difficult for his employers to deal with and wanting just to "keep my head down" so not to attract unwanted (or unwarranted) attention. This was the story of him eventually re-learning to be a "Good Neighbor" again.
Could also be the result of a Psychiatrist using mushrooms to help Gordon deal with his PTSD.
Currently at the point of the video where Manly is talking about how the game doesn't need loading screens. I personally think it is more of a trigger spawn/move/check taped enemies to prevent some pop in on lower performance devices.
Manly didnt notice it, but the vending machine at 52:49 is a Half-Life 1 reference.
Okay Gordon has become one of my favorite video game protags for like new games. Gruff, grizzled and tired, but still sympathetic when the time is right. Really we need more protags like Gordon.