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Finding Hope in Kentucky Route Zero
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- čas přidán 16. 08. 2024
- In Kentucky Route Zero, the world is ending, and you can’t save it. Can you find a good life anyway?
Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: nebula.tv/vide...
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If you liked this, please consider supporting me on Patreon: / lily_lxndr
Twitter: / lily_lxndr
Voices by:
Lola Sebastian: / lolasebastian_
Hayley-Isabella Cawley: / hayleydyer16
Alex Viney: / thevineslog
Liz Singh: www.thelowerpl...
Johan Denora: / johandenora
Music:
Songs: Ohia - The Lioness
Songs: Ohia - Songs: Ohia
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - F# A# Infinity
Ben Babbitt - Memory Overflow
The Caretaker - Everywhere At the End of Time, Stages 1-3
Stars - “Your Ex-Lover Is Dead”
Table of contents:
0:00 Introduction
2:22 Surrender to Unknowing
15:23 I'm Just Passing Through
24:17 Agonal Breaths
36:40 Credits
Sources:
Designing for mystery in Kentucky Route Zero • Jake Elliott - 'Design...
Reddit post on Un Pueblo de Nada / un_pueblo_de_nada_is_h...
Death to three-act structure! Toward a unique structure for narrative games • Death to the Three Act...
Chasing Ice (excerpt) • "CHASING ICE" captures...
Fire in Paradise • Fire in Paradise (full...
The agony of agonal respiration: is the last gasp necessary? www.ncbi.nlm.n...
OH MY GOD THIS IS SO OUT OF FOCUS. WHY DIDN'T I JUST RESHOOT???
Everywhere At The End Of Time was a perfect choice, a brilliant piece of music
as fitting as it was it absolutely scared me
I'm not a gamer, but you've convinced me here that if a developer is ever able to convince Jason Molina's family to let them score a game with his music, that will all change.
I guess a Caretaker-scored game would also be... deeply upsetting lol. Maybe a little on the nose.
I have not yet played Kentucky Route Zero, but hearing the devs of Disco Elysium cite it as a huge source of inspiration and hearing other DE players praise it, I am *ecstatic* to hear Lily's take on it.
My computer can’t run it, but I can’t wait for DE to come out for Switch! Sounds amazing
@@lily_lxndr Considering your other videos, I think you'll like it! Hopefully it'll release on switch soon, I have many friends I need to indoctrinate. Also just wanted to say how much I love your videos asdfghjkl thanks for making them
@@pooppoopzoopzoop9935 thank you!!
@@lily_lxndr yes!! it's amazing and is one of my favorite interpretations of the themes in this video ! and i'm gonna go play kentucky route zero now.
@@raphsvids2496 enjoy!!
I finally finished Act V last night after sitting on it for months. The last sequence split me open like a maul. Never have I needed to TALK about a game with someone more, but I have NO ONE in my life who has played it. I've liked your videos in the past, so imagine my delight when I saw you'd recently released a whole essay on it.
Thank you for this. It's not quite the experience of sitting down across from a friend and talking about how something made you feel, but I really enjoyed hearing about your own experience.
Few people can wax poetic whilst offering such clear analysis of a game. You're one of the most underrated video essayists on CZcams. Here's to hoping the video gets more views -- the amount of work you put into it warrants far more than 2,540.
I genuinely really appreciate that - thank you! It’s ultimately at the mercy of the algorithm, but I’m glad this video found its way to some people who appreciate it.
You got questions? I got answers, baby! Leave ‘em in the comments, and I’ll get to them in a Q&A sometime in the next few months.
Do you plan to do anymore music? And do you have a Bandcamp or Soundcloud or something similar where you upload your music?
I've admired your bookshelf, what are your favorite Books (or least favorite, if you prefer that question)?
You use the same music I listen to. Why did you choose to use Jason Molina's Death song? That is what I would like to know. Throughout the video it is on repeat. I really like your videos, "Existential Video Game Essays" seems to be a genre on youtube.
@@Backtotheshadowsagain Thanks for asking! I've been waiting for an excuse to talk about this.
I see a lot of parallels between Molina's discography and Kentucky Route Zero. Both are firmly rooted in Appalachian history, but obscure, kind of mythical versions of it. Both strike a balance between quiet, intimate moments and borderline-melodrama where the characters feel impossibly small. When I listen to Jason's music, I feel sad for him and everyone he's describing, but I don't feel like I really know them - and KRZ gives me that same feeling about its characters.
Oh, and both include giant mythical birds! Just thought of that.
@@lily_lxndr I never expected a response. How cool. Thanks. You've been one of my favorite people on here. I too, like Jason, know what it's like to be perpetually drunk. And also "Hey, that giant bird is kinda like the one AM creates in 'I Have No Mouth and I must Scream'. Which is cool also, Whoah have you read a lot of Ursula K. Le Guin!? You should. Someone told me 20 years ago! I never did. I play the Piano now. Might release a horrible speculative fiction sometime later. I dunno. I step into Primer for the first time since 1999...
Awesome video. 4 of my favorite games of the last decade and maybe all time are KR0, Disco Elysium, Night in the Woods, and Dark Souls 3, and it's interesting how many ways they maintain conversations with each other, about old places dying, about power fermenting, about people living in spite of the death drive of their environment. As someone who actually lives in Kentucky, I think the message of KR0 is so important for building cross-state solidarity. It ain't red state/blue state, it's the cannon fodder of capital versus capital, and we're all in this together.
wow, we have very similar taste haha. i'm coming at this from a canadian POV where the dynamic between provinces is very different, so i appreciate your insight!
I love seeing my favorite CZcamsrs comment on each other's videos! Even if I'm two years late for this one
ok so now that ive finished most of the video: I haven't played KRZ but this kind of reminds me the Lain CD rom game in that it uses choice and non-linearity to disempower and deorient the players. Lain's non linearity isn't exactly a choice of story presentation? The only thing stopping you from playing the whole game linearly is navigating the slow big menus and collecting all the files in the right order. But the clunkiness of the menus and the sheer density of information makes keeping track of all this really hard especially because all these scenes are interlinked and reference each other frequently.
Lain's non-linearity and the pain of experiencing it comprehensibly and of sifting through to piece together a linear (and even then often confusing) narrative mirrors the experience of Lain navigating her own mind as she deals with her own deteriorating mental health. Most of the time player choice is meant to empower and excite players, let them identify with people who can make big impacts on the world around them. But in Lain choice is painful, just like to Lain the character understanding herself and sifting through her own brain is hard. Its disempowering rather than affirming which I think is super neat
anyway idk thats only tangentially related but your description of KRZ really resonated with why i like that game and games like it
Sounds fascinating! I’ll have to check it out, been looking for more games like this
This was haunting, beautiful, and inspiring. I've been meaning to play Kentucky Route Zero for years, this was a good reminder to check it out. Thank you for taking us with you on this journey.
It’s a better time than ever to try, now that it’s out on consoles! Thanks so much for giving this your time.
I got literal chills when you were talking about nana banana it’s so true! I love how you explained it so much it’s so smart ❤️
the tumor logic thing is too real. i'm getting visions of the kurtzgesagt episode about how cancerous tumors become so fkin gnarly and terrible and impossible for the body to fight
This helped me hold onto hope today. It isn't too late for things to change, for me and for all of us. thank you.
❤️
I've lost my nan to dementia almost a year ago and it honestly hurts, we have her ashes still in the house with us and we talk to her from time to time, it feels good to have her close but it's always good to know that she lived a life she wanted to and we were able to make her feel loved. I hope wherever she is, it's peaceful and I hope to one day be able to join her in that peace. Till then I'm living for her and all my loved ones.
Hope your doing well Lily and hope everyone who has gone through the love of someone with dementia passing knows that you're still loved by them, it never disappeared.
wake up babe new lily video essay just dropped (i joke but i literally saw this in my inbox and dm'd liked 4 people)
real lily hours, only real lily fans are awake
thank you for sharing it around!!
OHMYGODDDDDDDDDDD MY FAVE YTUBER AND FAVE GAME IN ONE VIDEO ITS CHRISTMAS
I've never been sold so hard on a game before. Fantastic video!
Thanks so much! Hope you like it as much as I did
This is my favorite game on earth and I'm so happy to see someone talking about it (and with such adoration too!!!!) Amazing video!
I'm hadn't heard of Kentucky Route Zero before, and I'm excited to play. I love the video, and this is easily the most convincing game recommendation I've watched :)
Thank you!
Your music picks for these videoessays are always so on point, and this one is no exception. Songs: Ohia for the win.
One of my favourite bands! Lioness just felt perfect for this
I've watched 5 or 6 video essays on this game now which I think I am comfortable a few months after playing it calling it my favorite game ever, and it's amazing how little overlap there is in what was covered in multiple hours of total video essay by several different people, and I think that speaks to the richness of the game. Also, yours was the best one and also the least viewed.
I love that about the game too - so, so many ways to come at it.
And thank you, that genuinely means a lot! I’m not a gaming channel so I suspect the algorithm had no idea what to do with this video lol
Playing this "game" after watching your review, and I'm loving it. It's so tragic and beautiful. Thank you.
Kentucky route zero has been my favorite game sonce the first act alone. Im so happy you're talking about it.
“Name me an action game that does spoon theory”
Pathologic
I’m sorry, I had to
Haha I actually wrote in a joke about that but it got cut!!
your choices of background music are always excellent, amazing video
Finding really great video-essayists is basically the entire reason I still use YT. Thanks, Lily.
there is actually a very common mechanic in action games which slows the player down, namely when you carry another character. Lots of fps games had that when they still made single player modes. A very noteable example to me is (spoilers) the end of the last of us. Slowed down and being persued by enemies, you're forced to backtrack through a level protecting someone. It's a very emotional level, and the ending is so much more rewarding *because* of that slow down. It drew me out of the standard play and made me pay better attention to what was happening than the rest of the game.
yes!! more people need to talk about this game!!
This is going to be an awesome watch, I'm getting hypeeee
I started researching this essay, and immediately thought: "wow, why is this song so familiar but somehow different from what I remember of Babbitt's soundtrack? (And whose voice is that?)" And I very soon realised it's GY!BE (and Lola Sebastian). I managed to get to see them live (the band, not Sebastian, lol) later this year, so I've been listening to their discography intensely. So it's no wonder that that combination of sounds struck me as haunting and half-remembered, very fitting of the game's themes.
The essay itself might be the best in class, on par with Noah Gervais, Static Canvas and TheLitCritGuy. Keep up the great work!
Absolutely captivating and intriguing top tier content!
so kind, thank you!
@@lily_lxndr thanks for the effort you put into your video solid material keep with it comrade
barely figured the main story, but i loved the atmosphere so much, felt like living out a painting, a song and a story in one
god, this game is incredible. to me it achieves a level of ideational complexity only rivalled by games with more traditional rpg elements, such as disco elysium or the 2d fallouts. really glad we got to hear your thoughts on it :)
This was beautiful. And god does it hit hard when I have been at work for 11 hours.
Oof. Half this video was written during breaks on loooong shifts.
Old video but the Everywhere at the End of Time music got me… I love that project and some of the songs are just flat out good regardless of context. You’d be the perfect person to tackle it omg.
It’s such a good album! I’ve thought about writing about it, but it hasn’t clicked
The dark souls of point and click games lmao
I can't believe I've actually stumbled upon a video essay about this one of my favourite games of all time by an actually fairly "big" youtuber, I'm so excited!!
and one of my favourite songs too! (your ex-lover is dead.) what a gem this video is :)
Thank you so much for making this video! It was absolutely stunning.
I was hooked from the very first audioclip.
Recently decided to quit playing video games for awhile, but i think i need to play this onceeee:3
LILYYYYY OMFG THIS IS INCREDIBLEEEEE
GOOOOO OFFFFFF BESTIEEEE DAMNNNN
ITS A MASTERPIECE I LOVE YA 💕😫
literally bought the game a few days ago, great timing :D
I've been dying for more femme video game videos, thanks for making this 💜
also pathologic 1 and 2 doesn't talk about spoon theory but it definitely invokes the sense of what you feel you have access to do from energy levels...
@@auroraknaut1125 i doubt i'll ever play it, but i find pathologic freaking FASCINATING. a friend put out a great video on it a few years ago! czcams.com/video/stH9JSnGH9Q/video.html
so glad you liked it
I watched 45 seconds of this video then paused and bought the game. Returning to this video now after playing the game over the past month-thank you so much for the recommendation/review, what a great game
Omg, thank you so much!
This was beautifully put together. I look forward to future projects! 😃
Thanks so much!
this video motivated me to play Kentucky route zero and I'm now back rewatching it after finishing the game. what a phenomenal experience. the act 3 concert part was one of the most phenomenal gaming experiences I'v ever had.
I absolutely loved how the game let you soak in all the environments. I have a pretty decent collection of screenshots now
The concert was really something special
I don't know of any game that explicitly references spoon theory, but I think you could make that reading with the visual novel One Night, Hot Springs. Hearts are removed when the player character gets discouraged, and if she runs out, then the player is locked out of choices that require more mental/emotional effort. Also a lot of games employ a stamina system, though that's definitely a stretch since it usually replenishes without much effort.
Super interesting!! Thank you I’ll look into it
ooh this game has been on my wishlist for a while and i think im gonna check it out now :D
About to go to bed but I saved this video for tomorrow cause damn from the first 20 seconds I can already tell it's gonna be good.
I just discovered this video after almost binge watched all of your videos. As a AAA game developer it was a pleasent surprise you jumped into a subject that not only defined be since i was a kid but is what i do for a living.
Incredible analysis. Im always looking for differente perspectives when it comes to games cuz at the end of the day im a white cis man. Really appreciate you sharing this.
this is sort of a joke but for spoon theory in gaming: PP type systems a la pokemon that have you constantly checking where the nearest medical center is at all times even though it cant save you from everything
For sure it is the valley of death
I open up my wallet, and it's full of blood
At the beginning I was like "wow they really sound like Ms Lola" and then Lily started speaking and I was like wait a minute
Hah, I figured that'd happen!
This was an excellent analysis of one of the most personally influential games I've played. I'd love to know what you think about the game Night in the Woods, since I think it shares some themes with Kentucky Route Zero.
Thank you! Night In The Woods is one of my faves for sure, total gem, though I’m not sure I have as much to say about it
Hi, this is a wonderful essay -- and I experienced the game very much in the same way you did. The central question seems to ask: how do we retain our humanity in the face of oppressive systems? How do we keep hope when it feels like the world is ending? And as you say it's often: community, art, stories, memories, etc. But the way the game leaves the truth murky also adds to the feeling both of reality, as we often can't really know One Final Truth about things in our own lives, but also adds to that sense of how unstable and transient the lives of these characters are. There's always a feeling, too, of missed opportunities: if I choose this rather than that, what do I lose as a result?
(One small note: when you're speaking about Weaver, there's a typo -- engima instead of enigma.)
"Is the idea of inhabiting a disabled body that unbearable?"
Just this question kind of stuck with me and thinking on it for a while... yes, I think that's how they feel. Our bodies and minds as disabled people are viewed not as distinct alternate perspectives but as incomplete/damaged versions of their own. They see us not as ourselves but as there but for the grace of the whatever go they.
this is such an underrated video geez, never even heard of this game but now ill probably play it
also, i have such intense nostalgia for that stars song and, seeing as it's relatively obscure (where i live, anyway) when i realize what it was it absolutely sent me lmao
The way you describe how the route itself works reminds me a lot of Are you listening by Tillie Walden
Oh my god of course you start with Godspeed, bless you!
Your videos are so fantastic I’m so glad I found this channel, I’ll definitely be playing this game now
This video absolutely slapssss I hope my comment boosts it in the algorithm ♥️ I feel like I found a great channel right before it blows up!!
Thank you!! So glad you liked it!
Beautiful video and analysis :)
i love your channel and i love this game, so psyched that you’ve covered it!
Thank you!
I understand essentially zero words in the title but felt like I needed to watch it anyways
I love this game and it really stuck with me.
I've checking every day for a new video! Another great one! I would hate llaying this game, but I love that it exists and that you told me about it and your feelings about it. I feel we headed towards this future in the world and we need to build real (not digital) communities before we cannot anymore
The structure and conclusion remind me of "the Jungle". But compared to Sinclair we have around 100 years worth of experience with left leaning systems. It would have been cool if the game worked through those in some way as well, since it's the nature of fiction that a community will get along if the autor says so, but not necessarily the nature of real life. But it's still cool to see how the devs created such an emotional experience and included so many aspects of our world. Thank you for putting this together.
How does this only have around 2k views? It’s amazing
Thank you! Been a while since I posted, so the algorithm isn’t pleased with me, I guess. Tell your friends!
Loved this game. 💚
the choice of using the lioness by songs ohia??? 10000/ 10 oh my god
Thank you!! It's an all time fav of mine. KRZ is basically that album as a game lol
yet another incredible video !!
You are extermely pretty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now This Is What I Subscribed For. Yee Haw Partner
yee haw bestie
I don't remember what interview with the developer this is from but I heard that the eagle is ezras ego
For the Q&A: Since MOGAI is mostly a failed project, what do you think would be a better solution? (To avoid former slurs and further bloating an already unwieldy acronym)
engima 😏 really cool video + video game tho. nice upload! 😊
this was SO FUCKING GOOD
holy shit
so good
10/10
speechless
incredible
This is so kind! Put such a smile on my face. Thank you!
you might have convinced me to subscribe to a Patreon, dagnabbit
This is how I win!!
Good
Thank
Hi, Lily, I have a question: could you clarify in what way the acts of the game are cyclical? I totally missed it in my playthrough. Shame on me because I really love 100 Years Of Solitude which the game apparently took inspiration from and uses a similar cyclicalness(?). Great video btw!
(Spoilers below!)
If you take the die from Emily Ben & Bob in Equus Oils, it ends up in Conway’s jacket, which Shannon takes in Act 4. Then in act 5, Shannon can give Emily, Ben & Bob the die, which they’ve never seen before - and they discuss going to play a game in Equus Oils for the first time.
Also, in Act 1 there’s a book in the museum text-adventure which chronicles/predicts what ends up happening to Conway.
I’m sure there are more examples, but those are the ones I caught!
@@lily_lxndr thank you so much!! I remember the museum text but didn't notice or maybe even have the interaction with Emily Ben & Bob even though I remember picking the dice up, that's awesome, there is so much to Act V it's just... beautiful and heartbreaking
Even though I'm subscribed this did not show up in my recommandations!
Oh man, I was worried this was happening!
Twitter is probably the best way to stay up to date on the videos I put out
@@lily_lxndr Thank you, I will!
@@BlancheNeigefan thanks for letting me know :)
same here :”0 i just checked lily’s profile bc i saw a post she made on yt a couple seconds ago and saw a whole new video posted a MONTH ago?! im appalled
im sorry but im a trans person, whos favorite movie is synecdoche and favorite game is Kentucky route zero and LOVE godspeed you black emperor. i have convinced myself that were the same person here whats happening
Well ONE of us is gonna have to go home and change
@@lily_lxndr who ever wins the slay off
What song is that in the first ~30 seconds of the video?
I believe it's Dead Flag Blues by Godspeed You Black Emperor!
@@lily_lxndr Thank you!
an action game that uses spoon theory?
...I've not played it, but doesn't Genshin Impact restrict your ability to play with a daily energy meter? This is mostly a joke and this video is phenomenal. (Will edit further with thoughts once I'm done)
Hah! Okay that was a good one
is no one gonna comment on how she pronounced enigma??????
LOL my family pointed this out to me right after the video came out and I think about it like twice a week
@@lily_lxndr lmao it caused me to have that moment of "wait have I been saying it wrong this whole time??"
Oh my god F# A# Infinity???? I needed this video wow