yeah darkwood scary and cool darkwood: store.steampowered.com/app/27... music from darkwood and half life 2, half life 2 ep 1, half life 2 ep 2. long video
The calming morning music still brings tears to my eyes, especially after a tough night. It manages to feel calming, without ever getting rid of the tension.
darkwood feels like original newgrounds flash game but with a big budget honestly eastern europe game development is depressingly rare cause eastern europe is hostile towards new talent and acid wizard studio is really lucky to even release darkwood in early access and even more lucky to finish it their next project looks like a strategy soccer game which dont make sense since the next logical move would be making a big DLC content expansion for darkwood or a sequel with more skill and resources but its their choice
@@Nogardtistsoccer kids alpha has been out for ages, it seems decently fun and different. Acid Wizard will be on hiatus for the foreseeable future (5-10 years) as they are having difficulties with creating a positive work life balance in their company. I am disappointed to some extent, but also very glad to see that they had such a breakout success with their first game and can chill for a while. I hope their next project is just as ambitious and interesting as Darkwood.
You know what scares me more about the "being", is that potentialy it's just a baby. The biggest hint being the baby we see amoungt the sleepers within the first dream sequence. It makes me wonder how diffrently this would have played out if an adult landed instead.
It definitely leaves open a lot of cool speculation. Obviously this type of being can create life or rather replicate it. All of the twisted defects that we see could definitely be the result of a disturbed infant. Maybe it's scared and wasn't supposed to end up here. This could explain why it created a fortress for itself in the Dark wood, for protection. Are there other mature versions of its kind multiplying bountiful and beautiful life elsewhere in the cosmos perhaps? Or do they all create something similar to this horror scenario? Maybe it's all a reflection of the individual being?
@@MrtototI wouldn’t dwell too deep on the lore, the fact that the being was represented as young could mean that even the creature causing everything is unaware and or just trying to survive. Implying the lovecraftian horror of not only what the creature is/going through to everything around you giving you no room to spiritually or mentally breath.
It all ties nicely around, like every living being, it makes other around it suffer unimaginable pain, just to survive, mostly unaware of it, maybe it was aware at some point and saw the disturbance it created against feeling beings(humans) so it made them happy, quite literally, knowing only enough about us to think that is the right thing to do, was it wrong tho? Life is at the end of the day us just knowingly or not, wanting or not, falling into illusions of happiness because real life, nature is pure survival he'll, where everything eats everything, we build around ourselves the illusion of happiness and call it civilisation, desperately trying to get out of the forest of pain that is the reality of being a biological being. Its a genius game when you think more about it, everything represents everything, nothing works on a rules that are non existent or alien to us, yet it's all too bizarre alien and is scaring us, it's a pure hell, yet it uses just things that surround us everywhere, but by amping it up to 11 it makes us dissolutioned by our little sweet dream we created for ourselves, showing true colours of what biological reality and nature is. I suffer from chronic pain hypersensitivity andy flesh hurts always despite me being on daily morphine, there's no cure, and it's literally a choice ive been given the entire life despite trying to avoid it, choose the comfort of opioids that make of your self an empty shell, slowly loosing the grip on reality and yourself, while being defended for life, or suffer unimaginable pain and discomfort, fortunately or not i chose the painkillers, because the pain wasnt an option for me, i redused to stay in the horror of forest, of true reality amd chose the bliss, because for me it was a choice of sleeping or tsking my own life, that is the third option nobody speaks about, simply refusing the horror to continue, but there's where the perfect analogy stops for me because my meds aren't an alien beinf and I'm not stuck in the horrifying forest physically, I'm living in a world that i chose to be able to experience and meds make it accessible for me, bwdore that i.felt like i was constantly in a silent hills other world, everything unbearable suffering, constant torture, I'd rather be free from it and live only 10 years , deciding to.off myself when the supply ends, and spend mlst on my life of maintain the supply, as hard as it is for disabled person that's scared to leave home, i went trough over a year of homelesness, and this game really feels way too real, thsts whyni hate/love it so much ans was on the edge whole time, it disgusts me becsuse i can see it being just like my life, constantly on the run, fighting monsters of every day, and chasing comfort which will and did ultimately bring my demise (what's funny dying in a fire is something im afraid of the most since i was a kid due to how badly painful for me is even a hot water, to the point its hard for me to bathe, but the game is a lerfec analogy of choices i have, the forest being inescapable hell of disease i have, and the ultimate choices well you saw for yourself ) Also stellar delivery of the video, i watched depsite seeing the walkthrough again just because how well it was explaining stuff and despise i hate this game for the reasons i mentioned, hate in the sense it lingers in my head and the way it describes my situation, but this gave me slrt of closure, now understanding the ending perfectly, no matter how dire it is and how much it matches my reality,i can rest i Hope a little better)
@@Mrtotot It could be a reflection of how the being feels. if its a baby, then it likely feels scared being alone, as any child would. That fear can be reflected literally in how the forest manifests itself. If the baby felt comfort, or some other happy emotion, then its likely the forest could change it’s shape to something less horrific and y’know, life threatening.
@@bastard-took-the-name-I-hadnot a real horror fan. :/ you should have bought and played the game yourself while also slowly dripping hot wax down the back of your shirt and sitting on a pile of thumbtacks
I never play horror games, and I have played one total, Darkwood. 9.5/10, genuinely one of my favorite games of all time. Although it does deserve that 0.5 off for a petty, albeit valid reason. SPOILER WALL I find it really fucking stupid that nothing you do in the real game affects your ending, and only the epilogue does. Although it is a different scene when you leave the woods, you are never actually leaving the woods when you do this. For example, my friend and I played through this game at around the same time, he got an ending where he walked on the road with a bunch of characters that he met along the way because he burned the tree, whereas I walked alone because I accidentally took a different path. Originally, I was kind of sad about this until realizing that it doesn’t fucking matter, in fact, lore wise, his ending is actually worse. That really left a sour taste in my mouth. Also, I may have gotten burn them all on my first play through, but my friend told me there was nothing worth looking for in the epilogue. Awesome game.
I love that, at least on the resource management side, Darkwood is really good at making you feel like you need more, and that it's difficult, even though it's actually supremely generous with the supplies you get.
Imo it does a poor job in exact this aspect. Since i got to silent Woods base i always had too much of everything. Workbench full since the beginning. Now im at old forest base, have no urge to Explore anything and got frustrated of dying to All the monsters in the big dog house
I found that concerning too especially since the trader always shows up and gives 150 rep when you survive the night. Resources such as fuel, tape, nails, planks, scrap, rags, strange mushroom, and etc are relatively cheap. The game claims to not hold your hand but there is no real consequence for mistakes. Hell when you die you can get your stuff back. I’m only 16 days in though not sure if there is some invisible timer counting down your demise.
I think it's interesting how for the most part trusting the wolf seems like the far easier path. It makes me think they were trying to get across the feeling that “the devil you know is often better than the one you don't” I mean he's literally a wolf so you know immediately that he's not a great guy but at least you're aware of that from the beginning. Also wanted to mention that I laughed out loud when you found that gasoline after being swarmed lol “Holy gasoline!” so great This video was great and I genuinely enjoyed it. I hope you continue making videos!
The Wolf is an interesting one. He's very straightforward with you, he pushes you, challenges you. Others want you to stay put, to be careful and not stray. But he sets his terms, he sets his challenge, and he holds up his bargain if you do your part. An honest beast.
Nah, it's just the honest option if you're even vaguely familiar with how modern systems work. The evil path is always the easiest and most rewarding. No one ever became a billionaire being a good person.
Being good takes real work and is the hardest path in life. It's NOTHING like video games paint it - as though it is simply the 'default' path. Completely untrue. Being a good person requires suffering and sacrifice. Being evil requires others to suffer and sacrifice for you. Of course it is the easier option.
I am a huge fan of long-form content, especially video essays. This was an immensely enjoyable listen, and you accompanied me through cooking dinner today. I really enjoyed this, and if you plan on making more content like this, I will be here to watch your future videos. Your channel is an absolute gem, and I wish you the best as you continue to grow.
For a Topdown 2D game, Darkwood managed to build up a lot more tension than most 3D horror i played, when I was sitting in a hut at night and something was trying to get into the barricaded door.
I think the perspective is in it's favor In a weird way as with 3d first person games you can say we're more used to that since we see in 'first person' irl. But maybe I'm talking out of my ass.
@joshuagraham1800 Because its budget was low, it would probably look pretty terrible if it was in first person, like most indie horrors. With the top down perspective they're able to escape the difficulties of creating a good looking art style for a 3d environment. Basically, since it's in 2d, they're able to combine smooth animations, camera shake, sound design and art style to make the game look and feel very professional. You almost forget it's an indie game at all while playing, imo. To make something look good in a 3d game, you either need to commit to a certain indie aesthetic, or you need Capcom's budget. There's always exceptions and inbetweens, but that's my assessment. The bird's-eye view elevates the game.
I’ve gotten into a lot of Eastern European games recently. STALKER Shadow of Chernobyl, Pathologic and METRO series, but the one that started it all for me was Darkwood. It’s such a brilliant game. Phenomenal atmosphere, creepily curious characters, player consequence, level design, art style, etc. all culminates into one of the best horror games I have ever experienced.
@@naxergss2625 Poland is actually eastern Europe! It’s a bit of a more complex term than a first glance would show, but generally Germany, Austria and Italy are considered the border.
@@naxergss2625 Poland is geographically a Central European country but shares much of its culture, language, history, etc with Eastern Europe, as Poles are slavic, which are an Eastern European ethnic group. So while yes you're correct, the average Pole wouldn't consider themselves culturally more aligned with Germany, Austria, etc but rather with Ukraine, Lithuania, etc
My favorite description of jump scares in most horror media, is "Saying your horror movie full of jump scares is scary, is like saying my comedy sketch where I keep tickling you is hilarious."
I played this game back when mandalore released his video. Its the only time where I paused the video when someone recommended something. I pirated the game. Got hooked really quick, felt guilty towards the dev so i bought it for me and a few friends. Never played it again, but i still remember almost everything about it. And i am planning to play it on switch soon
@@Medicalguy yeah. And that's actually what made me feel more guilty, those Devs seemed like really cool dudes. Btw, did you know that the game they made after dark wood is a complete mood switch, as it's a turn based tactical soccer game. Haven't played it yet but the reviews seem to be positive
The Three killed the Trader and wrote liar on his helmet. because the whole time you been trying to find the key to the bunker's door he had the key or rather its copy. But instead of giving it to you he kept it a secret and tried to persuade you to stop going deeper into the woods attempting to save you.
CZcams recommended this video for me and i love watching long game analyses. Halfway through the video i was shocked that a video of this quality was made by a chanel with only about 900 subs! You my guy are gonna go places mark my words 👏🏼
900 sub well thats very normal youtube is at a new golden dark age of content creators where new talent and skill appears randomly basically but the odds of them becoming big channels is slim to none so just like the game stalker just another creator lost in the zone
what about subnautica where a game is a disguised horror or the player scare themselves but yeah jumpscares are always cheap and lazy design i prefer having a smart enemy AI where it toys with you instead of going for jumpscare like five nights at feddy
This is the most in depth video I’ve seen on Darkwood. You’ve literally covered everything this game had to offer and it leaves me wishing more people would make extremely long form content like this, sparing no detail. I loved every minute of this. At risk of sounding like a pansy, sometimes I just want to watch an explanation of a game I don’t want to play myself.
I often fall asleep to longform reviews like this. Waking up groggy to the game sounds with the only source of light in my room being the video and not remembering why I was, was quite the experience lol
This video is just insanely good. I haven't seen a video go over all the different choices and game play like this. Seriously man just a fantastic job! I'm super excited to see more! Also those vine booms when talking shit about the stranger were great lol.
really great video, i love these long-form playthrough analyses of games and darkwood was a fantastic pick. i'm glad youtube recommended this to me, will be keeping on eye out for more of this from you
Something about wolf man is so likable to me, he’s so easy to hate, but he’s also the only character who’s straightforward with you. you know what you’re getting into
This was excellent dude, thank you so much for the efforts, research, footage collection and putting the pieces together. I appreciated the story summary at the end, and thanks for overcoming the anxiety so I don't have to haha.
Darkwood is one of my favorite horror games. You covered the game incredibly well, with a very chill voiceover that made me stick through the whole ass three hours the day before a final lol. Congrats my guy the vid was fantastic.
i love this game so much. bought it blindly back when it came into early access on steam in 2014 and played through it many times since, so when your video was recommended, i instantly clicked. great video! you got my sub
Love the content. Thank God I got into these long video game essays/reviews or whatever you call it. It helps me from not getting too distracted while I do a bunch of random important stuff. I’m glad to add you to one of the people that I watch who makes content like this. Keep it up!
I thoroughly enjoyed your analysis especially because you incorporated the game-play sequentially. I played this years ago and because of life happenings alongside the appropriate time needed to enjoy a game like this, it ended up just sitting in my library, but always in the back of my mind. Thanks for going into each decision and outcome. Not many 'analyzers' do this, but it's clear you were invested in this game as I was when i played the beta. You kept the games atmospheric tone in this video which was great. Awesome job!
This whole video was first, very informative but also, quite entertaining. I learned some things I didn't actually know about and that's the part of Darkwood that always fascinates me. Thank you for taking the time to make this film of a video!
At 2:06:22 this seems to be the ONLY footage online of the Doctor at the Banshee camp as far as I know, thank you for this never before recorded footage. I had no idea he had a unique attack pattern and made savage noises. Well Done for archiving this rare event
Wow, there's so much content I missed out on in my first playthrough, thanks for this comprehensive breakdown, all the lore and different routes you can miss out on are really cool!
Absolute premium content. Keep at it, you have a good voice, good understanding of pacing, good writing and the tenacity to make a 3+ hour video that actually keeps my attention.
horror without jumpscares is one of the best type of horror since it doesnt have to rely in something cheap and lazy like a jumpscare, i havent finished the video but i can tell that you put a lot of effort into it, you have won a sub.
As someone who generally dislikes jumpscares, I think they can be pretty important for setting the tone of a game. If your game has no jumpscares at all, the player will figure it out and realize that the experience is all tension and no release. But if you occasionally sprinkle in a few jumpscares throughout your game, players know that something could actually jump out at you at any moment, which is the feeling horror games want to evoke. On the other hand, too many jumpscares will get the player used to them and ruin the tension.
Bro fantastic video narration was on point I was disappointed to look at your channel and not see any other deep dives like then because I wanted more! But I see now that you’re just getting started in your career and seeing how well this video did I’m very excited to see what else you have in store in the future, keep up the legendary work bro thanks for the free content
1:36:56 let's not forget that siding with the wolfman most likely leads to the death of the village by famine and death to that woman. Granted those both could be seen as merciful given the circumstances.
Really thorough! I played and beat the game back in 2019, but always felt like I didn’t see everything. This really opened my eyes! One thing you did great was letting the game speak for itself. Enjoyed the video, thank you.
I always end up quitting around the swamp area because I get tired of needing to track down my backpack. Big difficulty spike for my playstyle I guess.
This was an immensely enjoyable watch- I’ve beaten Darkwood once before when it first hit the Switch, but I had missed a lot of content in that playthrough that I didn’t even realize was there. Truly a great vid Deffy.
Holy shit utter top tier analysis my guy, subbed and thank you for posting a video so interesting I initially put it on as background to fall asleep to, only to wake up and continue off where I remembered last.
Man you're such a good creator. Your reporting on subjects is very easy to follow and I like how you stop talking to demonstrate what you're trying to show. Very well done mate. Subbed
I played through this game a few years ago and loved it. It's one of those games that wormed it's way deep into my mind, and I keep thinking about it, the world, the characters, the atmosphere. Thanks for a spectacular and thorough video!
Please make more content !!! I really enjoyed the breakdown and the narration, I am looking forward to the next project you have for us! Please keep up the amazing work, there are soooo many games that have more to it then the surface level and I cannot wait (I can lol worth the wait) for the next one you make. Thank you so much for blessing us with your beautiful mind && carefully thought out research
Great video. Darkwood is an absolute masterpiece and one of my favorite games of all time, glad to see it get some more coverage. Also regarding the trader's death, it most likely actually is the three that killed him. The word "liar" is scribbled all over their room, and presumably it's the only word they know. The word likely has no significance to the trader himself, it's just been written on the visor by compulsion by the Three.
I swear watching RagnarRox’ video on darkwood to set the mood and then directly binging into this is such a blast. You just have to skip the spoilers at the end of rox’ video and it’s really almost perfection! Thanks for the contend man. Liked and subscribed ❤
Just a quick thought, maybe I missed it but did you mention killing the bride at the wedding? I felt that was a pretty cool sequence and maybe adds a bit to tue fear. Having her die and come back at night for revenge was terrifying for me personally
Very thorough and in-depth review. At times maybe even a bit too detailed, like when you discuss some minor game mechanics or unimportant loor you can find. Maybe that could've been omitted at some points. But overall really well done and narrated. Looking forward to see more of your work.
i have always been fascinated by those kind of dark, twisted games, who dares create those kind of stories. while i cant bring myself to play them myself, thank you for playing it for us! both the game and your presentation were amazing, thank you!
I sat through the entire video like it was nothing. The amount of time you spent on this is insane, man. Truly amazing work! Can't wait for your next release!
I think endgame night survival had a bit of a drop in quality. Early nights were very creepy and well done, but later nights got a bit too hectic. And since dying at night had very little consequence, it took away a lot of the terror.
Except if you’re playing on hard you’ll lose a life. On normal there’s no consequences but the reputation from surviving the night is super valuable. I feel like at the endgame you’ve mastered being prepared to survive the night once you figure out the enemies in the swamp.
Fantastic work, dude. I wasn’t expecting you to do such a good job on this video essay considering it’s your first project! Respect. I’d love to see what you’re working on next.
You have no idea how happy I got to find this video! Darkwood is one of my favorite games of all time, and I could analyze and talk about it all day. I havent finished the video yet, but I'm already super excited to dive in. Thanks for sharing!
Awesome video man loved it! i watched the video to the end cause i saw one of my friends play it and i remember does nights you had to survive through, gave me the chilles but at the same time loved it, felt unique
Want to take a moment and thank you for taking as much time and care as you have into this as you have. It is easy to take for granted the editing, playtime, and the consideration of different players and outcomes in such an expansive game. This had to be a considerable effort. I think you've done an inceredible job for an incredible game. If you enjoy doing this, keep it up. Your considerations of NPC's and the effects on the survivor are insightful and worth praise.
I remember buying this game and playing it for 40 hours. I reached the second swamp area, did a few things there then never finished the game but it always stuck with me and over the years i kept thinking about it. This is a fantastic video and felt like closure for me, finally understanding this world. Great stuff!
Great production! You should definitely keep doing this, if you enjoy it. Good voice, good tempo, great for falling asleep too, which is best compliment :)
Deffy, my channel is dying
im so sorry for your loss
But your channel has no content 😕
@@bigmftssfkfnehe3629its quality not quantity that matters
Then make video content...
Haha nerd
Wake up, babe. A new S tier video essayist just emerged.
Thanks babe
*A new challenger has arrived!*
@@viderevero1338 it's true my italian brother
The calming morning music still brings tears to my eyes, especially after a tough night. It manages to feel calming, without ever getting rid of the tension.
Once I get to the swamp area I just assume i'm going to die on the way to my backpack. I want gumboots earlier in the game lol
I deadass have the morning music as my alarm sound on weekends
Darkwood is one of those games that deserves more attention. Kind of like a young channel making huge videos about it. Good luck, bro.
darkwood feels like original newgrounds flash game but with a big budget
honestly eastern europe game development is depressingly rare cause eastern europe is hostile towards new talent and acid wizard studio is really lucky to even release darkwood in early access and even more lucky to finish it
their next project looks like a strategy soccer game which dont make sense since the next logical move would be making a big DLC content expansion for darkwood or a sequel with more skill and resources but its their choice
@@Nogardtist I don't even know how to process strategy soccer. But I also see big budget new grounds being the perfect and most beautiful description.
@@Nogardtistsoccer kids alpha has been out for ages, it seems decently fun and different. Acid Wizard will be on hiatus for the foreseeable future (5-10 years) as they are having difficulties with creating a positive work life balance in their company. I am disappointed to some extent, but also very glad to see that they had such a breakout success with their first game and can chill for a while. I hope their next project is just as ambitious and interesting as Darkwood.
You know what scares me more about the "being", is that potentialy it's just a baby. The biggest hint being the baby we see amoungt the sleepers within the first dream sequence. It makes me wonder how diffrently this would have played out if an adult landed instead.
It definitely leaves open a lot of cool speculation. Obviously this type of being can create life or rather replicate it. All of the twisted defects that we see could definitely be the result of a disturbed infant. Maybe it's scared and wasn't supposed to end up here. This could explain why it created a fortress for itself in the Dark wood, for protection. Are there other mature versions of its kind multiplying bountiful and beautiful life elsewhere in the cosmos perhaps? Or do they all create something similar to this horror scenario? Maybe it's all a reflection of the individual being?
@@MrtototI wouldn’t dwell too deep on the lore, the fact that the being was represented as young could mean that even the creature causing everything is unaware and or just trying to survive. Implying the lovecraftian horror of not only what the creature is/going through to everything around you giving you no room to spiritually or mentally breath.
Or it knows but just doesn't care in typical cosmic horror fashion. Similar to no one caring about the insects they obliterate while driving.
It all ties nicely around, like every living being, it makes other around it suffer unimaginable pain, just to survive, mostly unaware of it, maybe it was aware at some point and saw the disturbance it created against feeling beings(humans) so it made them happy, quite literally, knowing only enough about us to think that is the right thing to do, was it wrong tho? Life is at the end of the day us just knowingly or not, wanting or not, falling into illusions of happiness because real life, nature is pure survival he'll, where everything eats everything, we build around ourselves the illusion of happiness and call it civilisation, desperately trying to get out of the forest of pain that is the reality of being a biological being. Its a genius game when you think more about it, everything represents everything, nothing works on a rules that are non existent or alien to us, yet it's all too bizarre alien and is scaring us, it's a pure hell, yet it uses just things that surround us everywhere, but by amping it up to 11 it makes us dissolutioned by our little sweet dream we created for ourselves, showing true colours of what biological reality and nature is. I suffer from chronic pain hypersensitivity andy flesh hurts always despite me being on daily morphine, there's no cure, and it's literally a choice ive been given the entire life despite trying to avoid it, choose the comfort of opioids that make of your self an empty shell, slowly loosing the grip on reality and yourself, while being defended for life, or suffer unimaginable pain and discomfort, fortunately or not i chose the painkillers, because the pain wasnt an option for me, i redused to stay in the horror of forest, of true reality amd chose the bliss, because for me it was a choice of sleeping or tsking my own life, that is the third option nobody speaks about, simply refusing the horror to continue, but there's where the perfect analogy stops for me because my meds aren't an alien beinf and I'm not stuck in the horrifying forest physically, I'm living in a world that i chose to be able to experience and meds make it accessible for me, bwdore that i.felt like i was constantly in a silent hills other world, everything unbearable suffering, constant torture, I'd rather be free from it and live only 10 years , deciding to.off myself when the supply ends, and spend mlst on my life of maintain the supply, as hard as it is for disabled person that's scared to leave home, i went trough over a year of homelesness, and this game really feels way too real, thsts whyni hate/love it so much ans was on the edge whole time, it disgusts me becsuse i can see it being just like my life, constantly on the run, fighting monsters of every day, and chasing comfort which will and did ultimately bring my demise (what's funny dying in a fire is something im afraid of the most since i was a kid due to how badly painful for me is even a hot water, to the point its hard for me to bathe, but the game is a lerfec analogy of choices i have, the forest being inescapable hell of disease i have, and the ultimate choices well you saw for yourself ) Also stellar delivery of the video, i watched depsite seeing the walkthrough again just because how well it was explaining stuff and despise i hate this game for the reasons i mentioned, hate in the sense it lingers in my head and the way it describes my situation, but this gave me slrt of closure, now understanding the ending perfectly, no matter how dire it is and how much it matches my reality,i can rest i Hope a little better)
@@Mrtotot It could be a reflection of how the being feels. if its a baby, then it likely feels scared being alone, as any child would. That fear can be reflected literally in how the forest manifests itself. If the baby felt comfort, or some other happy emotion, then its likely the forest could change it’s shape to something less horrific and y’know, life threatening.
Darkwood is a hidden gem any horror fan worth their salt should play
agreed
My horror tolerance is jquite low but I managed to watch it when markpilier did his playthrough
@@bastard-took-the-name-I-hadnot a real horror fan. :/
you should have bought and played the game yourself while also slowly dripping hot wax down the back of your shirt and sitting on a pile of thumbtacks
I never play horror games, and I have played one total,
Darkwood.
9.5/10, genuinely one of my favorite games of all time. Although it does deserve that 0.5 off for a petty, albeit valid reason.
SPOILER WALL
I find it really fucking stupid that nothing you do in the real game affects your ending, and only the epilogue does. Although it is a different scene when you leave the woods, you are never actually leaving the woods when you do this. For example, my friend and I played through this game at around the same time, he got an ending where he walked on the road with a bunch of characters that he met along the way because he burned the tree, whereas I walked alone because I accidentally took a different path. Originally, I was kind of sad about this until realizing that it doesn’t fucking matter, in fact, lore wise, his ending is actually worse. That really left a sour taste in my mouth.
Also, I may have gotten burn them all on my first play through, but my friend told me there was nothing worth looking for in the epilogue.
Awesome game.
@@dudedude6892 Are you going to try more?
I love that, at least on the resource management side, Darkwood is really good at making you feel like you need more, and that it's difficult, even though it's actually supremely generous with the supplies you get.
Imo it does a poor job in exact this aspect. Since i got to silent Woods base i always had too much of everything. Workbench full since the beginning. Now im at old forest base, have no urge to Explore anything and got frustrated of dying to All the monsters in the big dog house
Not really resource management is quite easy and I’m bad at these type of games.
I found that concerning too especially since the trader always shows up and gives 150 rep when you survive the night. Resources such as fuel, tape, nails, planks, scrap, rags, strange mushroom, and etc are relatively cheap. The game claims to not hold your hand but there is no real consequence for mistakes. Hell when you die you can get your stuff back. I’m only 16 days in though not sure if there is some invisible timer counting down your demise.
@@ownage11445play on nightmare then
Yes. You get tons of staff to survive.
I think it's interesting how for the most part trusting the wolf seems like the far easier path. It makes me think they were trying to get across the feeling that “the devil you know is often better than the one you don't” I mean he's literally a wolf so you know immediately that he's not a great guy but at least you're aware of that from the beginning.
Also wanted to mention that I laughed out loud when you found that gasoline after being swarmed lol “Holy gasoline!” so great
This video was great and I genuinely enjoyed it. I hope you continue making videos!
The Wolf is an interesting one. He's very straightforward with you, he pushes you, challenges you. Others want you to stay put, to be careful and not stray. But he sets his terms, he sets his challenge, and he holds up his bargain if you do your part. An honest beast.
Nah, it's just the honest option if you're even vaguely familiar with how modern systems work.
The evil path is always the easiest and most rewarding. No one ever became a billionaire being a good person.
Being good takes real work and is the hardest path in life. It's NOTHING like video games paint it - as though it is simply the 'default' path. Completely untrue.
Being a good person requires suffering and sacrifice. Being evil requires others to suffer and sacrifice for you. Of course it is the easier option.
@@josephmatthews7698you're nihilism is the exact reason why such systems exist in the first place
I'm way too bad with horror to actually play the games myself, so I'm really thankful to people like you who give me a chance to appreciate the genre.
I am a huge fan of long-form content, especially video essays. This was an immensely enjoyable listen, and you accompanied me through cooking dinner today. I really enjoyed this, and if you plan on making more content like this, I will be here to watch your future videos. Your channel is an absolute gem, and I wish you the best as you continue to grow.
For a Topdown 2D game, Darkwood managed to build up a lot more tension than most 3D horror i played, when I was sitting in a hut at night and something was trying to get into the barricaded door.
I think it might be my favorite horror game
I think the perspective is in it's favor In a weird way as with 3d first person games you can say we're more used to that since we see in 'first person' irl. But maybe I'm talking out of my ass.
@joshuagraham1800
Because its budget was low, it would probably look pretty terrible if it was in first person, like most indie horrors. With the top down perspective they're able to escape the difficulties of creating a good looking art style for a 3d environment.
Basically, since it's in 2d, they're able to combine smooth animations, camera shake, sound design and art style to make the game look and feel very professional. You almost forget it's an indie game at all while playing, imo. To make something look good in a 3d game, you either need to commit to a certain indie aesthetic, or you need Capcom's budget.
There's always exceptions and inbetweens, but that's my assessment. The bird's-eye view elevates the game.
@@viktorthevictor6240 huh? What?
I’ve gotten into a lot of Eastern European games recently. STALKER Shadow of Chernobyl, Pathologic and METRO series, but the one that started it all for me was Darkwood. It’s such a brilliant game. Phenomenal atmosphere, creepily curious characters, player consequence, level design, art style, etc. all culminates into one of the best horror games I have ever experienced.
isnt this game made by Polish devs, thats not in Eastern Europe
Stalker and metro mentioned hell yeah
@@naxergss2625 Poland is actually eastern Europe! It’s a bit of a more complex term than a first glance would show, but generally Germany, Austria and Italy are considered the border.
@@realdaggerman105 no its not
@@naxergss2625 Poland is geographically a Central European country but shares much of its culture, language, history, etc with Eastern Europe, as Poles are slavic, which are an Eastern European ethnic group. So while yes you're correct, the average Pole wouldn't consider themselves culturally more aligned with Germany, Austria, etc but rather with Ukraine, Lithuania, etc
My favorite description of jump scares in most horror media, is "Saying your horror movie full of jump scares is scary, is like saying my comedy sketch where I keep tickling you is hilarious."
I played this game back when mandalore released his video. Its the only time where I paused the video when someone recommended something. I pirated the game. Got hooked really quick, felt guilty towards the dev so i bought it for me and a few friends. Never played it again, but i still remember almost everything about it. And i am planning to play it on switch soon
The best part about this game is that you can pirate it guilt-free because the developers themselves put an older version of the game on pirate Bay
@@Medicalguy yeah. And that's actually what made me feel more guilty, those Devs seemed like really cool dudes. Btw, did you know that the game they made after dark wood is a complete mood switch, as it's a turn based tactical soccer game. Haven't played it yet but the reviews seem to be positive
good on you! I feel like most devs these days deserve to have their game pirated lol. But this game is certainly an exception :)
I got it on sale, so I'm guilt free 😅
The Three killed the Trader and wrote liar on his helmet. because the whole time you been trying to find the key to the bunker's door he had the key or rather its copy. But instead of giving it to you he kept it a secret and tried to persuade you to stop going deeper into the woods attempting to save you.
I saw this comment preview and has to search so far for it. Thanks for that nugget.
Ah, good catch!
CZcams recommended this video for me and i love watching long game analyses. Halfway through the video i was shocked that a video of this quality was made by a chanel with only about 900 subs! You my guy are gonna go places mark my words 👏🏼
lmfao gay
900 sub well thats very normal
youtube is at a new golden dark age of content creators where new talent and skill appears randomly basically
but the odds of them becoming big channels is slim to none so just like the game stalker just another creator lost in the zone
1k subs in 5 days
He had 900 12 days ago... omg
@@Hugo_Tatebitch, please. Pot calling the kettle black. You watching anime calling someone else gay
jumpscares in modern horror are one trick ponies, once you've seen them they never scare you again
what about subnautica where a game is a disguised horror
or the player scare themselves but yeah jumpscares are always cheap and lazy design
i prefer having a smart enemy AI where it toys with you instead of going for jumpscare like five nights at feddy
This is the most in depth video I’ve seen on Darkwood. You’ve literally covered everything this game had to offer and it leaves me wishing more people would make extremely long form content like this, sparing no detail. I loved every minute of this. At risk of sounding like a pansy, sometimes I just want to watch an explanation of a game I don’t want to play myself.
I often fall asleep to longform reviews like this. Waking up groggy to the game sounds with the only source of light in my room being the video and not remembering why I was, was quite the experience lol
This video is just insanely good. I haven't seen a video go over all the different choices and game play like this. Seriously man just a fantastic job! I'm super excited to see more! Also those vine booms when talking shit about the stranger were great lol.
Darkwood is a masterpiece and so is this video nice work man!!!
yeah darkwood is probably top 5 games for me its so good
@@de_ffy Good video. If you liked this game, I can also recommend Signalis.
Would also like to hear your take on it.
really great video, i love these long-form playthrough analyses of games and darkwood was a fantastic pick. i'm glad youtube recommended this to me, will be keeping on eye out for more of this from you
Something about wolf man is so likable to me, he’s so easy to hate, but he’s also the only character who’s straightforward with you. you know what you’re getting into
I can't wait for this to blow up, this is quality
This was excellent dude, thank you so much for the efforts, research, footage collection and putting the pieces together. I appreciated the story summary at the end, and thanks for overcoming the anxiety so I don't have to haha.
Darkwood is one of my favorite horror games. You covered the game incredibly well, with a very chill voiceover that made me stick through the whole ass three hours the day before a final lol. Congrats my guy the vid was fantastic.
I need more essays in this format. You basically walked us through the game and I love it.
Love the way you covered this/the approach you took, nice Jerma, thanks !
i love this game so much. bought it blindly back when it came into early access on steam in 2014 and played through it many times since, so when your video was recommended, i instantly clicked.
great video! you got my sub
great analysis & video, i can see the passion you have for the game in how you crafted this video, keep it up dude.
Oh man i watched your darkwood video a while ago as well. This means a lot!
Finally getting to come back & watch- was SO excited the other day to see a new Darkwood video drop from a new face! Thank you for making this ❤️
Love the content. Thank God I got into these long video game essays/reviews or whatever you call it. It helps me from not getting too distracted while I do a bunch of random important stuff. I’m glad to add you to one of the people that I watch who makes content like this. Keep it up!
I love long form content! It’s so nice to not have to constantly look for the next thing to watch on a similar subject.
Every time one of these analysis videos pop up about Darkwood; I watch every single one.
I love this game and it's atmosphere, horror done perfectly.
it's not scary at all
@@keepitsecret-dl1pr who?
I thoroughly enjoyed your analysis especially because you incorporated the game-play sequentially. I played this years ago and because of life happenings alongside the appropriate time needed to enjoy a game like this, it ended up just sitting in my library, but always in the back of my mind. Thanks for going into each decision and outcome. Not many 'analyzers' do this, but it's clear you were invested in this game as I was when i played the beta. You kept the games atmospheric tone in this video which was great. Awesome job!
This is one of the most complete and comprehensive videos on Darkwood ever. Great work man!
This whole video was first, very informative but also, quite entertaining. I learned some things I didn't actually know about and that's the part of Darkwood that always fascinates me. Thank you for taking the time to make this film of a video!
You got my sub. Your input and approach to this is fantastic. Keep this up. I highly suggest you cover fear and hunger too
If he could cover fear and hunger 2 as well hed be one of the first to do a full scale video on it
At 2:06:22 this seems to be the ONLY footage online of the Doctor at the Banshee camp as far as I know, thank you for this never before recorded footage. I had no idea he had a unique attack pattern and made savage noises. Well Done for archiving this rare event
Wow, there's so much content I missed out on in my first playthrough, thanks for this comprehensive breakdown, all the lore and different routes you can miss out on are really cool!
Absolute premium content. Keep at it, you have a good voice, good understanding of pacing, good writing and the tenacity to make a 3+ hour video that actually keeps my attention.
You gonna love fear and hunger
Fok that
you have a promising future in documentaries about games, good clear diction, able to break down the story.. good structure.
This is such a amazing video, one of the best review/playthrough/essay/lore explanation on CZcams
Love these super long format video essays. Really smart and entertaining. Keep them coming plz
horror without jumpscares is one of the best type of horror since it doesnt have to rely in something cheap and lazy like a jumpscare, i havent finished the video but i can tell that you put a lot of effort into it, you have won a sub.
As someone who generally dislikes jumpscares, I think they can be pretty important for setting the tone of a game. If your game has no jumpscares at all, the player will figure it out and realize that the experience is all tension and no release. But if you occasionally sprinkle in a few jumpscares throughout your game, players know that something could actually jump out at you at any moment, which is the feeling horror games want to evoke. On the other hand, too many jumpscares will get the player used to them and ruin the tension.
Amazing work from such a small channel. Excited to see your progress. Plus one subscriber.
Bro fantastic video narration was on point I was disappointed to look at your channel and not see any other deep dives like then because I wanted more! But I see now that you’re just getting started in your career and seeing how well this video did I’m very excited to see what else you have in store in the future, keep up the legendary work bro thanks for the free content
Been waiting literal years for someone to make a long form video on this game thank you ❤
1:36:56 let's not forget that siding with the wolfman most likely leads to the death of the village by famine and death to that woman. Granted those both could be seen as merciful given the circumstances.
Really thorough! I played and beat the game back in 2019, but always felt like I didn’t see everything. This really opened my eyes! One thing you did great was letting the game speak for itself. Enjoyed the video, thank you.
I always end up quitting around the swamp area because I get tired of needing to track down my backpack. Big difficulty spike for my playstyle I guess.
This was an immensely enjoyable watch- I’ve beaten Darkwood once before when it first hit the Switch, but I had missed a lot of content in that playthrough that I didn’t even realize was there. Truly a great vid Deffy.
Holy shit utter top tier analysis my guy, subbed and thank you for posting a video so interesting I initially put it on as background to fall asleep to, only to wake up and continue off where I remembered last.
Man you're such a good creator. Your reporting on subjects is very easy to follow and I like how you stop talking to demonstrate what you're trying to show. Very well done mate. Subbed
on gloop I was surprised when I saw this man only had 250 subs, this is some good shit
I played through this game a few years ago and loved it. It's one of those games that wormed it's way deep into my mind, and I keep thinking about it, the world, the characters, the atmosphere.
Thanks for a spectacular and thorough video!
I love the costume
great video, liked and subbed. would love to see more stuff like this. 😎
Please make more content !!! I really enjoyed the breakdown and the narration, I am looking forward to the next project you have for us! Please keep up the amazing work, there are soooo many games that have more to it then the surface level and I cannot wait (I can lol worth the wait) for the next one you make. Thank you so much for blessing us with your beautiful mind && carefully thought out research
"Darkwood is a Masterpice"
And what a masterful edit you've done of this wonderful game. It was a delight, from start to finish.
Liked and subbed
Criminal that you don’t have more subs to be honest. Keep up the solid work dude
commenting for the algorithm, stay strong brother
Watched this over the week and enjoyed it thoroughly, thank you Deffy.
a great video and a good format. Longform content like this is very interesting.
I will look forward to your next release.
i feel like this video tastes like chiken sandwich keep up the good content!
pyrocynical malding rn
You really opened my eyes up to this game, Deffy. If not for this video I would never have given it another go.
Gotta be one of the most in depth looks of the game that lives rent free in my head at all times. Good work man!
Great video. Darkwood is an absolute masterpiece and one of my favorite games of all time, glad to see it get some more coverage.
Also regarding the trader's death, it most likely actually is the three that killed him. The word "liar" is scribbled all over their room, and presumably it's the only word they know. The word likely has no significance to the trader himself, it's just been written on the visor by compulsion by the Three.
I was scared even while watching😅😅😅
I swear watching RagnarRox’ video on darkwood to set the mood and then directly binging into this is such a blast. You just have to skip the spoilers at the end of rox’ video and it’s really almost perfection!
Thanks for the contend man. Liked and subscribed ❤
Just a quick thought, maybe I missed it but did you mention killing the bride at the wedding? I felt that was a pretty cool sequence and maybe adds a bit to tue fear. Having her die and come back at night for revenge was terrifying for me personally
yeah it starts around 1:45:20
Very thorough and in-depth review.
At times maybe even a bit too detailed, like when you discuss some minor game mechanics or unimportant loor you can find.
Maybe that could've been omitted at some points. But overall really well done and narrated.
Looking forward to see more of your work.
i have always been fascinated by those kind of dark, twisted games, who dares create those kind of stories. while i cant bring myself to play them myself, thank you for playing it for us! both the game and your presentation were amazing, thank you!
I sat through the entire video like it was nothing.
The amount of time you spent on this is insane, man. Truly amazing work! Can't wait for your next release!
Give this mf more subs omg
Well this just randomly plopped into my recommendations, so it looks like they're trying
I think endgame night survival had a bit of a drop in quality. Early nights were very creepy and well done, but later nights got a bit too hectic. And since dying at night had very little consequence, it took away a lot of the terror.
Except if you’re playing on hard you’ll lose a life.
On normal there’s no consequences but the reputation from surviving the night is super valuable. I feel like at the endgame you’ve mastered being prepared to survive the night once you figure out the enemies in the swamp.
Fantastic work, dude. I wasn’t expecting you to do such a good job on this video essay considering it’s your first project! Respect. I’d love to see what you’re working on next.
Such a nice watch as I was on a long car-ride, its exactly what I wanted! Explaining what was going on was perfect during the long winding roads! :D
SUBSCRIBE TO THIS GUY
I've been craving a Darkwood video like this. Great stuff!!
This lets play essay format needs to go viral. Well done sir.
Absolutely loved this take, we will watch your career with great interest
An amazing video essay!
You've done a great job, one can easily see that you invested a lot of time in making this video.
We, the viewers, thank you!
I have been looking for someone to cover this game in deoth like this. You rock!
love watching this video while im working. and love how you edit the video. I even get teriffied while working before the background sound.
You have no idea how happy I got to find this video! Darkwood is one of my favorite games of all time, and I could analyze and talk about it all day. I havent finished the video yet, but I'm already super excited to dive in. Thanks for sharing!
This video is so good I'm on me second or third rewatch. Very well done!
Such a great video man! Thank you for making this! Kept me solidly entertained the whole night here :3
Awesome video man loved it! i watched the video to the end cause i saw one of my friends play it and i remember does nights you had to survive through, gave me the chilles but at the same time loved it, felt unique
This definitely deserves a Sub. Please continue with long essays like this!
Solid video through on through, the adrupt ending to the video is a cherry on top.
God, that whole night sequence after you set the "tree" on fire was so incredibly intense.
15 minutes into this video and you have me at the edge of my seat. I'm definitely subscribing! Can't wait to see more work from you in the future!
Want to take a moment and thank you for taking as much time and care as you have into this as you have. It is easy to take for granted the editing, playtime, and the consideration of different players and outcomes in such an expansive game. This had to be a considerable effort. I think you've done an inceredible job for an incredible game. If you enjoy doing this, keep it up. Your considerations of NPC's and the effects on the survivor are insightful and worth praise.
Great stuff man! For a first video of this length im impressed! Keep it up, i look forward to seeing what you put out.
you just earned yourself a subscriber, love these kinds of deepdives
Incredible video! So glad I saw this! Looking forward to your future videos!
Man this is a great video, really well done job with the whole story and gameplay elements, and some memes sprinkled in there.
I remember buying this game and playing it for 40 hours. I reached the second swamp area, did a few things there then never finished the game but it always stuck with me and over the years i kept thinking about it. This is a fantastic video and felt like closure for me, finally understanding this world. Great stuff!
Great production! You should definitely keep doing this, if you enjoy it. Good voice, good tempo, great for falling asleep too, which is best compliment :)