Extremely entertaining and informative miniseries. I've always felt weirdly creeped out by early 3D games and I think this is the most thoughtful and in-depth explanation possible. Instantly subscribed, keep up the good work man. (sorry for my awkward English)
Thanks a lot bro. And you have zero reason to worry, your English is great. Wouldn't have assumed you weren't a native speaker if it wasn't for that last line lol
A really interesting video on a subject that I love to discuss with one of my friend, glad to see we're not the only one who interested in why the early 3D games got this eerie and mysterious feel. But I kind of want to give my own personnal reflection and experience on the subject, so here we go (and sorry about the crappy english, not my native language and it's a bit late...) Using limitation was something that help creativity in a lot of way. You mentionned the fog in Silent Hill, but one of my favorite is the Loading Door on Resident Evil. I wonder if Clock Tower used it as an inspiration. I alway's consider that Mario in M64 travel from different pocket dimension that are stock inside the painting, and the castle is actually also is own dimension, who can only be enter by using pipe. So, I never really though about "Where is Mario". He's just inside a magic dimension inside a painting due to magical shenanigan made by Bowser. It may be one of the reason why I never really find the game unerving or even a bit weird. It was logic inside my mind. But there is one game that made me feel a lot about what you describe in here, and it's actually not a 3D game, but Yume Nikki, a RPG Maker game. Long, looping area, place with eerie music, uncanny and weird NPC, and the feeling that the game is telling us something that we can't really grasp. And then, you go to the mall rooftop, and there is a cat, a calm music, and the background is a compressed JPG pic of a city who make you feel like there is a whole universe outside. But you're trapped here, and have to go back into the dream, or nightmare. You're stuck in it. Into the limitation of a game where all you have to do is walk and search in seemingly infinity looping area, with the hope to finally find the item you're missing. A Virtual Nightmare. Or a Virtual Hell. And there the OOB/Break the boundary on Trackmania, but let's be serious, everyone already done it.
Yes, I completely agree on the RE door, that actually would have been a very good example during the Clock Tower portion and I'm surprised I didn't think of that. And thanks man. I remember talking with another guy about M64 in a different vid and I agree. I'll say again, I do somewhat exaggerate with M64 in the vid. At it's very worst like with the Eel I consider it creepy, but for the most part I'd say it's more haunting than anything else. As in, mildly surreal with odd undertones rather than straight up unnerving. And I always figured it was portals as well, though I do find it interesting how the later Mario games are contextualized their worlds. Like in Sunshine it's different locales on an island, in Galaxy it's different Galaxies (go figure) and Odyssey is different Kingdom's around the world. At the very least I think the idea of having what is essentially a giant fun house as the hub world interesting, and one I haven't really fully seen replicated outside of Banjo 64 (but even it was a bit more coherent). Haha, Yume Nikki, there's a game I haven't heard about in a long time. I never played it but I've seen it covered and I def know what you mean. In all honestly you could do an entire video dedicated to "pixelated horror" if you wanted to. LSD and OK/Normal are probably the closest equivalent to it in regards to 3D games that I've played.
I commented on part 2, just wanted to say massive props again because you clearly put a tremendous amount of effort into these videos and it's really paid off! I relate to everything you talk about in such an ethereal way, can't wait to see some more of the content you might be putting out in future
Just wanted to says so much again haha. I really tried my best with these videos and I'm really happy you are able to appreciate that. Means a lot to me Joe.
To my mind, one of the most unsettling pre-rendered games is GARAGE: Bad Dream Adventure. It’s an extremely obscure Japanese horror game that initially only had 3k copies produced, but it’s finally getting a remake and translation.
Aight, I'll check out this weird, underground horror game, even though this sounds like the beginning of a creepy pasta and I'll probably have a virtual Japanese ghost haunting my computer by the time I'm done.
I was born during the time when 3D characters already looked good. I wonder if the concept of uncanny valley existed back then. I would like to know that from the perspective of the devs. How did they create pokeys and andross and not find them scary, especially for kids? How did they not understand that stiff motions of 3D characters are unsettling? Also worth mentioning, I experienced the early 2000s when the 3D scene was obsessed with aliens and terrible fonts (take a look at GPU demos and music videos), and electronics just had weird designs and tried so hard as to look futuristic. Most were either dark blue, silver, or transparent. Perhaps you should make a video about early 2000s aesthetics.
I think ive never commented of CZcams before but this content is really worth it. This vids are amazing, really enjoyed them, good editing, Nice voice. Just all around great. I really really hope You keep making vids for long time. Love Ur stuff bro
This is such a great three-part series I've actually watched it a handful of times I'd love for you to definitely do another piece like this sometime in the future
Thanks, man. I'm glad you've gotten enough enjoyment from this series for repeat viewings. I do have a similar idea for a vid that I may tackle in the future, but I never make promises anymore.
Pretty damn good series man. this video deserves way more traction! Pretty much inspired me to play a bunch more games from that era and go check out the game crypt worlds too, might be up your alley for dream emulator type stuff, prolly my fave retro indie game along with lost in vivo
The rabbit hole goes deep indeed. I can't tell you how many games I've played since I made these vids that I realized would have been perfect material for them.
Another great video! Looking forward to more of your work. A lot of the things you talked about here in this series reminded me of Cry of Fear, a free horror game on Steam. The bizarre dream like sections, the feeling of isolation, the strange, puppet like character models, it's all there. I actually really liked it. It has multiple endings and special items to unlock. My only issues with it was the limited inventory space, some audio and lighting bugs and the enemies have huge attack range. It came out in 2013 and was made by a small team. I recommend it to anyone who is a fan of older horror games. store.steampowered.com/app/223710/Cry_of_Fear/
Thanks again man! Cry of Fear looks cool. For a second I was really impressed with how well it captured that early 00's FPS look, then I learned it was a Half Life mod and it all made sense haha. It's always funny how FPS characters and NPCs can instantly do a 180 on axis with like zero transition frames. More virtual puppetry. Would call it creepy but it's honestly just kinda goofy haha.
@@Ryan-Petre Yeah Cry of Fear looks older than it is but I think that makes it creepier. I think that even though it's a Half-Life mod it can be played without owning Half-Life. FPS characters look even funnier when mouse sensitivity is turned all the way up and then they look around!
I honestly wouldn't mind if you went on for another half hour about the dreamlike aspects of these games, you have such a way with words
Thanks a lot man, I'm really glad you enjoyed that section of the video. And I may return to that or similar subject matter in the future, who knows.
@@Ryan-Petre if you ever hit 100k, which you should, You should give all three episodes of this video a remake!
This was a really good and interesting topic to watch
Extremely entertaining and informative miniseries. I've always felt weirdly creeped out by early 3D games and I think this is the most thoughtful and in-depth explanation possible. Instantly subscribed, keep up the good work man. (sorry for my awkward English)
Thanks a lot bro. And you have zero reason to worry, your English is great. Wouldn't have assumed you weren't a native speaker if it wasn't for that last line lol
A really interesting video on a subject that I love to discuss with one of my friend, glad to see we're not the only one who interested in why the early 3D games got this eerie and mysterious feel.
But I kind of want to give my own personnal reflection and experience on the subject, so here we go (and sorry about the crappy english, not my native language and it's a bit late...)
Using limitation was something that help creativity in a lot of way. You mentionned the fog in Silent Hill, but one of my favorite is the Loading Door on Resident Evil. I wonder if Clock Tower used it as an inspiration.
I alway's consider that Mario in M64 travel from different pocket dimension that are stock inside the painting, and the castle is actually also is own dimension, who can only be enter by using pipe. So, I never really though about "Where is Mario". He's just inside a magic dimension inside a painting due to magical shenanigan made by Bowser. It may be one of the reason why I never really find the game unerving or even a bit weird. It was logic inside my mind.
But there is one game that made me feel a lot about what you describe in here, and it's actually not a 3D game, but Yume Nikki, a RPG Maker game. Long, looping area, place with eerie music, uncanny and weird NPC, and the feeling that the game is telling us something that we can't really grasp. And then, you go to the mall rooftop, and there is a cat, a calm music, and the background is a compressed JPG pic of a city who make you feel like there is a whole universe outside. But you're trapped here, and have to go back into the dream, or nightmare. You're stuck in it. Into the limitation of a game where all you have to do is walk and search in seemingly infinity looping area, with the hope to finally find the item you're missing. A Virtual Nightmare. Or a Virtual Hell.
And there the OOB/Break the boundary on Trackmania, but let's be serious, everyone already done it.
Yes, I completely agree on the RE door, that actually would have been a very good example during the Clock Tower portion and I'm surprised I didn't think of that. And thanks man.
I remember talking with another guy about M64 in a different vid and I agree. I'll say again, I do somewhat exaggerate with M64 in the vid. At it's very worst like with the Eel I consider it creepy, but for the most part I'd say it's more haunting than anything else. As in, mildly surreal with odd undertones rather than straight up unnerving. And I always figured it was portals as well, though I do find it interesting how the later Mario games are contextualized their worlds. Like in Sunshine it's different locales on an island, in Galaxy it's different Galaxies (go figure) and Odyssey is different Kingdom's around the world. At the very least I think the idea of having what is essentially a giant fun house as the hub world interesting, and one I haven't really fully seen replicated outside of Banjo 64 (but even it was a bit more coherent).
Haha, Yume Nikki, there's a game I haven't heard about in a long time. I never played it but I've seen it covered and I def know what you mean. In all honestly you could do an entire video dedicated to "pixelated horror" if you wanted to. LSD and OK/Normal are probably the closest equivalent to it in regards to 3D games that I've played.
I commented on part 2, just wanted to say massive props again because you clearly put a tremendous amount of effort into these videos and it's really paid off! I relate to everything you talk about in such an ethereal way, can't wait to see some more of the content you might be putting out in future
Just wanted to says so much again haha. I really tried my best with these videos and I'm really happy you are able to appreciate that. Means a lot to me Joe.
That DK water scene brought back memories i forgot i had. Another banger video!
I watched the whole series in one sitting and it was amazing. Thank you for making this!
Thanks! It ain't much, but I'm happy a small group of people like you have found value in it.
To my mind, one of the most unsettling pre-rendered games is GARAGE: Bad Dream Adventure. It’s an extremely obscure Japanese horror game that initially only had 3k copies produced, but it’s finally getting a remake and translation.
Aight, I'll check out this weird, underground horror game, even though this sounds like the beginning of a creepy pasta and I'll probably have a virtual Japanese ghost haunting my computer by the time I'm done.
I might have found a new obsession
I was born during the time when 3D characters already looked good. I wonder if the concept of uncanny valley existed back then. I would like to know that from the perspective of the devs. How did they create pokeys and andross and not find them scary, especially for kids? How did they not understand that stiff motions of 3D characters are unsettling?
Also worth mentioning, I experienced the early 2000s when the 3D scene was obsessed with aliens and terrible fonts (take a look at GPU demos and music videos), and electronics just had weird designs and tried so hard as to look futuristic. Most were either dark blue, silver, or transparent. Perhaps you should make a video about early 2000s aesthetics.
cool vid, made me aware of some early 3d games i didn't know existed
Thanks man. Didn't talk about quality, but Clock Tower's actually really good. D, despite all the shit I gave it, is pretty neat as well.
I think ive never commented of CZcams before but this content is really worth it. This vids are amazing, really enjoyed them, good editing, Nice voice. Just all around great. I really really hope You keep making vids for long time. Love Ur stuff bro
Thank you for the kind words my friend.
This is such a great three-part series I've actually watched it a handful of times I'd love for you to definitely do another piece like this sometime in the future
Thanks, man. I'm glad you've gotten enough enjoyment from this series for repeat viewings. I do have a similar idea for a vid that I may tackle in the future, but I never make promises anymore.
Very compelling series.
Thank you!
Great series thank you so much!
No, thank YOU!
This is amazing, I hope you do more like this. Wish I could subscribe twice
Thanks bruv, hope my future stuff doesn't disappoint.
Pretty damn good series man. this video deserves way more traction!
Pretty much inspired me to play a bunch more games from that era
and go check out the game crypt worlds too, might be up your alley for dream emulator type stuff, prolly my fave retro indie game along with lost in vivo
Thanks dude, I'll check it out!
such great content
Thanks man!
The first Tenchu game had this feeling as well. Even the sequels did.
The rabbit hole goes deep indeed. I can't tell you how many games I've played since I made these vids that I realized would have been perfect material for them.
I think they meant to call that "PCP Dream Emulator" not "LSD" because that is nothing like LSD and a whole lot like PCP
Wow
Another great video! Looking forward to more of your work.
A lot of the things you talked about here in this series reminded me of Cry of Fear, a free horror game on Steam. The bizarre dream like sections, the feeling of isolation, the strange, puppet like character models, it's all there. I actually really liked it. It has multiple endings and special items to unlock. My only issues with it was the limited inventory space, some audio and lighting bugs and the enemies have huge attack range. It came out in 2013 and was made by a small team. I recommend it to anyone who is a fan of older horror games.
store.steampowered.com/app/223710/Cry_of_Fear/
Thanks again man! Cry of Fear looks cool. For a second I was really impressed with how well it captured that early 00's FPS look, then I learned it was a Half Life mod and it all made sense haha. It's always funny how FPS characters and NPCs can instantly do a 180 on axis with like zero transition frames. More virtual puppetry. Would call it creepy but it's honestly just kinda goofy haha.
@@Ryan-Petre Yeah Cry of Fear looks older than it is but I think that makes it creepier. I think that even though it's a Half-Life mod it can be played without owning Half-Life.
FPS characters look even funnier when mouse sensitivity is turned all the way up and then they look around!
What's the backround song around 0:45?
Ghost Attack from Majora's Mask 👍
@@Ryan-Petre ok thanks
Learn how to level out the audio. Your voice is too quiet and the rest of the audio is too loud.