The Most Insane & Violent Video Game Ever Made
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- čas přidán 22. 12. 2023
- Harvester ranks amongst the darkest, most obscure, and shocking video games ever made. Harvester has been a banned video game in countless countries because of its unbelievable content. It might even have Ethan Ralph in it...
Harvester was released in 1996 for PC by DigiFX Interactive. It sought out to be a shocking and horrifying point-and-click game ever made, and it met that expectation with flying colours. It sold so poorly that it caused its company to go under just a year later, but its small and cult-like following has kept this game alive ever since. But why is that? Is this game just shockjock drivel? Or is there perhaps more...?
My name is Peter, and I cover strange and interesting video games every single week. Join me in my journey to talk you ear off about every single one
#harvester #retrospective
Thanks for watching!
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Bumper theme: • Adult Swim Bump - Skyl...
Outro theme: • Pokemon Platinum GTS T...
►Music used:
Deliverance - Manhunt
Menace - Harvester
Mom 'N Pop - Harvester
Toccata and Fugue in D minor
Sad Song - Mario RPG
Morning 1 - Harvester
Hotel - Harvester
Ternary Games - 999
Threed, Zombie Central - Earthbound
Austin, Atlantis - Homestuck
Dark Water - Yume Nikki
Locker Room - Zero Time Dilemma
Sigma 1st - Mega Man x5
Dragonspiral Tower - Pokemon Black/White
Quiet Water - Undertale
Salem - Drawn to Life The Next Chapter
The Docks - Yume Nikki
Disaster - Final Fantasy VI
Mustn't Panic - Mario Party 3
Depths Ocean Floor -Yume 2kki
Distortion World - Pokemon Platinum
Mystery - Harvester
Ballroom - Harvester
Mother - Harvester
Riddle and Puzzle 2nd mix - Zero Time Dilemma
Final Battle - Mario and Luigi Partners in Time
Chaos Origin - SMT IV
Law Origin - SMT IV
Graffiti City Clothes Shop - Yume 2kki
GTS Theme - Pokemon Platinum - Hry
Funny thing that happened recently: So, the creator recently celebrated the anniversary of this game by releasing the script for this game. I talked to them live and told them my sisters and I grew up playing this game (our parents were horror fanatics, so they were always with us, educating us wrong from right and so we knew that it was just fun and games so we were ok with gore and violence and stuff) and the creator just absolutely flipped their sh*t and was like "OMG I had no clue children were playing my game. Definitely was not my target audience. WTF is wrong with your parents?!" and I explained we wound up great citizens, just we loved horror and this game honestly is a beloved part of our life and they just laughed out loud.
Did you ask him how many drugs he was on when he created this heathen idolatry? 🤨
@@scottl.1568shut up
No really thats actually borderline
Yeah your parents are fucked 😂
You know you got arrested for child porn recently in the mugshot he's wearing almost the exact same plaid shirt I could not believe it 😂
I got my wisdom teeth removed like 6(?) Or so years ago and i decided a good use of my time would be walking a walkthrough of harvester while recovering. On Vicodin. It was a time.
That is horrifying
Sounds great
I did this but ACL surgery back to back wisdom teeth and played Fallout 3 very sauced
Sounds like a trip.
I have all my wisdom teeth. But used that ingredient to play spiderman 2 on o.g. xbox after a tonsillectomy.
You were always a kidder steve
He also was always a diddler too.
The scariest thing in the video was hearing Ethan Ralph's voice lmao
the instant I saw the Gunt in the thumbnail I had to click
Add me to the "saw bog hog, clicked play" pile, Harvester videos are becoming common but sometimes a good thumbnail sets you apart from the pack.
Only reason I clicked was for the gunt
Bro same lmfao
It's the main reason I clicked the video lol
This is what Night Trap looked like to suburban moms
I feel like the creators of this game based it off that controversy
lol
Night trap is nothing but suburban mom's
@@tomcruiiseship9461They did, considering the endings.
I remember seeing this game be mentioned in a WatchMojo Top 10 List and immediately being drawn by that one scene where a bug crawls out of a baby's eye.
The name Watch Mojo disgust me in a primitive, fundamental level.
@@feliperisseto9113OOO OOO HAA HAA
OO OO AA AA
@@Literally_Gutshot wheels gorilla thing
watchmojo sucks
What? No!
They were so good
10 or 11 years ago.
"Based in the scariest place in all of Texas, Dallas." Damn, I was hoping for it to be Waco, Texas.
Damn, that is a tough competition.
Dallas isn't as scary as any border town where the cartels operate with impunity.
Ahh...oof
Yall MF'ers never visited El Paso...
My friend Steve W. Is the Native/ Indian Character. And his brother Chad helped create the game/ lead programmer. 🤟🏻
my uncle works at nintendo
@@jocqueskailhokke6682 my dad works at Ubisoft.
My Aunt works for Magnavox.
@@Pocketrocket-pj1usmy dad owns Xbox
@@R33fth3b33f my grandma works at Atari.
Joel (Vargskelethor/Vinesauce) playing this will always be one of my favorite streams EVER
Joel's streams of this game are solid gold lmao
I watch them at least twice a year because I keep coming back to his reactions to the absolute fucked up world
God I love that stream, not as much as I love MEAT though
Loved those streams haha
Him and Alchestbreach are my favorite playthroughs of this game.
I clicked on this expecting a 20 min video on a game I haven’t heard discussed in years, and instead I get a 2 hour masterpiece.
fucking fantastic work!
On par with Crowmudgeon’s myhouse doom mod video
Lol u can't see the video length in the bottom right corner?
1:32:00 *Shows where the key was, uncensored*
"Yeah I had to censor that for youtube, was too detailed"
Overall, hella good time I had, exploring that wild game with you!
BAHAHAHA I was going to comment on that too!!
I was expecting youtube to get up in arms with that part but they didn't and I forgor to edit that out lol
Kane Pixels fans are gonna love this little factoid. The Seargeant-At-Arms is played by none other than artist Kevin Obregon. The man who sculpted The Rolling Giant.
yoooo
No way!! Thats so awesome.
The really funny part about Loomis getting beaten with a newspaper is that it's the one scene that tries to censor the violence with a cutaway even though there's basically nothing.
EDIT: One of the most frustrating parts of Harvester is that you can't kill Hank.
The "Gein Memorial" bake sale banner literally has a face mask drawn on it whimsically....hilarious!
"...Natural causes... You can't live without a spinal cord, son."
Not sure if it was mentioned in the video (its possible i missed it) but WASP was a buzz word in the 80s and 90s culture war, and is an acronym for "White Anglo Saxon Protestant". The wasp lady was a personification of the 90s version of the old, white Christian nationalist section of society during that time, and not just a weird surrealist image.
"You always were a kidder, Jim Metokur."
Way Back Then, my friend group played the Lodge section in shifts. It felt like a shared fever dream, when being updated on what little progress was made by the previous shift. I'm not sure why, but I was bracing to get a blast of "DO YOU HEAR ME NOW, BRITTANY VENTI?!?!" for the peephole scene. Thought for sure that a good old "that's not truuuu" was going to be included for when the PotsdaMale is accused of kidnapping.
Glad he's on his way to a wooden box. Monster.
“What could possibly go wrong”
“Harvester completely flopped, got middling to low reviews and the company went under”
Oof
And the main actor got imprisoned for cp.
@@amusingmoose9924He was clearly method acting, as Peter said in the video.
Not exactly… the game did okay, but other forces were at play. Blame Merit Studio for the demise of the development company.
57:20 I just CANT believe ralph would ABANDON his child! im truly shocked.
The ralpha male would never, christ is kang!
IT'S NAWT TRUUUUUUE!
That's not his child
IT'S NAWT TRRRRUUUUUUUUU!!!!
I said "It's not even hot outside"!
Only 50 of The Tucker 48 (also known as the Tucker Torpedo) were fully produced in 1948 with 46 still existent as well as 1 prototype. An additional 8 including a 49 prototype were either finished out of factory or parted out. Most of the remaining original 51 are owned by museums or noted personal collections. Parts from the 4 destroyed original cars are either owned by museums or have been used to restore others.
Just for additional notes, Mary Allen who voices the mother was one of the girls in Castle Anthrax in Monty Python's Holy Grail and the fireman is Nick Shaffer the lead programmer on the game.
Bought this game from the dollar store when I was in junior high in the 90s. It’s was the strangest game I’ve ever played. It was buggy as hell though and would crash constantly.
Harvester is a game I always love watching play throughs of but know id be miserable playing. Thanks for the video! My yearly Harvester content consumption completed thanks to you! And it was well made!
glad to know I'm not the only one 🤣
I think Harvester's trigger warning should be "If you need a trigger warning, do not play Harvester."
In all honesty that opening of yours for the game coupled with the music really does give you a feel of what the game feels like from just watching it without any context, just absurd, strange & brutal horror
I have no clue why Ralph is included in this but it made me laugh my ass off, also good vid, I haven't seen alot about Harvester this in depth.
Who is this Ralph guy lol
@@R33fth3b33f A minor E-Celeb who made himself horrifying and pathetic as he wastes into obscurity, save for the odd person who laughs at him.
@@R33fth3b33flolcow
@@R33fth3b33fA lolcow that used to be a livestream host that was notorious for literally having anyone (and I mean anyone, no matter how problematic they might be) on to debate one another.
"You can't live without a spinal cord, son. Nothing unnatural about that."
im so happy someone made a video like this. harvester has been one of my favorite games for ages now, and im ecstatic that its beginning to get more attention. awesome video peter :)
I figure you know other youtubers also covered it, but have you tried Fear and Hunger as well as it's sequel? That game is pretty damn dark and gritty and also extremely challenging.
Lmfao Fear and Hunger is baby shit if we're being honest. Dark themes and violent for sure, but in the world of RPGs Lisa The Painful makes F&H look like Undertale
@@that_deadeyegamer7920 Fear and Hunger does have dark themes though, which you said. It's kind of pointless and bizarre to arbitrarily put Lisa as the benchmark. Thats like me mocking Hereditary because Martyrs is more violent
@@that_deadeyegamer7920 It's not a competition my guy, it's about enjoying a good game experience - not weighing up which game is more graphic. Absolute weirdo
@@AdamOwenBrowning calm down, no one was weighing the graphic violence of anything. I *was* comparing the intensity of the dark themes though, that's why I brought up Lisa The Painful, take some reading comp classes please.
@@that_deadeyegamer7920 This isn't anything to do with reading comprehension; it's that you immediately said one title was "baby shit" for not being as graphic as other titles.
"i was comparing the intensity of the dark themes"
"no one was weighing the graphic violence of anything." contradict yourself my d00d
Judging games based on how good the experience is, that's what people do. Judging games only on how graphic they are is insane. Please yourself. You can reword "graphic" to "intensely dark" if you like, it's still an utterly bizarre statement to have made
I don't write comments often, but this retrospective was well-written and such a joy to listen to, this content is so underrated imo. Love your work man, keep it up! Oh, and happy holidays. ❤
This was such a nice wholesome comment to come across, especially on a video about Harvester, and I just wanted to say thank you. So many people are quick to say the mean thoughts they have out loud but very few will speak their kind thoughts so candidly. I thought you should know, from randie on the internet, that you are appreciated, and I hope you and yours have a fantastic 2024! Much love! 🙏❤
Harvester might be the only game where I truly can't decide if it's one of the smartest and most clever games I've ever played, if it's one of the worst and most self-indulgent, or both. But either way, it's lived in my head for decades and will stay there for decades to come.
I'm dumbstruck at how deep that game actually is. This... might well be the beginning of a little journey of mine.
Absolutely excellent video, Peter!
The first time I heard about this game, was on a PushingUpRoses video ages ago, I found it so... Weirdly interesting, it was such a bizarre yet engaging video that I had to look up a full playthrough video from World of Longplays and I got to say, not disappointed. The violence is so over the top that borders in cartoonish, the unique humor of the game just... It just fits somehow weirdly, great video, subscribing now!
I played about 3 hours into the gog version. Ending the game by accidentally causing a nuclear war was odd.
That table with the corpse. That's the Last Supper scene BTW
Thank goodness someone else said it, I was looking for the comment. :)
"how can steve and stephanie live happily in harvest?"
They reset the simulation to make it happy... how else?
Always thought it would be cool to see this game remade in something like the source engine. Would allow the combat sections be fleshed out more but we'd lose the goofy fmv charm.
I feel like it might be possible to do something using the same tech from that VR remake of The Seventh Guest.
They'd have to completely recast the whole game to get footage that would work in that way, so it would be a very different experience
Ethan oliver ralph in the thumbnail how why the gunt is an enigma
I was 29 when this game came out. I want to thank you because I've officially watched you play this game longer than I played it Myself. It's not that I didn't like it, the play style they want is incompatible with Me. It's too slow, too clunky, too easy to die from a random action. Re-loading in DOSBox is way better than the re-load on a P1 166mhz with 16MB (Not GB) from a CD-ROM, I'm not even sure of the speed of those things anymore, but this was early in the Windows 95 days, it wasn't fast.
I loved the marketing, it reminded me of the radio commercials for "Re-animator". It was weird, cute and deeply creepy, like an Anime-Lovecraft in a light and crazy way.
Loved that jab at SuperEyepatchWolf
When? I didn't catch that
Lmao at the rage pig in the thumbnail
NGL, I clicked on this because Ralph was in the thumbnail.
You're good at this. Music was perfectly atmospheric, pacing was good, talking about what's optional and mentioning it as such, calling attention to individual moments dissonance and depravity, all was very well done.
Harvester is one of my favorite games of all time. Not because of its gameplay, but almost everything else about it is such an uncanny masterpiece. From the characters, VO, setting, soundtrack, etc. Everything just sticks with you, it's an unforgettable game.
Oh I ate this video like a juicy cat steak! I discovered Harvester thanks to Game Grumps, and I fell in love with its insane, over-the-top, yet weirdly nostalgic whole vibe. There are so many layers to it, from its messed up humour to the witty and complex social commentary, and I'm mildly obsessed with any content on it I can find, so thank you so much for this, a truly well-spoken immersion in the game and all that surrounds it. Also, great background music. Love from Italy xx
Putting tape on a glass window was something people used to do to try and prevent a window from shattering. Usually before severe weather, but I suppose hitting it with an axe would have a similar effect. The reason you don't see it anymore is that laminated glass is now required on most commercial buildings. Laminated glass is basically two panes of glass glued to a sheet of plastic. It can still break but the resulting pieces remain in place instead of flying into nearly eye balls.
Real Ralphamales reporting in
Greetings, much respect to be the “tour guide” to this world of harvester game, i felt like we are right there with you demo . For that your narrative brings colors to the such game.
You showed postal footage sooner than expected!!!! Im already hooked >;)
Also does your username have any sort of relation to the Type-O Negative song? Lol
I appreciate the fact that you acknowledged Dallas for the dystopian hellscape that it is💙🩶
I love when people remember and talk about this surreal and insane game! It’s age really shows but it’s a delight when people discuss it even on a deeper level~
Don’t forget to list the music used
Thank you for the wonderful article and walkthrough of Harvester. I think I can speak for all of us who designed and worked on this game that we never expected that this game would be admired or played as much as it has been. :)
So true… we had some good times together 👍
I grew up in Plano, Texas, where id software was Doom/ my friend, Steve, brother, who was Chad they lived in Richardson when they were creating the game Chad would show me bits and pieces of the game at the time. It was probably one of the most graphic video games out at the time, and it got banned in several countries when it was released, just wanted to share a little bit of a story, because I thought the game was quirky but great. Thanks for making this video. It’s pretty awesome.
You were always such a kidder, Peter!
This feels like a video that deserves 3.2M views! One of your best, great work!
Now do a video about the Phantasmagoria games
1:45:18
Objection. The mother is not selfish, she is victimized. In fact, she is gruesomely victimized, and allowing herself to be so without fighting it. Is she selfish simply because she's honest about that the fact that that's what's happening? Because she dares to so much as _say_ it is victimization?
This was so well done! I played Harvester a few years back, and loved how weird it was. Have you heard of I Have No Mouth But I Must Scream? Seems like that might be right up your alley! Plus, you have a new subscriber!
Did bro drop an antivaxxer line around 1:42:59? Now there's a plot twist lol
Okay, you got me with the thumbnail, whats up with Ethan rage pig Ralph?
Can’t believe this only has 3k views. Top tier long form content.
At some earlier stage of development, the voice acting and presentation of Harvester were different. Whether it was a previous design goal or simply something they iterated on, early footage had drawn characters as opposed to digitised sprites. You can see a short section of it in the Gamesmaster Gore Special from 1995.
Ya can't ever keep the rage pig down. Yeehaw, No1 in the sector fixin to hollar!
I had no idea that Kurt Kistler, the actor who visually portrayed Steve (not the guy who voiced him) turned out to be a creep in real life until I watched your video and heard you vaguely allude to it. Yeah, turns out that he was arrested in 2010 for the possession of CSEM/CSAM. Just another layer to this absolute demented fever dream of a game.
Edit: I continued watching and realized you ended up discussing it in more detail.
You always were a diddler, Steve.
Postal 2 onwards is rather goofy but I remember watching reviews of the first one being completely the opposite. Especially the ending with the children at school despite being unable to actually harm them. If I remember correctly they chose that because it was so unbelievably horrible and unthinkable at the time. I think it was later removed or changed in someway because unfortunately it became a reality in an HD remake? It’s a vague memory so I could be wrong.
You're mostly right. The original still has the school ending but Postal Redux replaced it since it actually became something that happens.
It was unthinkable back then. Running With Scissors claimed that harming children was "a line they would never cross" and that now this has culturally lost its shock value, the scene doesn't serve the same purpose it did at release, so shouldn't be in the game.
The Redux version replaces it with Postal Dude witnessing his own funeral instead.
Pottsdam as ethan ralph is incredible. It fits so perfect! Hahahaha
ITS NAWT TRUUUUUUUU
Scrolled by this video in my recommended tab a couple times. I think the fourth time I saw it I noticed Ethan Ralph was in the thumbnail for some reason. I don't know that a thumbnail has ever worked on me like this. Well done.
Just came across your profile! I love your humor man it definitely is spot on!
God I shouldn't have watched this while eating, the cat butcher house caught me off guard lmao
absolutely w video just for mentioning calamity trigger (i love that game, as bad as i am at it) (the rest of the video is also amazing and i love this channel as a whole, thank you so much for dedicating so much time out of your life just so we can have something to entertain ourselves with, you and people like yourself are truly godsends)
Also, the school is Gein Memorial… Ed Gein the serial killer? There’s probably more references but I remember that name from a thing about the inspirations of Psycho.
I didn't even notice that. Good eye!
I’m like 80% sure that Hank’s emotional torturing of Edna over Karin’s disappearance may be a nod to Mary Bell: a little girl who murdered an even younger child, then tormented the grieving mother by asking if her victim could play. She even wanted to see the dead body.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Bell
@@SadCelosiawell I regret reading that article
90s games with the real and fake graphics together always creeped me out. It was old fashioned even back then imo lmao? Idk if I’ve ever played this but it looks and feels super familiar. May have to ask one of my cousins if they had it.
is that...
... is that The Gunt in thumbnail?
That's exactly what I was going to say
I watched a playthrough of this game from a small channel called Phucat and it was so creepy and uncanny I was very uncomfortable with it.
I actually watched this entire video and I REALLY enjoyed it! Outstanding job!
"You just put me on for background noise..." I wish I did, bud.
You know, I find it hilarious that urbanspook shlock has now entered the internet horror lexicon
Everyone should read "Preacher" by Garth Ennis.
I remember my cousin and I secretly playing this as children. Always reminded me of 'Black Hole Sun' by Soundgarden for some reason. Moat likely the cut scenes. 😂
"You're probably asleep, you probably put me on as background noise" meanwhile i've been so intrigued by the video that my game has been paused since i clicked on it because i cant look away 😅 great video!
Imma fixin to holler. SOOOOWEEEEEEE,
Harvester 2024: “You always sounded kinda of woke, Steve” 😂
“You always were a liberal, Steve.”
That quick little Tucker car rant struck a chord with me. I dont understand why cars need a 200 pound wire jacket so I can have a touch screen radio that hardly works and bluetooth that's laggy and choppy.
Great video, I enjoyed watching it very much. Thanks for the shout-out!
Not a huge thing but at 1:25:00
the scene refrenced here is that of the The Last Supper by Da Vinci which depicts the last supper Jesus Christ held with his disciples before his crucifixion. I figured this has narrative significance besides just being a room with the dog lol. actually makes me wonder if theres other rooms towards the end inspired by iconic art im also not familiar with
I love harvester but not enough to play it and only enough to watch all the vids on it lol, so this was a great watch!! Didn't know the devs were from Dallas tho we love to see Dallas thrive.
Whats the background ambience called on this part? 1:34:06
Oh wow. this is the first time I've watched this channel and the f-bomb caught me off guard still, and swearing doesn't even bug me. Good work.
The use of X6 music during Day 3's convulted puzzle for the cloth did more than enough to explain the frustration it made you feel than your voice alone.
I was trying to think of this game for a while and finally found this. I would of been 12 when I stumbled upon this game in the store. Mom promptly got it for me and it left an impression on me to this very day. It was so unlike anything I played at the time. The mystery of the game captivated me more than the violence
Fond memories of this game and Postal, 7th Guest, etc :) But I would have felt differently about Harvester as an adult. At least, the emphasis on sexual assault would have been particularly difficult to get through. It'd be a lot less humorous at those parts, for sure.
Rewatched this video a few times now, it’s just high quality, great jokes, great commentary.
Ralphamale Gaming
RagePig Gamer
Gunt gaming
“Vandilism”
This is amazing, also love the ER jokes.
one of my favorite games, and such a fantastically made and in-depth video! instant subscribe
1:33:43 I found it incredibly interesting and A AMAZING DETAIL when you pointed out "There are many ways to progress without killing people, but killing them is usually the quicker more convinent option."
Seeing how the game ends really shows what the game was trying to capture. IDK ITS A MORE OBVIOUS DETAIL IN THE GAME BUT I LOVE IT. The amount of thought that went into this game is amazing. Even if it was rushed and some of it very "poorly" made I think it adds to Harvester's charm and what makes Harvester, Harvester. I genuinely love how much of a headache this game is.
O&A and IBS References!? Insta subbed
Clicked because I saw Ralphs goofy lolcow face in the thumbnail. I really enjoyed your choice of music throughout this video, really served as a good backdrop to the eerie atmosphere of the game.
I think this might be the only video game with a Tucker 48 AKA Tucker Torpedo in it
Also fun fact, your joke about "20 million pounds of electronics" is so off base with the Tucker I can't even tell if its irony or not but the Tucker was THE most advanced car of its time, that third headlight in the middle of the hood? Yeah that is linked to the steering wheel so it pivots when you turn to provide you with extra light to see the on coming road.
It had seat belts, crumple zones, padded dash board, and a custom flat six HEMI!
Tucker had wanted to add disc breaks, fuel injection AND a direct drive torque converted transmission, just like whats in a modern automatic. That car was LITERALLY from the space age.
This game is VERY Flower Sun and Rain adjacent. I can see why people compared this to Lynch, as FSRs' writer Suda51 is also compared to him.
42:05 Holy shit! Ethan Ralph name drop jumpscare! You gotta warn people before you say stuff like that.
That's not truuuuu