Die Anywhere Else - The Importance of Casey Hartley in Night in the Woods
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- Опубликовано: 21 авг 2024
- We never meet Casey Hartley in Night in the Woods. But that doesn't mean he's not important to the story - far from it. In this video, I'll be taking a close look at Casey and examining his essential role in the game's story.
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Huge shout out to my Night in the Woods collaborators Wolf.Godwin and Jordi Jaen Morales Moreno!
/ @wolfgodwin
abogatodraws.a...
Bro is keeping the nitw fandom alive on his shoulders
Definitely!
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I receive a lot of great comments on my videos, but this is probably my all time favorite! Thank you so much for the support, I appreciate it! More great NITW content is on the way!
Bless him for that
Truuuuue
"Not everyone gets to die anywhere else" I still find it so heartbreaking that despite feeling a profund desire to get out of his hometown, if only to die anywhere else that wasn't there, he still met his end there
literally anywhere else, and fate said no
It really is such a sad fate. It's heartbreaking to think that all he wanted to do was leave and go somewhere he could grow, but instead he met his end there. RIP Casey, gone too soon.
With what you said about Mae seeing herself in Casey, I think Casey was Mae's oldest friend of the bunch, given by how she talks about her past adventures with her friends. She and Gregg talk a lot about their adventures in high school, Bea's adventures with her were around the ages of 10-13 before their falling out, and she never really knew Angus before the game. But Casey is mentioned in the beginning poem with the flood, showing how important he is to her life and its another hint at his fate since it's about her grandpa dying.
They all could have easily met before those times but I'm just going by what we see in game through dialog.
That's a great point! I think you're right about that - given that she mentioned him in the opening poem, it is pretty likely that she knew him long than anyone else. I hadn't though about that, thank you for bringing that up!
In that case, it definitely contributes to the sense of loneliness and sadness Mae must feel over all this. Casey isn't just one of her best friends, he's one of her oldest friends.
I cried when I found out that Casey wrote the song because is all made perfect sense. Reading the lyrics felt nostalgic to me because I lived in a quiet country town and it was all perfectly pictured in my head. I’m pretty sad that he got sacrificed. Even though we don’t actually see Casey in the game, he feels familiar. I don’t know, it’s hard to explain.
He definitely feels like a pretty familiar person even though we never meet him. The game does a really good job of characterizing him from a distance. I wish they had done a prequel game so we could've met him!
@@owlbatross9187 yeah, but since Alec holowka died it makes sense
I think the phrase that describes Casey's absence from the story is 'haunting the narrative.' It's generally when, though a character doesn't physically appear in the story, the impact of their absence is felt throughout the plot and the behaviour of other characters.
As an example, there are quite a few characters from A:TLA that haunt parts of the narrative. Zuko's mother from who we only ever see in flashbacks and Azula's hallucinations yet her absence from the present story deeply effects both of her children and the actions they take that impact the plot. Then there's Uncle Iroh and Lu Ten whose loss directly lead to Ozai's actions in taking the throne for himself, creating a domino effect leading to Zuko's banishment and Iroh taking on a parental role in his life. Katara and her mother. Roku. So many people whom, if they hadn't died or went missing when they did, the plot and/or characters would have been vastly different. It's a very good way of portaying tragedy without having to actually show the reader/watcher the actual tragic event or have them know the absent character.
Anyway, sorry for the long comnent 😅
"Haunting the narrative" is a great way to describe his effect on the story! It's definitely a tricky technique to pull off, but they did it so well with NITW!
Well said, and I love the A:TA comparison. I've never watched the show myself (bit of a blind spot for me that I've been meaning to correct) but that makes a ton of sense to me. I really like what you said about it being a good way of portraying tragedy without having to actually show the reader/watcher the event or introduce the character. For me, Casey has always reminded me of Rachel Amber from Life is Strange. I might do a comparison video between the two of them at some point!
Thanks so much for the comment! I'm always down to talk about this awesome game!
Very nice! Thank you for talking about him!
It's very strange, because I feel like the game somehow made me "miss" Casey without ever having met him in the first place. Like the mix of them barely bringing him up, never showing him in a memory or anything and the constant reminder from his away message left me waiting on some kinda reunion that never came.
I miss my homie and I don't even know him lol
You're welcome, glad you enjoyed the video! Yeah, it's really incredible how the game manages to pull that off. We never meet him, only hear about him and see the away messages, and yet the way they handle the topic of his disappearance makes us miss him so much. It's great writing!
I agree with beary-boo, it's like Casey is still there and I miss him, love the hints about what happened to him throughout the game.
Got that right! At every turn, we're reminded of him, and we can't help but miss him. The little hints are great, definitely gives a strong sense of mystery to the game!
I love your content and nitw so much!! I also want to say how the soundtrack of nitw uses the "Where's Casey?" motif in a lot of the other songs in the ost, like in "Title" and "Possum Springs" not to mention that the motif also appears towards the end of "Graveyard Investigations" which is a clever foreshadowing of what happens to him. I've heard it being described as if he's haunting the game even through the soundtrack. The ost sets a vibe for everything that happens in the game and when the motif shows up its almost like he's constantly in the back of Mae's mind at all times even though he never makes an appearance in the game itself.
Thank you so much for making your videos also, nitw means a lot to me and your video essays give me a lot of great perspectives on the game so keep it up!! Also I cannot wait for the video on Mae's grandfather as he has about the same mystery as Casey, I'm sure it will be awesome!! 🥳🥳🥳🥳
Thank you so much, I'm glad you're enjoying the videos! Your point about the motif is a great one - it really does show up all over. I hadn't noticed that it shows up in Graveyard Investigations but it really does, that's a fantastic catch! Talk about some great foreshadowing! Really does make it feel like he's haunting the game!
You're welcome, I appreciate the support! I'm so excited to get to work on the video about Mae's grandfather. There's so much to discuss about him!
No theory stuff but I wanna say this.
Night in the woods changed my life. I see way too much of myself in Mae. I might not be in the same situation as her, or even the same age, but after seeing her be an ass sometimes I was just sitting there like "be a better person!" then I realized I would've probably said the same thing Mae did. She isn't good at communication, focusing, change, and all other sorts of stuff. But at the end of the day she always apologizes and you can see that she meant well but didn't speak well. As someone with autism I feel that Mae is autistic too, and that makes me really happy. Before I played this game I was just a lost child worrying day and night about how my future will be. Now I'm a punk kid bettering myself every day with a journal and lots of hope. I almost lost someone very close to me because of my actions..
Now she considers me a best friend!
I guess what I'm trying to say is this is the best game I've ever played. It fixed me as a person without telling me what to do. In honor of this game and of Casey, I've actually named my baseball bat "Hartley" to represent my growth.
Thank you for making these analysis videos. I will admit I'm not that good at picking up on stuff so these help me miss things that were right in my face, plus more nitw content is what I live for
Thank you so much for sharing all this! I see a lot of myself in Mae too. From situations where I meant well, but put my foot in my mouth when I was younger, to the period of time where I nearly dropped out of college, there's plenty about her I can relate to.
It's interesting that you mention having Autism - I'm actually an Autistic Support teacher in real life and I can see plenty of similarities between Mae and many of the students I work with. I try not to armchair diagnose, but with Mae it's hard not to. I think it's a valid interpretation!
I'm so glad to hear that Night in the Woods had such a positive impact on your life and I'm glad you're enjoying the content! There's plenty more on the way!
I feel like, had a night in the woods 2 ever been able to come together. Casey would've for sure been a part of it.
Like, the main plot be set on what's next for mae as she tries getting it together however she can. Meanwhile the dream sequences be replaced with in depth memories of her time with Casey being a part of the group before her snapping back to reality.
That's a great suggestion! That would've been very cool and I definitely could've seen them doing something like that. It would have been really cool to see what life was like for Mae when she was younger, and what Casey's role in the group was back in the day!
I'm so happy the recommendation push this video to me. I've always been so intrigued but Casey's character and the role he played in nitw. He's this lingering sense loneliness and even dread in my opinion. Somthing lost, something that was once part of your life, which you could never get back
Thanks for the comment, I'm glad you enjoyed the video! Me too, he's such an interesting character with such a unique role in the story for exactly the reasons you mentioned - he was a huge part of Mae's life, and now that he can't come back to it, there's an inescapable sense of loneliness there.
I'M SO EXCITED RAAAHHH
I love NitW and this channel is just what I needed!
Me too! Can't wait to drop this one! Glad you've been enjoying this channel, I have lots more NitW videos on the way!
I'd also like to point out the throughout a lot of the music within the game and even the game's main theme itself, carries the melody from Casey's theme "Where's Casey" it's like the game even outside of the narrative or other characters down to the music itself really wants you to hone in the fact that Casey is missing. It's like he quite literally haunts the entire game and is in back of multiple character's minds even when they're doing other things, especially Mae.
I love that a character who doesn't even appear once in the game and that we know next to anything about is this compelling and insanely important to the entire story, the devs truly cooked!
What a great analysis, I never thought about Casery this way, and I've replayed the game quite a few times. It's always cool to get a new perspective!
Thank you, glad to enjoy it! That's what I'm here for - I love taking a deeper look at this awesome game! Casey's such an interesting character, so this one was really fun to put together!
Most of my love for Casey comes from fan works. But, I’d be lying to everyone, especially myself, if I didn’t say “BORN 2 LOSE BOUND FOR GLORY” wasn’t a set of words I’ve tried my best to live by for the past three years.
It's a great phrase, and your definitely right, there are some great fan works about him! I'm actually thinking of some ways to acknowledge and bring more attention to all the great community works for this game here on the channel.
I'm happy to see someone still making videos about this game in 2023. NitW is such a masterpiece and deserves more attention.
Thank you! Glad you're enjoying the videos - they're so much fun to make and I have many more on the way. I totally agree, NITW is a total masterpiece, easily one of the best games I've ever played.
i know casey was a very important character but when i played nitw for me it was just sorta like. "oh okay the main characters used to know this guy who is missing now, i dont have much reason to care though" and kept forgetting about him, even at the end when i learned he died i just kept forgetting and i was more thinking about the cult as a whole instead of him
not saying that casey was introduced poorly or something but i think the way i played and thought of the game he was just foreshadowing that completely went over my head
そうかー。そういう見方もあるのか。
バンドでのメイとケイシーのリズム隊の絆のところで、少し真実味を感じました。
私が思うにケイシーは日頃から友だちに「都会でビッグなミュージシャンになる」というような夢を語る人だったのではないでしょうか。
それに比べて特に夢や希望のないメイがポッサムスプリングに帰ってきて、ケイシーが旅立ったことを知ったとき「ホントに行ったんだ。スゲー」と憧憬の意を顕にしたのだと思います。
しかし、この動画を見て、“ケイシーが今も知らない土地で夢に向かって進んでいる”というイメージはメイにとってかなり重要な心の支えになっていたのではないかと思うようになりました。
つまり、そのイメージが脅かされることでメイの心理は不安定になっていっている。そう考えることもできるかもしれません。
When I first played NITW, I saw the poster for Casey and thought "omg that looks like Mae" and it made me wary of what would happen in the story. Seeing this, it breaks my heart all over again
>We won't get a Night in The Woods 2
As unfortunate that may be, it can honestly be seen as a blessing too, many games have had their perfect start be tarnished by sequels.
Also, Wolf Godwin set up an excellent suggestion for a sequel though where !!SPOILER!! They suggested that after being tossed into the pit, Casey essentially became empowered by either the god cat or the black goat. Can't remember which one unfortunately
That's a fair point! It would've been difficult to capture the magic of NITW again, and to be honest, and given the variety of places the story could have gone, I'd imagine it would've been a challenge from a narrative perspective as well.
I love what Wolf Godwin did with Casey! Such a creative idea! It was great seeing him and Mae get to spend time together again!
@@owlbatross9187 I honestly would love to see some mini expansions though. Like what if Gregg and Angus actually made it to Far Harbor or what if Bea went to college?
Also I'd love to see more Fall of Porcupine videos! The game doesn't get enough love at all imo and has just felt like no one remembers or even knows about it
Awesome video. I was surprised to hear Pittsburg mentioned from your personal life. I've allways wanted to visit if I go to America as western pennsylvania is where NITW is set in, as far as I know. Been a liiiittle too obsessed with romantisizing nitw to the point of wanting to move somewhere similar haha
Pittsburgh is an amazing city! I live on the other side of the state, but I go back there whenever I can. Good people, good food, tremendous vibes all around. If you ever go there, let me know, I'll definitely send some recommendations your way!
It NITW taught me anything that is of extreme value, it is...
Nothing is as it truly seems, and everything has a story to tell
Well said! Everyone from Mae, to Gregg, Angus, and especially Casey have more to them than meets the eye and a deeper story to tell.
recently replying to comments on a 5 month old video is so cool to see. love ya!
Of course! Honestly, responding to comments and interacting with folks is one of my favorite parts of this gig haha. Thanks so much for the support, I appreciate it!
I would have, and would still, love a night in the woods dlc that covers Casey’s story, after Mae leaves and how he met his end
man you just explained so much that i didnt understand when i played the game, and tbf i did play it over the span of like .... 7 months but hey i did my best LOL. appreciate it a lot, i really never understood what happened with casey and ig i know now.
No problem, anytime! That's what I'm here for haha! Casey's story comes at us in bits and pieces, so I'm happy to help pull it all together for everyone!
Hopefully we get a video on Lori M. Someday. Awesome video as usual tho
broo i love lori so much shes def one of my favsss
Hopefully i would love that 🥰
Thank you so much, I appreciate it! A Lori video is coming up! My plan for the fall is to cover Mae's family - her grandpa, her mom, and her dad. Then, once I'm done with them, I'll be moving onto the side characters, starting with Lori!
i don't know where or how but i wish they could've added some flashbacks in the game of casey and mae hanging out together
That would've been pretty cool! I know at some point, they were working on some prequel-type content. I'll bet Casey would've featured pretty heavily in something like that!
I just got this video recommended to me a few minutes ago. It’s been almost two years since I first played NITW, it was too fitting when I realized the game had a “Halloween” event, which made me enjoy it even more.
I was coming back to my city from college just like Mae (in my case, I finished it) and the story felt so close to home. Coming back home to find little to no people you met in your childhood is something I experienced too.
Casey's theme was something I fell in love with and have been listening to since the first time I ever heard it, even while going to sleep. What you said about Mae being similar to him and how her could’ve been the sacrificed one was something I had in mind too. Can you imagine how much the game would have changed if the roles were reversed? I believe Mae also had a crush on him (but that’s a theory of mine). I have not experienced loss yet (at least not one big enough to compare it with) but being reminded that he is in Mae's mind even while going out with Gregg or Bea, tells me how the feeling of loss is something you can’t control even if you are having a good time.
Thank you for making this video, I still have to watch your other ones, but you are doing a great work! Hope you can analyze Revenant Hill when it comes out
Hey there, thanks so much for this awesome comment! I totally understand what you mean about the story hitting close to home and finding that the people you'd known in childhood had moved on. I almost dropped out of college my sophmore year, around the same time that Mae did, and when I ultimately did come back for a break, my experience was very similar to hers.
Casey's theme is great! Quite a few people have made similar comments, which is pretty incredibly when you consider that the theme is only about 2 minutes long. In such a short timeframe, it makes one heck of a punch, and really conveys the loneliness Mae must feel about the absence of Casey.
I love the idea of role reversal between Mae and Casey! It would be VERY interesting to see what the game would've been like had we been playing as Casey looking for Mae, who, perhaps, disappeared right after she got off the bus.
Glad you enjoyed the video! I'll definitely be analyzing Revenant Hill when it comes out, I'm so excited to see what the team has in store for us!
Another banger and ya I never really notice how much Casey absence noticed now much Casey’s absences is noticed though the game you definitely have some good points I’m still very sad we never got to see him and hang out with him Im sure he would have fun to hang with just like Gregg but hopefully his memory will live on though mae which I’m very happy I am also happy that me and wolf Godwin had the same idea of him coming back to life and reconnecting with Mae can’t wait for you next nitw video iv definitely been bit very suspicious about Mr santello having a connection to the cult can’t wait to see what do you think? 😸
Thank you so much my friend! Yeah I'm sad we never got to see him too. I would've loved to get to hang out with him at least once, even if it had been like, in a flashback or something like that. I do have a good feeling his memory will live on through Mae, fortunately.
And oh yeah, isn't that so cool that Wolf had a similar idea to yours? As soon as I saw your comment that's what I thought of right away haha. Love that Wolf did that with Casey, such a cool thing to do! And oh yeah, I have a lot to say about Mr. Santello and the cult! Can't wait to drop that one on Friday!
felt nice watching this right after finishing my first playthrough
Glad to hear it! Hope you enjoyed your first playthrough!
I clicked on this video not knowing much about night in the woods beyond ‘it looks cute but it’s actually dark and deep.’ I assumed it was dark because it focused on mental health issues. So when you casually mentioned finding a severed arm, I was like WHAT?!
Awww you spoiled yourself a bit. Night in the woods is an amazing story that I would highly recommend you play yourself or watch a playthrough of!!
Ironically enough, that's kind of how it happens in the game haha! They just kind of find it randomly after a pretty chill day and all of a sudden it's clear that there's a whole lot more going on here than we realized!
I agree! I recommend it to everyone!
really good video, loved this new insight into casey
I don't know. I think may would be okay untill her return. She was going to college and be a productive member of society, so the cult probably leave her alone untill her return.
aw this was a really good video
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Nice
I always found NitW to be a little odd in how it handled "adult" themes. Like, it treats them very openly and jokingly... and then doesn't. And quickly sweeps it under the rugs. It's a very weird dynamic imo. It's like they planned to include some more "deeper" stuff... and then chickened out.
I have a weird emotional attachment to Casey. Probably because I'm too much like Mae. Shapes. All just shapes.
I think you’re missing the point. Of course may misses Casey. But it’s not missing Casey that causes her to spiral down. That’s incidental. She still has her bestie Gregg. She reconnects with Bea and finds a grounding presence in Angus. She’s not adrift in terms of losing people. Shes adrift in self loss.
May is missing May. It’s a classic coming of age story. She’s finding May.
And don’t get me wrong. I don’t necessarily agree with your analysis, but I think it’s good. And it’s worth discussing.
I will agree that the drummer carries the band. It’s the definition of rhythm. I also play bass, btw and I get everything you’re saying about the place of the bass player in a band. These days I play trumpet more often than my other instruments, but yeah. I play bass. And it’s a really strange place to land within a band. We are the least sexy, and most misunderstood, member of the rhythm section
No worries, disagreement and differing views will always be welcome on my channel! I love discussing these games in any context. You make a good point, and I can definitely understand where you're coming from. It's certainly a coming of age story, and I really liked how you described it as Mae finding herself, because that's exactly what's going on here!
Bass is indeed a strange instrument to play in a band! So important rhythmically, but so misunderstood and definitely not the most appealing instrument! I've always gravitated towards bands that make it more of a focus for exactly that reason haha
New game coming soon
Nitw is my fav game and allways will
Me too! Such a tremendous game!
It was an interesting choice for the game devs to make bea use a computer rather than being a drummer. I think that shows just how replaceable you are with advancing technology’s. I wish we could’ve seen the band before he “disappeared”
That's a great point! I wish we could've seen the band back in those days too. I know at one point they were considering a prequel game - I'll bet it would've included quite a bit of Casey and the band from their high school days!
Another amazing video!
Thank you so much my friend! I had a blast putting this one together!