I remember the fight with former and how the board mentioned how I shouldnt trust its lies. Like I couldnt make out what it was saying, yet the board believed I did and was making demands. Those 2 really did give me a sense of question on who to trust. Even the color scheme for both is quite symbolic. White background with a black pyramid A black figure with a white eye
Yeah I began to question it back then too. It makes us wonder if Trench was right in not trusting The Board and refusing to allow it to bind OoPs to him. Maybe that is why they fired him at the start of the game. Partially due to this and partially because the Hiss became his new.
@@GamingUniversityUoG it is possible. When the Hiss entered and started controlling him, the OoP basically shot him because it was tied to the board and the astral plane. The board definitely see's the Hiss as a threat and the nail was another way of infiltration. Im beginning to think that the board actually wants to be left alone. After all the oldest house is a place of power and tries to ensure it isnt seen
Same with the Wizard of Oz. Don't look at the man behind the curtain. Those behind the scenes don't want attention and the Hiss effectively would have usurped control from them. Funny considering the title of the game. The concept of Control over something comes up a lot in this story.
@@GamingUniversityUoG who really is in control? Jesse with the OoP's? Or the board in control of Jesse? Is Polaris doing anything we are not aware of? Are the Hiss just tired of possibly living in the shadow of said board? Is dylan really in control of the hiss? And then there is Ahti? He may be a janitor and constantly cleaning up the messes, but is he possibly more? We see him in that one Altered item in the foundation. That TV. And it seems like whenever he is around, anything related to the astral plane is like a balrog in front of gandalf.
Maybe that's the point. Who is really in Control? It takes me back to a line from Take Control by the Old Gods. "Who'll Take Control? Whose name shall be known?"
Does anyone else notice that the nail has a perfect seat (so to speak) for the board to "complete" it's full shape??? Especially since Jessie herself is questioning the boards true intent & what it's goals are.... She purposely remains none the wiser concerning her encounters w/the Board/the Former...
I've noticed the triangle cutout from the top of the Nail as well. It really depends on how closely you want to look at it. As far as an exact shape a square pyramid wouldn't be able to fit in a rectangular shape but it could be all symbolic anyway so who knows. There's not enough information to say one way or the other.
Gaming University just thought of this, but: do you think the Eye/ light tower/ cycloptic glass on “The Former” signifies something relative to “sight”? Where as the board signifies “divinity” through the image of the pyramid??? Sight of the future or a different opinion??? The mind’s Eye?!?! Man, it really makes my brain melt w/theoretical possibilities! Lol
Just to add: In Scandinavian mythology, the Polestar (Polaris) was known as “God’s Nail”, and others have called it the ‘Nail of the North’, referring to the old belief that the heavens are fixed into place by a jewel-headed nail, about whose axis they revolve. In remembrance of this the Scandinavians would hammer nails dedicated to Thor into the top of the central pillar supporting their house. Additionally, some witches used a similar practice to fix celestial powers, especially that of Polaris, into the earth by hammering a nail into the working site’s centre, thereby bringing the powers above to the world below.
The north star is used in that way in a lot of mythologies. In Greek the Titan of the North is named Koios but the alternative name is Polus. Meaning the 'Axis of Heaven' the point in which all constellations revolved around. I've seen Polaris used this way in 3 or 4 different cultures. Interesting stuff.
Grow brighter. Around one constant they revolve. These 2 sentences you hear after the Hiss nightmare sequence when Jesse re-finds Polaris in herself make me think that Polaris has her own incantation. She and the Hiss are the same kind of resonance based lifeform, after all.
There's some very obvious symbolism of the nail having an inverted triangle cut out of the top. Whereas the board talks through the monolith, which is an inverted pyramid. The implication being that the monolith is a piece of the nail. I think the house and the nail had been there for much longer than the board, the board may have corrupted the initial purpose of the nail, which was to connect our plane of existence to higher planes of existence. And they're mediating our connection to that higher plane through the now broken piece of the nail. The Former may or may not be better than the board. He could be the true hierophant. Or he could just be another parasite trying to get its own way.
I definitely got Monolith vibes from the Space Odyssey series when I first saw the Nail. I did notice the triangle cut from it but wasnt 100% sure what to make of it yet. I am not sure if the Board or the Former can fully be trusted. The board has 0 trust but I don't think it is as simple as one is good and one is bad. Frankly it is up to us to verify If a mediator acts as a pure or corrupted Heirophant. That requires us to verify information which the board doesnt want Jesse and Pope to do.
@@GamingUniversityUoG purely from the perspective of the nails shape design. If you were to put the 4 side pyramid in the cut out section. It would make it nail shaped. With the pyramid acting as the head of the nail. I definitely think that that design connection is intentional. And that the board have been using the nail, or specifically the pyramid to control agents in our reality, by drip feeding information and powers from the higher planes. That's what the whole choice between powers was about in this dlc. They want to dictate what their representatives have access to. The former definitely isn't benevolent. It attacks Jesse the other times she's encountered it. Whether that's because it thought of her as a simple puppet of the boards design. Or whether it just hadn't realised it could use her yet, I don't know. You're definitely right that we have to decide whether something is a true hierophant to us. But there's definitely a binary answer as to whether or not the former is just using Jesse to attack the board or whether it wants to stop the board from controling our reality with its corruption of concept. It's either self serving and we may just happen to benefit from its design. Or its altruistic but doesn't understand our nature enough to realise its actions also hurt us. At-least that's my take.
Hi you probably won’t see this but I’m writing the comment anyway. In a strange way you’ve managed to make a deep analysis of such a complex game really interesting and enthralling to watch. The closing statements of the video really got my mental gears turning. Keep up the good work and I hope you look deeper into remedy games as there always seems to be something more to learn. Lots of love from South Africa 🇿🇦❤
Something to note is that there is an upright white pyramid door in the Oceanview Motel, the opposite of the Board. It might be a joke like the Control 2 door probably is, but it might also foreshadow what's coming for the FBC, maybe the Former will make its own upright pyramid Board or something like that.
Finally just watched the video and man, your knowledge never ceases to amaze me, you certainly do your research and present some fascinating theories! Back when I first played Control I thought I was clever for noticing the Jugian philosophical concepts and Cosmic Ocean, but then you're out here tying in the Tarot arcana cards and Hebrew alphabet symbolism to it and in a way that 100% makes sense. I'll never tire of these lore videos, keep 'em coming!
I'm glad you got a kick out of this one! I wasn't sure how this one would turn out since I used a different subject matter for the analysis. I doubt most of this stuff was intended by the writers but it works perfectly anyway.
I wanna say it is more that which tries to connect the Astral plane, reality, oldest house, the Board's own Astral Plane. The Hiss did take the knowledge off of the former Director, and thus they had the means to not only perceive the Astral Plane and of course to destroy the Nail, or corrupt it enough to have access and ability to open a path to the Astral Plane and the Oldest House' Foundation.
Kind of reminds me of Korrok from John Dies at the End. All knowledge of those it consumes is gained by the being. It is possible it binds more than just the Oldest House and Astral Plane. But that's all we see so far.
I'm only bringing this up due to Ahti being a reference to Finnish mythology, but a giant nail does have its role in Finnish mythology as well. Pohjannaula (the Nail of the North/ Nail of the Underside) in Finnish mythology is the Northern Star and what binds the World Pillar to the Sky Dome. It is the object that allows the sky to rotate around the World Pillar.
That's really interesting. Thank you for bringing this up. I didn't know that detail. Polaris is described as the North Star too. In the greek mythos, Koios is the Northern Pillar whose alternative name is Polus or the 'Axis of Heaven' However considering the nationality of the creators your interpretation is probably more accurate.
We are not satisfied/pleased/excited with your coverage/explanation of the mysteries. We do not condone this/Cease. Real talk tho, this stuff is incredible. Keep it coming.
This was a wonderful video, as someone interested in both Control and Tarot--honestly not a crossover I expected, but was pleased to hear. I've got friends that practice, so this in a way helps me understand at least one more card, and more about the game
So, the way I saw it, the nail is not binding the astral plane to the oldest house, but rather, is binding the board to the house, and it to them. The ID/mannequins/homunculi are minions of the board, manifested in the house despite the lack of a proper "gateway" to the astral plane, from which they supposedly originate. If the presence of the nail binds the house and astral plane together, and the only way to access the astral plane physically is by destroying the nail, then there should not be any ID/service weapon present in the foundation. (Remember, the astral bleed may not progress during gameplay, but Pope and the board both describe it as a serious, time-sensitive threat.)
Yeah the bleed is getting worse the longer it stays open. Pope compares it to a plumbing leak. After it's fixed any water that already came in is stuck on this side. In terms of binding the Board to the Oldest House I guess that works too. Since the the pyramid exists there essentially both are forced to happen through the Nail.
@@GamingUniversityUoG Oh! Perhaps the Nail is a sort of _"faucet"_ through which the board can dispense objects and messages from within the astral plane!
Once again, great video. Congrats :D I tend to see everything from a physics perspective, mainly quantum mechanics (especially back when Alan Wake came out, which blew my mind), so your approach gives me an entirely new perspective on things. Yeah, I completely agree with how you explained the nail. Although, it might not have been made by the Board... not necessarily... The Oldest house, which represents the physical world probably has connection with the Astral plane, and the Nail might be a physical manifestation of this connection, making the Oldest house even more special. The Board could've just found a way to utilize it. Although, I still have a tough time wrapping my head around a fact which was presented to us at the end of the DLC. Apparently, as Emily stated, the Nail has a field of its own, which repels all life forms. Just as Jessie concluded (which means that Remedy wants us to think about it), this means that the Board (if not something else?) probably let the Hiss infect the Nail. Since we know from the main storyline that the Board has no interest in being infected by the Hiss, this can only mean that the whole point of them letting the Nail be infected was in order for Jessie to use Polaris to clear the infection. But what does the Board gain from Polaris interacting with the Nail? Perhaps a sample of its resonance in order to develop a immunity to it should Jessie prove herself as insubordinate/not a fanatical slave/unworthy? Polaris is the only thing which makes Jessie special/more powerful when compared to, say, Trench. But that explanation sounds way too simple. Another interesting loose end is the mini nail... Also, the heavy implications of the the Oldest house being the Tree of life, which is, in my opinion, a great starting point for a follow up video, as an update to your video on the Oldest house. Also, I do find it interesting that they flip the Board pyramid in the executive lobby at the final speech of the game. Reminds me of the story/dream about the two pyramids (or was it triangles?) on one of the whiteboards in the bureau. Expanding on that, I know that not everything needs to have a meaning, but the hair pin on Jessie's director outfit. It's probably triangle shaped because of the bureau's/the director's connection to the Board, but why is oriented up? They could've easily made it oriented down.... In the unused complete final message of the Board, it says "Jessie/Dylan Faden". That certainly sounded interesting to me. Will it have something to do with Dylan's dream about Jessie and Dylan being the same person, or was it really just Dylan messing with her...? Finally, the game acknowledges the House of dreams blog, but how on earth did Thomas Zane's shoebox come to Ordinary... And is it tied to Jessie knowing about him being a poet? Goodness, so many topics and questions. Anyway, they definitely managed to make Alan Wake's philosophy fit well with the Jungian philosophy of Control, so the AWE DLC has great potential for a finale (which will probably end in s massive cliffhanger) and official start of a Remedyverse. Hope I gave you some interesting points to think about. I have many more haha. Looking forward to your next video. :D
I'm with you on the Physics and Quantum Mechanics stuff. That's why I am excited to dive into Quantum Break on this channel too as that story is thick with the Science aspect. It makes me think of the Tennyson Report that Trench was pissed about. It basically stated that the Bureau only focused on the Scientific aspect of Altered Items & OoPs and completely ignored the Esoteric. Personally I believe the truth lies somewhere in the middle. That Quantum Mechanics is trying to find the physical mechanism to explain how Esoteric Concepts work. I agree it is possible The Nail isn't necessarily made by the Board but merely something they made use of. There is not enough information at this time though sadly. I wonder if the Nail is made from Black Rock, in which case it would repel anything much like the Firebreak. Or it emits its own resonance in some form. No clue honestly. I think flipping the Pyramid at the end is in reference to Dr. Ash and his opinion on Triangle Symbolism. The Meaning Inverted vs Upright is a Matter of Perspective. We look up at the Inverted Pyramid, but the Board looking down at us would perceive the Pyramid as Upright. It sounds like this camera shot was to make us feel like the Board was watching us. I believe it is in American Nightmare that Alan touches upon why Jesse may remember Zane. "Only those who have been touched by the powers that that can shift reality are aware of the Changes." It is similar to Time Traveler's Immunity as shown in Chrono Trigger. All of the NPCs were bound by the changes made to the timeline in that game. However, The main character's who physically traveled through time were immune to this and remembered the alternate timelines. This is because by breaking time as they did, they become disentangled from it and no longer bound to its rules. The same could be said here about Zane, The Old gods, Alan, Jesse, and many others.
Hey great comment man, and great video by GU, wanted to discuss these things as a comment and not a reply but you made some really interesting points that I want to discuss now. 1. As it was hinted in one of the files in the DLC, The Oldest House may very well have been a literal tree in the start and eventually took this form since it's ever-changing. The Nail could've always been there and the board (which existed in the Astral Plane) found someone to communicate with using the nail, when the FBC moved in and maybe that's why they let the Hiss try to corrupt it, so when Jesse uses Polaris to cleanse it, it somehow gives the Board some control over the nail? Because the game does heavily point towards the Former escaping the Astral Plan, with it appearing in the Foundation and saying something like "thanks for opening the tunnel". The Board wanted the bleeding of the planes and Jesse cleansing it with Polaris so they can have more....control? 2. Regarding the the unused Departure message content, I do think Jesse & Dylan were once the same person but were split during the Ordinary AWE. Not only because of Dylan's dreams and the Jesse Dylan Faden part but if you notice, in one of the tapes from Jesse's therapy sessions, she keeps reiterating that she constantly feels like she's missing something, like a piece of her being. Could Dylan really be a "piece" of her? And if we follow GU's theory about Dylan being aware of multiple realities, he could be aware of being split from Jesse the same way Deadpool is aware of being in whatever medium he's being depicted in. If they're the two triangles and then together they'll make the hourglass? Oh and I have another theory regarding these two and the unused message from the Board. The "see you soon, Jesse/Dylan Faden" message could mean that the Board will turn on Jesse since she disobeyed them and now they should be aware that Jesse won't play a puppet for them, in favor of Dylan who because of his mental state can be manipulated, stripping her of her powers and giving them to Dylan who runs amok in the Oldest House and Jesse is given new'similar powers by Former as an act of resistence? It's crazy how well Remedy managed to mix elements of Physics, Metaphysics, Psychology, Spirituality and what not without any of it looking incoherent or out of place. Kudos to them for making this incredible experience of a game, with surprisingly so much lore, even if you don't include the Remedyverse lore. And Kudos to GU for all the videos he's put out about this game and the things nobody else is talking about on youtube, my mind was going crazy thinking about everything from Ahti to Fomer to poor Philip.
I'm very happy you noticed the end when the board pyramid was flipped. 😁 I definitely do think that it could mean that the board is going to possibly act differently in the next dlc and maybe also catch onto Jesse and her doubts.
I just started playing the foundation dlc and when she first started talking to the former it said something about "warning" and "son". I immediately thought of Dr. Ash as well since he was the son of Director Ash and thought that maybe the Former warned him to not trust the Board and don't leave the Foundation when they tell you. Which is why the Board kicked out the Former since they didn't want Dr. Ash down in the Foundation. I was wondering why the Board didn't want Dr. Ash in Foundation because it made no sense that the Board would care of him. I only gotten far with the dlc since I didn't finish. But watching this video explained a lot because they don't want him to be the connection between the astral world and oldest house so they wouldn't need the Board anymore. I also read the Wiki about him and it said that he had a really deep connection with the house since he was still down there when the FBC was ordered to leave the foundation. Hopefully in the sequel (if they have one in the future) explains the relationship between the Board and Former and what is really going on. I also want to know what is Polaris intention since she didn't keep Dylan safe and hardly came in contact with Jesse until the Hiss invasion. But great video! Really helped me with my confusion about all these different theories and everything.
I hope we get more information for the former and the board too. It feels like they are setting something up there to be used later. Personally with Polaris and dylon, I'm curious if he rejected her to the point she couldn't help. We are him always arguing with her in some of the recordings and transcripts.
You know what ? I am subbed to you and expect you to do the explanation and I play the game whenever I see something you talked about I will say like an idiot "woow this is what he was talking about"
Well I hope I help out in understanding it! Most of my stuff is speculation based upon analyzing the symbolism so it may not have been intended by the writers. If there is any topic you'd like me to cover just let me know!
Really enjoyed this video. While looking at the documents again I realized that the way the Service Weapon is stated to be found in the OOP document is contradictory to how Ash mentions the Bureau found it in the recording in the Foundation. Wonder if that was just because they didn't want to spoil things for later or if they just didn't have an idea as to what the DLC was going to contain since you get that document very early in the game. Speaking of the Board and their influence, it makes me wonder why they can't access the other doors in the Oceanview Motel & Casino. Could the Hiss potentially since they seem to be able to find every vulnerability? Questions...so many questions, I love it! I really hope there are still some unanswered questions by the end of this journey, depending on how long this will go on after this game, whatever direction they choose to go.
Maybe it's that because the existence of the Foundation itself is highly classified (I don't remember a single mention of the Foundation before the DLC, correct me if I'm wrong) they wrote kind of a fake document? I don't know, seems like a weak guess, but a guess nonetheless :)
The running hypothesis in the Community is that much of what Dr. Ash and Northmoor did and learned in the Foundation was buried down there when The Board ordered them out. As such Northmoor falsified documents to omit references to The Nail and Foundation so new researchers would not go down there. This may be why we have two sets of history. One saying the Service Weapon appeared before the Nail similar to the Lady of the Lake gifting Arthur Excalibur. The second is it just shows up in the director's office. One says Dr. Ash figured out how to stabilize control points, newer records show Dr. Darling did.
@@GamingUniversityUoG Good explanation actually, not a bad guess after all :D I remember finding Dr. Ash's tape about control points, but don't remember records saying that Darling did it.
@@GamingUniversityUoG So even the Lore of the Bureau must be controlled. I wonder if it's the Investigations Sector that redacts and alters all these documents... or at least used to.
Just finished playing The Foundation and I was looking for some answers. Thanks for this video bro, helped me understand a lot. Earned a new subscriber!
Welcome aboard and thanks for the sub! I'm glad you got a kick out of The Foundation. Definitely one of those stories that makes us want to learn more.
To be honest I wouldn't trust either of them at this point. In terms of who we can rely on, that is the lesson of the Inverted Hierophant. It means rather than rely on the word of another to tell you what to do, you begin to rely on your own inner wisdom. Jesse needs to trust her own instincts and not blindly do what the Board or the Former says as Northmoor did. He was essentially a mindless zealot that was devoted to the board. That being said I feel The Former is more trustworthy than the board. But we should still be cautious.
It's weird how the nail looks like a chunk was removed from the top and that the board looks like it would fit in that missing chunk. Almost like the board was removed from the nail.
Something I noticed: The black pyramid can be interpreted as the tip of the nail. Both have a square base, and a nail needs a point to be driven into the ground, a downwards point like an upside down pyramid. This probably isnt intentional, but it still is a possible connection to take note of.
I am a very visual person. I think in pictures not words, and I find correlations. The nail has a V shape pointing upward, while the Board symbol in Executive is a V shape pointing downward. When Jesse is given one of the other of the Service Weapon upgrades in the DLC, she approaches a version of the nail that appears to have been split left and right. This may be muttering, but the correlation of shapes and junctures also form relationships. And I also find it very interesting that in the cave paintings, the central hero looks very similar to The Former... Also interesting how in the main game the Former attacks you at least twice, but in the DLC it's trying to be your friend. More is at hand here, and cannot wait for a 2nd game and hope it gets explained.
The wisdom of the ancients is just as relevant today as it was way back then. We just need to find a way to translate it and relate it to the modern times so people will want to rediscover it.
The nail is the threshold point for the astral plane in the oldest house. The oldest house has some kind of power in that it can sit between thresholds with stability. Compared to say cauldron lake (lake) which is just a threshold to the dark place (ocean). The oldest house is targeted by other thresholds as a way of spreading themselves. Malevolent or otherwise. Ahti knows this and sees the board as parasitic, but neutral and serve to thwart other threshold invaders by using humans to help achieve that. The ocean view motel is a portal to all these different thresholds or at least 6 thresholds. The oldest house itself is a threshold entering earth, just like cauldron lake, however the oldest house seems to be able to have other thresholds entering it as well. Indicating it is rooted in both earth and its own reality. It is perhaps this reason the board see the oldest house as a way to move between realities, and may be attempting to spread into other realities. Remember they only control a small portion of the astral plane and they use humans sub consciousness as a kind of battery to manifest AI and OOP. Its possible humans also increase the risk of opening new thresholds.
Excellent analysis as always! I’m curious if you think the Former can now go back and fourth between the astral plane and the oldest house? In the video you say the Former made it out before the nail was repaired, which is true. Except in my understanding of what happened, the astral bleed did not reverse itself as evidenced by the Cave Bleed still remaining, and Pope mentions this in one of her lines I believe. This would mean the astral bleed won’t get any worse now but also whats done will stay. So I took this as meaning the Former can now come and go between planes, and is not solely relegated to the Oldest House now that the Nail is fixed. (Taking this a logical step further also raises the question on if The Board can now leave the Astral Plane as well) That probably wasn’t the cleanest way I could have explained that but I hope you get what I mean 😉 Thanks for the interesting video!
I don't think that the Former can travel back and forth personally. I may be wrong but I interpreted Pope's words as the bleeding stopped but everything that had already leaked through is stuck here. The hole itself, however, is closed. God I hope the Board can't materialize at will lol. They are already ominous enough.
I'm currently binging your Control videos after playing Alan Wake 2 and a second playthrough of Control. Very interesting stuff. I just wanted to add that when you show the smaller nail in Ash's lab (7:00), you can see eyes painted on the wall, watching or perhaps worshiping the nail. That, plus its rectangular shape, makes me think of the Arctic Queen. Maybe the Former tried to use the fridge as a conduit, instead of this small nail?
Love how you enter the astral plane through the toilet and instantly launch an object into the wall beside you :D I'm sure that move has been unintionally performed by every player at least twice before they learned to adjust their angle to the line of fire of their launch objects
About the Non-Aristostelian Logic: that is the logic of Unconscious, as stated by different psychologist (expecially Ignacio Matte Blanco). While normal, Aristotelian Logic is symmetric (A is A and cannot be "not-A"), this kind of logic, that we see in dreams, is symmetrical, so: -There is not negation. Everything in dreams can be represented by or represent the opposite of itself. "A can be not-A" Different thing can be the same. -The linear succession of time, Past-Present-Future, doesn't exist. Past, present and future are melted into one. -Part of something can represent the whole thing, and viceversa.
Exactly. Nice way to put it. This is definately a topic I need to do more research in. I only learned the basics when doing the prep for this video. It feels like a way to look at the world when we compare the Physical and Psychological/Unconscious Aspect of reality.
Notification squad reporting. At work so I can't watch until tonight, but I'll be sure to make another comment once I do because I'm sure the video is just as great as all your others. Dropping a preemptive like as well.
Same here! I try to study as many theological, mythological, and esoteric literature as I can. It really helps to understand this story considering how abstract the concepts in Remedy games are.
I agree but I also liked Jesse's observation on how the board let the nail break so she would cleanse it. As if they planned it and needed her to. But I have nothing besides her line to back it up lol
That angle if the Board allowing the Nail to be infected is something I honestly am still wrapping my head around. There are several possible reasons but I'll need time to rule out the ones that can be outright disproved before deciding what I think.
here's an interesting question what if the Nail doesn't bind the Oldest House to the Astral Plane but holds down the lid, barricade or poster to the hole behind it? if true then does that mean that it's not a upside down pyramid we keep seeing but the tip of an old square nail?
Why not both options? When you put a nail through a piece of plywood it creates a hole in it. So it simultaneously binds it while keeping the hole it just created plugged? Also I have considered that the pyramid fits into the top, missing section of the Nail. Something akin to that being the part still in the Astral Plane while the remainder of the Nail is in the Foundation. The only counterargument I would have is the Pyramid is geometrically perfect as a square pyramid while the Nail is rectangular. I'm still 50/50 on it
@@GamingUniversityUoG Well for the pyramid it could be the striking surface that broke off especially if it's the pyramid in central executive. As for the board not wanting the Nail to be investigated to closely.... well The Board that's a interesting choice to call themselves isn't it? Even the Former calls them the Board plus their word choices when they mix up words like Service weapon/Sword/Intentionally Left Blank or House/Prison. There word choices and actions makes me think of them not as a council/committee/cabinet but as The Board of a company and if they are then there word choices, actions against the former and behavior against people looking too deeply into things like the nail or possibly the Astral Plane itself starts making sense especially if they are doing things that they are not suppose to. After all they might have used an Astral spike to kill Marshall then who's the say the one that had hitchhiked in the mind of FBC agent wasn't sent by them either?
@@GamingUniversityUoG have you considered the idea that maybe former is the missing part of the nail? Like what if the nail is the board, and when they kicked him out they removed a portion from it physically?
I fully trust we will get more information on this in the sequel. I think the first time we meet the board they flat out say that by binding the Service Weapon that they wield Jesse like their personal weapon. Red flags go up
I found it interesting that The Nail sits on 'The Crossroads'. I was reminded of the old blues musician Robert Johnson selling his soul to the Devil at the Crossroads for his musical abilities. Did a former FBC Director strike up a Faustian Bargain with The Board? Is their relationship with humanity more sinister than what they're clearly trying to hide from Jesse?
So in one if the hotlines with the board, i forgot the name of what Jesse calls the board for, at the end..they say that they need Jesse to play their game and survive against the Hiss. They also have threatened that if Jesse was to ever disobey them or misuse the OOP, they would erase her from existence. So that makes me think, is the board keeping the Directive from learning too much about who they are?? If they are so powerful....why did they let Dylan inside of them and bring the project slide?? Why couldn't they flush out the Hiss themselves??
That is one of the biggest questions in Foundation. Even Jesse wondered if the Board intentionally let themselves be infected during that entire event. And yes the Board does not want the FBC to learn anything about them. That's why they ordered then out of the Foundation back in the day. Northmoor was an egocentric puppet and did whatever they asked. Ash, luckily, wasnt one to follow orders. At the end of this one the Hotline was more intended to tell Jesse to get Pope out of the Foundation because she was asking too many questions. When those in power don't want to be questioned we start to wonder what they have to hide.
Ok i get that, the board doesn't want to be figured out but for some reason....they allowed Darling to figure out the pyramids, where they live, how their connected to the alter items and O.O.P, and how the directive is the only one able to understand them. But there's still some things that got me confuse about the board....if they have complete control over the altered items and O.O.P, why did they let the Hiss corrupt them so easily?? If they knew the former was stealing/linking to the altered items, why didn't they have one of the altered items kill it?? Why did they let Jesse do all of the work and why did they let Dr. Darling and the others fifure them out?? Ik these are alot of questions but the board in Control is a...interesting being, idk if anyone else notices this but you can hear one female voice and two male voices from the board but with the former...it sounds like a female but only distorted.
@@GamingUniversityUoG OH MY... I'm really sorry for posting a comment in Portuguese! I usually writer my comments then paste it on Google Translate to comb any spelling errors. This time maybe I copied the automatically translated text, instead of the original, in English. I'm really embarrassed. Won't happen again! 🙈 Your response in Portuguese has no grammatical or spelling errors, by the way. 😉
So I'm just gonna assume that the Hierophant card shown was chosen specifically because when inverted it looks like there's a black inverted pyramid at the top.
I think it may be in the game files if you have the pc copy. I found it when someone from Remedy put up a bunch of concept art onto the Control Reddit. But I agree, it looks amazing!
i was wondering whether this is why Former was booted from the Board. It's possible it supported teaching more directly to other beings directly what is the astral plane and the like, but the other entities sitting at the Board disapproved of this approach and a conflict emerged which concluded with the expulsion of Former. It also brings questions about Former: in the main game, does he attack us in the fridge because it's what's controlling the altered item or because we are at that time Board-aligned and therefore an adversary of it ?
Hey there! Thank you for the video, very nice qabalistic analogies there! However (and it may have been mentioned already, I haven't noticed in recent comments, so if yes - then just ignore), one thing is amiss: 6th Arcana is Lovers, not the Hierophant. Lovers also represent 2 worlds hold together by an entity: the young man chooses between the world of matter (red woman) snd the world of spirit (white woman). In this interpretation, the player/Jesse represents the Lover who chooses. It is also stated in some texts that the young man is lead to choosing the red woman by a higher force (cupid which points his arrow to her), thus it is inevitable for humanity to fall to the depths of matter. There is hope, however, to choose a white woman on the next helix of the development spiral...
There is absolutely a lot of good symbolism throughout the Lovers Card. The flames behind being the passions/illusions of the material. Much like Maia's illusions in the Hindu/Vedic. One interpretation is also the comparison of the Conscious, Subconscious and Superconsciousness. The Man, Woman, and Angel. I would like to clarify that Key 6 of the Major Arcana is The Lovers, it is technically the 7th card. The Fool is Key 0 and the counting goes from there. The Heirophant being Key 5 is the 6th card.
@@GamingUniversityUoG I see, you used their index number. Anyway, as far as I know, letter Vav is traditionally attributed to Lovers arcana, meaning the birth of a third entity of the cycle (in Yod He Vav He tetragrammaton). I wonder if developers are really that into Qabbalah though =)
I'm with you. I doubt that the developers had a lot of this in mind when writing this. I found it to be an interesting coincidence though. Honestly, I only have done preliminary research into these topics so you probably have more experience with it. From my book though Lovers is attributed to Zayin or Zain.
@@GamingUniversityUoG I mostly use Papus system and other occultists of the French school. Regarding coincidences - it really came to mind that some of the writers are at least good mediums :)
Then yes I'd say you have more experience than me lol. I studied a bit when I was younger but these days I use Robert Wang's Qabalistic Tarot as well a open source internet sources. I think it is easy to find some things even when they are not intended by the creator. Patterns in nature so to speak. I'd love to pick the brain of the writers. They come up with such fascinating stuff.
Something where bugging me as I progressed through this dlc. I was granted the Director outfit, and the hairpiece which is very clear made out a shining gold-like material is a pyramid, and its mirrored from the one who are associated with the board... after this video and all the symbolism of the pyramid I got a lot of stuff to figure out
Personally I feel the upright pyramid hairpin with the Director Outfit it supposed to symbolize Stability and the assuming Control of the office of Director.
@@GamingUniversityUoG interestingly the imagery of the piramid as the simbol of the masculinity and power and the inverted one, the feminine is ininverted since the concil is the inverted piramid and the woman is the upright piramid.
I will point out one thing: the board uses its peculiar doubletalk to convey meanings. Nearly everything noun-based has a dual interpretation. The word "former" itself contains two meanings. Both "past" and "shaper".
@@itsclemtime2357 I remeber Dylan saying that Salvador allowed himself to be corrupted cause Dylan said something about granting him power beyond his imagination
@@GamingUniversityUoG Extending the metaphor of The Former being the Fallen Angel/Satan, the Board could be symbolise the Trinitarianism of God: The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit, given that the Pyramid has three points. Oh wow. I just got chills.
Funny thing is In the service gun file it reads it was found in the directors office but in the foundation expansion it says it was found at the base of the nail
I have a hypothesis on that which I'll bring up when we get to the OoP part of the archivist series. But it wouldn't surprise me if any information related to the foundation was either redacted or intentionally altered by Northmoor to hide its existence. So some things we find upstairs would be less accurate than what we find downstairs
@@GamingUniversityUoGIf we're talking about the hammer don't forget that the lighting Indo European God Zeus/Thor/ Perun all have a metaphorical hammer because they are a Demiurge. Greek for artisan or craftsman. Plato ( which sounds like Playdough in EN-glish because humans are like humonculi being made clay, wood, mud ect from different mythologies) said that the Demiurge creates matrixs/material planes/plan-ets. I also saw something on Reddit about the value of names in control and how Emily's name Pope name means mediator or whose closest to God/Jessie. You should also know that this entire reality is composed of electricity from the neurons in your brain to the flux that holds atoms together that's why all the lighting most high God related to EL or Allah the Saturn/moon god that birthed Jupiter. EL eylon is the true most high in the Bible not Yahweh. You can find evidence in side in outside the Bible for that the only reason why I mentioned it because El or Allah is the beginning of the electricity. You do enough research you'll conclude that most high mother/mater goddess/his wife relates to magnets. I can give you something to watch to explain the importance of that in this world. How the board, nail and former relates to this. I'm not 100 percent sure but we both will both come to that understanding soon enough. Here's another clue about the supposed Hierophant. I didn't see the board as a hierophant or middle man. From how I know reality works and from Ash saying that there could be people looking down from a upright pyramid I understood (but not quite anymore from after this video) that the board simply represents higher dimensional entities/clowns/archons the people who create reality in the same way an author or movie directer does. We have those in this reality as well as all realities. Script makers and monarchs of their creation. I'm not saying Alan is that monarch at all and weather or not the board is doesn't mean that the entities doesn't exist in this little world/matrix that remedy created. After all we all know remedy represents the higher dimensional entities to this game but is the board a representation of that. Someone else stated that board is god compared to to former Lucifer/Prometheus. In case you didn't know those terms are outdated behind the veil. Meaning god whatever that entity is is both God and Satan. He/they created the scapegoat that is satan. He created duality for a mechanism to control you/us. No devil/opposition only God/scriptmaker demons. That fact could help you/us figure out who is who what is what in control.
can u make a vid about the astral plane creatures and predators ...I'm still bug about the hiss/Mold/unkillable corrupted ball lurking around also who is Polaris and how come she only response to Jesse
I do intend to touch upon the creatures within the game. I'll do one for Control and I am working on one for the life found within the Dark Place as well.
Yeah and it is realy interesting but i think one off your other theories about the former is realy interesting and i am not sure who to trust the board or the former but i lean a bit more to the former just because the board seems to think as humans as tools and it seems they dont mind disposing of those tools and the former seems to have more respect for humans and even befriends them
Okay but here's my question. Why does Former look like a giant weird ass bug??? Are the members of the board actually literal parasite monsters? Is his weird bug form a punishment or a 'cast down' state? Was he clinging to the fridge to survive or to try and mess with the FBC in an act of rebellion? The fridge and Former saying hungry and mentioning food condiments makes me think they want or need to consume something. Maybe being seen is a form of nourishment? Which is why the mini nail has those eye paintings all around it?
There is only 1 Hierophant you should blindly follow. The Boss Sojiro Sakura. (Ha Ha, Persona 5 Reference) But in all seriousness, I love these. I can't wait for AWE. I wonder how many videos you'll get out of that Expansion.
Haha sadly I have never played anything in the Persona franchise. Considering the subject matter that may be in the AWE dlc I may consider doing a live reaction to it. I know I'll be flipping out when I play it. If I upgraded my internet do you think there would be interest to watch live streams of my first reaction?
@@GamingUniversityUoG you might dig Persona 5, depending on if you like turn based J-RPG styled games. It actually has tons of Jungian philosophy mixed into it as well. Everything from the collective unconsciousness, to archetypes and shadow-self!
Hello, I have been thinking about the Non-Aristotelian Logic and I had a problem looking for more information about it. Could i know where do you investigated it?. I am interested in knowing more about it if you could provide me with a link to a book or something similar because I have searched for videos but they are in some strange language. Thanks i love your videos
There are a few books out there but I haven't read them yet. There is Science and Sanity: An Introduction to Non-Aristotelian Systems and general Semantics by Alfred Korzybski. Study Immanuel Kant as well. He has some thoughts on the subject. Most of the research I did for this came from a channel called Essence of Dharma. They have a video called Non-Aristotelian Logic which breaks it down better than me. Frankly I'd recommend studying some hindu and Buddhist logic systems as they dive into this topic as well.
The more I think about it, the more I'm disappointed, in a way, that this game is so tied to Alan Wake. I'm so overly concerned now with finding ties to the darkness that I'm sad when it's not there, and I have to take a step back to recognize how great Control is 'anyway'. I spent the entirety of The Foundation looking for information on the Darkness instead of the board... and I think I lost some of the appeal in the process. Especially when almost nothing, if anything at all, was there. Still so surprised it didn't segue into AWE at ALL the way the main story did into The Foundation. I did completely lose my save-file though... and I HAVE to get ready for AWE... thought about downloading a 100% save but they are all hacked with 1000+ skill points lol *sigh* maybe a 2nd playthrough will be good... but then I wonder if I'll be able to look around if I'm speeding through in time for AWE.
I'm kind of split on it personally. My inner fanboy wants more explicit connections to Alan Wake because I grew up playing that game and am invested in the characters. But I am also happy that Control stands on it's own two feet without relying on AW. I can almost guarantee the framework for AWE is already in the main game. Therr are just too many unresolved plot threads to point to what string the 2nd DLC will tug.
@@GamingUniversityUoG I'm sure it will circle back on a few things, but even just something as simple as Emily saying "I think some research I need is located in an old shut down sector" would have made me a happy boy lol. I'm really eager to see what comes out of it, and by extension, your take on AWE after-the-fact as well.
Why are you connecting the Nail with the number 6? Why are you going for the number 9 instead of 6 when noting "the foundation"? It sounds like loose connections, unless I'm missing something obvious
dude, I love your explanations. can you suggest me what books or authors to read to be able to understand the types of references/concepts this game uses? I can only think of reading all about philosophy, symbology, psychology, metaphysics and religions, but there are no clear paths. and when it comes to religion, there are a lot of authors who may be more believers than cold objective scholars. should I stick to oxford editions? this comes from an atheist who just wants to learn and understand the concepts used in complex works of fiction like Control and Evangelion (which also uses that hebrew diagram). or, more specific, what do you think are the books and other media that you think/know sam lake draws inspiration from?
Well I know Sam Lake directly references Campbell's Monomyth in the games and the Sankarin Tango has a line about the hero having 1,000 faces. This is a reference to Joseph Campbell's book, Hero with a 1,000 faces. That is a great one to check out. Many authors were inspired by Joe Campbell. Most famously, George Lucas was a student of his. Because of the Jung references I have been reading Carl Jung's Aion. It is out of print so you'll have to make a special order of it. Those are two good starting points. I've been working my way through Robert Wang's Qabalistic Tarot which more applies to this video. Also don't neglect the power of the internet. A lot of good info can be found there. Frankly with theology and mythology I don't know many others other than Joseph Campbell who breaks it down from a scholarly way. Your best bet is to read the original material and come up with your own ideas. That's what I do. I know what you mean about wanting to approach these ideas as an academic rather then from a true believer. I'm non-religious but I study as much theology as I can. Be advised you can find devoted theologians who approach their faith from an academic standpoint so I wouldnt discredit their thoughts on their theology. Some of the research I did for my Hades video I actually got from a Devout Christian. I linked to her videos if you're curious about her take on the matter.
I'd recommend checking out Max Derrat's YT channel as well. He is currently working on a series where he breaks down each chapter of Carl Jung's Aion. He does great work on that and the game Silent Hill as well.
It's a missable scene. After cleansing The Nail and beating Marshall, head to the left of the structure. There is a small cave system that leads to a cliff overlooking the Foundation. The Former hangs out there but runs when you notice it.
@@GamingUniversityUoG wait, if the former is living in the foundation in the conscious world, does that mean he can swap to and from the astral plane like Jesse?
Oh man...Remedy is leaving SO MUCH STUFF unresolved for the future. They already announced they are making a new game in the same universe of Control and Alan Wake, I wonder if we'll only see the answers for Control's questions in the next game (and not in the next expansion)
If what they mention at the start of Alan Wake is a guide, I doubt they will answer all the questions. Alan: "The unanswered mystery is what stays with us the longest, and it's what we'll remember in the end."
@@GamingUniversityUoG Yes! But I mean stuff that looks like foreshadowing for future plot points in the story, like Dylan's coma or Former in the "real" world, stuff like this.
Now thinking ahti can be fully understood , so is ahti part of board ,works alone or part of maybe galactic force of janitors who monitor oldest house's cause the board never speaks about ahti. When you think about the board are they one species or of many? Are there must be opposing forces for they they fight or be prepared to fight because anyone who giving out powers and items to others means you preparing for something to happen.
The Board is certainly a group of entities likely similar to what the Former is physically. We don't know much about whether it is all one species but I assume they are. Personally I think Ahti is Team Oldest House the Board is on their own team. That is one topic I really want more information on.
The ID is the unconscious mind. My guess is the pure black enemies you encounter are ID. As they are from the unconscious universe that is the Astral plane.
@@R3VELAT1ON Correct. The ID, Ego, and Superego are aspects of the human Psyche. ID is the pure unfiltered instincts. But how they relate to the narrative and whose ID they are I'm still looking around for.
Gaming University after playing both dlcs I think the board are a manifestation of entities of the entirety of human sub conscious or of all conscious life in the universe for all that we know. The ID are like you said unfiltered instinct. One of those instincts is pure survival. Our capacity for violence. Which is why they fight or are used to train you. The former was able to control ID because he used to be on the board or part of it. This is all what I’ve gathered from playing and I could be completely wrong. Also I think the board is so concerned and worried about control because our unconscious mind is what keep humans in check most of the time. If they are eliminated or lose power and humans grasp control of both the unconscious and conscious world it could be bad.
@@GamingUniversityUoG Found the video. A good breakdown! And really interesting. I wonder if they'll bring more gods in the way they've brought in Ahti. Say armourers named Eitri and Brokkr. They may even be behind the construction of the service weapon
@@GamingUniversityUoG Besides the world tree. What do you think about Northmoor as a future antagonist? Say Faden and her troop in the FBC decide to sever their reliance on the Board, in the next game, perhaps even provoking them/it by calling them/it the Advisory Board, and appointing a mortal human board in their place. If Northmoor has been spending some of his time in the NSCs doing some introspecting, he may finally regain control of his powers. In that event the Board may retroactively deny his resignation and reinstate him as Director in opposition to Faden. If Faden then allies herself with Former, or if she discovers a new force, I don't know, but I like the idea of a Civil War led by Northmoor. That could be the Ragnarok you're looking for
You should examine the Ordinary AWE in depth. There are so many mentions of paranatural entities and the 5 pillars on slidescape 36 resemble crude nails.
There is a very important symbolism you didn't mention: the phallic one. There even is a document to be collected where a researcher makes some jokes about it resembling a penis. In fact this fits the narrative of male/female symbolism you also discussed in other videos. The earth (the manifest) is female in all cultures, the great mother, the sky (the non manifest, heaven) is male. The nail could represent a phallic figure bonding sky to earth, gods/higher beings to humankind, astral plane to our world. This is also hinted by the upper shape of the nail (inverted triangle fitting the board shape) and the natural shape of a nail (the pointy tip I presume it has).
I don't think vav in Hebrew means "nail". More like "hook"? Mas'mer would be nail. ...what? The Hierophant isn't the 6th card, it's the 5th. The 6th is the Lovers.
Depending on the deck and translation it refers to either Hook or Nail. I love seen it both ways in literature. And technically yes Hierophant has assigned the number V but the cards start with 0, I, II, III, IV, V. So 5 is the sixth card/letter in the sequence.
@@GamingUniversityUoG ...this is a good point, I'll identify myself with the 0th card now. And I do think the more common translation of "hook" still ties in with the rest of the video's claims, just interesting to see how words can have variable/mutable meanings and how translations interact with them... not unlike how the Board communicates to the player. ;D
I really really hope that Former was actually kind because I don't like The Board from the begining... it was too political against Jesse and FBC. Just my opinion 😁
Considering what we learn about the Board in this dlc it is relatively accurate. They demand blind obedience but threaten Jesse if she does anything they don't like. Blind obedience in these entities when they obviously has ulterior motives is what led to Northmoor's downfall. Healthy skepticism is okay.
Not true. The Major Arcana begins with Key 0 The Fool. As such Key 5, The Hierophant, is the 6th card. Little weird but yeah. (0) Fool - Aleph (1) Magician - Beth (2) High Priestess- Gimel (3) Empress - Daleth (4) Emperor- Heh (5) Hierophant -Vav
I agree it's a little weird with the counting starting at 0 rather than 1. I haven't looked at the Persian Alphabet but I imagine it has a common ancestor as the Hebrew one. I know English and Russian use similar alphabet with only a few letters being different. Both are based upon the Roman Alphabet.
@@GamingUniversityUoG Roman and Cyrillic both come from Greek alphabet which comes from Phoenician. I am amazed that it's still easy to see the symbolism in some of the letters, A and M for example. A is Phoenician 'aleph' - ox, and inverted A looks like an ox's head, M is 'mem' meaning water and M looks like waves. Thousands of years have passed and yet those meanings are here right under our noses.
Thank you for the information. I haven't studied the family tree of language and symbols as much as I'd like. You are absolutely right about how we have symbolism all around us and we never notice. I find it sad we generally ignore old knowledge and wisdom these days.
There are lots of videos on the Internet that really interests me but as soon as the video starts and the sound I hear is something like this, I immediatly regret ever clicking on it. And this happens for one simple reason Aliene, I DONT WANT TO HEAR THE "INSIDE* OF YOUR MOUTH. I am much more interested in what is to come out of it as words. Please, unless you are an ASMR channel, do not use a microphone or record yourself like this. It is simply fucking disgusting. Such a cool video wasted because of poor recording choices.
A nail is often used to bind a board and a plane together when building a house. Very clever remedy
They do love their metaphors. They even call themselves out on it in AW lol.
@@GamingUniversityUoGsoon. Very soon we will get more metaphors.
Very clever Sam lake.
your control lore coverage, i see, i click
Glad to have you here!
Aye
Literally me too lol
I remember the fight with former and how the board mentioned how I shouldnt trust its lies. Like I couldnt make out what it was saying, yet the board believed I did and was making demands.
Those 2 really did give me a sense of question on who to trust. Even the color scheme for both is quite symbolic.
White background with a black pyramid
A black figure with a white eye
Yeah I began to question it back then too. It makes us wonder if Trench was right in not trusting The Board and refusing to allow it to bind OoPs to him. Maybe that is why they fired him at the start of the game. Partially due to this and partially because the Hiss became his new.
@@GamingUniversityUoG it is possible. When the Hiss entered and started controlling him, the OoP basically shot him because it was tied to the board and the astral plane. The board definitely see's the Hiss as a threat and the nail was another way of infiltration. Im beginning to think that the board actually wants to be left alone. After all the oldest house is a place of power and tries to ensure it isnt seen
Same with the Wizard of Oz. Don't look at the man behind the curtain. Those behind the scenes don't want attention and the Hiss effectively would have usurped control from them. Funny considering the title of the game. The concept of Control over something comes up a lot in this story.
@@GamingUniversityUoG who really is in control? Jesse with the OoP's? Or the board in control of Jesse? Is Polaris doing anything we are not aware of? Are the Hiss just tired of possibly living in the shadow of said board? Is dylan really in control of the hiss? And then there is Ahti? He may be a janitor and constantly cleaning up the messes, but is he possibly more? We see him in that one Altered item in the foundation. That TV. And it seems like whenever he is around, anything related to the astral plane is like a balrog in front of gandalf.
Maybe that's the point. Who is really in Control? It takes me back to a line from Take Control by the Old Gods.
"Who'll Take Control? Whose name shall be known?"
That one downvote (so far) was The Board.
It's because we know their game and are on to them!
it would seem as of now there are 7 members of the Board, and each of them has their own RUclips account
We/Us are/be negate/not
@@sordidspectacle7393 no dislikes in the month since you said that it seems
instablaster...
Does anyone else notice that the nail has a perfect seat (so to speak) for the board to "complete" it's full shape??? Especially since Jessie herself is questioning the boards true intent & what it's goals are.... She purposely remains none the wiser concerning her encounters w/the Board/the Former...
I've noticed the triangle cutout from the top of the Nail as well. It really depends on how closely you want to look at it. As far as an exact shape a square pyramid wouldn't be able to fit in a rectangular shape but it could be all symbolic anyway so who knows.
There's not enough information to say one way or the other.
Gaming University just thought of this, but: do you think the Eye/ light tower/ cycloptic glass on “The Former” signifies something relative to “sight”? Where as the board signifies “divinity” through the image of the pyramid??? Sight of the future or a different opinion??? The mind’s Eye?!?! Man, it really makes my brain melt w/theoretical possibilities! Lol
@@UponDemise666 You began to sound like the Board/Inverted Pyramid/the Higher Ups in your first sentence.
@@MarioPerez-ng9it and so did you/i/us in these sentences/words
Just to add: In Scandinavian mythology, the Polestar (Polaris) was known as “God’s Nail”, and others have called it the ‘Nail of the North’, referring to the old belief that the heavens are fixed into place by a jewel-headed nail, about whose axis they revolve. In remembrance of this the Scandinavians would hammer nails dedicated to Thor into the top of the central pillar supporting their house. Additionally, some witches used a similar practice to fix celestial powers, especially that of Polaris, into the earth by hammering a nail into the working site’s centre, thereby bringing the powers above to the world below.
The north star is used in that way in a lot of mythologies. In Greek the Titan of the North is named Koios but the alternative name is Polus. Meaning the 'Axis of Heaven' the point in which all constellations revolved around. I've seen Polaris used this way in 3 or 4 different cultures. Interesting stuff.
@@GamingUniversityUoG You may already be aware, but it's also a part of Chinese mythology!
Grow brighter.
Around one constant they revolve.
These 2 sentences you hear after the Hiss nightmare sequence when Jesse re-finds Polaris in herself make me think that Polaris has her own incantation. She and the Hiss are the same kind of resonance based lifeform, after all.
There's some very obvious symbolism of the nail having an inverted triangle cut out of the top. Whereas the board talks through the monolith, which is an inverted pyramid. The implication being that the monolith is a piece of the nail.
I think the house and the nail had been there for much longer than the board, the board may have corrupted the initial purpose of the nail, which was to connect our plane of existence to higher planes of existence. And they're mediating our connection to that higher plane through the now broken piece of the nail.
The Former may or may not be better than the board. He could be the true hierophant. Or he could just be another parasite trying to get its own way.
I definitely got Monolith vibes from the Space Odyssey series when I first saw the Nail. I did notice the triangle cut from it but wasnt 100% sure what to make of it yet.
I am not sure if the Board or the Former can fully be trusted. The board has 0 trust but I don't think it is as simple as one is good and one is bad. Frankly it is up to us to verify If a mediator acts as a pure or corrupted Heirophant. That requires us to verify information which the board doesnt want Jesse and Pope to do.
@@GamingUniversityUoG purely from the perspective of the nails shape design.
If you were to put the 4 side pyramid in the cut out section. It would make it nail shaped. With the pyramid acting as the head of the nail.
I definitely think that that design connection is intentional. And that the board have been using the nail, or specifically the pyramid to control agents in our reality, by drip feeding information and powers from the higher planes.
That's what the whole choice between powers was about in this dlc. They want to dictate what their representatives have access to.
The former definitely isn't benevolent. It attacks Jesse the other times she's encountered it. Whether that's because it thought of her as a simple puppet of the boards design. Or whether it just hadn't realised it could use her yet, I don't know.
You're definitely right that we have to decide whether something is a true hierophant to us. But there's definitely a binary answer as to whether or not the former is just using Jesse to attack the board or whether it wants to stop the board from controling our reality with its corruption of concept.
It's either self serving and we may just happen to benefit from its design. Or its altruistic but doesn't understand our nature enough to realise its actions also hurt us.
At-least that's my take.
Hi you probably won’t see this but I’m writing the comment anyway. In a strange way you’ve managed to make a deep analysis of such a complex game really interesting and enthralling to watch. The closing statements of the video really got my mental gears turning. Keep up the good work and I hope you look deeper into remedy games as there always seems to be something more to learn. Lots of love from South Africa 🇿🇦❤
Something to note is that there is an upright white pyramid door in the Oceanview Motel, the opposite of the Board. It might be a joke like the Control 2 door probably is, but it might also foreshadow what's coming for the FBC, maybe the Former will make its own upright pyramid Board or something like that.
I KNEW I SAW THE FORMER AT THE END! I WAS WONDERING IF IT WAS A GLITCH OR SOMETHING! THANK YOU FOR CONFIRMING!
Haha yeah he somehow got out into the foundation. I want to know what he has been up to since!
Finally just watched the video and man, your knowledge never ceases to amaze me, you certainly do your research and present some fascinating theories! Back when I first played Control I thought I was clever for noticing the Jugian philosophical concepts and Cosmic Ocean, but then you're out here tying in the Tarot arcana cards and Hebrew alphabet symbolism to it and in a way that 100% makes sense. I'll never tire of these lore videos, keep 'em coming!
I'm glad you got a kick out of this one! I wasn't sure how this one would turn out since I used a different subject matter for the analysis. I doubt most of this stuff was intended by the writers but it works perfectly anyway.
I wanna say it is more that which tries to connect the Astral plane, reality, oldest house, the Board's own Astral Plane.
The Hiss did take the knowledge off of the former Director, and thus they had the means to not only perceive the Astral Plane and of course to destroy the Nail, or corrupt it enough to have access and ability to open a path to the Astral Plane and the Oldest House' Foundation.
Kind of reminds me of Korrok from John Dies at the End. All knowledge of those it consumes is gained by the being. It is possible it binds more than just the Oldest House and Astral Plane. But that's all we see so far.
I'm only bringing this up due to Ahti being a reference to Finnish mythology, but a giant nail does have its role in Finnish mythology as well. Pohjannaula (the Nail of the North/ Nail of the Underside) in Finnish mythology is the Northern Star and what binds the World Pillar to the Sky Dome. It is the object that allows the sky to rotate around the World Pillar.
That's really interesting. Thank you for bringing this up. I didn't know that detail. Polaris is described as the North Star too. In the greek mythos, Koios is the Northern Pillar whose alternative name is Polus or the 'Axis of Heaven'
However considering the nationality of the creators your interpretation is probably more accurate.
@@GamingUniversityUoG It is nice of you to say. Uses for knowledge about Finnish mythology are very limited.
Note that Jesse's Director outfit has an upward facing pyramid as a hair piece
A symbol that she has assumed Control. An upright pyramid is more stable than one standing on the point after all.
We are not satisfied/pleased/excited with your coverage/explanation of the mysteries. We do not condone this/Cease.
Real talk tho, this stuff is incredible. Keep it coming.
I'm sure the board thinks I'm spreading propaganda/fake news.
Don't worry I cant be bullied by the pyramid haha.
And thanks!
You do not see/comprehend the nature of the Astral Plane.
@@GamingUniversityUoG 😂👍
This was a wonderful video, as someone interested in both Control and Tarot--honestly not a crossover I expected, but was pleased to hear. I've got friends that practice, so this in a way helps me understand at least one more card, and more about the game
If you're interested in tarot I do have a new video coming out this coming monday which dives into a few more.
So, the way I saw it, the nail is not binding the astral plane to the oldest house, but rather, is binding the board to the house, and it to them.
The ID/mannequins/homunculi are minions of the board, manifested in the house despite the lack of a proper "gateway" to the astral plane, from which they supposedly originate.
If the presence of the nail binds the house and astral plane together, and the only way to access the astral plane physically is by destroying the nail, then there should not be any ID/service weapon present in the foundation.
(Remember, the astral bleed may not progress during gameplay, but Pope and the board both describe it as a serious, time-sensitive threat.)
Yeah the bleed is getting worse the longer it stays open. Pope compares it to a plumbing leak. After it's fixed any water that already came in is stuck on this side.
In terms of binding the Board to the Oldest House I guess that works too. Since the the pyramid exists there essentially both are forced to happen through the Nail.
@@GamingUniversityUoG
Oh! Perhaps the Nail is a sort of _"faucet"_ through which the board can dispense objects and messages from within the astral plane!
Never played the game, but I'm blown away by how fascinating these analyses are. You are an absolute genius!
You should definitely check it out. Especially if you're looking for a connected universe of games to dive into.
Once again, great video. Congrats :D
I tend to see everything from a physics perspective, mainly quantum mechanics (especially back when Alan Wake came out, which blew my mind), so your approach gives me an entirely new perspective on things.
Yeah, I completely agree with how you explained the nail. Although, it might not have been made by the Board... not necessarily... The Oldest house, which represents the physical world probably has connection with the Astral plane, and the Nail might be a physical manifestation of this connection, making the Oldest house even more special. The Board could've just found a way to utilize it. Although, I still have a tough time wrapping my head around a fact which was presented to us at the end of the DLC. Apparently, as Emily stated, the Nail has a field of its own, which repels all life forms. Just as Jessie concluded (which means that Remedy wants us to think about it), this means that the Board (if not something else?) probably let the Hiss infect the Nail. Since we know from the main storyline that the Board has no interest in being infected by the Hiss, this can only mean that the whole point of them letting the Nail be infected was in order for Jessie to use Polaris to clear the infection. But what does the Board gain from Polaris interacting with the Nail? Perhaps a sample of its resonance in order to develop a immunity to it should Jessie prove herself as insubordinate/not a fanatical slave/unworthy? Polaris is the only thing which makes Jessie special/more powerful when compared to, say, Trench. But that explanation sounds way too simple.
Another interesting loose end is the mini nail... Also, the heavy implications of the the Oldest house being the Tree of life, which is, in my opinion, a great starting point for a follow up video, as an update to your video on the Oldest house.
Also, I do find it interesting that they flip the Board pyramid in the executive lobby at the final speech of the game. Reminds me of the story/dream about the two pyramids (or was it triangles?) on one of the whiteboards in the bureau. Expanding on that, I know that not everything needs to have a meaning, but the hair pin on Jessie's director outfit. It's probably triangle shaped because of the bureau's/the director's connection to the Board, but why is oriented up? They could've easily made it oriented down....
In the unused complete final message of the Board, it says "Jessie/Dylan Faden". That certainly sounded interesting to me. Will it have something to do with Dylan's dream about Jessie and Dylan being the same person, or was it really just Dylan messing with her...?
Finally, the game acknowledges the House of dreams blog, but how on earth did Thomas Zane's shoebox come to Ordinary... And is it tied to Jessie knowing about him being a poet?
Goodness, so many topics and questions.
Anyway, they definitely managed to make Alan Wake's philosophy fit well with the Jungian philosophy of Control, so the AWE DLC has great potential for a finale (which will probably end in s massive cliffhanger) and official start of a Remedyverse.
Hope I gave you some interesting points to think about. I have many more haha. Looking forward to your next video. :D
I'm with you on the Physics and Quantum Mechanics stuff. That's why I am excited to dive into Quantum Break on this channel too as that story is thick with the Science aspect. It makes me think of the Tennyson Report that Trench was pissed about. It basically stated that the Bureau only focused on the Scientific aspect of Altered Items & OoPs and completely ignored the Esoteric. Personally I believe the truth lies somewhere in the middle. That Quantum Mechanics is trying to find the physical mechanism to explain how Esoteric Concepts work.
I agree it is possible The Nail isn't necessarily made by the Board but merely something they made use of. There is not enough information at this time though sadly. I wonder if the Nail is made from Black Rock, in which case it would repel anything much like the Firebreak. Or it emits its own resonance in some form. No clue honestly.
I think flipping the Pyramid at the end is in reference to Dr. Ash and his opinion on Triangle Symbolism. The Meaning Inverted vs Upright is a Matter of Perspective. We look up at the Inverted Pyramid, but the Board looking down at us would perceive the Pyramid as Upright. It sounds like this camera shot was to make us feel like the Board was watching us.
I believe it is in American Nightmare that Alan touches upon why Jesse may remember Zane.
"Only those who have been touched by the powers that that can shift reality are aware of the Changes."
It is similar to Time Traveler's Immunity as shown in Chrono Trigger. All of the NPCs were bound by the changes made to the timeline in that game. However, The main character's who physically traveled through time were immune to this and remembered the alternate timelines. This is because by breaking time as they did, they become disentangled from it and no longer bound to its rules. The same could be said here about Zane, The Old gods, Alan, Jesse, and many others.
Hey great comment man, and great video by GU, wanted to discuss these things as a comment and not a reply but you made some really interesting points that I want to discuss now.
1. As it was hinted in one of the files in the DLC, The Oldest House may very well have been a literal tree in the start and eventually took this form since it's ever-changing. The Nail could've always been there and the board (which existed in the Astral Plane) found someone to communicate with using the nail, when the FBC moved in and maybe that's why they let the Hiss try to corrupt it, so when Jesse uses Polaris to cleanse it, it somehow gives the Board some control over the nail? Because the game does heavily point towards the Former escaping the Astral Plan, with it appearing in the Foundation and saying something like "thanks for opening the tunnel". The Board wanted the bleeding of the planes and Jesse cleansing it with Polaris so they can have more....control?
2. Regarding the the unused Departure message content, I do think Jesse & Dylan were once the same person but were split during the Ordinary AWE. Not only because of Dylan's dreams and the Jesse Dylan Faden part but if you notice, in one of the tapes from Jesse's therapy sessions, she keeps reiterating that she constantly feels like she's missing something, like a piece of her being. Could Dylan really be a "piece" of her? And if we follow GU's theory about Dylan being aware of multiple realities, he could be aware of being split from Jesse the same way Deadpool is aware of being in whatever medium he's being depicted in. If they're the two triangles and then together they'll make the hourglass? Oh and I have another theory regarding these two and the unused message from the Board. The "see you soon, Jesse/Dylan Faden" message could mean that the Board will turn on Jesse since she disobeyed them and now they should be aware that Jesse won't play a puppet for them, in favor of Dylan who because of his mental state can be manipulated, stripping her of her powers and giving them to Dylan who runs amok in the Oldest House and Jesse is given new'similar powers by Former as an act of resistence?
It's crazy how well Remedy managed to mix elements of Physics, Metaphysics, Psychology, Spirituality and what not without any of it looking incoherent or out of place. Kudos to them for making this incredible experience of a game, with surprisingly so much lore, even if you don't include the Remedyverse lore. And Kudos to GU for all the videos he's put out about this game and the things nobody else is talking about on youtube, my mind was going crazy thinking about everything from Ahti to Fomer to poor Philip.
I'm very happy you noticed the end when the board pyramid was flipped. 😁 I definitely do think that it could mean that the board is going to possibly act differently in the next dlc and maybe also catch onto Jesse and her doubts.
I just started playing the foundation dlc and when she first started talking to the former it said something about "warning" and "son". I immediately thought of Dr. Ash as well since he was the son of Director Ash and thought that maybe the Former warned him to not trust the Board and don't leave the Foundation when they tell you. Which is why the Board kicked out the Former since they didn't want Dr. Ash down in the Foundation. I was wondering why the Board didn't want Dr. Ash in Foundation because it made no sense that the Board would care of him. I only gotten far with the dlc since I didn't finish. But watching this video explained a lot because they don't want him to be the connection between the astral world and oldest house so they wouldn't need the Board anymore. I also read the Wiki about him and it said that he had a really deep connection with the house since he was still down there when the FBC was ordered to leave the foundation. Hopefully in the sequel (if they have one in the future) explains the relationship between the Board and Former and what is really going on. I also want to know what is Polaris intention since she didn't keep Dylan safe and hardly came in contact with Jesse until the Hiss invasion. But great video! Really helped me with my confusion about all these different theories and everything.
I hope we get more information for the former and the board too. It feels like they are setting something up there to be used later.
Personally with Polaris and dylon, I'm curious if he rejected her to the point she couldn't help. We are him always arguing with her in some of the recordings and transcripts.
You know what ? I am subbed to you and expect you to do the explanation and I play the game whenever I see something you talked about I will say like an idiot "woow this is what he was talking about"
Well I hope I help out in understanding it! Most of my stuff is speculation based upon analyzing the symbolism so it may not have been intended by the writers. If there is any topic you'd like me to cover just let me know!
Really enjoyed this video. While looking at the documents again I realized that the way the Service Weapon is stated to be found in the OOP document is contradictory to how Ash mentions the Bureau found it in the recording in the Foundation. Wonder if that was just because they didn't want to spoil things for later or if they just didn't have an idea as to what the DLC was going to contain since you get that document very early in the game. Speaking of the Board and their influence, it makes me wonder why they can't access the other doors in the Oceanview Motel & Casino. Could the Hiss potentially since they seem to be able to find every vulnerability? Questions...so many questions, I love it! I really hope there are still some unanswered questions by the end of this journey, depending on how long this will go on after this game, whatever direction they choose to go.
Maybe it's that because the existence of the Foundation itself is highly classified (I don't remember a single mention of the Foundation before the DLC, correct me if I'm wrong) they wrote kind of a fake document? I don't know, seems like a weak guess, but a guess nonetheless :)
The running hypothesis in the Community is that much of what Dr. Ash and Northmoor did and learned in the Foundation was buried down there when The Board ordered them out. As such Northmoor falsified documents to omit references to The Nail and Foundation so new researchers would not go down there. This may be why we have two sets of history. One saying the Service Weapon appeared before the Nail similar to the Lady of the Lake gifting Arthur Excalibur. The second is it just shows up in the director's office. One says Dr. Ash figured out how to stabilize control points, newer records show Dr. Darling did.
@@GamingUniversityUoG Good explanation actually, not a bad guess after all :D I remember finding Dr. Ash's tape about control points, but don't remember records saying that Darling did it.
@@GamingUniversityUoG So even the Lore of the Bureau must be controlled.
I wonder if it's the Investigations Sector that redacts and alters all these documents... or at least used to.
Just finished playing The Foundation and I was looking for some answers. Thanks for this video bro, helped me understand a lot. Earned a new subscriber!
Welcome aboard and thanks for the sub! I'm glad you got a kick out of The Foundation. Definitely one of those stories that makes us want to learn more.
So who tells the truth? The Board or the Former? Who can we rely on? What the Former is trying to do? Nice video!!!
To be honest I wouldn't trust either of them at this point. In terms of who we can rely on, that is the lesson of the Inverted Hierophant. It means rather than rely on the word of another to tell you what to do, you begin to rely on your own inner wisdom. Jesse needs to trust her own instincts and not blindly do what the Board or the Former says as Northmoor did. He was essentially a mindless zealot that was devoted to the board.
That being said I feel The Former is more trustworthy than the board. But we should still be cautious.
@@GamingUniversityUoG I'll only agree if Former apologises for eviscerating Philip. And potentially eating his sandwich...
In god we trust! Oh, wait...
It's weird how the nail looks like a chunk was removed from the top and that the board looks like it would fit in that missing chunk. Almost like the board was removed from the nail.
Plus the gap in the ceiling where the Astral plane can be seen above the Nail. Definitely some weirdness there.
Something I noticed: The black pyramid can be interpreted as the tip of the nail. Both have a square base, and a nail needs a point to be driven into the ground, a downwards point like an upside down pyramid. This probably isnt intentional, but it still is a possible connection to take note of.
Love these vids. You put so much cool information in such short periods. Keep it up man.❤
Thanks dude!
I cannot express how many more subscribers you deserve to have, what an amazing channel
Thank you so much!
Brother... what kind of genius you are????
Thanks so much for this channel.
Love from Serbia.
You got it friend!
I am a very visual person. I think in pictures not words, and I find correlations.
The nail has a V shape pointing upward, while the Board symbol in Executive is a V shape pointing downward.
When Jesse is given one of the other of the Service Weapon upgrades in the DLC, she approaches a version of the nail that appears to have been split left and right.
This may be muttering, but the correlation of shapes and junctures also form relationships.
And I also find it very interesting that in the cave paintings, the central hero looks very similar to The Former...
Also interesting how in the main game the Former attacks you at least twice, but in the DLC it's trying to be your friend.
More is at hand here, and cannot wait for a 2nd game and hope it gets explained.
you brought one interesting topic - three valued logic, but it was not just be studied by ancient people, but also by someone in modern time.
The wisdom of the ancients is just as relevant today as it was way back then. We just need to find a way to translate it and relate it to the modern times so people will want to rediscover it.
The nail is the threshold point for the astral plane in the oldest house. The oldest house has some kind of power in that it can sit between thresholds with stability.
Compared to say cauldron lake (lake) which is just a threshold to the dark place (ocean). The oldest house is targeted by other thresholds as a way of spreading themselves. Malevolent or otherwise.
Ahti knows this and sees the board as parasitic, but neutral and serve to thwart other threshold invaders by using humans to help achieve that. The ocean view motel is a portal to all these different thresholds or at least 6 thresholds. The oldest house itself is a threshold entering earth, just like cauldron lake, however the oldest house seems to be able to have other thresholds entering it as well. Indicating it is rooted in both earth and its own reality.
It is perhaps this reason the board see the oldest house as a way to move between realities, and may be attempting to spread into other realities.
Remember they only control a small portion of the astral plane and they use humans sub consciousness as a kind of battery to manifest AI and OOP. Its possible humans also increase the risk of opening new thresholds.
Excellent analysis as always! I’m curious if you think the Former can now go back and fourth between the astral plane and the oldest house? In the video you say the Former made it out before the nail was repaired, which is true. Except in my understanding of what happened, the astral bleed did not reverse itself as evidenced by the Cave Bleed still remaining, and Pope mentions this in one of her lines I believe. This would mean the astral bleed won’t get any worse now but also whats done will stay. So I took this as meaning the Former can now come and go between planes, and is not solely relegated to the Oldest House now that the Nail is fixed. (Taking this a logical step further also raises the question on if The Board can now leave the Astral Plane as well) That probably wasn’t the cleanest way I could have explained that but I hope you get what I mean 😉 Thanks for the interesting video!
I don't think that the Former can travel back and forth personally. I may be wrong but I interpreted Pope's words as the bleeding stopped but everything that had already leaked through is stuck here. The hole itself, however, is closed. God I hope the Board can't materialize at will lol. They are already ominous enough.
I'm currently binging your Control videos after playing Alan Wake 2 and a second playthrough of Control. Very interesting stuff.
I just wanted to add that when you show the smaller nail in Ash's lab (7:00), you can see eyes painted on the wall, watching or perhaps worshiping the nail. That, plus its rectangular shape, makes me think of the Arctic Queen. Maybe the Former tried to use the fridge as a conduit, instead of this small nail?
Brilliant brilliant brilliant! I think Control 2 is going to be Jessie+ Former vs Board and Northmoor.
Love how you enter the astral plane through the toilet and instantly launch an object into the wall beside you :D
I'm sure that move has been unintionally performed by every player at least twice before they learned to adjust their angle to the line of fire of their launch objects
About the Non-Aristostelian Logic: that is the logic of Unconscious, as stated by different psychologist (expecially Ignacio Matte Blanco). While normal, Aristotelian Logic is symmetric (A is A and cannot be "not-A"), this kind of logic, that we see in dreams, is symmetrical, so:
-There is not negation. Everything in dreams can be represented by or represent the opposite of itself. "A can be not-A"
Different thing can be the same.
-The linear succession of time, Past-Present-Future, doesn't exist. Past, present and future are melted into one.
-Part of something can represent the whole thing, and viceversa.
Exactly. Nice way to put it. This is definately a topic I need to do more research in. I only learned the basics when doing the prep for this video.
It feels like a way to look at the world when we compare the Physical and Psychological/Unconscious Aspect of reality.
Notification squad reporting. At work so I can't watch until tonight, but I'll be sure to make another comment once I do because I'm sure the video is just as great as all your others. Dropping a preemptive like as well.
I'll name you Notification Squad Captain! Sounds good, I'm curious what you think as I know this topic has been requested.
Stay safe at work man!
@@GamingUniversityUoG Your videos are marvelous. I love the occult and esoteric. Keep it up.
Same here! I try to study as many theological, mythological, and esoteric literature as I can. It really helps to understand this story considering how abstract the concepts in Remedy games are.
Damn, that is one awesome video. I really like all of your content. But this one, mind blown...
I agree but I also liked Jesse's observation on how the board let the nail break so she would cleanse it. As if they planned it and needed her to. But I have nothing besides her line to back it up lol
That angle if the Board allowing the Nail to be infected is something I honestly am still wrapping my head around. There are several possible reasons but I'll need time to rule out the ones that can be outright disproved before deciding what I think.
@@GamingUniversityUoG you should definitely keep talking about it though. I'm really late to the party but I love your insight
here's an interesting question what if the Nail doesn't bind the Oldest House to the Astral Plane but holds down the lid, barricade or poster to the hole behind it? if true then does that mean that it's not a upside down pyramid we keep seeing but the tip of an old square nail?
Why not both options? When you put a nail through a piece of plywood it creates a hole in it. So it simultaneously binds it while keeping the hole it just created plugged?
Also I have considered that the pyramid fits into the top, missing section of the Nail. Something akin to that being the part still in the Astral Plane while the remainder of the Nail is in the Foundation. The only counterargument I would have is the Pyramid is geometrically perfect as a square pyramid while the Nail is rectangular. I'm still 50/50 on it
@@GamingUniversityUoG Well for the pyramid it could be the striking surface that broke off especially if it's the pyramid in central executive. As for the board not wanting the Nail to be investigated to closely.... well The Board that's a interesting choice to call themselves isn't it? Even the Former calls them the Board plus their word choices when they mix up words like Service weapon/Sword/Intentionally Left Blank or House/Prison.
There word choices and actions makes me think of them not as a council/committee/cabinet but as The Board of a company and if they are then there word choices, actions against the former and behavior against people looking too deeply into things like the nail or possibly the Astral Plane itself starts making sense especially if they are doing things that they are not suppose to. After all they might have used an Astral spike to kill Marshall then who's the say the one that had hitchhiked in the mind of FBC agent wasn't sent by them either?
@@GamingUniversityUoG have you considered the idea that maybe former is the missing part of the nail? Like what if the nail is the board, and when they kicked him out they removed a portion from it physically?
I didnt trust The Board for a minute, but I do trusted The Former. :thinking:
Sadly, we will never find out if we should trust either. :(
I fully trust we will get more information on this in the sequel. I think the first time we meet the board they flat out say that by binding the Service Weapon that they wield Jesse like their personal weapon. Red flags go up
I don’t trust either. They seem to be using the directors to fulfill their own agenda. Like chess pieces.
Man you are incredible I would never have made these connections
Haha thanks! I doubt some of this was intended by the writers but it has the same narrative relevance.
I found it interesting that The Nail sits on 'The Crossroads'. I was reminded of the old blues musician Robert Johnson selling his soul to the Devil at the Crossroads for his musical abilities. Did a former FBC Director strike up a Faustian Bargain with The Board? Is their relationship with humanity more sinister than what they're clearly trying to hide from Jesse?
So in one if the hotlines with the board, i forgot the name of what Jesse calls the board for, at the end..they say that they need Jesse to play their game and survive against the Hiss. They also have threatened that if Jesse was to ever disobey them or misuse the OOP, they would erase her from existence. So that makes me think, is the board keeping the Directive from learning too much about who they are?? If they are so powerful....why did they let Dylan inside of them and bring the project slide?? Why couldn't they flush out the Hiss themselves??
That is one of the biggest questions in Foundation. Even Jesse wondered if the Board intentionally let themselves be infected during that entire event.
And yes the Board does not want the FBC to learn anything about them. That's why they ordered then out of the Foundation back in the day. Northmoor was an egocentric puppet and did whatever they asked. Ash, luckily, wasnt one to follow orders. At the end of this one the Hotline was more intended to tell Jesse to get Pope out of the Foundation because she was asking too many questions.
When those in power don't want to be questioned we start to wonder what they have to hide.
Ok i get that, the board doesn't want to be figured out but for some reason....they allowed Darling to figure out the pyramids, where they live, how their connected to the alter items and O.O.P, and how the directive is the only one able to understand them. But there's still some things that got me confuse about the board....if they have complete control over the altered items and O.O.P, why did they let the Hiss corrupt them so easily?? If they knew the former was stealing/linking to the altered items, why didn't they have one of the altered items kill it?? Why did they let Jesse do all of the work and why did they let Dr. Darling and the others fifure them out?? Ik these are alot of questions but the board in Control is a...interesting being, idk if anyone else notices this but you can hear one female voice and two male voices from the board but with the former...it sounds like a female but only distorted.
Cara, seus vídeos são incríveis! Tenho feito binging desde que descobri o seu canal!
Muito obrigado! Estou feliz que você tenha gostado deles. Perdoe minha escrita. Usando Google Tradutor.
@@GamingUniversityUoG OH MY... I'm really sorry for posting a comment in Portuguese! I usually writer my comments then paste it on Google Translate to comb any spelling errors. This time maybe I copied the automatically translated text, instead of the original, in English. I'm really embarrassed. Won't happen again! 🙈
Your response in Portuguese has no grammatical or spelling errors, by the way. 😉
pretty great explanations
I'm glad you enjoyed it.
So I'm just gonna assume that the Hierophant card shown was chosen specifically because when inverted it looks like there's a black inverted pyramid at the top.
The thumbnail you used of the nails concept art is amazing! I can't find it anywhere on pinterest.
I think it may be in the game files if you have the pc copy. I found it when someone from Remedy put up a bunch of concept art onto the Control Reddit. But I agree, it looks amazing!
I enjoy listening to the game more than playing I everytime I try to play I get sleepy
Interesting ambience
i was wondering whether this is why Former was booted from the Board. It's possible it supported teaching more directly to other beings directly what is the astral plane and the like, but the other entities sitting at the Board disapproved of this approach and a conflict emerged which concluded with the expulsion of Former.
It also brings questions about Former: in the main game, does he attack us in the fridge because it's what's controlling the altered item or because we are at that time Board-aligned and therefore an adversary of it ?
Your control/knowledge is appreciated/tolerated.
Hey there! Thank you for the video, very nice qabalistic analogies there! However (and it may have been mentioned already, I haven't noticed in recent comments, so if yes - then just ignore), one thing is amiss: 6th Arcana is Lovers, not the Hierophant. Lovers also represent 2 worlds hold together by an entity: the young man chooses between the world of matter (red woman) snd the world of spirit (white woman). In this interpretation, the player/Jesse represents the Lover who chooses. It is also stated in some texts that the young man is lead to choosing the red woman by a higher force (cupid which points his arrow to her), thus it is inevitable for humanity to fall to the depths of matter. There is hope, however, to choose a white woman on the next helix of the development spiral...
There is absolutely a lot of good symbolism throughout the Lovers Card. The flames behind being the passions/illusions of the material. Much like Maia's illusions in the Hindu/Vedic. One interpretation is also the comparison of the Conscious, Subconscious and Superconsciousness. The Man, Woman, and Angel.
I would like to clarify that Key 6 of the Major Arcana is The Lovers, it is technically the 7th card. The Fool is Key 0 and the counting goes from there. The Heirophant being Key 5 is the 6th card.
@@GamingUniversityUoG I see, you used their index number. Anyway, as far as I know, letter Vav is traditionally attributed to Lovers arcana, meaning the birth of a third entity of the cycle (in Yod He Vav He tetragrammaton).
I wonder if developers are really that into Qabbalah though =)
I'm with you. I doubt that the developers had a lot of this in mind when writing this. I found it to be an interesting coincidence though. Honestly, I only have done preliminary research into these topics so you probably have more experience with it. From my book though Lovers is attributed to Zayin or Zain.
@@GamingUniversityUoG I mostly use Papus system and other occultists of the French school.
Regarding coincidences - it really came to mind that some of the writers are at least good mediums :)
Then yes I'd say you have more experience than me lol. I studied a bit when I was younger but these days I use Robert Wang's Qabalistic Tarot as well a open source internet sources.
I think it is easy to find some things even when they are not intended by the creator. Patterns in nature so to speak. I'd love to pick the brain of the writers. They come up with such fascinating stuff.
Something where bugging me as I progressed through this dlc. I was granted the Director outfit, and the hairpiece which is very clear made out a shining gold-like material is a pyramid, and its mirrored from the one who are associated with the board... after this video and all the symbolism of the pyramid I got a lot of stuff to figure out
Personally I feel the upright pyramid hairpin with the Director Outfit it supposed to symbolize Stability and the assuming Control of the office of Director.
@@GamingUniversityUoG interestingly the imagery of the piramid as the simbol of the masculinity and power and the inverted one, the feminine is ininverted since the concil is the inverted piramid and the woman is the upright piramid.
I will point out one thing: the board uses its peculiar doubletalk to convey meanings. Nearly everything noun-based has a dual interpretation. The word "former" itself contains two meanings. Both "past" and "shaper".
You deserve faaaaaaar more subscribers
I really appreciate the sentiment!
I can't even hear the word "nail" without chuckling now, thanks to TeamFourStar.
Oh boy lol. What did they do?
@@GamingUniversityUoG You've not seen the bits with Guru in Dragon Ball Z Abridged? I mean "super kami Guru." 😂
Unfortunately no. Haven't seen DBZ so the abridged would be lost on me.
@@GamingUniversityUoG I won't say anything, you know what you've done. 😂
Lmao it shall be our secret.
Thank you!! It’s a great video
You got it! Thank You!
I can’t believe I just defeated Salvador. Omg
Congrats! I wish we could have seen him prior to being corrupted. With Tommasi we got s few audio logs. But nothing but Arish talking about Salvador
Gaming University same. He seems to be such a cool character. But I guess the TV infected him 😔
@@itsclemtime2357 I remeber Dylan saying that Salvador allowed himself to be corrupted cause Dylan said something about granting him power beyond his imagination
So the board vs former is like the argument of 1 God vs multiple gods in a way
I guess it can be interpreted in that way. I see people say that The Former can be compared to a fallen angel in a sense or Loki/Prometheus.
@@GamingUniversityUoG Extending the metaphor of The Former being the Fallen Angel/Satan, the Board could be symbolise the Trinitarianism of God: The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit, given that the Pyramid has three points. Oh wow. I just got chills.
Funny thing is
In the service gun file it reads it was found in the directors office but in the foundation expansion it says it was found at the base of the nail
I have a hypothesis on that which I'll bring up when we get to the OoP part of the archivist series. But it wouldn't surprise me if any information related to the foundation was either redacted or intentionally altered by Northmoor to hide its existence. So some things we find upstairs would be less accurate than what we find downstairs
The Service weapon used to be Mjolnir, a HAMMER.
You use a HAMMER to drive a NAIL into a BOARD.
One way to look at it
@@GamingUniversityUoGIf we're talking about the hammer don't forget that the lighting Indo European God Zeus/Thor/ Perun all have a metaphorical hammer because they are a Demiurge. Greek for artisan or craftsman. Plato ( which sounds like Playdough in EN-glish because humans are like humonculi being made clay, wood, mud ect from different mythologies) said that the Demiurge creates matrixs/material planes/plan-ets. I also saw something on Reddit about the value of names in control and how Emily's name Pope name means mediator or whose closest to God/Jessie. You should also know that this entire reality is composed of electricity from the neurons in your brain to the flux that holds atoms together that's why all the lighting most high God related to EL or Allah the Saturn/moon god that birthed Jupiter. EL eylon is the true most high in the Bible not Yahweh. You can find evidence in side in outside the Bible for that the only reason why I mentioned it because El or Allah is the beginning of the electricity. You do enough research you'll conclude that most high mother/mater goddess/his wife relates to magnets. I can give you something to watch to explain the importance of that in this world. How the board, nail and former relates to this. I'm not 100 percent sure but we both will both come to that understanding soon enough. Here's another clue about the supposed Hierophant. I didn't see the board as a hierophant or middle man. From how I know reality works and from Ash saying that there could be people looking down from a upright pyramid I understood (but not quite anymore from after this video) that the board simply represents higher dimensional entities/clowns/archons the people who create reality in the same way an author or movie directer does. We have those in this reality as well as all realities. Script makers and monarchs of their creation. I'm not saying Alan is that monarch at all and weather or not the board is doesn't mean that the entities doesn't exist in this little world/matrix that remedy created. After all we all know remedy represents the higher dimensional entities to this game but is the board a representation of that. Someone else stated that board is god compared to to former Lucifer/Prometheus. In case you didn't know those terms are outdated behind the veil. Meaning god whatever that entity is is both God and Satan. He/they created the scapegoat that is satan. He created duality for a mechanism to control you/us. No devil/opposition only God/scriptmaker demons. That fact could help you/us figure out who is who what is what in control.
can u make a vid about the astral plane creatures and predators ...I'm still bug about the hiss/Mold/unkillable corrupted ball lurking around also who is Polaris and how come she only response to Jesse
I do intend to touch upon the creatures within the game. I'll do one for Control and I am working on one for the life found within the Dark Place as well.
Great video and great theory you just got a extra sub 👍
You're awesome! Thanks for taking the time to watch and welcome aboard!
Yeah and it is realy interesting but i think one off your other theories about the former is realy interesting and i am not sure who to trust the board or the former but i lean a bit more to the former just because the board seems to think as humans as tools and it seems they dont mind disposing of those tools and the former seems to have more respect for humans and even befriends them
Okay but here's my question. Why does Former look like a giant weird ass bug??? Are the members of the board actually literal parasite monsters? Is his weird bug form a punishment or a 'cast down' state? Was he clinging to the fridge to survive or to try and mess with the FBC in an act of rebellion? The fridge and Former saying hungry and mentioning food condiments makes me think they want or need to consume something. Maybe being seen is a form of nourishment? Which is why the mini nail has those eye paintings all around it?
There is only 1 Hierophant you should blindly follow. The Boss Sojiro Sakura. (Ha Ha, Persona 5 Reference)
But in all seriousness, I love these. I can't wait for AWE. I wonder how many videos you'll get out of that Expansion.
Haha sadly I have never played anything in the Persona franchise.
Considering the subject matter that may be in the AWE dlc I may consider doing a live reaction to it. I know I'll be flipping out when I play it.
If I upgraded my internet do you think there would be interest to watch live streams of my first reaction?
@@GamingUniversityUoG you might dig Persona 5, depending on if you like turn based J-RPG styled games. It actually has tons of Jungian philosophy mixed into it as well. Everything from the collective unconsciousness, to archetypes and shadow-self!
Hello, I have been thinking about the Non-Aristotelian Logic and I had a problem looking for more information about it. Could i know where do you investigated it?. I am interested in knowing more about it if you could provide me with a link to a book or something similar because I have searched for videos but they are in some strange language. Thanks i love your videos
There are a few books out there but I haven't read them yet. There is Science and Sanity: An Introduction to Non-Aristotelian Systems and general Semantics by Alfred Korzybski. Study Immanuel Kant as well. He has some thoughts on the subject.
Most of the research I did for this came from a channel called Essence of Dharma. They have a video called Non-Aristotelian Logic which breaks it down better than me.
Frankly I'd recommend studying some hindu and Buddhist logic systems as they dive into this topic as well.
The more I think about it, the more I'm disappointed, in a way, that this game is so tied to Alan Wake. I'm so overly concerned now with finding ties to the darkness that I'm sad when it's not there, and I have to take a step back to recognize how great Control is 'anyway'.
I spent the entirety of The Foundation looking for information on the Darkness instead of the board... and I think I lost some of the appeal in the process. Especially when almost nothing, if anything at all, was there. Still so surprised it didn't segue into AWE at ALL the way the main story did into The Foundation.
I did completely lose my save-file though... and I HAVE to get ready for AWE... thought about downloading a 100% save but they are all hacked with 1000+ skill points lol *sigh* maybe a 2nd playthrough will be good... but then I wonder if I'll be able to look around if I'm speeding through in time for AWE.
I'm kind of split on it personally. My inner fanboy wants more explicit connections to Alan Wake because I grew up playing that game and am invested in the characters. But I am also happy that Control stands on it's own two feet without relying on AW.
I can almost guarantee the framework for AWE is already in the main game. Therr are just too many unresolved plot threads to point to what string the 2nd DLC will tug.
@@GamingUniversityUoG I'm sure it will circle back on a few things, but even just something as simple as Emily saying "I think some research I need is located in an old shut down sector" would have made me a happy boy lol.
I'm really eager to see what comes out of it, and by extension, your take on AWE after-the-fact as well.
You will be quite happy with AWE. Alan wake fans will be giddy.
Why are you connecting the Nail with the number 6? Why are you going for the number 9 instead of 6 when noting "the foundation"? It sounds like loose connections, unless I'm missing something obvious
We do know we can always count on that Finnish old man~
That Old Man has many more mysteries to share.
dude, I love your explanations. can you suggest me what books or authors to read to be able to understand the types of references/concepts this game uses? I can only think of reading all about philosophy, symbology, psychology, metaphysics and religions, but there are no clear paths. and when it comes to religion, there are a lot of authors who may be more believers than cold objective scholars. should I stick to oxford editions? this comes from an atheist who just wants to learn and understand the concepts used in complex works of fiction like Control and Evangelion (which also uses that hebrew diagram). or, more specific, what do you think are the books and other media that you think/know sam lake draws inspiration from?
Well I know Sam Lake directly references Campbell's Monomyth in the games and the Sankarin Tango has a line about the hero having 1,000 faces. This is a reference to Joseph Campbell's book, Hero with a 1,000 faces. That is a great one to check out. Many authors were inspired by Joe Campbell. Most famously, George Lucas was a student of his.
Because of the Jung references I have been reading Carl Jung's Aion. It is out of print so you'll have to make a special order of it. Those are two good starting points.
I've been working my way through Robert Wang's Qabalistic Tarot which more applies to this video. Also don't neglect the power of the internet. A lot of good info can be found there.
Frankly with theology and mythology I don't know many others other than Joseph Campbell who breaks it down from a scholarly way. Your best bet is to read the original material and come up with your own ideas. That's what I do.
I know what you mean about wanting to approach these ideas as an academic rather then from a true believer. I'm non-religious but I study as much theology as I can. Be advised you can find devoted theologians who approach their faith from an academic standpoint so I wouldnt discredit their thoughts on their theology. Some of the research I did for my Hades video I actually got from a Devout Christian. I linked to her videos if you're curious about her take on the matter.
I'd recommend checking out Max Derrat's YT channel as well. He is currently working on a series where he breaks down each chapter of Carl Jung's Aion. He does great work on that and the game Silent Hill as well.
Its been a while since I played it, but wasn't it the Former who gave Jesse the ability to traverse the caves with the crystals?
The Board gave Jesse one ability and the Former gave the other.
Nice vid. I did not see that shot of the former in the foundation at the end of my dlc playthrough. How did you see that?
It's a missable scene. After cleansing The Nail and beating Marshall, head to the left of the structure. There is a small cave system that leads to a cliff overlooking the Foundation. The Former hangs out there but runs when you notice it.
@@GamingUniversityUoG darn, I think I see the cliff, but never saw the former show up
@@GamingUniversityUoG wait, if the former is living in the foundation in the conscious world, does that mean he can swap to and from the astral plane like Jesse?
Oh man...Remedy is leaving SO MUCH STUFF unresolved for the future.
They already announced they are making a new game in the same universe of Control and Alan Wake, I wonder if we'll only see the answers for Control's questions in the next game (and not in the next expansion)
If what they mention at the start of Alan Wake is a guide, I doubt they will answer all the questions.
Alan: "The unanswered mystery is what stays with us the longest, and it's what we'll remember in the end."
@@GamingUniversityUoG Yes! But I mean stuff that looks like foreshadowing for future plot points in the story, like Dylan's coma or Former in the "real" world, stuff like this.
Awesome video. I had similar theories as well. :D
Thanks! Yeah once we start to interpret everything as metaphors the way the write this game and Alan Wake is so much easier to follow.
Now thinking ahti can be fully understood , so is ahti part of board ,works alone or part of maybe galactic force of janitors who monitor oldest house's cause the board never speaks about ahti.
When you think about the board are they one species or of many? Are there must be opposing forces for they they fight or be prepared to fight because anyone who giving out powers and items to others means you preparing for something to happen.
The Board is certainly a group of entities likely similar to what the Former is physically. We don't know much about whether it is all one species but I assume they are.
Personally I think Ahti is Team Oldest House the Board is on their own team.
That is one topic I really want more information on.
The nail in the cross(roads)
Nice play on words there. O like it.
So if you stack the pyramid on the nail, it forms a true nail (which looks like an actual nail) 👀
It absolutely does! Almost like the pyramid broke off at some point. 🤔
The board is located within the inverted pyramid, so they might be infered to be physically inverted themselves.
Where'd you get that outfit?
You get it after beating Tier 3 of the expeditions challenge. It's the Jukebox you find outside Central Executive.
"There Is No War in Ba Sing Se"
Tha Dai Li would have us believe otherwise. Don't go to the Lake.
@@GamingUniversityUoG Thanks for the heads up 👍👍
Can anyone tell me what the "Id" are i kept hearing it but never understood what it was
I will certainly address this topic at some point in the future.
The ID is the unconscious mind. My guess is the pure black enemies you encounter are ID. As they are from the unconscious universe that is the Astral plane.
@@R3VELAT1ON Correct. The ID, Ego, and Superego are aspects of the human Psyche. ID is the pure unfiltered instincts. But how they relate to the narrative and whose ID they are I'm still looking around for.
Gaming University after playing both dlcs I think the board are a manifestation of entities of the entirety of human sub conscious or of all conscious life in the universe for all that we know. The ID are like you said unfiltered instinct. One of those instincts is pure survival. Our capacity for violence. Which is why they fight or are used to train you. The former was able to control ID because he used to be on the board or part of it. This is all what I’ve gathered from playing and I could be completely wrong. Also I think the board is so concerned and worried about control because our unconscious mind is what keep humans in check most of the time. If they are eliminated or lose power and humans grasp control of both the unconscious and conscious world it could be bad.
hum... the hierophant is the 5th card. the sixth is the lovers.
The count begins at 0 with the Fool. So it is the 6th in the sequence but notated by V.
What outfit is that? I’ve never seen it
That would be the Expedition Gear outfit. You unlock it for clearing Tier 3 of Expeditions.
Gaming University thank you so much. I have to give that more a try.
Is it possible that the Oldest House is Yggdrasil?
I have a video on that topic in the playlist. You're way ahead of me!
@@GamingUniversityUoG Found the video. A good breakdown! And really interesting. I wonder if they'll bring more gods in the way they've brought in Ahti. Say armourers named Eitri and Brokkr. They may even be behind the construction of the service weapon
@@GamingUniversityUoG Besides the world tree. What do you think about Northmoor as a future antagonist? Say Faden and her troop in the FBC decide to sever their reliance on the Board, in the next game, perhaps even provoking them/it by calling them/it the Advisory Board, and appointing a mortal human board in their place.
If Northmoor has been spending some of his time in the NSCs doing some introspecting, he may finally regain control of his powers. In that event the Board may retroactively deny his resignation and reinstate him as Director in opposition to Faden.
If Faden then allies herself with Former, or if she discovers a new force, I don't know, but I like the idea of a Civil War led by Northmoor. That could be the Ragnarok you're looking for
Ooh, another question. What do you think the "city" referenced in Black Rock Quarry is?
@@vahltewhen was a city referenced
Gives me Breaking bad vibes of Gale.
I've never seen Breaking Bad. Can you explain for me?
The Board and Former might both be nonaristotelian as well: true and false and unknown...
Subjective reality and entities are always like this.
What outfit is that?
It's the Expedition Gear that is unlocked by beating Tier 3 of the Expeditions dlc.
Awesome thanks!
You should examine the Ordinary AWE in depth. There are so many mentions of paranatural entities and the 5 pillars on slidescape 36 resemble crude nails.
There is a very important symbolism you didn't mention: the phallic one.
There even is a document to be collected where a researcher makes some jokes about it resembling a penis. In fact this fits the narrative of male/female symbolism you also discussed in other videos.
The earth (the manifest) is female in all cultures, the great mother, the sky (the non manifest, heaven) is male. The nail could represent a phallic figure bonding sky to earth, gods/higher beings to humankind, astral plane to our world. This is also hinted by the upper shape of the nail (inverted triangle fitting the board shape) and the natural shape of a nail (the pointy tip I presume it has).
Me who always thought of a “fingernail” when I played the dlc 🤡😅
I don't think vav in Hebrew means "nail". More like "hook"? Mas'mer would be nail.
...what? The Hierophant isn't the 6th card, it's the 5th. The 6th is the Lovers.
Depending on the deck and translation it refers to either Hook or Nail. I love seen it both ways in literature.
And technically yes Hierophant has assigned the number V but the cards start with 0, I, II, III, IV, V. So 5 is the sixth card/letter in the sequence.
@@GamingUniversityUoG ...this is a good point, I'll identify myself with the 0th card now.
And I do think the more common translation of "hook" still ties in with the rest of the video's claims, just interesting to see how words can have variable/mutable meanings and how translations interact with them... not unlike how the Board communicates to the player. ;D
Trust but verify! Even Gods tell lies
Always! We must question those who tell us what we want to hear just as much as those who we distrust.
"This Statement is False"
More Board Propaganda lol
I really really hope that Former was actually kind because I don't like The Board from the begining... it was too political against Jesse and FBC. Just my opinion 😁
I didn't like the anti-trust, anti-authority tone of this one.
Considering what we learn about the Board in this dlc it is relatively accurate. They demand blind obedience but threaten Jesse if she does anything they don't like. Blind obedience in these entities when they obviously has ulterior motives is what led to Northmoor's downfall. Healthy skepticism is okay.
The Hierophant is the 5th card and u sir are false news :)
Not true. The Major Arcana begins with Key 0 The Fool. As such Key 5, The Hierophant, is the 6th card. Little weird but yeah.
(0) Fool - Aleph
(1) Magician - Beth
(2) High Priestess- Gimel
(3) Empress - Daleth
(4) Emperor- Heh
(5) Hierophant -Vav
@@GamingUniversityUoG yeah in that perspective it's right. (damn Hebrew alphabet looks so similar to persian)
I agree it's a little weird with the counting starting at 0 rather than 1.
I haven't looked at the Persian Alphabet but I imagine it has a common ancestor as the Hebrew one. I know English and Russian use similar alphabet with only a few letters being different. Both are based upon the Roman Alphabet.
@@GamingUniversityUoG Roman and Cyrillic both come from Greek alphabet which comes from Phoenician. I am amazed that it's still easy to see the symbolism in some of the letters, A and M for example. A is Phoenician 'aleph' - ox, and inverted A looks like an ox's head, M is 'mem' meaning water and M looks like waves. Thousands of years have passed and yet those meanings are here right under our noses.
Thank you for the information. I haven't studied the family tree of language and symbols as much as I'd like. You are absolutely right about how we have symbolism all around us and we never notice. I find it sad we generally ignore old knowledge and wisdom these days.
There are lots of videos on the Internet that really interests me but as soon as the video starts and the sound I hear is something like this, I immediatly regret ever clicking on it. And this happens for one simple reason Aliene, I DONT WANT TO HEAR THE "INSIDE* OF YOUR MOUTH. I am much more interested in what is to come out of it as words. Please, unless you are an ASMR channel, do not use a microphone or record yourself like this. It is simply fucking disgusting. Such a cool video wasted because of poor recording choices.
Right now both heirophants look sideways