AniMaria - The Academic Value of Silent Hill
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- Опубликовано: 17 янв 2019
- I might have uncovered a secret about Silent Hill 2 that nobody noticed before. Even if my theory is not true, it still fits the game pretty well.
This video is not just a theory video. It is the first in a series of videos where I hope to present the academic value of video game narratives. In my ideal future, video game stories will be given the same attention and respect by scholars as books and films. This is my first argument in favor of this ideal.
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#silenthill #konami 
Игры
2019 and we're still talking about Silent Hill. Shows how powerful this game did for the video game culture. But now that i think about it went so much more beyond that influencing the real world.
Silent Hill is such a landmark of its type. That age when video games can be art rather than drugs like what they are today.
Agreeeed!
*Indubitably.*
@@lowgalaxy7232 video games still can be art. Look at titles like Undertale and Dark souls not everything is Slot Machine simulator 9000 much to EA's disappointment.
@@mwperk02 Uncharted, Last of Us, Detroit Become a Human ect.
Love your style man
To me Maria is the most unsettling aspect of SH2 aside from the environment or Pyramid Head, the way she never interacts with any of the other human characters but appears to James when he is alone, the way she always spawns in the corner of dark rooms when you first exploring the hospital.
She really like a phantom which makes her presence and connection to Mary all the more disturbing.
🔥
Also there’s a side game from her perspective. It’s sad because even she believed she was her own person and not something out of James psyche until the game further progresses
She is real. If not in Silent Hill, then in the Non-world. But I think she is a canon character.
Surely it is. Sometimes I think Maria is creepier than Pyramid Head
Sounds like your talking about nurse lisa from silent hill 1 though..
You know that a game is a good game when after almost 20 years people continues speaking and making theories
And not only the game itself. But every aspect of it from the enemy design to it's characters to even it's red square savepoints
“A delayed game is eventually good, a bad game is bad forever.”
― Shigeru Miyamoto
I played Silent Hill 2 for the first time a few months back because I thought it was going to be a really frightening, memorable game. I had no clue it would be a narrative requiring thorough exposition that would probably haunt me for the rest of my life. I had absolutely no idea what I was signing up for.
@@del5582 *Always read the fine print*
Yea, I always laught when people called Resident Evil a horror game back in 2000. RE were just B class bullshit compared to this masterpiece.
My fascination with Silent Hill is eternal. Ever since that initial horrifying descent through hell with Harry, I've been hooked into it's beautiful nightmare. Its tragic what's become of this series. So deep and haunting still to this day
In the same way that the, admittedly very different, Tomb Raider has been ruined it always seems to come down to money and milking a franchise until it is dry. For me SH4 The Room and TR IV The Last Revelation are where both these series end (they are, in my opinion, both the weakest editions but still good). Personally, nothing beyond these two games is canon. Of course, no one who was creatively responsible for the originals still has any connection to the games - something which is pretty obvious to those who love the early games.
Same here...
I like, it got so much attention, so many games, but none of them besides the first 4 and Downpour, understand the mythos of the world.
I always felt alot of Jungian psychoology in Silent Hill 2,as well!
One thing I noticed:"There is no coming to co sciousness without pain. People will do anything, no matter how absurd, in order to avoid facing their own soul. One does not become enlightened my imagining figures of light,but my making the darkness conscious." -Carl Jung
Everything hinted to James that he killed Mary:The radio noise at the beginning is Mary asking:"Why did you kill me,James?",Maria saying that he maybe hated her,Maria dying by Pyramid Head over and over again,Laura saying he never loved Mary,Angela saying he probably found someone else,Eddie saying Silent Hill called him,too,and of course,the video tape. But James way always unwilling to accept the Truth. And that was the main reason for the monster's appearances and the town's horror.
"We cannot change anything until we accept it. Condemnation does not liberate,it oppresses." - Carl Jung
It is when James watched the tape and accepted his fault for killing Mary that thing started changing:No more illusions like the hotel being intacked while it was actually burned down(The Flaming Staircase is Angela's illusion,and James didn't kil PH's and Maria yet,so he saw it),ability to kill Pyramid Heads once and for all,monsters were much less in number etc etc. This required exploring the deepest and darkest parts of Silent Hill(which projected James' psyche,so he was simultaneously exploting his own personaloity and psyche),but in the end,the Truth was revealed and accepted with pain.
When I heard SH devs read psychology books to study the human psyche,fear and what causes fear, and made the games based on the information,I immediately thought of Carl Jung.
And for the end,kickass video,earned an immediate sub from me!
*I Love your username!*
@@DMTInfinity Was about to say the exact same thing to you
@@BlindBosnian
😗💨 . . . *Cheers* . . . 😚💨
amazing comment, liked it just as much as i like his videos.
Silent hill got me into psychology and religious/occult study's. Which then lead me to h.p lovecrafts world of the c'thulu mythos. Such depth is rarely seen except in games like the last of us or even older Earthbound.
I was always interested in that kind of stuff but Silent Hill helped me realize it.
Xenogears definitely fits this depth as well, and the psychological threads/concepts are very overtly seen. Psychology, philosophy, religion, and even a tad of mysticism and fantasy. I often told many friends, this game needs a psychology textbook to go along otherwise some of the ideas are just so deep it is hard to fathom them. I love Xenogears and Silent Hill for this effort they put in making the video gaming experience a complex and intricate one.
I always wondered if Silent Hill influenced Bloodborne, as it's one of the only games I've played that really understands how to get that "dark" angle right on a psycho-spiritual level.
@@KnjazNazrath bloodborn was mainly influenced by h.p and the movie brotherhood of the wolf. It had more of a cthulu mythos rather then silent hills occult psych-horror. blood borne had a more cosmic horror tone.
Well, Bioshock, Deus Ex, Fallout (1!) Inquisitor, Planescape Torment tries something like that (just naming pc games :s) Maybe suikoden 3, xenogears, chrono cross or something like that too... anyway i always tought sillent hills brought most of it's sustance from Lynch Style (also a director well known for it's simbology and tought provoking movies) especially Twin Peaks
Ah Sigmund Frued. You read a couple of his works it seems like he knows his stuff but the more you dig deeper into what it believes the more you question if he is really sane and/or just projecting.
Big Blue classed as classic literature now though. You won’t study Frued in modern day phychology degrees. Such a shame. True Fruedarians would hate it. I think it’s still necessary. Start at the begging.
Max knows his stuff. Go back.. and watch them all you will binge watch. He is tooo smart, especially in the area of Phych and human behaviour. Watch them you will be mind blown. Inspiring someone so young can be so deep. Nice!
@@clairebear6993 Oh I know Max is smart, I am talking about Frued and his works alone that I question.
Indeed. Everything Freud says screams personal issues. Then there's his classic response to the cigar which is the biggest cop-out of all. ¬_¬
Big Blue Max was my ride or die friend online until some other friends sent me cray cray 😜
Eventually we are going to have to accept alternative media such as video games as a legitimate and powerful form of both storytelling and personal exploration of the philosophical. This is especially true when these ideas are formed in a way (through gameplay) that no other media can emulate. Nier: Automata is a perfect example of this.
💖
could also use games to hide stuff that they want not on facebook youtube eta such as my mod is about the new world order but takes place in that ficctinal universe based on things that correspond to our universe. www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/60443
Academics tend to focus on SH2 without really giving the rest of the series much credit. Every SH game is about confronting your Jungian shadow. In the first one the cursed town is born through the physical agony turned psychological psychic projection of a girl in order to birth the demon Samael. The sequels usually follow characters clashing with the town whose surroundings and inhabitants take the form of their unconscious fears and repressed traumas. Chief among these antagonists is Valtiel, Samael's "angel", who takes the shape of whatever particular horror the protagonist is most struggling with. In every SH game from 2 on that is always the thing that lurks in the background or actively pusues them. This is the purest form of their ID. Often there is a deeper core truth to conquer to escape the town but the avatar of Valtiel most represents who they are.
I. Love. Silent Hill.
😗💨 . . . *Cheers* . . . 😚💨
It's an addictive series. Particularly #1 to 3.
So...
Let me be the one to bring you the good news...
There is an academic field of studies which is centered in pop culture and its relevance to understand human nature, society, relations and mind:
Pop Philosophy.
It is a pretty new field of studies and there is few researchers involved. But it is growing.
*Nice!* 💖
As a psychology student, I must said this video was very well done. A solid awesome encapsulaption of psychoanalitic theory and content with amazing interpretation of Silent Hill.
I would love to see you break down anything you can in the Silent Hill series. I have loved this series for what feels like forever but I'm not very good at digging through symbolism. Silent Hill will live on if we keep talking about it like this.
SH is my most precious/favorite video game series . It’s what makes me , me .
"I walked, I could do nothing but walk. The only me is me, are you sure the only you is you?" RIP Silent Hills, still stings.
A video game makes you, you? Sad life.
Andrew Cruz Jesus Christ that DP is horrendous
For me silent hill especially silent hill 2 (my favourite one by the way) while containing a lot of the elements of the freudian and junglian theories, it focuses in the most talked and perhaps popularised element in Jung theory wich is the shadow, the shadow in short contains everything (both good and bad) that we don't want to show (or recognise) that we have ourselves so, every time we deny it it grows stronger and stronger (like a snow ball) and at the end it may be our end (or bring us very bad times), the town represents this, it shows us our shadow like in the case of the other 2 characters we find through the game (I'm excluding Laura because she's not affected by the town) or even James. And another junglian element present in the same game (and the series) is the integration of said shadow into one self, it can be dangerous since it includes integrating some things we don't like about ourselves. and like chemical reactions were not the same after it. And that's the beauty (and horror) of silent hill (especially 2) as a town it puts us in front of that we hate about ourselves, makes us go through war with our shadow, but if we can be like James in the (I dare to say) "canon" ending (mostly because its the one you always get on the first playtrough) and we can integrate our shadow we can grow ourselves.
Sorry for the long post, I love this game and I love the junglian psychology, I'm a major in psychology and is the one that I love the most!, I hope you keep doing vids like this max!! and to you the random person that is made it this far, I wish you a beautiful day and keep being awesome!
I am so glad i found your channel. I love silent hill so much as well as psychology. This feeds psychology soul satisfaction. Haha.
Max Derrat Excellent video! I had forgotten how good the sound track is.
Silent Hill 1,2 & 3 are such intimate experiences. I'm keen to follow your journey...
Well, one of the most well written characters in all of fiction is Kreia from KOTOR II. You should take a look at the video on her philosophy.
Max, I gotta tell ya... I haven't thought about Silent Hill 2 in quite some time. Just a couple of years ago I got into reading Jung psychology to understand myself. Back in November a relationship I was in was ended after 11 years. I've handled it well except for one thing: I've developed a crush on a woman at work. One who is not like my ex, and who is already married with kids (you could say, an alternate version of my ex). I just finished reading "King Warrior Magician Lover" which explores the masculine archetypes written by Jungian psychologists, and in the Lover side of things, the "Shadow Lover" can put a woman on a pedestal...Anyways...How I see my crush is not unlike how Sunderland sees Maria. It's hard to explain, but, since reading that book a light bulb went off in my head, and I've almost shaken that feeling I have for my crush, and after watching this video made me see that feeling I had, and appreciate Silent Hill 2 just that much more.
I KNEW TOOL ALBUM COVER WAS LURKING AROUND IN THE Video.
What?! Must've missed it. Can you send me the timestamp?
@@BlindBosnian 09:43
@@KneeCapHill Thanks! That's not a cover of any Tool album, but it is a painting from Alex Grey, the album artworker for Tool.
Holy fucking shit, Silent Hill 2, Carl Jung, and now Alex Grey. If this isn't the best thing on RUclips...
@@BlindBosnian yeh i knew all that
@@BlindBosnian
He should have put the album cover in it though. *X,D*
I feel the biggest hurdle for video games is, they're _interactive entertainment_ and by nature requires input effort by the "audience" (i.e. player) at a certain level of _competency_ in order to overcome the challenge before progressing further into the game and narrative. Books and film are rather passive; ;the plot advances _on its own_ without audience participation. One simply takes it all in and contemplates, rewind, re-read, and contemplate even more. For games, loading up a previous save at a certain point of the game and having to re-engage those tedious platform jumps, puzzles, boss fights, etc can drain away energy and attention more than one realises, and left with little to comfortably analyse and interpret what's happening on screen.
Unless said academics are avid skilled gamers themselves, it's unlikely they're going to torture themselves with countless dying and failing just to be able to conduct a deep-dive study of the title material.
And to make matters way worse, the _technology system requirements_ that need to be met before one can even get to experience the game in the first place. How many arts/literature departments actually own working units of Playstation 2, Sega Megadrive. NES, and PCs with the appropriate period hardware to properly run Windows 95/98? There is a massive technological emulation challenge to face before the world gets to _easily_ access and experience these old games. For passive medium one just flips through the pages of the book, or slot in the DVD/Bluray into the player, and seat back and relax instead of trying to decipher what all those popping error messages and hexadecimal codes even mean.
I agree with your first point, in the fact that even gaming journalists are not particularly good at playing games either. However, your second point is a problem that does not exist right now. It is incredibly easy to get your hands on any gaming console and relatively cheap as well (well, for the most part, obviously a Philips CDi wasn't a commonplace item and will be more expensive but you can still purchase them). PCs capable of running Windows 95/98 exist everywhere, in fact, many businesses still run them for things like cash registers because it is a low-cost operating system. In the future, as this hardware starts deteriorating more and working ones become harder to find/more expensive, that will be an issue. However... this is why people work so hard to preserve this stuff. Beyond emulators, there are even clone consoles that exist that have brand new hardware but still operate exactly as the old systems do.
The things video games achieve through player interaction is a big part of what video games are about. Interactivity is the thing that makes games different from other mediums. That is where the potential of video games lies. So it's crucial to actually play games if you are going to analyze them. People tend to focus too much on the story and ignore the gameplay (what are you actually doing) when analyzing games. This is somewhat understandable, because in many (most?) games the gameplay is disconnected from the story or actively works against it.
Oh boi we have a big brained intellectual. Sergen of smert!!!
@@lastburning good games and game design understands how to integrate the gameplay as a part of its storytelling. A simple and obvious example is the insanity meter in any game derivative of Lovecraft's works.
I really appreciate that comment and place of youtube
Beautiful Video as always
I would add though
3:37
Fear is not caused by ignorance of the mind. We find great comfort in ignorance and strive to submerge our minds in the meaningless.
Our true terror and indeed the birthplace of fear is the acknowledgement that we posses a mind which is capable of real change and thus is quite powerful. It is the promise of power and control that frightens us not ignorance.
-
The reason we fear power is because if I am powerful then I am in control of life. But if I'm in control....then who can I blame for my problems? To whom may I point the accusing finger and say 'You are the cause of my upset'.
If I have power then I am in control and we dispise this.
Thus is why we often willingly surrender power over to authorities figures such as governments and corporations.
We like being slaves because then I don't have to make my own decision and I need not take responsibility for my actions.
-
It is the light that most terrifies us. Darkness is an ancient friend to whom we seek comfort in times of great sorrow.
So what will you do without all the fun back and forth drama?
That is fucking terrific, realy, just thinking abouth what you just wrote make my Brain literally begin to spam random and bizarre toughts just to prevent me from paying atention to what you're saying.
I fear my own eventual death, not out of ignorance but out of the knowledge that my consciousness will be committed to the void. I fear the knowledge that one day I'll be no longer and my daughters will lose their father. Just as I fear the day my father eventually leaves this world.
Mostly irrelevant but I suppose my fears fall into a fear of the unknowable. I've struggled with this for a great while and I'm only 24. I remember being so caught up in my own death when I was in 3rd grade I used to lay awake horrified.
I'm late but I still want to share my feelings for your work..
I'm in love with your content, really. I just discovered your channel and I can't stop watching your Silent Hill videos, they're amazing.
I learn more about the games, I learn new theories I've never heard of and I learn absolutely interesting things like the psychoanalysis : I learn new things about subjects I love with all my heart.
Everything about your content is great. I also love your voice, it's perfect, I feel comfortable watching your videos.
Thank you so much for your work, I really love it. 🌼
Watching this again a year later. SH is one of my favorite franchises,the second installment is one of the greatest games ever made.Thanks for showing SH the love it deserves Max
I gotta admit, your narration and the way you go through your interpretations are pretty interesting and entertaining to listen to.
Thanks for another great video Max.
I have a really odd obsession with Silent Hill and I haven't played any of them. Years ago when the original Playstation was current I borrowed a copy from a friend and tried, but I don't have the nerves for this kind of media. My sense of empathy is so strong that the feelings these kinds of games create is just too much for me to handle. What's unfortunate is that the story and lore of Silent Hill are fascinating to me, and I've been able to follow it through "Let's Play" videos as well as these types of videos analyzing the game's themes.
Put the game on easy mode and just play it.
I agree with Nimbereth. You should really give the first game a shot. THe graphics aren't as well, graphic for violence on the PS1. You'd be surprised how much you grow when you do things that frighten you or things you don't want to do.
You should watch "silent hill analysis" videos. I dont remember the uploader but they are like 3 hours long and he goes through the whole game analysing it pixel by pixel. I didnt watch it since i want to play the games myself first
@@mir9168 He should play the game and not watch another you tube video about. Like I said, just put on easy mode and he can do it.
@@Nimberethno game difficulty setting can save u from being scared to play it. I would make up reasons like " the game is boring" so we wouldnt play it with my friends when i was 12 because the level of "scared" would almost come to outright panic. SH3 was the first game i couldnt make myself to play and i thought i was tough after completing the suffering on ps2. But i was 12 back then, now its a different story.
Excellent analysis! I've been looking forward to reading/listening to a well put together analysis of my favorite game series of all time!
You give video games the legitimacy it needs, your videos our very open deep and interesting diving deep into parallels of these games that many never would of seen. Your video on Metal Gear Solid was amazing as well. You somehow put into words what a lot of people have seen or thought or wanted to learn and make it transcend from just gaming but in reality, philosophy, and of course art.
I really appreciate your videos. I've been a fan ever since your MGS 2 analysis, and you continue to impress with your thoughtful yet succinct videos.
Thanks so much, Forrest! Hopefully I can continue to provide worthwhile content for all of you.
Damn dude... i just discovered your channel.
Needless to say, you're showing me that I need to replay all of those games from when I was younger.
So much was overlooked! I enjoyed the games so much back then... and I wasn't even getting the full extent of it.
SHEESH!
Talk about synchronicity, your channel and content in relation to providing a literary legitimacy to video games is the goal of my work right now. RUclips randomly suggested your videos and I'm digesting as much as I can. I love your work.
Amazing video! Very useful for my thesis on Homesick. Many thanks😊
Incredible work man. Wow. I’m beyond impressed with this analysis. There are so many of these examples and theories that I’ve thought about for years. I was born in 88 and grew up with the first three games, almost obsessively. Not in a manner that would hinder my day-to-day life, but always lingering in the very back of my mind like a sound I wanted to scratch ... not hear. I think one of the most incredible video game moments in history is the beginning of the original Silent Hill, through its unconventional camera angles and cinematography, ambiguous demonic undertones, and unexplainable circumstances in the environment becoming progressively dilapidated. However what makes silent hill one of the best moments in gaming in my opinion, is the act of creating shock, trapping the main character (which if you have an empathetic temperament, you), and forcing you to realize that there is no way out, and you have to die. If you immerse yourself into the persona of the main character of any game, this game’s example creates layers of character conflict that is basically horrifying on another level. There is no game that can replicate this as organically as silent hill did. Truly the first three games are masterpieces... at least in my opinion. Great great work man.
Started in the 1990's and is still being talked about now in 2019. That's how you know it's interesting and how deep it can go. The myth, the psychology of it, etc. I like it and the more you dig into information the more interesting things you find out.
Really incredible incredible analisys! Thank you so much for this video!
This was a truly excellent watch. Informative, creative and inspirational; and fuckin great source material.
I played the Silent hills when I was 10 years old and upwards. Even through the sheer terror, brought about by the games gruesomly artistic nature, I was attracted to the franchise. As I've gotten older, and my understanding of the world and my pursuits of understanding have brought me to Freud, Jung, Watts, Mckena and Peterson. I feel now that these are not simply choices, but an inaite hunger deep within me; beyond ego. That craves this knowledge in order to become fully developed and intirgrated, so to be usefull enough to be effective.
Thanks for this video Max. I'd like to see you do more on this franchise.
Cause I'm a massive FAN boy 😁
Thanks Calgie! I've got four other videos on my channel dedicated to Silent Hill. If you want links to them, stick around to the end of the video to see them on the video screen. :) If you like Jung like I do, you might want to check out one video in particular called "Silent Hill Mythology - The Multiple Dimension Theory." Have a great weekend! :D
thank you so much for this video! very engaging and i'd love to see more videos of you digging into the silent hill universe
Thanks so much! If you stick to the end of the video, there are video links on screen that will direct you to other Silent Hill videos I have done.
This is truly great, I've often thought the same about elevating the perception of video games to the level they deserve! People often argue that video games lack depth and while in some cases that is true, isn't that the same for any medium? I can think of dozens of books, films, artwork, music, etc that have entries which arguably have no real meaning or depth- "just fluff" I suppose; but even that sort of thing has its purpose (purely entertainment) Anyway, I just wanted to say EXCELLENT VIDEO and KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!!!
I wouldn't call depictions drawn with period blood or female hygiene products or similar art or anything related to that. Art has fallen in front of all when it comes to depth. The japanese game LSD simulater is based on a dream diary. how deeper can you get?
Considering they once considered having an alternate version of James, named "Joseph", I wonder if the corpse of James found in the apartment was the Animus of Mary, whom is dead, so Joseph would be dead too.
Wow man I have watched so many explained videos but this is something I have wanted to study myself so to see something like this is wonderful I subscribe right away and I'm going to check out all your stuff I hope to see much more. 😁
Pong had a great plot,and a wicked twist at the end!
Loving your channel so far
*This deep dive was excellent but there was one thing you definitely got wrong about Silent Hill 3 **6:51** there are actual clear freudian influences in the monster designs here.* Hunger/Anger/Pleasure/Sexuality/Fear
*Mandarin:* You'll notice at the ends of the "arms" are lips that could either be mouths or vaginal lips. The elongated stiffness of the arms are phallic in nature as well, like an amalgamation of the two sexual parts into one being which people romantically describe when they have sex "becoming one" etc.
*Creeper:* very general Anger and Disgust are easily expressed towards pests and bugs it's hard to enjoy the pleasures in life when you're harasssed by insects and pests.
*Flesh Lip/Mary* highly representative of hospital patients unable to care for themselves rendering their loved one unable to derive sexual pleasure with them. Beds are where you sleep and derive sexual pleasure (usually) mouths/lips etc it all comes together.
now with SH3 it is a bit more complicated from your perspective since this is from the perspective of Heather who is a combination of Alessa and Cheryl which would represent fears/sexuality/anger of a girl in general and of her own unique make-up. A lot of the designs take form in Alessa's anguish, anger, and inability to have pleasure after the horrors she endured and then general fears/desires of a more female teenage perspective. One of the bosses in SH3 is the most obvious Phallic based inspiration in the entire SH series.
*Pendulum:* Fear of intimacy/sexuality considering in an area associated with penises is a sharp blade.
*Slurper:* .......Do I really have to explain the potential for sexual connotations here???
*Nurse:* Sexual competition since their outfits and body shape are idealized.
*Insane Cancer:* Fear of weight gain and cancerous growths/breast cancer.
I'm actually a little surprised you didn't make these connections yourself!
The part about Jung's gutting of Freud's idea I have to wonder if Jung never realized the SUBconscious sexual connotations of POWER often leading to sexual gratification or RELIGION leading to sexual/marital gratification dressed up in a spiritual light since it often involves being part of a community to grow close to. I actually think a lot of our "other" motivations simply pave the way for the pursuit of sexuality to come to a pleasurable conclusion. Though I do believe with a focused mind you can possibly transcend this a bit with selfless acts I think we take for granted how subconsciously sexual these seemingly "non-sexual" motivations really are especially since it's easily proven that you can gain sexual gratification through non-intercourse/masturbatory means.
Anyhow love your videos, discovered it because of you remaking that one guy's MGS "most substantial" video which I saw a loooong time ago, I really enjoyed your take on remaking it since it felt a little more concise since you were able to do your own pass over his attempt, offering slightly different insights.
lol! "Jung's gutting of Freud's idea"? You keep grindin' that axe, son. There's a reason people get annoyed with Freudians reducing the world to sexual desires, y'know? Kinda implies we're nothing but the sum of biological impulses, and that nothing we've done actually has value. There was a great satire of this in Futurama's "Don't Date ROBOTS!" sketch, actually. Still, as a religious studies scholar I'm used to people trying to argue ideas of primitive morality or death denial whilst missing the larger points. Something tells me from your writing tone you might be a touch too entrenched in your viewpoint to consider the flaws, but here's hoping I might've given you some food for thought.
Nice one on linking the monsters up though. It's obvious to those of us who've studied psychoanalysis but obviously many people haven't. Speaking of which, credit for having actually read some Jung. He rarely gets mentioned in psychology courses, which strikes me as odd. They touch on archetypes and the anima, then whisk away.
Because we are a sum of biological impulses. And yeah nothing matters , why would you think otherwise ?
small addition to the creeper: it's literally a bug. could be a metaphor for HIV (bugchasing) and thus sexually reckless behavior.
Nice symbolism parallels you drew there.
@@KnjazNazrath Jung was considered racist. Even then it stroke so bad that he never cleared up his name while alive. Now ppl don't mention it, but tend not to mention Jung too.
Great video! I really love Silent Hill and the aspects of Psychology.
Just found your channel. I really appreciate what your work.
You deserve way more likes and subscribers, there's some top quality content here.
Fresh SH content? You're a blessing, kind sir.
Really digging these videos dude, SUBBED. Greetings from the UK!
Holy crap, man. I feel like this is the channel I've always needed to find.. I have loved this game ever since '99 when the very first one came out. I remember pouring over plot theories - I think the original one I read was posted on gamefaqs by president evil! I used to spend in inordinate amount of time considering the weird plots holes.. and what it all meant. The first two games were exceptional, but it never really kept my interest in the same way after that.. even though I still played them all. Going to be busy watching a lot of your videos! I'm pretty psyched ^_^
I love you silent hill series!! Awesome and deep analysis
I will do my best to preserve this video. It shows how videogames can become a material of deep studies in any matter. And with that, videogames can be taken more seriously as part of human culture. Storytelling and Cinematography are combined so perfectly to make the wonder that is a videogame. Excellent video.
Great vid. Love tool and Alex grey's art
The cool thing about discussing games as literature is that the act of discussion further pushes the form further creating a positive feedback loop of more games with even more ambitious story to tell and how they tell them.
As a Psychology and English major, I wish to incorporate rich story-telling video games, like Silent Hill 2, to explain psychological concepts when I become a professor.
It is good to see that individuals are observing story-rich video games seriously because according to Jung, literature is the individual's shadow. Thanks for your video!
I'm glad to see others out there who share similar goals to my own. Thanks for watching!
I love these videos so much dude. So good.
Some topics these videos bring up for me to share are "Universal Hologram Theory" of consciousness and Gateway Experience CIA paper
Shakespeare is overated, silent hill is where it is now
*#lolz*
I wonder what William would think of these games
@@viktorthevictor6240 William Shakespeare never existed. He was a fictional creation of Sir Francis Bacon, an occultist.
Exeunt, pursued by a grey child
@@FlashProAnimations Could you go into more detail? I've never heard of this.
Once again Max you provide some well crafted arguments and great content overall.
Thanks so much, Folke!
In 2008 I took an experimental college course literally called Games and Lit which was an English credit course they were trying that examined games as a form of literature and story telling. Really fun class. Dude even straight up said he didn't expect people to show up to class when Gta4 dropped provided they could prove they bought/were playing the game.
Respectfully beautiful analysis/&dissection👑🎞
I love these kind of theories specially regarding silent hill which for me the best horror game series of all time
Hey there! Luckily for you there's actually been a really wonderful host of academic work on video games over the last 13 years or so, to the point that Games Studies is actually it's own dedicated discipline! I would urge you to check out the journal Game Studies, as well as the Platform Studies book series. Great stuff!
dude i love your videos. love the title "animaria" :D...
God I love your videos. Can't wait for what's next.
Ive enjoyed the content and confection of this video a LOT.
Wonderful vídeo. Thanks for sharing it
This video seriously helped make sense of so much...
You used the word nascent correctly and this playlist is amazing, I subbed based on that. Thank you.
This channel is absolute gold, as Silent Hill. Thank you
This video was really good! I'm subscribing
YOU ROCK, Tiempo!
Interesting. I just finished Silent Hill 2 for the first time a couple weeks ago.
You fkn nailed it man.!!!
Great job!!!
Thank you! This is the video I want to spread aggressively the next time someone is like “Ew! M rated games are bad and violent and no one should be playing them!” There is artistic and academic merit looking into games like Silent Hill. It’s kind of frustrating and sad when there are still people who are dismissive over video games, especially those in the M rated and horror variety.
I became fixated by the franchise (especially SH2) when I was in high school. I played some of the games and watched the rest via play throughs. And then later I wanted to know from others and their insights/interpretations of the game because I can’t always explain why the game is fascinating and eerie at the same time. Hence why videos like this are not only entertaining but also enlightening. I like to learn about various things in unconventional ways so watching video essays of my favorite video games is a gateway to getting into other subjects such as psychology.
I love your work. You deserve many more views.
Thanks, mate! It really helps when people share the videos. :)
Very interesting! Thank You x
💖
I so enjoy your use of the word "satisfice"
great analysis
Very interesting man im impressed
You need to play Bloodborne.
Just like Silent Hill's story and in contrast to Dark Souls, Bloodborne's story is wholly ambiguous. It's not just obscure or hidden, but the story of Bloodborne and Silent Hill 2 are open for interpretation. (both with all these references to psychology and philosophers from western and eastern culture, etc. The name "Maria" is also featured in Bloodborne and has a lot of different deep meanings there as well)
In my opinion, this raises a piece of work to true art. The game is not just the game, meant to be consumed. But art is in the interplay between the observer (player) and the game on screen. And those two games really need you to interpret and come up with your own story and ideas. It raises emotions far beyond just joy.
I mean the lore is nice but story nahh.
@@touchingisjustthefirststep Actually the story is really great well! ;) Just like with any Souls-games the ludo-narrative consonance is ingenious. Maybe in Bloodborne it is even more profound than it has ever been in souls games before. And during the second arc of Bloodborne where everything gets harder to grasp for the human mind the story becomes even better and way more profound and deep. Because while the plot becomes more and more obscure and incomprehensible (which is the point and ingenious), the story still works on a different level. This is just one of the reasons why Bloodborne is pure art and so profound.
@@CycloneFox I never found the soul series impressive for its story but i loved it for it's gameplay obviously.
@@touchingisjustthefirststep After the wall of text, I will admit that I can understand how one can simply not like Souls stories. So bear with me a little. ;)
As you know from Edward Morgan Forster, while a plot describes just a series of events, the term story describes the dramatic, thematic, and emotional significance of such events. So I would say, that the ludo-narrative is a very important part of a game's story.
For example, to Silent Hill 2's story, it might be more important to the story's profundity what the player feels during the big reveal at the end than what actually happens there. Which is exactly why I don't want to just read the story or watch a Let's Play but play it myself. Because that's one of these moments, only a game can do.
And for me personally, the Dark Souls games do this ludo-narrative thing extremely well. Even if not a lot happens during the plot. Or if the plot might even seem nonsensical. This is especially true for Bloodborne.So my guess is that you didn't find the plot interesting enough. Maybe exactly for the reason that it becomes hard to grasp towards the end. And I can totally understand that. I also love to get this "click moment", completely understand the a very complex plot like a detective and get this kind of satisfaction out of a game's story. But I like Bloodborne's story for different reasons.
@@CycloneFox Bloodborne is just a tryhard wannabe Lovecraft (ds is more original) and Silent Hill 2 tells it's story through the characters (and the environment sometimes) It really doesn't have anything to do with how the player feels (not when it comes to the scare factor because the game can scare without ever having to throw jumpscares). I'll disagree with you here.
Excellent work dude you rock
i love you for including OG dumbly!!!!
Just suscribed,my friend you make kick ass content,like,for real.And shit,just keep it up!
Well done!!
SH2 was a remake of Lost Highway. It was considered a failure at first but the movie gained cult status and serious analysis in 2000s because they showed it on IFC and more ppl saw it.
Awesome stuff.
Fantastic video. You are right video games are ripe for this sort of analysis and the Silent Hill games are a great example of this. A game of equal depth that I believe needs this sort of attention is Killer7.
Brilliant analysis
Love this !!!!
*. . . Such an underrated channel . . .*
Good Stuff Max.
It’s been a long time since a watched a long video till the end
Well done !
I've been on a sh kick lately. Sh2 is my favorite. I explained it to my wife the other day. I told her that that game held a beautiful melancholy and the ending was so impactful that ive spent 20 years trying to find that feeling in a game again. It's above even the ending of bioshock witch was another game whose ending really left me in awe.
I like how you used Alex Grey's art work in the video
Great Content tks...
Really interesting analisys. Just finished SH2 (only got normal ending so far and Maria's game). A bit too late, but I was impressed by it's psychological factors. I know nothing about psychology or that book, but somehow I felt the continous pain and sadness James is intended to carry (at least related to my ending, ofc). He suffers for his wife and Maria too (as well as for other characters). And Maria seems to be an idealistic manifestation of his own wife, yes. The red pyramid thing seems to be another manifestation of James' mind. After playing Silent Hill 1. I have the feeling they dwell in some dead's realm all the time or perhaps between life and death. I sadly lack the lore but I'm anyway impressed after SH1 and SH2, as they lead to open speculation on top of being incredible games. Next one is SH3.
One of my pet theories regarding Silent Hill 2 is that Eddie Dombrowski is possibly based loosely on The Son Of Sam. My connections are tenuous, but I think the dog, the revolver and Eddie possibly being from New York due to his last name and love of pizza have a small indication that the Son Of Sam murders might have influenced Eddie's design. Like I said, it's a shaky theory at best, so I don't expect anyone else to go along with it or agree with my reasoning, but it is interesting food for thought for anyone who wants to entertain the idea.
To me, that's my favorite kind of horror. Horror that is blatant and in your face...like jump scares or violence, to me isn't as scary as something more psychological. Mystery, suspense, or questions/experiences related to the unknown. Which is why I rate games like Silent Hill so highly. Btw, I only recently found your videos but I've been really enjoying them. Nice work.
I don't know of any piece of literature that is equal to Silent Hill.
Confirmed from Jesus Christ silent hill story > the Bible story thank you lord haha.
Then you haven't read enough books tbh.
repok55 do I got any top recommendations you could share? I’m dying to consume some content like like Silent Hill
Paradise Lost
thanks for this Max!
Thank you for your comment, Cristian! :D
@Max Derrat - Hi! Love your reviews and insights! Would love you see you
do a breakdown of the game "Rime". The symbolism and metaphors are plentiful and its one my favourite games like "Inside". Sorry for making a request here; didn't know how to contact you privately.