Nearly 28 years now, I have wondered what "D" stood for. For 28 years, ever since i first read articles about the game in magazines, I wondered what the secret was. To know that it was "Dracula" all along, and that he was a ghost you could beat by just straight up shooting a dude.... well. It's AN ending, sometimes that just has to be enough. Thanks for the run-throuhg anyway, I had fun and was educated on what a cool guy Enno was, so there's at least that.
Haha that "final boss" / ending definitely was something. But honestly, I kind of love it the way it is. Its just an experience that has many flaws, but those somehow lend themselves to the soul of these games. Eno seems to really like the final encounters to be one and done, huh? Lol
After watching a couple of your vids I think I've found why I like them so much. You've found a great middle ground between the standard YT reviewer/video essayist and the presentation of old shows on G4/Tech TV. The tease before the Dungeon Chill title drop was especially reminiscent of those old shows.
There’s 2 endings. One where you kill your dad. The other where you walk forward and let your dead feed on you and become Dracula, and the sounds of slurping go over the credits
D and Doom were the first 2 games I got for the PSX. So many nights I would wake up the house because I yelled out at a creature that emerged from some dark corner of a virtual horror movie. Good times.
I remember "D" when it came out, but never got to play it. My mother would never allow me to play a horror game. Though I did see a play through of this recently, and it was pretty interesting. Good video. I look forward to your coverage of the sequel.
When I visited my cousins in Canada back in 1997, I rented 3 games - Crash Bandicoot, Resident Evil 2 and D. I finished the first 2 in the 2-weeks I was there, but never got around to playing D beyond booting it up. I thought it was an FMV game rather than a 3D game (lots of FMV variations depending on user input) but I'll need to play it again to remind myself! Great review as always.
when i was a kid my dad had a stack of pc games that i was only allowed to look at (i had my barbie and humongous entertainment games so this was no issue.) somewhere between Myst and Nocturne was D, a game i never could get running on my own but have loved thru lets plays and vids like this. really fun dive on this, its wonderful to see people smitten by the visuals and music for the first time
I was 13 when I first played D. It was a trip alright and I even remember that damn round handle. I never knew anything about the developer but he sounds more entertaining than some of the games he made.
Ending credit rock song was definitely epic. I recorded it on cassette and used to listen to it a lot. I only did it for "D", so the music really must have struck me. If I recall correctly the PSX game disc could be put in a CD player and most of the tracks could be played that way.
The father explains at one point he needs to consume Laura's flesh to complete the transformation, that's why you can shoot and kill him, the good ending he is still in the process of transforming. The bad ending has you walk up to your father and allow him to kill and eat you, this completes the transformation and instead of the music the bad end has rather grim slurping and chewing noises. There are also 4 hidden cut scenes you can unlock which make this clearer, and also add a extra hidden scene at the end where a baby crys to show the curse has been passed on again
I have never played and will never play this game. Your presentation, along with the second hand Kenji Eno lore, has made it one of my all time favorites. "D" is for Dadula.
You covering D made me think of the dreamcast game deSPIRIA. I think that's never probably going to get a translation but I'm SO curious what's going on. It's just the right type of uncanny creepy early 3D like D & D2.
I remember reading about this game in the magazines and being so intrigued by it. In the mid-00's I went through a phase of retro collecting when that was still viable and affordable. I snagged the Saturn version of this game, and the absolutely amazing Enemy Zero, that are still gems in my collection. I wish Kenji Eno had lived to see what sort of mind boggling masterpieces he would craft in the indie and online distribution scene we have in 2024.
Thanks for doing a video about this game. It was a favorite of mine back in high school playing it on the 3D0. There is an alternate ending where you can choose for Laura not to shoot her dad, then the screen fades to black and you can hear her dad starting to eat her. It’s definitely more horrific than the “good” ending.
Really enjoying your videos. You cover all the games that I've heard referenced many times, but never properly explored in their own right. It's extremely satisfying to that silly childish part of my brain that wants to "read every book, play every game, watch every moive/anime series" etc. There's some song lyrics about that on a great album... but it was in my head as a kid before that album was made, so whatever ; )
This game was one of the first mature themed game I played as a kid and I still remember it vividly. It scared me so much I never managed to finish it, tho I can't remember now exactly at what point I got stuck. Things I remember about this game : 1) the music (and lack thereof) scared me 2) being terrified at the possibility that Laura could be just as bad as her father, with the weird matricide cannibalistic flashback 3) In most adventure games I played at the time (apart from some Sierra titles and the likes) a mistake wouldn't get you killed. Also QTEs weren't the norm for me at the time and those would also end your playthrough quite brutally 4) the lack of save function combined with the extremely slow pace of Laura's movements (and the terror it inspired at the time) made it extremely frustrating for young me to get back into the game Nevertheless, after seeing this review, I think I'll try to get back into it and finally finish it. Some day! Very good review, very good channel in general, kudos for the work!
I like that they made her hair just long enough to clip through her shoulders. They could've just made it slightly shorter and avoid the issue... but they said no! That is what a lesser dev team would do!
Gunna throw out another guess that Laura and her mom are nods to Twin Peaks. The mother has an orange sweater like Sarah Palmer, and Laura looks like a low poly Laura Palmer. They scream Laura's name all the time during TP. "Mansion Mystery" also plays into "western" inspiration towards TP.
I got this one for cheap past its prime, but still within the Saturn timespan. I was 13 back then, but the game didn't scare me. I did feel immersed though, at least on my first playthrough, mostly because the game's story and aesthetics gave an uneasy depressive-ish and surrealistic feeling.
I remember seeing the logo a lot in gaming magazines back then! I also vaguely remember the comparisons with Alone in the Dark, which was held very high in the particular magazines I’m thinking about, “Consolemania” and “The Games Machine”, two pretty cool names now that I think about that! Cool channel :)
The console versions of the game actually have the opening, ending, and staff roll music as CD Audio - and the latter actually has lyrics, making it even more of a 90s butt-rock masterpiece! Edit: Okay, so I double-checked and it might actually only be the 3DO release that has the lyrics version. You can find it on RUclips, though.
I've got a really vivid memory of playing this at a mate's house as a kid. We asked him what it was, and he said he thought it was a horror, but he had never got passed the first part. I think it was some kind of clock puzzle? Anyway, me and another lad - my backseat gaming driver - not only figured out that part, we beat the game. It was short but sweet. I'd forgotten almost every detail, so this was a cool reminder.
I ran out of time the first time I played. Guess which room I was in when it ended. Second time through was no issue. Will you also be covering Enemy Zero?
Growing up in a small town, D was one of the few available to rent for the dismal selection the sega saturn provided. I played this game when I was stupid young, like 8 years old, in the dark, in the basement. Terror 9/10 confirmed.
My little sister and I played the heck out of this on our PS1. We had pages of notes to get us through the puzzles quickly and see all the endings, lol.
I go back and play it every couple of years. And an Enemy Zero video is on its way. I decided to focus on D and D2 first, but I’m going back to Enemy Zero after that.
@@dungeonchill I need to play D2, I'm currently waiting for a friend so we can revisit D and Enemy Zero then we will tackle D2 and probably Lunacy. We are currently busy playing Mizzurna Falls trying to solve the mystery without a guide. You should cover that game sometime it being yet another game using Twin Peaks references.
@@nofaceyawl5368 I might do Mizzurna Falls in the future. Grimbeard covered it a couple years ago, and his video is so comprehensive. Feels like I’d need to give it some more time or else I’d just be kind of repeating what he said about it.
Yeah for sure you want your own twist on it. Simply thought the game would fit your channel pretty well. I also don't think the subject is saturated either.
Yeah, definitely not saturated. And for sure fits the quirky, flawed masterpieces I seem to be curating on the channel. Like you said, I’d want my own twist on it so I’d have to sit down and give it a good think before starting on a video.
Just beat D2 on Dreamcast a few months ago, had to buy two copies to get a full working 4 disc set ! Haha 🤣 but it was amazing. One of my new favorites for sure
Should make a fmv / point and click playlist. I'm not a fan of their gameplay because I always got them as gifts cause my family found them in the bargain bin, but I do enjoy your vids on them
You just got a subscriber out of me!👌 I just got done finishing the enemy Zero, and D2 videos. I'm so happy that somebody gave this trilogy of games some love and the respect that it's so dearly deserves. Warp is one of my favorite software developers of all time. I remember when I first played this game on my Sega Saturn renting it from Blockbuster video and it was the only game that my little sister and mother actually watch me play cuz it was so much like a good horror movie. For that alone... I'm eternally grateful 🙏.. rest in peace K.E.🙏✋✌️
I just finished playing through this after buying it on steam and i have to say i think this game might have influenced the development of the early survival horror genre but yeah.....this game didn't age well. The end credits theme is completely out of place for a horror game. The puzzles are not really all that difficult if you just sit there and think for a while.
Kenji Eno seems like such an awesome person. To be able to pick his brain and have open-ended conversations with him would be a treat, to say the least. I could only imagine the psychedelic nightmares he would make with modern tech. 😍 He left a great legacy. Thanks for introducing me to such a talented and badass creator.
"Laura... your hair is made of spaghetti" said her father
Nah. That's ramen.
...................._cracks open a jar of bolognaise_
I thought i was the only one watching this clutching a jar of alfredo to my chest
@@BonBonToroTrue Italians makes their own Bolognese, not buy it in a jar !
It might look janky in 2023 but I think it's interesting as an early attempt to render strands of hair on a 3d character model.
"Thats what the D stands for!" - from the other room really got me lol
This channel is becoming a proper lil' gem. Hopefully you know the Peripeteia devs liked your coverage. Keep it up!
Oh awesome! I was wondering why that video was getting a boost in views.
Peri on top!
Correct. I just started watching a few days ago and I'm watching so many of these
@@ThommyofThennsame! I dig this channel and it's humor. We fam.
Nearly 28 years now, I have wondered what "D" stood for. For 28 years, ever since i first read articles about the game in magazines, I wondered what the secret was.
To know that it was "Dracula" all along, and that he was a ghost you could beat by just straight up shooting a dude.... well. It's AN ending, sometimes that just has to be enough. Thanks for the run-throuhg anyway, I had fun and was educated on what a cool guy Enno was, so there's at least that.
I assumed it was Dracula as a kid, I think entirely because I watched Vampire Hunter D too young
I thought it was like vampire hunter D dhunmier
Haha that "final boss" / ending definitely was something. But honestly, I kind of love it the way it is. Its just an experience that has many flaws, but those somehow lend themselves to the soul of these games.
Eno seems to really like the final encounters to be one and done, huh? Lol
Never thought I'd see a game review where the best part was learning about the dev. Dude's a fucking legend. 🤣🤣🤣
So he figured out how to get around censorship using the ancient mystic technique commonly known as "Lying".
You say lying, I say based behavior
"What are you going to do, unprint all those game discs?" - Kenji Eno, probably
😂
After watching a couple of your vids I think I've found why I like them so much. You've found a great middle ground between the standard YT reviewer/video essayist and the presentation of old shows on G4/Tech TV. The tease before the Dungeon Chill title drop was especially reminiscent of those old shows.
There’s 2 endings. One where you kill your dad. The other where you walk forward and let your dead feed on you and become Dracula, and the sounds of slurping go over the credits
Kinky
D and Doom were the first 2 games I got for the PSX. So many nights I would wake up the house because I yelled out at a creature that emerged from some dark corner of a virtual horror movie.
Good times.
I remember "D" when it came out, but never got to play it. My mother would never allow me to play a horror game. Though I did see a play through of this recently, and it was pretty interesting. Good video. I look forward to your coverage of the sequel.
Thanks. I'm playing through, getting footage for D2 right now so the next one should be out soonish!
it's interesting that Hideyuki Kikuchi's Vampire Hunter D has the 'D' depicted in similar font and the reveal about what it stands for is the the same
When I visited my cousins in Canada back in 1997, I rented 3 games - Crash Bandicoot, Resident Evil 2 and D. I finished the first 2 in the 2-weeks I was there, but never got around to playing D beyond booting it up. I thought it was an FMV game rather than a 3D game (lots of FMV variations depending on user input) but I'll need to play it again to remind myself!
Great review as always.
For some reason, my brain keeps reading Laura as some Lestat-looking guy. I guess I'm just struggling to process the uncanniness?
when i was a kid my dad had a stack of pc games that i was only allowed to look at (i had my barbie and humongous entertainment games so this was no issue.) somewhere between Myst and Nocturne was D, a game i never could get running on my own but have loved thru lets plays and vids like this. really fun dive on this, its wonderful to see people smitten by the visuals and music for the first time
Myst, Nocturne, and D...your dad had killer taste
I played this just 6 months ago and it's definitely one of my favorite games. It's so interesting to see how horror has evolved through time.
I was 13 when I first played D. It was a trip alright and I even remember that damn round handle. I never knew anything about the developer but he sounds more entertaining than some of the games he made.
Kenji lied his way into a game dev job when he was young even though he didn't know how to make games
I played this, Silverload, and Resi 1 all back to back as a kid. They were all much scarier at the time, I guess the 90s were just a terrifying decade
Ending credit rock song was definitely epic.
I recorded it on cassette and used to listen to it a lot.
I only did it for "D", so the music really must have struck me.
If I recall correctly the PSX game disc could be put in a CD player and most of the tracks could be played that way.
The father explains at one point he needs to consume Laura's flesh to complete the transformation, that's why you can shoot and kill him, the good ending he is still in the process of transforming. The bad ending has you walk up to your father and allow him to kill and eat you, this completes the transformation and instead of the music the bad end has rather grim slurping and chewing noises. There are also 4 hidden cut scenes you can unlock which make this clearer, and also add a extra hidden scene at the end where a baby crys to show the curse has been passed on again
I have never played and will never play this game. Your presentation, along with the second hand Kenji Eno lore, has made it one of my all time favorites.
"D" is for Dadula.
Thanks! Glad I could introduce this to you so you'll never have to play it, haha. It is a bit of a slog.
Been binging your content for the past days man, good stuff! Keep it up🙌
You covering D made me think of the dreamcast game deSPIRIA. I think that's never probably going to get a translation but I'm SO curious what's going on. It's just the right type of uncanny creepy early 3D like D & D2.
I remember reading about this game in the magazines and being so intrigued by it. In the mid-00's I went through a phase of retro collecting when that was still viable and affordable. I snagged the Saturn version of this game, and the absolutely amazing Enemy Zero, that are still gems in my collection. I wish Kenji Eno had lived to see what sort of mind boggling masterpieces he would craft in the indie and online distribution scene we have in 2024.
Thanks for doing a video about this game. It was a favorite of mine back in high school playing it on the 3D0. There is an alternate ending where you can choose for Laura not to shoot her dad, then the screen fades to black and you can hear her dad starting to eat her. It’s definitely more horrific than the “good” ending.
Really enjoying your videos. You cover all the games that I've heard referenced many times, but never properly explored in their own right. It's extremely satisfying to that silly childish part of my brain that wants to "read every book, play every game, watch every moive/anime series" etc. There's some song lyrics about that on a great album... but it was in my head as a kid before that album was made, so whatever ; )
This game was one of the first mature themed game I played as a kid and I still remember it vividly. It scared me so much I never managed to finish it, tho I can't remember now exactly at what point I got stuck. Things I remember about this game :
1) the music (and lack thereof) scared me
2) being terrified at the possibility that Laura could be just as bad as her father, with the weird matricide cannibalistic flashback
3) In most adventure games I played at the time (apart from some Sierra titles and the likes) a mistake wouldn't get you killed. Also QTEs weren't the norm for me at the time and those would also end your playthrough quite brutally
4) the lack of save function combined with the extremely slow pace of Laura's movements (and the terror it inspired at the time) made it extremely frustrating for young me to get back into the game
Nevertheless, after seeing this review, I think I'll try to get back into it and finally finish it. Some day!
Very good review, very good channel in general, kudos for the work!
We need more games where the credits roll over butt rock and alongside a photoset of the developers up to no good
I really enjoyed this review on D. I liked how you included the end video interview.
I like that they made her hair just long enough to clip through her shoulders.
They could've just made it slightly shorter and avoid the issue... but they said no! That is what a lesser dev team would do!
Is that the monitor overlay from World of Horror in the history segment? If so, it's a sick reference :D
Gunna throw out another guess that Laura and her mom are nods to Twin Peaks. The mother has an orange sweater like Sarah Palmer, and Laura looks like a low poly Laura Palmer. They scream Laura's name all the time during TP. "Mansion Mystery" also plays into "western" inspiration towards TP.
I got this one for cheap past its prime, but still within the Saturn timespan. I was 13 back then, but the game didn't scare me. I did feel immersed though, at least on my first playthrough, mostly because the game's story and aesthetics gave an uneasy depressive-ish and surrealistic feeling.
I remember seeing the logo a lot in gaming magazines back then! I also vaguely remember the comparisons with Alone in the Dark, which was held very high in the particular magazines I’m thinking about, “Consolemania” and “The Games Machine”, two pretty cool names now that I think about that! Cool channel :)
Every time I watch this video, the "That's what the D stands for" bit makes me crack up so hard that my coworkers think I'm having a stroke
You're absolutely right about the marketing for D, I remember seeing ads for it in several magazines
Gotta admit, whoever voice the dad, deserve an oscar for the voice acting XD
Thank you for saying Ico right. In a development video of The Last Guardian, they said Trico rhymes with Ico.
The console versions of the game actually have the opening, ending, and staff roll music as CD Audio - and the latter actually has lyrics, making it even more of a 90s butt-rock masterpiece!
Edit: Okay, so I double-checked and it might actually only be the 3DO release that has the lyrics version. You can find it on RUclips, though.
I've got a really vivid memory of playing this at a mate's house as a kid. We asked him what it was, and he said he thought it was a horror, but he had never got passed the first part. I think it was some kind of clock puzzle? Anyway, me and another lad - my backseat gaming driver - not only figured out that part, we beat the game. It was short but sweet. I'd forgotten almost every detail, so this was a cool reminder.
I thought the D stood for Dungeon Chill, I'm glad it was clarified.
I remember seeing this thing in Blockbuster as a kid and it was super scary looking. The graphics were insane for the time too.
My mans on that grind. I already see the ball rolling keep it up dude
The camerawork was pretty atmospheric.
I watch ar least one of your videos every night. I dig your humor 🤣
I ran out of time the first time I played. Guess which room I was in when it ended. Second time through was no issue. Will you also be covering Enemy Zero?
Damn that wheel! And yes, I'm going to do D2 first and then I will absolutely do Enemy Zero.
Growing up in a small town, D was one of the few available to rent for the dismal selection the sega saturn provided.
I played this game when I was stupid young, like 8 years old, in the dark, in the basement.
Terror 9/10 confirmed.
Really glad I found your channel. I now compulsively have to say "yum" every time someone mentions cannibalism
My little sister and I played the heck out of this on our PS1. We had pages of notes to get us through the puzzles quickly and see all the endings, lol.
I just barely got to the end when my time ran out. I think what slowed me down was the QTE Knight Armor.
I have the game on my steam wishlist. Thanks for the video I’m definitely getting it now.
I remember watching my cousin play this on ps1 when it came out, it was so cool at the time
While dated I really loved this game. I much prefer Enemy Zero, however.
I go back and play it every couple of years. And an Enemy Zero video is on its way. I decided to focus on D and D2 first, but I’m going back to Enemy Zero after that.
@@dungeonchill I need to play D2, I'm currently waiting for a friend so we can revisit D and Enemy Zero then we will tackle D2 and probably Lunacy. We are currently busy playing Mizzurna Falls trying to solve the mystery without a guide. You should cover that game sometime it being yet another game using Twin Peaks references.
@@nofaceyawl5368 I might do Mizzurna Falls in the future. Grimbeard covered it a couple years ago, and his video is so comprehensive. Feels like I’d need to give it some more time or else I’d just be kind of repeating what he said about it.
Yeah for sure you want your own twist on it. Simply thought the game would fit your channel pretty well. I also don't think the subject is saturated either.
Yeah, definitely not saturated. And for sure fits the quirky, flawed masterpieces I seem to be curating on the channel. Like you said, I’d want my own twist on it so I’d have to sit down and give it a good think before starting on a video.
Pretty sure this was my first exposure to horror games at 7 yrs old, and when that lady in the photo laughed I was scarred for years lol
Great vid! Would love to see one on 7th guest
Just beat D2 on Dreamcast a few months ago, had to buy two copies to get a full working 4 disc set ! Haha 🤣 but it was amazing. One of my new favorites for sure
Her dad saying Laura over and over makes me think of nappa saying Vegeta over and over.
When I played _D_ on the PS1, I had to call a help line to get past the knight. For some reason, I just didn't get it.
10:19 No, the "D" = "Daddy issues"
What a wild game. Although I do think it's one of those pieces of media that we could use to question "what is a game?".
I'll say that this game was pretty shocking and terrifying to 16-year-old me in 1995.
Should make a fmv / point and click playlist. I'm not a fan of their gameplay because I always got them as gifts cause my family found them in the bargain bin, but I do enjoy your vids on them
Finally beat this a few years ago on 3do with my now wife. As a kid it was scary as hell along with resident evil
imagine remake of it. idk if anyone has done that before. would be interesting.
Ironically Jumping flash was essentially the best game on the PS1 of 1995 and has aged really well.
Somehow missed this one, awesome find
Just finished this game on Saturn. It was very fun (except for the safe).
i wonder what kind of modern games kenji eno would have made had he not passed away. rest in peace king
I really like the grainy vhs look.
The developer of this game deserves all the recognition in the world. The man had balls. He deserved a long life.
What makes the protagonist uncanny is the odd resemblance to a blow up doll.
I've read a bit about these games, what I know certaily made me curious
Is it still scary?
HELL YES IT IS!!! that Laura is fucking terrifying!
You just got a subscriber out of me!👌 I just got done finishing the enemy Zero, and D2 videos. I'm so happy that somebody gave this trilogy of games some love and the respect that it's so dearly deserves. Warp is one of my favorite software developers of all time. I remember when I first played this game on my Sega Saturn renting it from Blockbuster video and it was the only game that my little sister and mother actually watch me play cuz it was so much like a good horror movie. For that alone... I'm eternally grateful 🙏.. rest in peace K.E.🙏✋✌️
Great video but... 'jumpscares'. I don't think that word means what you think it means.
When I found out what D meant, I was kinda pissed.
This guy makes Itagaki (Dead or Alive/Ninja Gaiden) look like a boyscout.
7:43 and that's when the cannibalism started
I love that game but you not talked nothing about the second ending
I’d probably be one of the survivors since I’m a custodian. We know all the hiding spots
This game freaked me the fuck out as a kid.
Laura has gotta be a twin peaks reference
I just finished playing through this after buying it on steam and i have to say i think this game might have influenced the development of the early survival horror genre but yeah.....this game didn't age well. The end credits theme is completely out of place for a horror game. The puzzles are not really all that difficult if you just sit there and think for a while.
LAURA!
😮😮😮
Loreah. Loreah. LOREAH!
I never liked D. But that was probably because I first experienced it in 2005 and couldn't figure out what the hell to do lol
👌
Honestly if killing Dracula is as easy as getting him with the gat, the police probably had it handled
Kenji Eno seems like such an awesome person. To be able to pick his brain and have open-ended conversations with him would be a treat, to say the least. I could only imagine the psychedelic nightmares he would make with modern tech. 😍
He left a great legacy.
Thanks for introducing me to such a talented and badass creator.
So her dad warns her to get out of this place ,who did he make it for?
Your guess is as good as mine. I’ve noticed not many things make a whole lot of sense in Kenji Eno games.
Aww, no mention of the bad ending?
Those silly devs. Of course you need a WHIP to actually kill Dracula.
her dad, Dr. Acula
The game have the same energy as Lord of the D.
Not me giggling at "rhythmic pounding".
Poor Pastilda...
"live fast, die young and leave a beautiful games library"
LAURA
Eno is an even crazier character if you take this all in the context of the Japanese society 😄