I played and beat Decartion over the weekend. I had such an interesting bug that I didn't catch for about 2 hours. The music track "Tout dépend de toi" NEVER ENDED. I played through a majority of the games most harrowing moments with that catchy poppy track endlessly on loop. I assumed it was to evoke an uneasy feeling out of the player so I never tried to do anything about it, but eventually I found it very comforting to hear. I took a break to go out and get food eventually and was incredibly saddened and confused when to my surprise and horror the track was no longer playing when I booted the game back up. That song had become a constant little light at the end of the tunnel for my Gloria and for it to just be absent was jarring. My experience with this game was incredibly different than most people's because of that bug and I think it makes me love it even more.
I HAD THAT TOO! I thought it was because i was playing the switch version 😂 i also had moments where no music at all would play. I too thought it was intentional at first
@@HannyaBoi that must be the reason why… i was noticing differences in gameplay between those that played on PC and my own gameplay experience but i didn’t have anyone else who played it on switch as well to compare it to! Thankfully none of the issues remained after the patch they released yesterday
I stopped watching about 10 minutes in to buy the game. It resonated with me so so deeply, this will be a game I remember for a long time. In particular, the quote about heart pounding. Is it fear or courage? if you are falling, it is fear. But if you push yourself forward and upward, it's courage. It completely changed the way I think about anxiety. Thank you for showing this game off!
Hey Kristel! I'm so happy this element of the game could resonate with you. I wish you all the best! Regards, Quentin (Decarnation's creative director / writer)
Really? I always get this cringy impression that someone wants to curse but tries to soften the harsh language with dialect. Like they're too embarrassed to just say "shit" plainly.
@@odinsrensen7460 Hmm, it's definitely not the impression I get. But everyone's different I suppose. I really like it when foreign students on my course start incorporating the Scottish dialect/words into their own vocabulary because it definitely makes me see them as part of the community a bit more.
@odinsrensen7460 I can't speak for anyone else, but personally, whether I say the actual curse or substitute a different word is largely influenced by my surroundings and the people I'm with. For example most of my friends don't care but one has a pretty strong distaste for crass language. So, I do my best to keep it down, out of respect, although she's never actually requested it. Then there's the more obvious situations like work or school. 🤷🏻♀️
I looked this game up on Steam before the video started and Steam told me that it's similar to the Fear and Hunger sequel. Consider me both fascinated and concerned.
It is definitely not in mechanics though, just know that. Fear and Hunger is pure sadism in game design form (and I adore it for that, for the record) - Decarnation is way more approachable as a straightforward narrative.
Honestly, the banner art already won me over. Anything with art drawn for it that reminds me of the wonderful nightmare fuel that is Saya No Uta is something I want to play.
Fun fact about "Pump up the Jam": in Argentina, a Spanish cover of the song was used in a commercial to convey the message "Things are usually better in their original form", because they translated the lyrics literally -like "Inflate the marmalade", and when you read them that way it's hilarious 😂
Hey! Perfect Blue was a strong influence indeed. Alongside Lynch's Mulholland Drive / Blue Velvet. And the unknown novel The Blind Beast, by Edogawa Ranpo. Regards, Quentin (Deca's creative director)
Thank you for bringing up the jumpscares! I'm usually not bothered by heavy subject matter, but as someone with an anxiety disorder, jumpscares can be very upsetting for me. Knowing about them beforehand will make it a little easier for me to play the game. I'm a big fan of Junji Ito and Satoshi Kon's work, so this seems like the kind of game I would enjoy, and I'll definitely be checking it out as soon as possible!
I'm glad that pointing it out reaches people; I know how heavy that can hit for people with anxiety struggles. Genuinely appreciative of websites like wheresthejump for that matter. I often thought it'd be fantastic if it became a more common accessibility thing in games to add a "Jumpscare-sensitivity" option in the settings, exclusively for those who struggle with them. This could either deactivate the loud noises or just give a warning on screen beforehand. Would help those who need it without taking the suspense away for those who don't.
@@RagnarRoxShowi think its thoughtful that you also considered those with a disability while pointing out the few flaws the game has. I personally can’t play a game that has no option for accessibility regarding quick events, i am 1. Legally blind, and 2. Have a mobility issue, and so I struggle with that aspect that a lot of horror games have. Cult of the lamb have a lovely accessibility feature allowing for you to avoid the fishing feature (you have to click at a specific time, which I can’t, and it does it automatically for me)
i got this game at launch and im absolutely happy that i did. its one of the few (if not the first) games that i immediately got! i adored the demo so much, as short and sweet as it may be. one of the devs even replied to my feedback on it! i mentioned that it reminded me a lot of RPGMaker games and apparently, while the current game is in unity (as stated in 13:11) decarnation was an RPGMaker game at some point. pardon the plethora of edits, though im glad im not the only one who deals with the whole "one session or get blocked" mentality when it comes to media. i notice this a lot when i pick up games or even shows, but somehow decarnation is one game i willingly came back to without that mental block. its quite special to me, relating to some of the subject material to immense degrees. on a side note, im glad i finally finished a game you featured before you made a video on it haha
oh my gosh, how timely. writing this comment as a personal bookmark--i'm disabled & my condition degeneratively impacts my hand & finger mobility/dexterity, and have struggled for years with "doing life" (typing, writing, things i love--including gaming) and so have found myself 'soft locked' out of a lot of different experiences/titles even with the modifications ive made in my emulators & to my consoles. so, my habit with your channel--watch a video, let it sit for a couple years, return to that title & see how far i can get before my body says no (hoping it won't). this is how i discovered "norco"--a new lifelong favourite. rediscovering point & clicks has been brilliant. or, using your videos to revisit titles i can no longer play (or, not yet replay!!!) because of the aforementioned reasons--this is all context, not a pity party, for anyone that reads this i had a pain mgmt+treatment shift a couple months ago that has minimised the pain enough to wrap finishing adaptive tool/equipment projects i've had sitting around for some years. so, for the *first time*, i'm discovering a title through your channel, and instead of watching your video and letting the memory decay enough to where i feel like i can experience the title (mostly) independent of your impressions--i'm able to go over to steam and get the game and experience it myself & KNOW i can complete it. and then come back to your video, lol. incredible how the most simple things now are inversely the most monumental--i've watched your channel for yeaaaars and never been able to do this before, i'm thrilled purchased; cannot wait to edit this comment on the other side
I told myself that I'd only watch a bit of this video and then stop since this is a game I'm planning to get and play at some point but I found the video so captivating that I ended up watching until the end. And now this game has definitely jumped up in priority, let's hope it goes on sale before the end of the year. As an aside, it's nice to know I'm not the only one that can struggle to pick up a game again after the first session even when I like it, in recent times I've been prioritizing games I can finish in just one weekend just to circumvent that problem.
I saw this video, heard the part where they let you do your own review and went out to buy it. I don't care if this game is my thing or not, that level of confidence in their work deserves to be rewarded.
I *knew* this had to be inspired by RPG Maker games! The gameplay style, the puzzles and the heavy themes in horror were a giveaway XD Anyway, amazing vid, definitely has made me interested in playing this game
This review convinced me to get the game after sitting with your words for about a day and it's every bit as horrific and fantastic as I'd hoped. Already sank 20 hours into replaying it over and over with friends so they can share the experience too. So, thanks.
Fantastic review! Really hoping you’ll revisit the game for a deep dive video. I’d love to hear more of your thoughts on the stuff that goes into spoilers and the themes later in the game. I’m a big fan of your extremely thoughtful commentary!
The Wordspiel with the Swansong LOOM-ing over the Character was so Perfectly crafted. The Whole time it Played in the Background i just could Think about Loom becous its so intervined with the Game for me Allready and then that droped. Just Perfect.
You shouldn't be surprised they wanted you to try the game Ragnar. Your like the top horror game channel. Your indepth videos are amazing. Just like the games you talk about, your videos are very detailed.
I just finished playing the whole game in one sitting after watching the first few minutes of the video this morning ^.^; Can't say enough good things about the game, thank you so much for highlighting it ! Really poignant stuff, can't wait to see you dive into it in the video !
Thank you for bringing more attention to this game. We must support indie games, that's where we find the most creative and passionate devs. Have you played Blasphemous? I strongly recommend it. The sequel comes out later this Summer. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.
I love your reviews for all these horror games I typically play them on while I work overnights and I hope you a long review on fear and hunger 1 and two I'd be interested in hearing you analyzing a setting like that
I always love it to see you cover games I havent heard of before. There is only so much cool stuff I can find and play on my own. Ofcourse its also interesting to see you focus on more well know titles since your videos approach games in a way that is vastly different from other videogame channels I know. Much more appreciative and trying to highlight the subjects strength. In a way your videos feel like the games asked you for help with a job interview if that makes any sense.
This looks interesting, I do like the inspirations it draws from. But watching further down the video I do wonder if it runs the risk of falling in the "you can learn from trauma and get stronger" theme. I'll think about it, thank you for the video!
I feel like the game talks about how to overcome stalkhome syndrome And how the protagonist never gave up on finding ways to escape her captuere And how to find redemption with different versions of herself
I'm sorry, I saw the line: at 16:05 "Here's the little blue box for Joy" and immediately thought of "Joy", the drug from LISA: The Painful, that makes you feel nothing and gradually turn into a hideous mutant.
Nice catch my friend! It's on purpose yeah. I'm Decarnation's director/writer and Lisa The Painful is one of my favorite game. Without Lisa there would be no Decarnation. Also "Joy" works fine with what the character represents for Gloria. And Joy/"Glory"is also a nice combo I guess. And the blue box comes from Mulholland Drive. At some point I had to be careful with how I used all these reference, so the game doesnt become a sort of easter egg fest.
Recently finished it and while it really is super-beautiful... it also plays it pretty safe somehow? Everything gets wrapped up neatly in the end and you even get to pet the dog. It's weird to say that about a game that has a mile long content warning but it left me with a smile and a good feeling.
Hey To be frank I've been struggling a lot with writing the end of the story. How dark/bright should it be? It's only a few months before the end of the project it ended up like that. Probably my main fear was that I turned into some stupid hollywoodish happy end. Regards, Quentin (Deca's creative director / writer)
Hey thank you for taking the time to answer. Reading the comments needs courage so I really appreciate it. [POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING] Endings are hard, yeah. I think it is a really tough decision and I don't think there is a right or a wrong one. It's your creative vision. In a way an upbeat ending makes the bitter parts more digestible. It is weird to say that about a character that goes through such a really bad time but I felt a little bit of... envy? Getting that final victory over the perpetrator, reconnecting to those we pushed away, building that safe space we visit in the finale... it is pure wish fullfilment for trauma survivors. Now it does gets me thinking after all. Why do I have no problems with the power fantasy of shooting up the hordes of hell in a video game but a "psychological" power fantasy of leaving behind this kind of experience without years of therapy makes me protest? Maybe I should apologize to Gloria. It's okay that you get to be happy. :)@@quentindebeukelaer4244
@@studiospecialplace Taking a guess, it's probably because the common expectation now is that if something is dark, then the ending should be horrible for the character as well. It's a very common ending now for the main character, after surviving so much, get a supposedly happy ending, only there to be a twist that it wasn't happy at all. At this point, the twist dark ending is the hollywood ending we're expecting. It's very rare for main characters in dark stories to get a win nowadays that Decarnation becomes refreshing and also uplifting.
@@quentindebeukelaer4244A bit late here, great game overall, as someone who liked Perfect Blue I have to say that it's basically its child in videogame form (which is a good thing). My biggest issue, mechanicwise, was with the heart rhythm part, I even almost thought of dropping the game there because I was getting frustrated since for some reason I couldn't get the timing right until all out of nowhere I did (and yet it still felt off). Aside from that, I had no problems with the minigames per se, in fact I actually appreciated that a game that was as story focused as this one didn't forget that it was, well, a videogame (I don't think I'd have enjoyed it as much if all I had to do was walk from point A to B to advance the story). As for the ending, I have to admit that for once it's refreshing to see a "positive" ending to a dark story in a time where everyone wants to make dark endings, or "happy" endings that end up with a twist which makes them dark and whatnot. However, I have to agree that it felt too unrealistic and it almost broke my immersion, which sucked because I was really the story (I basically binged it in ~3 days). I think the biggest offender for me was Bob somehow surviving. When Olivia attacks him, she basically "drowns" him and walks outside very slowly. Yes, it's stated that she does call the ambulance later on, but realistically by the time it reaches Bob's house (which by the way I'm not sure how Gloria knew where it was since she was unconscious when she was brought there), he would be long dead by then. Another thing that worried me is what happened with the theater where Gloria worked at. It just conveniently got sold in a span of ~4 months, despite there not being foreshadowing of it doing "badly" enough to be sold (at least as far as I remember, I could be mistaken). And on the matter of the theater, I also felt like Gloria hitting her 30s and it making her "unappealing" to the public eye was a bit too much. Yes, I'm aware that it isn't 2023 and people from before looked 80ish in their 50s, but the difference between a 20-something and a 30 year old isn't that big, and Gloria looks like an active character who takes care of her body and keeps herself in shape, so I'd have bumped her age to at least 35+, which is when you can start noticing changes in your body which might make you "not as attractive" to others (white hair, you start having more "fat belly", wrinkles and etcetera). But despite this, I really loved the story, and the OST is so underrated, I really loved Boketto and I still listen to it to this day. I actually wished you had more attention, if it wasn't for this channel I wouldn't even have known of this game's existence.
He says the game is made in Unity, but when looking up the engine it indeed says RPG maker 2003. Not that it makes much of a difference, just curious...
Edit Re-Clarification: The game was made in Unity after all. Okay I am now genuinely confused, because I would have sworn I saw the "Made in Unity" logo when starting up the game every time, but now I check the game, and all my recordings and it's not there and I feel cognitive dissonance exploding. Anyway, it looks like you're right and I conflated something without ever thinking twice about it. Gonna pin the comment for correction. (Thanks youtube for removing the annotations feature)
@@CommissionerC yeah, being someone that has used rpgmaker 2003 all my life, that definitely wasn't made with it. I assume he may have started there and ported it to unity later, some people do that.
@@Rihcterwilker That's what happened. I started what was meant to be a 6 month solo project on RPG maker (in jan2019). Then, when a friend programmer joined me, we moved it on Unity.
I bought the game and played the whole way through in an afternoon and into the night. I just could not put it down. This video does a great job at explaining why (and omg I WISH I could have skipped that final heart puzzle. I was terrible at it lol)
This had been on my wishlist for about a year or so, I never play the demos of games I know I'm definitely buying, so after I finished chapter 1 and took a break, I played through chapter 2 all through to the ending in one go. Couldn't put it down, I was also wondering if the whole capture thing was happening inside Gloria's mind like you said, the game did a wonderful job of gaslighting even the player and huge props to that. Amazing soundtrack, but that last simon says minigame towards the end of the game, with the heart, can rot in hell. I had so much trouble with it and I'm not horrible with rhythm games myself, but the input wouldn't register correctly for some reason. It must've taken me 20+ tries. But yeah, overall amazing game, beautiful visuals as much as they were haunting. I'll definitely be thinking about it for some time to come and the soundtrack is a must purchase as well.
@@quentindebeukelaer4244 And thank you for providing a meaningful gameplay experience, that's so rare in 2023! Also, idr the chapter, but the scene where the player can traverse through mud with sinkholes and trains in the background, I somehow clipped through that and the game registered the broken trains background as the walking field, and the mud (where you were supposed to use to traverse) as the wall/no-go area, it was the only bug I encountered, but it was funny.
@@PouresMaggie we fixed some of these issues too! Yea this scene, that we call "the subway pit" came late in the production and brought its huge amount of bugs haha. BTW patch1 is only on Steam for now. In a week or so patch2 arrives for Steam and 1+2 for Switch. Tons of fixes and improvements incoming!
@@quentindebeukelaer4244 Thanks a lot for your support and dedication! Will be looking forward to any future projects from you and support however I can!
4:33 Haven't played the game yet, but by the footage you've shown thus far, it seems to be at its core Perfect Blue - the game. An idol-like figure dealing with anxiety and the outside world manipulating her.
I'm at least glad that I could bring awareness to this for you! Would be really peachy if the devs implemented a skip-function at some point, as I suggested in the video; it would make it accessible without losing too much of the overall experience imo.
PUMP UP THE JAM! PUMP IT UP! WHILE YOUR FEET ARE STOMPING AND THE JAM IS PUMPING! LOOK AHEAD, THE CROWD IS JUMPING! PUMP IT UP A LITTLE MORE GET THE PARTY GOING ON THE DANCEFLOOR SEE, CAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE PARTY'S AT AND YOU'D FIND OUT IF YOU DO THAT!
Appreciate the feedback. I always test it on different devices but sometimes it just gets mixed differently and drowns out the voice on some speakers; I'm gonna keep this in mind in future videos to make an extra safety -1db adjustment at the end of the mixing process. Feel free to let me know how it turns out in the next video!
I know exactly what you mean by the timing of the rhythm game! I'm almost sure that the notes are timed on the off-beat, I can't tell if it's supposed to be a stylistic choice or not though lol
I sadly can't do quick time events as I have a processing problem. By the time I can "understand" what I am seeing, the prompt is long gone. It is also why I can't play real time action games. D: It is why I used to stick to RPGs in all forms, buuuuuut they are being choked out. (Hell I can't even play Rune Factory well due to my shit brain, and it is sadly getting worse. I used to be able to play WoW. . . now I really can't) I hope I can watch a play through of this some day as this looks like an AMAZING game!!! I will probably gift my brother and his friend this game.
@@deigning ahah i feel you. i almost removed it but then it was featured in a "all shining carpets" games so i felt it was too late to remove it I wont put any in my next game, I promise! Quentin (Deca's creative director)
@@quentindebeukelaer4244lmao I mean you don't have to cater to my extremely niche pet peeves! I didn't knw there was a list like that, sincere thanks for the rec. Really it's that I think the bathroom wallpaper in the movie is just as iconic and I never see it! Let's start that as an homage trend
The specific topic is a bit too not-for-me for me to deal with in an interactive medium, a shame. It seems really cool though, so I'll make sure to watch a let's play
God this looks so incredibly beautiful and amazing, even with the flaws you've mentioned. I would really love to play it for myself, but sadly it doesn't seem to support mac, and I don't have access to a windows machine. sob...., I hope I'll be able to find a playthrough of it or something like in the near future
Got through half of the video and decided I want to play it! Liking and commenting to show support, but I have to stop watching 😅 I'll come back when I've played it
![[FULL] RETROSPECTIVE : Final Fantasy Tactics](/img/1.gif)
I played and beat Decartion over the weekend. I had such an interesting bug that I didn't catch for about 2 hours. The music track "Tout dépend de toi" NEVER ENDED. I played through a majority of the games most harrowing moments with that catchy poppy track endlessly on loop. I assumed it was to evoke an uneasy feeling out of the player so I never tried to do anything about it, but eventually I found it very comforting to hear.
I took a break to go out and get food eventually and was incredibly saddened and confused when to my surprise and horror the track was no longer playing when I booted the game back up. That song had become a constant little light at the end of the tunnel for my Gloria and for it to just be absent was jarring.
My experience with this game was incredibly different than most people's because of that bug and I think it makes me love it even more.
Haha that’s incredible
Awesome touch of happy little accidents ❤
I HAD THAT TOO! I thought it was because i was playing the switch version 😂 i also had moments where no music at all would play. I too thought it was intentional at first
@@dot8731 I was also playing the Switch version!
@@HannyaBoi that must be the reason why… i was noticing differences in gameplay between those that played on PC and my own gameplay experience but i didn’t have anyone else who played it on switch as well to compare it to! Thankfully none of the issues remained after the patch they released yesterday
I stopped watching about 10 minutes in to buy the game. It resonated with me so so deeply, this will be a game I remember for a long time. In particular, the quote about heart pounding. Is it fear or courage? if you are falling, it is fear. But if you push yourself forward and upward, it's courage. It completely changed the way I think about anxiety. Thank you for showing this game off!
Hey Kristel!
I'm so happy this element of the game could resonate with you.
I wish you all the best!
Regards,
Quentin (Decarnation's creative director / writer)
As a Scotsman, hearing a Norwegian using the word "shite" really warmed my heart.
Really? I always get this cringy impression that someone wants to curse but tries to soften the harsh language with dialect. Like they're too embarrassed to just say "shit" plainly.
@@odinsrensen7460 Hmm, it's definitely not the impression I get. But everyone's different I suppose. I really like it when foreign students on my course start incorporating the Scottish dialect/words into their own vocabulary because it definitely makes me see them as part of the community a bit more.
@odinsrensen7460 I can't speak for anyone else, but personally, whether I say the actual curse or substitute a different word is largely influenced by my surroundings and the people I'm with. For example most of my friends don't care but one has a pretty strong distaste for crass language. So, I do my best to keep it down, out of respect, although she's never actually requested it. Then there's the more obvious situations like work or school. 🤷🏻♀️
I looked this game up on Steam before the video started and Steam told me that it's similar to the Fear and Hunger sequel. Consider me both fascinated and concerned.
It is definitely not in mechanics though, just know that. Fear and Hunger is pure sadism in game design form (and I adore it for that, for the record) - Decarnation is way more approachable as a straightforward narrative.
That's "Tout dépend de toi" by Fleur et Bleue from the game's soundtrack.
Honestly, the banner art already won me over. Anything with art drawn for it that reminds me of the wonderful nightmare fuel that is Saya No Uta is something I want to play.
Honestly, that banner art is just so stunning.
@@RagnarRoxShow Have you ever played fear & hunger? I just fell into the rabbit hole. This is definitely a game that would interest you.
@@rumplstiltztinkerstein Amazing games!
@@RagnarRoxShow Definitely agree. Would love a video from you about them.
@@RagnarRoxShow Please play Saya no Uta. It's one of the best lovecraft horror stories I've seen and a great romance to boot.
5:36 NO!!!! I thought I escaped that song, it's seeping its way out of Cunk on Earth
Thank you for this joke, genuinely made my day
Fun fact about "Pump up the Jam": in Argentina, a Spanish cover of the song was used in a commercial to convey the message "Things are usually better in their original form", because they translated the lyrics literally -like "Inflate the marmalade", and when you read them that way it's hilarious 😂
This reminds me of the anime Perfect Blue. That one revolved around a star aging out of her profession and becoming an object of obsession.
he mentions it in the video
Hey!
Perfect Blue was a strong influence indeed.
Alongside Lynch's Mulholland Drive / Blue Velvet.
And the unknown novel The Blind Beast, by Edogawa Ranpo.
Regards,
Quentin (Deca's creative director)
Thank you for bringing up the jumpscares! I'm usually not bothered by heavy subject matter, but as someone with an anxiety disorder, jumpscares can be very upsetting for me. Knowing about them beforehand will make it a little easier for me to play the game. I'm a big fan of Junji Ito and Satoshi Kon's work, so this seems like the kind of game I would enjoy, and I'll definitely be checking it out as soon as possible!
I'm glad that pointing it out reaches people; I know how heavy that can hit for people with anxiety struggles.
Genuinely appreciative of websites like wheresthejump for that matter.
I often thought it'd be fantastic if it became a more common accessibility thing in games to add a "Jumpscare-sensitivity" option in the settings, exclusively for those who struggle with them. This could either deactivate the loud noises or just give a warning on screen beforehand.
Would help those who need it without taking the suspense away for those who don't.
......Boo!
@@RagnarRoxShowi think its thoughtful that you also considered those with a disability while pointing out the few flaws the game has. I personally can’t play a game that has no option for accessibility regarding quick events, i am 1. Legally blind, and 2. Have a mobility issue, and so I struggle with that aspect that a lot of horror games have. Cult of the lamb have a lovely accessibility feature allowing for you to avoid the fishing feature (you have to click at a specific time, which I can’t, and it does it automatically for me)
i got this game at launch and im absolutely happy that i did. its one of the few (if not the first) games that i immediately got! i adored the demo so much, as short and sweet as it may be. one of the devs even replied to my feedback on it! i mentioned that it reminded me a lot of RPGMaker games and apparently, while the current game is in unity (as stated in 13:11) decarnation was an RPGMaker game at some point.
pardon the plethora of edits, though im glad im not the only one who deals with the whole "one session or get blocked" mentality when it comes to media. i notice this a lot when i pick up games or even shows, but somehow decarnation is one game i willingly came back to without that mental block. its quite special to me, relating to some of the subject material to immense degrees.
on a side note, im glad i finally finished a game you featured before you made a video on it haha
Yeah I've always felt weird about that mental block so I'm glad I'm not the only one who struggles with it!
The talk about the art exhibit, the statue, and and Ragnar talking about the "mask" really made me start thinking of Chambers' The King in Yellow.
So I wasn't the only one who saw the title art and immediately thought of Satoshi Kon? That's a relief!
5:32 the way I spiritually levitated when the punchline came swinging
oh my gosh, how timely. writing this comment as a personal bookmark--i'm disabled & my condition degeneratively impacts my hand & finger mobility/dexterity, and have struggled for years with "doing life" (typing, writing, things i love--including gaming) and so have found myself 'soft locked' out of a lot of different experiences/titles even with the modifications ive made in my emulators & to my consoles. so, my habit with your channel--watch a video, let it sit for a couple years, return to that title & see how far i can get before my body says no (hoping it won't). this is how i discovered "norco"--a new lifelong favourite. rediscovering point & clicks has been brilliant. or, using your videos to revisit titles i can no longer play (or, not yet replay!!!) because of the aforementioned reasons--this is all context, not a pity party, for anyone that reads this
i had a pain mgmt+treatment shift a couple months ago that has minimised the pain enough to wrap finishing adaptive tool/equipment projects i've had sitting around for some years. so, for the *first time*, i'm discovering a title through your channel, and instead of watching your video and letting the memory decay enough to where i feel like i can experience the title (mostly) independent of your impressions--i'm able to go over to steam and get the game and experience it myself & KNOW i can complete it. and then come back to your video, lol. incredible how the most simple things now are inversely the most monumental--i've watched your channel for yeaaaars and never been able to do this before, i'm thrilled
purchased; cannot wait to edit this comment on the other side
If you're up for it, I'd love a fuller breakdown of the story and themes after the appropriate amount of time for spoilers has passed.
Always love your deep cuts and insightful, thoughtful takes. I trust your opinion whereas i don’t many. Thanks
I will definitely be getting this one! Thank you for the great video! My God, the art design is amazing!
I just finished this! I avoided your video for a few days so that I could go in blind, and I'm glad I did. Such a cool experience.
I told myself that I'd only watch a bit of this video and then stop since this is a game I'm planning to get and play at some point but I found the video so captivating that I ended up watching until the end. And now this game has definitely jumped up in priority, let's hope it goes on sale before the end of the year.
As an aside, it's nice to know I'm not the only one that can struggle to pick up a game again after the first session even when I like it, in recent times I've been prioritizing games I can finish in just one weekend just to circumvent that problem.
I saw this video, heard the part where they let you do your own review and went out to buy it. I don't care if this game is my thing or not, that level of confidence in their work deserves to be rewarded.
I *knew* this had to be inspired by RPG Maker games! The gameplay style, the puzzles and the heavy themes in horror were a giveaway XD Anyway, amazing vid, definitely has made me interested in playing this game
omg thank you for mentioning accessibility and need for warnings that made me so happy
This review convinced me to get the game after sitting with your words for about a day and it's every bit as horrific and fantastic as I'd hoped. Already sank 20 hours into replaying it over and over with friends so they can share the experience too. So, thanks.
I love Earthbound inspired quirky RPG maker games that delve into dark topics. Indie game developers are truly unrivalled when it comes to creativity.
Fantastic review! Really hoping you’ll revisit the game for a deep dive video. I’d love to hear more of your thoughts on the stuff that goes into spoilers and the themes later in the game. I’m a big fan of your extremely thoughtful commentary!
The Wordspiel with the Swansong LOOM-ing over the Character was so Perfectly crafted. The Whole time it Played in the Background i just could Think about Loom becous its so intervined with the Game for me Allready and then that droped. Just Perfect.
I think I'll have this in my cart this summer, looks way up my alley, not to mention that the art is insanely gorgeous.
Great video, I love when you cover new indie games as well because it’s always something amazing
Cage Head is such a darling
24:26 That‘s an absolute masterclass in musical reference. The guild is pleased.
You shouldn't be surprised they wanted you to try the game Ragnar. Your like the top horror game channel. Your indepth videos are amazing. Just like the games you talk about, your videos are very detailed.
I always get a big smile when i click a new video and RagnarRox starts narrating lol great stuff, as always!
I just finished playing the whole game in one sitting after watching the first few minutes of the video this morning ^.^; Can't say enough good things about the game, thank you so much for highlighting it ! Really poignant stuff, can't wait to see you dive into it in the video !
Thank you for bringing more attention to this game. We must support indie games, that's where we find the most creative and passionate devs.
Have you played Blasphemous? I strongly recommend it. The sequel comes out later this Summer. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.
Absolutely love Blasphemous!
Isn’t that by the same devs that made The Last Door?
@@marianatheschizoid5912 Yes, The Game Kitchen. Give it a try, it's fantastic.
@@AndréVilaFranca Cool, definitely gotta try it. I really liked The Last Door back in the day
The Cunk on Earth joke at 5:32 caught me totally off guard. I wonder how many people watched it and actually recognized it 🤣
Quite a few when I scrolled through the comments. I said the same thing. Caught me off guard too.
You won me with Yamaoka, I didn't watch the video but still played it muted in the background, so thank you, I will play it.
I love your reviews for all these horror games I typically play them on while I work overnights and I hope you a long review on fear and hunger 1 and two I'd be interested in hearing you analyzing a setting like that
I always love it to see you cover games I havent heard of before. There is only so much cool stuff I can find and play on my own.
Ofcourse its also interesting to see you focus on more well know titles since your videos approach games in a way that is vastly different from other videogame channels I know.
Much more appreciative and trying to highlight the subjects strength. In a way your videos feel like the games asked you for help with a job interview if that makes any sense.
This may be the first time I've ever seen a RUclips video reference my favorite game of all time (Loom) and I'm so happy right now.
Love how they use the Overlook Hotel carpeting in the apartments hallway
I didn't realize how much I missed your voice, haha.
Great content as always. Thank you =)
This looks interesting, I do like the inspirations it draws from. But watching further down the video I do wonder if it runs the risk of falling in the "you can learn from trauma and get stronger" theme. I'll think about it, thank you for the video!
I feel like the game talks about how to overcome stalkhome syndrome
And how the protagonist never gave up on finding ways to escape her captuere
And how to find redemption with different versions of herself
Thank you for the footnote! Anhedonia. I'll need to remember that one for later.
I'm sorry, I saw the line: at 16:05
"Here's the little blue box for Joy"
and immediately thought of "Joy", the drug from LISA: The Painful, that makes you feel nothing and gradually turn into a hideous mutant.
Nice catch my friend! It's on purpose yeah.
I'm Decarnation's director/writer and Lisa The Painful is one of my favorite game. Without Lisa there would be no Decarnation.
Also "Joy" works fine with what the character represents for Gloria. And Joy/"Glory"is also a nice combo I guess.
And the blue box comes from Mulholland Drive.
At some point I had to be careful with how I used all these reference, so the game doesnt become a sort of easter egg fest.
Instant like and comment for the Cunk on Earth reference!
Welp, I just finished Fear and Hunger second playthrough, and it looks like I'm going to experience new depression
Tracks by Akira Yamaoka? Already sold.
I absolutely appreciate your thorough rundown keep it up😊
couldn't put this down, finished it in one go and it was fantastic
Got Perfect Blue vibes with its themes
Recently finished it and while it really is super-beautiful... it also plays it pretty safe somehow?
Everything gets wrapped up neatly in the end and you even get to pet the dog.
It's weird to say that about a game that has a mile long content warning but it left me with a smile and a good feeling.
Hey
To be frank I've been struggling a lot with writing the end of the story. How dark/bright should it be? It's only a few months before the end of the project it ended up like that. Probably my main fear was that I turned into some stupid hollywoodish happy end.
Regards,
Quentin (Deca's creative director / writer)
Hey thank you for taking the time to answer. Reading the comments needs courage so I really appreciate it.
[POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING]
Endings are hard, yeah. I think it is a really tough decision and I don't think there is a right or a wrong one. It's your creative vision. In a way an upbeat ending makes the bitter parts more digestible.
It is weird to say that about a character that goes through such a really bad time but I felt a little bit of... envy? Getting that final victory over the perpetrator, reconnecting to those we pushed away, building that safe space we visit in the finale... it is pure wish fullfilment for trauma survivors.
Now it does gets me thinking after all. Why do I have no problems with the power fantasy of shooting up the hordes of hell in a video game but a "psychological" power fantasy of leaving behind this kind of experience without years of therapy makes me protest?
Maybe I should apologize to Gloria. It's okay that you get to be happy. :)@@quentindebeukelaer4244
@@studiospecialplace Taking a guess, it's probably because the common expectation now is that if something is dark, then the ending should be horrible for the character as well. It's a very common ending now for the main character, after surviving so much, get a supposedly happy ending, only there to be a twist that it wasn't happy at all. At this point, the twist dark ending is the hollywood ending we're expecting. It's very rare for main characters in dark stories to get a win nowadays that Decarnation becomes refreshing and also uplifting.
@@quentindebeukelaer4244A bit late here, great game overall, as someone who liked Perfect Blue I have to say that it's basically its child in videogame form (which is a good thing). My biggest issue, mechanicwise, was with the heart rhythm part, I even almost thought of dropping the game there because I was getting frustrated since for some reason I couldn't get the timing right until all out of nowhere I did (and yet it still felt off). Aside from that, I had no problems with the minigames per se, in fact I actually appreciated that a game that was as story focused as this one didn't forget that it was, well, a videogame (I don't think I'd have enjoyed it as much if all I had to do was walk from point A to B to advance the story).
As for the ending, I have to admit that for once it's refreshing to see a "positive" ending to a dark story in a time where everyone wants to make dark endings, or "happy" endings that end up with a twist which makes them dark and whatnot. However, I have to agree that it felt too unrealistic and it almost broke my immersion, which sucked because I was really the story (I basically binged it in ~3 days).
I think the biggest offender for me was Bob somehow surviving. When Olivia attacks him, she basically "drowns" him and walks outside very slowly. Yes, it's stated that she does call the ambulance later on, but realistically by the time it reaches Bob's house (which by the way I'm not sure how Gloria knew where it was since she was unconscious when she was brought there), he would be long dead by then.
Another thing that worried me is what happened with the theater where Gloria worked at. It just conveniently got sold in a span of ~4 months, despite there not being foreshadowing of it doing "badly" enough to be sold (at least as far as I remember, I could be mistaken). And on the matter of the theater, I also felt like Gloria hitting her 30s and it making her "unappealing" to the public eye was a bit too much. Yes, I'm aware that it isn't 2023 and people from before looked 80ish in their 50s, but the difference between a 20-something and a 30 year old isn't that big, and Gloria looks like an active character who takes care of her body and keeps herself in shape, so I'd have bumped her age to at least 35+, which is when you can start noticing changes in your body which might make you "not as attractive" to others (white hair, you start having more "fat belly", wrinkles and etcetera).
But despite this, I really loved the story, and the OST is so underrated, I really loved Boketto and I still listen to it to this day. I actually wished you had more attention, if it wasn't for this channel I wouldn't even have known of this game's existence.
video on fear and hunger when ? I think you will love it
That last heartbeat thing was making me mad Ragnar. Like I was doing it correctly!!!!
soooorry!! we balanced it in a patch on Steam (coming next week on Switch)
love the philomena cunk reference
He says the game is made in Unity, but when looking up the engine it indeed says RPG maker 2003. Not that it makes much of a difference, just curious...
Edit Re-Clarification: The game was made in Unity after all.
Okay I am now genuinely confused, because I would have sworn I saw the "Made in Unity" logo when starting up the game every time, but now I check the game, and all my recordings and it's not there and I feel cognitive dissonance exploding.
Anyway, it looks like you're right and I conflated something without ever thinking twice about it. Gonna pin the comment for correction. (Thanks youtube for removing the annotations feature)
@@RagnarRoxShow Pin a clarification from you yourself, it's going to be much more transparent and clean.
@@RagnarRoxShow No, no, the game IS made in unity.
@@CommissionerC yeah, being someone that has used rpgmaker 2003 all my life, that definitely wasn't made with it. I assume he may have started there and ported it to unity later, some people do that.
@@Rihcterwilker That's what happened. I started what was meant to be a 6 month solo project on RPG maker (in jan2019). Then, when a friend programmer joined me, we moved it on Unity.
Awesome work as always
Was not expecting a Cunk reference at the start
Loved this look at it! Ill definitely pick up the demo.
Ragnar upload on my day off, excellent!
this game looks great, and your video answers all the questions I would have had.
I bought the game and played the whole way through in an afternoon and into the night. I just could not put it down. This video does a great job at explaining why (and omg I WISH I could have skipped that final heart puzzle. I was terrible at it lol)
eagerly waiting for your take on the Fear and Hunger games!
This had been on my wishlist for about a year or so, I never play the demos of games I know I'm definitely buying, so after I finished chapter 1 and took a break, I played through chapter 2 all through to the ending in one go. Couldn't put it down, I was also wondering if the whole capture thing was happening inside Gloria's mind like you said, the game did a wonderful job of gaslighting even the player and huge props to that. Amazing soundtrack, but that last simon says minigame towards the end of the game, with the heart, can rot in hell. I had so much trouble with it and I'm not horrible with rhythm games myself, but the input wouldn't register correctly for some reason. It must've taken me 20+ tries. But yeah, overall amazing game, beautiful visuals as much as they were haunting. I'll definitely be thinking about it for some time to come and the soundtrack is a must purchase as well.
Sorry for the heartbeat thingy! We patched it since then.
Thanks or your enthousiasm, that's heart... (hum) warming.
@@quentindebeukelaer4244 And thank you for providing a meaningful gameplay experience, that's so rare in 2023! Also, idr the chapter, but the scene where the player can traverse through mud with sinkholes and trains in the background, I somehow clipped through that and the game registered the broken trains background as the walking field, and the mud (where you were supposed to use to traverse) as the wall/no-go area, it was the only bug I encountered, but it was funny.
@@PouresMaggie we fixed some of these issues too! Yea this scene, that we call "the subway pit" came late in the production and brought its huge amount of bugs haha.
BTW patch1 is only on Steam for now.
In a week or so patch2 arrives for Steam and 1+2 for Switch. Tons of fixes and improvements incoming!
@@quentindebeukelaer4244 Thanks a lot for your support and dedication! Will be looking forward to any future projects from you and support however I can!
4:33 Haven't played the game yet, but by the footage you've shown thus far, it seems to be at its core Perfect Blue - the game.
An idol-like figure dealing with anxiety and the outside world manipulating her.
I suck at action time puzzles, so I probably won't play it, but I would still buy it and would love to see a playthrough
ah Paris will always be Paris
I am sad to say that I will be giving this a miss as a rhythmically impaired individual. Thank you for mentioning those segments.
I'm at least glad that I could bring awareness to this for you!
Would be really peachy if the devs implemented a skip-function at some point, as I suggested in the video; it would make it accessible without losing too much of the overall experience imo.
PUMP UP THE JAM! PUMP IT UP!
WHILE YOUR FEET ARE STOMPING
AND THE JAM IS PUMPING!
LOOK AHEAD, THE CROWD IS JUMPING!
PUMP IT UP A LITTLE MORE
GET THE PARTY GOING ON THE DANCEFLOOR
SEE, CAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE PARTY'S AT
AND YOU'D FIND OUT IF YOU DO THAT!
From the beginning of the video when the guy touching the statue I got Perfect Blue vibes.
bought this game 7 minutes into the video! super excited to dive into this on my steam deck :)
I was curious about this game but it seemed a little too scary for me, thanks for covering it!
I'm so happy to know about this game, I really wanted to play something like this, also I would love if you covered fear and hunger 2: termina.
Thank you for that pump up the jam joke.
I'm late to this because i wanted to play before watching
And my god am i glad i did. Decarnation is incredible.
ah you did the cunk on earth pump up the jam joke
Could I ask you to lower the ambient noise and music in your videos please, it can drown your voice, thanks for the wonderful content
Appreciate the feedback. I always test it on different devices but sometimes it just gets mixed differently and drowns out the voice on some speakers; I'm gonna keep this in mind in future videos to make an extra safety -1db adjustment at the end of the mixing process. Feel free to let me know how it turns out in the next video!
Diane Morgan reference = appreciated
I paused and bought mid video for the switch. Great video!!!!!
I just watched the first 5 mins of your video and I’ve just bought it on GOG.
I know exactly what you mean by the timing of the rhythm game! I'm almost sure that the notes are timed on the off-beat, I can't tell if it's supposed to be a stylistic choice or not though lol
Another ace video!
I like the part where he says "It really makes you FEEL like a French cabaret dancer!"
Just watched the little trailer clip on steam and holy shit I wishlisted so fast
I sadly can't do quick time events as I have a processing problem. By the time I can "understand" what I am seeing, the prompt is long gone. It is also why I can't play real time action games. D: It is why I used to stick to RPGs in all forms, buuuuuut they are being choked out. (Hell I can't even play Rune Factory well due to my shit brain, and it is sadly getting worse. I used to be able to play WoW. . . now I really can't) I hope I can watch a play through of this some day as this looks like an AMAZING game!!! I will probably gift my brother and his friend this game.
5:36 I also enjoyed "Cunk on Earth". Easily one of the funniest shows that has come out in the past 5 years.
The cunk reference made ma laugh out loud
3:30 the shining
Was that a freaking Cunk on Earth reference!?!?!
Jewel as always Ragnar
5:36 Philomena Cunk!
Bought the game because of your recommendation, would love it if you consider making a full analysis with spoilers
I just finished watching Cunk and got hit by Pump Up the Jam again, I cannot believe it 10/10
I have a bottomless well of respect for any horror game developer that designs a hotel level and DOESN'T use the Shining carpet pattern. bot tom less.
3:32 nevermind there it is.
@@deigning ahah i feel you. i almost removed it but then it was featured in a "all shining carpets" games so i felt it was too late to remove it
I wont put any in my next game, I promise!
Quentin (Deca's creative director)
@@quentindebeukelaer4244lmao I mean you don't have to cater to my extremely niche pet peeves! I didn't knw there was a list like that, sincere thanks for the rec. Really it's that I think the bathroom wallpaper in the movie is just as iconic and I never see it! Let's start that as an homage trend
I was refreshing ragnarrox search results and suddenly
felt great ngl
the art reminds me of Paul Robertson's stuff, interesting project this
5:40 Belgiuuuum! :D
The specific topic is a bit too not-for-me for me to deal with in an interactive medium, a shame. It seems really cool though, so I'll make sure to watch a let's play
God this looks so incredibly beautiful and amazing, even with the flaws you've mentioned. I would really love to play it for myself, but sadly it doesn't seem to support mac, and I don't have access to a windows machine. sob...., I hope I'll be able to find a playthrough of it or something like in the near future
babe wake up it’s a new Rag video !!!
Got through half of the video and decided I want to play it! Liking and commenting to show support, but I have to stop watching 😅 I'll come back when I've played it
Thanks for playing our game!