Baroque (1998): Rebirth of a Cult Classic Horror RPG

[@hyptro]

The late 90s were such a fascinating era of game design. You'd be twelve picking up the one game your parents would let you get every 1/2/3/whatever months and it could be anything from a basic platformer to something crazy like this.

[@Shiritax]

That is so true lol. I remember 1998 when my parents gifted me PS1 on my birthday with two games - first Crash Bandicoot and... Final Doom. And so, I played CB during daytime and hid in my room like ninja to play FD at night :D

[@Ojos_Del_Sol]

@w1d0wmak3RxD oh man dude that takes me back....playing silent hill when I get home from school and turning it off right when I hear the parents pulling into the driveway haha

[@Shiritax]

@@Ojos_Del_Sol Yeah, good old childish times :')

[@jayplay8140]

aside from indie games, mainstream console gaming has gottem kind of stale sadly

[@TheyBenefit]

That's why we need to go back to basic graphics. Gameplay/streamlined development over the massive waste of time graphics entail.

[@rebornscannon2789]

Fun fact as of July 15th 2023 Baroque on the Sega Saturn now has a FULLY COMPLETE English translation making it the preferred way to play the game.

[@statiksea]

If i may ask, what makes the saturn version the preferred version? I just havent messed w it yet and am curious as this game has become an all time fav since finishing the ps1 version recently

[@rebornscannon2789]

Its over all a MUCH better game visually, the PSX version has significantly worse lighting and color pallet and things also look squished because they fucked up the aspect ratio. sure the psx has an option dungeon but thats honestly not worth it when it looks so much worse. On a personal note i also feel like it PLAYS better on saturn though thats just my opinion.@@statiksea

[@Kodaemon]

Hello, what is the preferred Saturn emulator currently and could you provide any useful tips?

[@rebornscannon2789]

@Kodaemon yabasanshiro 2 is REALLY good and it's core on retroarch also runs really well

[@scortnent2584]

Eh I will stick to psx version since I don't want to download another emulator of console that I'm not interested in for one game

[@youtubeuniversity3638]

8:20 "Listing these aspects it sounds like they shouldn't combine well" *proceeds to give the most cohesive game pitch I have ever heard*

[@RagnarRoxShow]

It really is one of those "it shouldn't work as well as it does" kinda game concepts

[@youtubeuniversity3638]

​​​​@@RagnarRoxShow ...no, I very much disagree. Like I said, your "shouldn't work as well as it should" explanation is the most cohesive game pitch I've ever heard. By the sound of it it feels obvious to me that it would work. Survival Horror Roguelite FPDC with Procedural Levels/Gear and Strange Surreal Aesthetics sounds like a buncha stuff that'd be easy to see the benefits of mixing even in the abstract.

[@versebuchanan512]

@@youtubeuniversity3638 Yeah, this. That collection of genre bits and mechanics sound like they go naturally with each other.

[@Bukkarooo]

@@youtubeuniversity3638 I will say that "procedural levels/gear" feels like it's just part of it being a Roguelite imo

[@tartatovsky]

@@youtubeuniversity3638 ... on paper it shouldn't have work as well as it should. The only reason you think otherwise is because its RagnarRox doing the pitching.

[@mimimalloc]

Things I really liked when playing the Baroque translation: 1.) Despite the presentation being strange, alienating, and obscure, the game actually has a fantastic tutorial that gives you exactly enough footing to understand and enjoy the core game loop. 2.) Thrown items are extremely powerful especially on your early runs where you aren't established, so you're heavily incentivized to stock even junk and throw everything including the kitchen sink when you need to bail yourself out or just want a safer ranged attack. I must have used more of my inventory items than any RPG I've played, including other roguelikes/lites.

[@lordanthrax2417]

I totally agree with both points! It is also a great experience to identify the bones by gnawing on them... Great gamble-mechanic ;) As i didn't want to spoil me i kept myself away from walkthroughs and everything... Best thing i did. Realizing what "thing thing", the "crypt angel" and the "mind reading thing" do and how they work felt so mind blowing xD If you like "rogues" and can appreciate a good system even if it does not look like "state of the art" give "katabatia" a try! Its free and on the c64 so you can play it everywhere using an emulator. It has many different potions that you can drink, throw and drip onto your equipment! It has different shops, temples/shrines to identify items and many weapons, armor and enemies.

[@OldEnemy1]

Branding a sword with a wave effect is super useful since you don't have to get close to an enemy. Also circle strafing is your friend as well.

[@2leftthumbs]

A wonderful look at Baroque! And thank you SO MUCH for including THEY SPEAK in your credit sequence. That means a lot!! Nikki recently shifted to developing the game in a new framework. It's resulted in many visual, performance, and function improvements since the current demo. We're very excited to show off how the game has grown as soon as it's ready :)

[@Cipriboris]

I did play the demo a few weeks ago and it was a really captivating experience. I'm waiting with esger to play the final version, good luck!

[@Sonicstillpoint83]

Quite cool, thank you guys for your efforts.

[@garchomowner]

wishlisted the game. it looks awesome

[@travisriley889]

M

[@brinewind8732]

It's positively sickening how well this channel serves my very specific niche. Every video is a wonder. Usually know of or have played each video's subject but Baroque is one I've completely missed, and I get a beautifully made video on not only what it is but why it's special. A treat and a testament to how rad this channel is.

[@anishinaabae]

i feel exactly the same way! even the way ragnar strings together a thought or feeling is very reminiscent of how my own brain operates. i have such fondness and appreciation for this channel!

[@jmgonzales7701]

what is your specific niche?

[@RandalfElVikingo]

Welcome to YT.

[@RandalfElVikingo]

@@jmgonzales7701 Touching himself with biblical squids.

[@brinewind8732]

@@RandalfElVikingo Don't kink shame.

[@rageoholic1007]

For the cannibalism bit: Almost definitely yes. I'm like 99% sure the monsters are warped humans.

[@sorakafutanari]

yum yum! : )

[@huelu982]

I don’t know what they are but I heard dethrone God… I was like God had throne? 😑

[@theprogram1950]

@@huelu982 All the monsters in the game are people mutated by the great heat and the god refers to experiments that were done prior to the catastrophe, as far as I could understand they managed to find "God" and tried to use him which ended up causing the great heat.

[@deadnfurious850]

I want to clarify, though, that the Grotesques are, in fact, based on the Archangel's own interpretations of people, specifically based on his own custom made tarot card deck; they are not transformations based on their previous lives, but rather an arbitrary image given by the Archangel's own conscious delusions rather than a mockery of their mental state. I wanted to state this because so many people accused the writers of presenting insensitive mental health representation, and this is absolutely not true at all.

[@denial1004]

​@deadnfurious850 yeah, its exactly quite the opposite, he was criticizing how many religions portray these people as "broken"

[@Songbearer]

What I truly and utterly love is seeing creature designs that have been consigned to the realm of obscurity. The high concept creatures in this game are just gorgeous and I feel like I've unearthed a wellspring of inspiration seeing them for the first time.

[@cooltrainervaultboy-39]

It's like a combination of body horror concepts, where existence is so painful that it brakes and resets your mind to pure primal instinct. Limbs replaced with either machine hodgepodged together, or mutated into masses of flesh. In summary, fuck'in metal! Makes me want to make something similar!

[@matttyree1002]

I picked this up on Wii at a thrift store a long time ago and didn't really know what to make of it. You've inspired me to give it another shot

[@Death_Lord_Eleressai]

Nine Inch Nails music in this video and links to emulators and ROMs in the description... It's a miracle that this video hasn't been nuked by the copyright demons lol.

[@craigsmart1986]

If it's not baroque why fix it

[@flowers884]

Can I just say thank you so much for the CCs(closed captioning)? I just love the fact that you offer such an amazing feature on your videos. It makes watching your amazing videos even better.

[@catsarecute7447]

I'm a longtime baroque fan and saw this video posted in a discord server dedicated to baroque, I'm glad to see more people talking about it, its a great video and I wanted to thank you for making it!

[@badwrongfun5541]

The Wii remake of Baroque had been one of my favorite games period ever since it came out. So I'm very happy for the fan translation of the original and videos like this bringing more attention to Baroque.

[@NinjaRyu666]

This looks so wild and right up my street! Also loved the timing of NIN: Even Deeper at 11:27 So good

[@blake7086]

for real

[@tropezando]

A current roguelike rpg series that is currently blowing my mind is the Fear and Hunger series. The second game came out recently, you should check it out.

[@Nexofas]

I would love a video about Fear&Hunger or Termina. The lore and mechanics hits the niche this channel has

[@TheFinalGate_]

Bruhh i just discovered fear and hunger recently and have been obsessed trying to find more vids about it, its funny i think the algorithm knew that and sent me this baroque vid bc the two games have similar themes and aesthetics. I dnt havea pc/laptop so i cNT play f&H UNtil it comes to ios (doubt it)

[@Kropothead]

It’s got some difficult subject matter and it actively wants to hurt you, but it’s also a rare gem of a series.

[@t4tumverb4tim]

yes! ive been going crazy over the second game. it would be so cool if ragnar covered it

[@Dantemustdance]

I'm so glad the games are catching on, I've been tempted to recommend fnh for a long time but was a bit scared It'd not leave a good first impression coming from a single random yt commenter There's also a lot of work being done still on Termina so more content to come in case it's something he wants to cover

[@samacvuk]

I played this many years ago with 4 Japanese translation guides around me, it took months, but it was worth it, I don't think there are other games like this one around

[@hemangchauhan2864]

When I first read and saw Baroque PS1, I was blown away at how atmospheric it was. Just the horror-gothic look with that signature 90s enigma. Great video! I'll try the translation. Great shout out to that indie game at the end as well!

[@sorakafutanari]

personally when I first saw the graphics I was like "oh, so THAT'S what inspired Basilisk." the aesthetics activate my fight-or-flight response (blame Iron Lung for that) but at the same time I love the concept so bad I wanna give it a try.

[@hemangchauhan2864]

@@sorakafutanari oh I read Basilisk too! You should really see the old promo art for Baroque. It's really something!

[@Cybershroom]

Baroque finally got an english translation which is really awesome considering I've played a fair amount of the ps2 version, It's fascinating how this cryptic roguelike is very comparable to ''The Binding of Isaac'' with it's replayabillity, the whole concept of being able to progress even after dying or meeting some conditions to unlock the true ending. It's really weird but an awesome game overlooked by people due to it's confusing and frustrating nature back when guides were limited.

[@caiocem]

I remember being obsessed with Baroque's visuals a while back but couldn't find a translation and completely forgot about, great to know I can finally experience this gem

[@cazadorcazado08]

I'm glad the original Baroque is getting some attention and love, it really is a hidden gem.

[@vanKartofell]

Does it has many jumpscares? I got interested but can't stomach those at all

[@pliskin5161]

@@vanKartofell hahaha classic woman gamer

[@vanKartofell]

@@pliskin5161 hahaha classic gamer

[@plaguis1391]

Timotei, timotei, timoteiiii

[@cazadorcazado08]

@@vanKartofell No jumpscares as far as I remember. It can get creepy but that's just the general aesthetic rather than being intentionally horror like a proper horror game

[@BearInTheWoods]

I know I’m probably not the first person to mention it but I wanted to say playing the NIN songs when you said ‘even deeper’ and ‘only way out is through’ was clever and put a goofy smile on my face.

[@lucasferreiraleite7353]

I like so much your videos that increased my patreon donations. Your lore diging is extraordinary and the calm Voice you tell us keep the misterious tone in the narrative. Thanks, Ragnar. You really make my days better with your channel. Cheers From a Brazilian fan.

[@richardcoelho]

eu vi q ele te citou e vim olhar nos comentários l..l,

[@lucasferreiraleite7353]

@@richardcoelho valeu Richard. Sou fã dele. O cara faz vídeos muito bons. Legal ver mais brasileiros por aqui.

[@grimnir7749]

Currently playing Baroque. A couple of things I'd like to share since it seems finding guides for this game is pretty hard. so here's what I do. Every couple of levels you will find a room with a "SENSE SPHERE", it's a metal sphere in the middle of the room, you can't miss it. Throw your weapon, armor and accessory in there and it will send it to the ground floor where you can use it over and over again. Make sure you focus upgrading ONE weapon and one armor. I'm currently upgrading a guillotine sword with any +1 attack I can find in the dungeon. You can have 5 slots so 3 of that is for your equipment. Remember that 'Bones' of ANY kind can heal your HP and MP by 10! you can easily horde many of these things in there so keep them around instead of 'torture' devices, which is consumable magic attack spells. They will save you a lot of the times. Don't horde the meat items you find, always try to use them to upgrade your MAX HP as this is more effective in the long run and also cleans your inventory which can only hold 20 items. The same thing with Fruits, always use to upgrade your MAX MP. I've rarely worried about my VIT/MP when I'm playing because my vit/mp is always high! Don't feel bad about 'game-ending' in this game, that's how it is designed! Just make sure you always send your equipment back to your base and make sure they are upgraded as much as you can :)

[@meekaboo_]

My roommate and I were messing around with the PS2 Baroque a couple months ago, and they were telling me how oddly gripping it was to them moreso than a lot of stuff we had been diving into at the time, and I definitely get it. Fast forward to just under a month ago, and they found a Japanese artbook and guide for the original version at a local used books store, and it's so rad. This game (these games?) really have such an interesting thing going on, and I'm happy to see you taking a look at it!

[@lordanthrax2417]

When the spanish fan-translation was released i literally looked EVERY day for the english translation... And when it came out i could not stop playing it and every other game had to wait. This game is the perfect example of "stop watching this review and play it!" Don't get me wrong! This review is great! Many thanks for making a review that shines a light on this hidden gem! A big "thank you" goes to every single person who helps translating those innovative and interesting games! P. S. : Please translate Vampir Kyuuketsuki Densetsu ;) I am playing it using "ai service" in retroarch... I am thankful for this but it kills the otherwise dense atmosphere... You are a vampire who, at daytime, tries to gain the trust of the townspeople while, at nighttime, sucks their blood to convert them to vampires who then roam around, creating ghouls who fight by your side... While an enemy-vampire does the exact same thing to make you loose. Have a nice day and thanks again for the great review!

[@robertbeauchamp4031]

How can I play the English translation? This game sounds amazing and I don't want to watch any more of the video for fear of spoilers.

[@lordanthrax2417]

@@robertbeauchamp4031 this review, as most of them are by nature, is full of spoilers. You basically start the game without knowing anything... The character you play as does not remember anything about who and where he is. The story unfolds with every successful run and through continuous talking to every npc. All npcs have a pretty interesting reason why they are in this world...

[@wakipai3D]

​​@@robertbeauchamp4031 it's on cdromance Oh and i recommend duckstation

[@yumimakai]

It's so nice to see Baroque finally get some love it deserves! I ADORE both the og and the remake, and still remember randomly picking up a copy of the Baroque's remake on the ps2 at a used game store as a teen and immidately falling in love with the story and it's characters. I couldn't understand why it was never picked up by the masses and seen as the great work of art that it is. I was lucky enough for my husband to even find me a copy of the japanses ps1 special edition box set

[@XxInativxX]

I love you for making this video. I got into Baroque through the remake and I've been obsessed ever since, and when I learned about the original version I became even more obsessed. I don't even typically like dungeon crawlers but Baroque is so unique that it just works for me.

[@prefontaine9940]

I have searched the youtube and tv tropes for any information and explanation of characters and their stories in this game around 5 months ago and found very small and vague bits of information, thank you for the video! this game piqued my interest as it's cryptic like dark souls series, resulting in everyone showing the game in videos but not "explaining" them.

[@awkwardity5615]

Dear Ragnar, thank you so much for the work you do. Even when everything in my life is stressful and the day to day starts to feel impossible, your videos never fail to not only engage, but also calm me down immensely. I appreciate your style, the way you edit and narrate, and undoubtedly immense research of this beloved subject so much! I can always count on your channel to find something my neurodiverget, videogame and horror obsessed brain needs to deep dive into when the rest of the world ist just a bit too much. Thank you for everything you do, and I loved this video and will definitely look up ways to play this, even if it's only the Switch port/remake :)

[@cjhatesu]

I watched this video a couple days ago as I was getting over covid and immediately downloaded the rom after seeing how beautifully bizarre it was. I grinded my way through the tower, each time discovering new hints from the Distorted Ones that lured me deeper into the tower until I was able to reach the bottom level for the first time. Unfortunately for me, my Angelic Rifle had been transformed into a piece of Idiot Meat by a random trap I had ran over a few levels before. 10/10 great time waster while getting over covid and I know I'll run this many more times to explore everything.

[@johnmars5282]

This era of Japanese games was just insane, just no limits at all in creativity, like everything was possible.

[@Ucceah]

that OST hooked me instantly, and 40 min later, future things have been decided.

[@Candlehearts]

I absolutely ADORE Baroque and I always joke that I'm the one person who thinks about it weekly if not daily lmfao. Super surprised and happy to see you talking about it!

[@TheFifthKalpa]

I'm a bit late, sorry! Thank you so much for giving my game a shout-out at the end! Baroque is awesome! Such a dense atmosphere. A one of a kind experience.

[@Vallendorf]

21:32 ATTACK & DE-THRONED GOD 22:41 ANGELIC PLASMA RIFLE

[@pimscrypt]

I'm getting HEAVY Pathologic vibes from this game, in the way that I will either find it to be one of my new favorite games or I will *hate* it. Or both. Either way I'm very curious about giving it a shot. The aesthetic alone is stunning! And speaking of great aesthetics, I was very happy to see the shoutout to THEY SPEAK FROM THE ABYSS! I'm even more excited about playing the final version of that game! (I'm extremely biased since I'm one of the voice actors BUT STILL!)

[@RagnarRoxShow]

STILL!

[@theteamxxx3142]

It reminds me of drakengard 1

[@greillion2388]

I remember playing the wii remake. It was my first foray into "roguelikes." It took me a while grasp the whole "death leads to progress." Puzzling out the world was satisfying, and I still remember those theories I came up with.

[@AinzV1]

21:16 "grotesque got stomachache" Grotesque: "welp, guess I'll die."

[@ParadoxicalIntention]

I'm so glad you looked at this! I distinctly remember getting the remake way back when, and I remember being intrigued by it at the time, even though it went over my head as a kid fresh out of high school when it came out in the US. The visuals were captivating, and I also distinctly remember thinking the combat was unique to anything I had played at the time. It's interesting that I had played a rogue-lite (and enjoyed it) before the concept had even been invented, and long before I knew it existed. I hope that maybe someday I can go back to it, or maybe experience the original for myself since I actually didn't know it was a remake until now! Thanks for the video!

[@Stoned420Guru]

20:00 this was too perfect, caught me way off guard. Amazing edit haha, i loved it.

[@melisacattaneo1127]

I fcking love how you include NIN references whenever you can. Not to mention the music in your videos. Not only are you an amazing content creator, but, of course, your taste is on point as well. Love u, never stop!

[@heepispeepis]

Something strange I noticed was that the tutorial instructs you several times to “not worry abt dodging” or “get really close to the enemies”, but I feel trying to evade enemy attacks and running around them was vital to doing well

[@wildllama1282]

Yeah, not being able to dodge well is what made me not able to beat the game.

[@lesflaya]

I'm usually a big fan of older games and right now i'm also finally getting the chance to play through persona 5, so this is so up my alley thanks for the rec!! Side note, I'd love in future videos if you could cite in the description the music you've used for the video. I'm not sure if it's all from Baroque, not all youtubers put the music from the thing they're reviewing in the bg of their videos, but there were so many tracks I heard while watching that I would just love to listen to on my own time. Even if I have a jumping off point to dig into. But regardless great video as always!!

[@DeepMoon45]

Very late to replying to this and so I am hoping this finds you eventually but you'd be surprised to find out that most of the music Ragnar played in this video is actually from Megami Tensei! That's why the tracks sounded amazing and stood out to you, as I'm sure you've noticed how irrestiably catchy Persona 5s music is! From what I noticed the tracks were primarily from Shin Megami Tensei IV and Nocturne. I'm sure you've found your way to mainline Megaten by now considering you play Persona but if not definitely give main Megami Tensei games a look, especially IV and Nocturne. Nocturne is especially easily accessible due to its port to modern consoles. All of the games have phenomenal music, it's genuinely a part of Atlus game design that NEVER misses, it's insane! I hope this helps you find the tracks that stood out to you hear, all of IV and Nocturnes soundtracks are available to listen to on Spotify!

[@anmanarrative]

Wonderful video! You always bring attention to the coolest games that I likely never would have heard of otherwise, thank you for that. The screenshots you'd posted were surreal but I can't believe how insane this game gets, it's so creative. The art-style and story is wild enough but I thinks it's awesome how much the mechanics complement and accentuate that. The vitality mechanic is interesting (reminds me a bit of the adrenaline bar from Nightmare Creatures) and the idea of using a game reset and even your own death to progress is brilliant. Add Baroque to my list of games to try emulating (it's getting long thanks to you).

[@greenhowie]

Just patched my totally legal copy. Anyone else wanting to try it, make sure your totally legal copy is the Genteiban special edition, regular edition kept coming back with checksum errors

[@nkvoodoo7689]

Don't think I didn't notice 'Even Deeper' starting as soon as you said the words of the title. You get a sub just for that :)

[@nkvoodoo7689]

OMG you did it The Way Out is Through. Man that record is my favourite.

[@miller_de]

20:01 That bumper with Jordan Peterson came so out of context I've spilled my whole monitor with my drink :'D

[@grizzlywhisker]

Reminds me a bit of FromSoftware's Kingsfield on PS1 if it was a weird sci-fi/horror game instead of fantasy.

[@MsamaB3]

I've been so looking forward to this video, ever since you announced it on Twitter! There are next to no videos on this series, so I was over the moon when I heard that you were doing a video on it! Thank you, Ragnar! You're the best! 🌟

[@dribcc]

I just started the Wii version. Turns out there’s a First Person view option in the camera settings

[@razorback61]

I spent the whole of this video being utterly convinced that I'd seen a video about this elsewhere, but that something was a *little* bit different. Turns out it was actually your video about Hellnight. Thanks for the as-usual spoiler-lite runthrough. I'll add this to my (billion km long) backlog.

[@pbjandahighfive]

I actually have the OG PSX release of this. I used to work at a used CD/game shop many years ago and someone randomly brought this in as a trade-in along with a box of other stuff that they sold to us for cash. After paying the customer I ended up turning around and buying it from the store myself. Employees got to buy everything used in the store "at cost" i.e. the same as whatever price the store paid for it. If I remember correctly I picked it up for a quarter.

[@nihilgrahn-yig5898]

"I'm not locked in here with you... YOU'RE LOCKED IN HERE WITH ME." -How it feels in Bloodborne when it clicks, and when you're "half cut with blood, as all good hunters are." I'll have to seek out and give this game a shot, the atmosphere is dripping with personality.

[@RedTed_Indentation45]

Your videos have always been so entertainingly intriguing. I also love how I learn something new from your videos, like how there was a 1998 Baroque! In any case, keep doing what you do!

[@evilbutterfly8]

I think the environmental storytelling and cryptic nature of the game work so well ONLY because the main character is an amnesiac, it makes it feel like you woke up in a confusing, distorted world along with him so you can kind of relate to the main character while you're playing (or self insert haha)

[@Bluecho4]

I first encountered this game several years ago, in the form of its Wii remake. I considered picking it up, due to the scant gameplay I saw, but never did. I had no idea it was merely a pale echo of an earlier, more fantastic game.

[@RosieDuck]

my first ever ragnar vid and i can't tell you how much i appreciate the "jumpscare incoming" warning bc i was eating at the same time 🙏🏻 in hindsight those little winged things are so funny going WEE at you but i like living and not dying by choking on cinnabuns and coffee, you never know what'll catch you unaware 😂

[@cthulusauce]

I absolutely adore how you show games I’ve never heard of but are so up my alley I’m surprised they’re not in my bed

[@RayX12]

Might be worth noting that Plissken released an english patch for the Saturn version of Baroque on July 15, 2023. There's no longer a need to "settle" for the PS1 version.

[@grundlehunter69]

I love this game! I think it was thorhighheels who I saw cover this. Such a unique and underrated title, extremely ahead of its time too. I can't wait to check this out later!

[@PunkExMachina]

I'm extremely surprised to hear the word "suicide" on a video on the internet. like I heard so many euphemisms and ofc the new classic "unalive" lately that I was a bit like omg he said the s word I haven't heard that in ages lol

[@Zer0_Ph34r]

I played Baroque years ago when it first released on the Wii. I had no idea what it was, but I have always been a fan of gothic aesthetics and anything in that same vein. I had recently learned about baroque architecture and art and was intrigued. I booted up Baroque and started my journey. I had never played a rogue-lite game before, and had no idea what I was doing, but I managed to get to the bottom thanks to the OP rifle. Then, the world reset and I began my journey yet again. This time, sans-rifle, it took me multiple attempts to plumb the depths of the tower. However, after several hours of attempts, I finally made it to the depths again, only for the cycle to reset. At the time, I didn't understand what was happening. I thought that the game was just a short loop of the dungeon and that was it. I had failed to grasp what the game was trying to tell me. My first plunge into the depths was so short and easy, I thought it was simply a tutorial. The next plunge was far more arduous and felt like the true intent of the game, but i failed to pick up on the fact that new story beats were being introduced. Because I failed to grasp what the game was going for, and the fact that I'm not much of a rogue-lite enjoyer, I ended up selling the game after that second completion. I have since looked back at the game and yearned to try it again and find enjoyment out of it. It left a mark on my memory that wouldn't go away, in spite of the sanitized aesthetics and more generic visuals, the world that was introduced by Baroque is not so easily forgotten. I look forward to trying out this new fan patch and the original game, because I've always wanted to enjoy this game, and it looks like I finally can

[@mariusspqr9931]

Thank you so much for this recommendation. As a massive fan of Industrial Goth, having found this video game has been like finding a massive diamond! Love your channel! Keep doing these amazing reviews!

[@Frame206a]

I’ve played the PS2 remake oif baroque I loved the game, never knew there was an orginal version of that game. the original game really reminds me of King’s Field, another great classic that you should check out!

[@KazeMemaryu]

Way back when, I got my hands on the Wii version of Baroque, and I knew absolutely nothing about it. Furthermore, I didn't get in the slightest what I was supposed to do (I wasted my Angelic Rifle shots on regular mobs and got stuck at the intended destination because I was supposed to shoot the thing), and eventually gave up in frustration. Only because I still remembered the kickass soundtrack, did I eventually come around to looking up some intel on Baroque, and began to understand that I was missing out on something truly unique. And now the original game is playable for those not well-versed in japanese, which is awesome. I just gotta see when I'll get around to trying it.

[@TevorTheThird]

I was so stoked for the 2020 Switch port they did. Still am in theory. Still waiting for a worldwide release on that one. Any day now. Dang.

[@Teh_Zig]

Very cool. I just started playing the PS1 translation a few days ago, after giving up on the wii remake years and years ago, and have been having a great time with it. Great video Ragnar!

[@mogesus]

At last! Wishing for a fan translation of the Saturn version so bad.

[@RagnarRoxShow]

I think now that we finally have the PS1 translation, it's (hopefully) only a matter of time. But despite the better rendering on Saturn, the PS1 version still positively slaps!

[@Merdragoon]

Honestly the premisis actually almost sounds like "Shin megami tensei: Digital Devil Saga 1 & 2" but that game went into a slightly different direction vs what Baroque did. Granted, Digital Devil Saga is not a rougelite dungon crawler, so that may consitute to the different directions, but since you seem to enjoy this, I suggest if you can get your hands on those two PS2 games, you would enjoy Digital Devil Saga 1 and 2 as it goes into rather intresting stuff similar to Baroque when it comes to Faith, God, Devouring, and also Self Idenity. Even deeper than the main shin megami tensei series would go into.

[@Decoy_Shark]

Just played 30mins on my CRT and this game is brilliant. I cannot wait to turn it back on after work tomorrow.

[@Necrapocalypse]

The memories immediately flooded back when I saw this video. This game was a bit too obtuse and difficult for myself as a child and I never really got anywhere, but with that the atmosphere and impenetrability made it endlessly fascinating and made me keep trying anyway. Edit: Yeah I meant the 2008 version. I guess I wasn't quite a child, that's more recent than I thought. Still, learning that there's an older, stranger version of the game just has me more interested.

[@statesminds]

Yo at the beginning i said I’m getting SMT vibes and then you said if you’re a fan of SMT you’d love it. I am a huge SMT fan. I’m stoked on this!! Also like Neon Genesis Eva and Kingsfield. I didn’t know about it or remake gonna grab Wii version too. Just ordered a CIB one for $25. I’ll emulate too and compare them. I wish we would get English localization on switch

[@matthewabsher2764]

I really miss these sorts of dark and gritty Japanese esthetics. I haven't played any version of this title, but from a visual and atmospheric perspective, the og version is definitely where it's at. Goes to show that even with older inferior hardware, visual design trumps graphical prowess. I find it disappointing that so many remakes/reboots in the Japanese market go for a modern "anime" look. To say it's an "anime" look is a bit innacurate, hence the precursor word "modern." The late 80's and 90's of anime had a plethora of gritty and distinctive visual palettes that are unfortunately lacking today. We were graced with darkly beautiful animations such as Angel's Egg, Akira, Vampire Hunter D, Ninja Scroll, End Of Evangelion, Serial Experiments Lane, in addition to many others. I like to think of this sort of esthetic as "pretty ugly" or "ugly pretty." What I mean by that, when it comes to these types of visuals, is that there is an off-putting almost "ugly" element that is somehow incredibly beautiful at the same time. This contrast, to me, creates some sort of subconscious allure and interest that is difficult to replicate in modern media.

[@lordanthrax2417]

I am feeling the same... Anime has changed so drastically in terms of look and feel... We call it "bildsprache" in germany... Would be translated to picture-language or visual-language, i guess. The dark/gritty/dirty/ugly way they drew anime and manga back in the 80s and 90s hat so much emotion... So much depth. Vampire hunter d from 1985 managed to be colorful and dark at the same time! The new one from 2001 (bloodlust) was ok but it had the same problem as "fist of the north star"... Something was lost when the art-style was changed. And they where not afraid to take the risk and go one step beyond when it came to innovation. One great example to me is "neo tokyo" from 1987. Three short-movies, three different art-styles, three different vibes... Jin roh (from 1999) was the last "modern" anime that left a deep impression on me... Good animes are rarely those days. I gonna stop right here cause this comment could go on forever. Thank you very much for sharing your opinion! You are not the only one ;) Stay safe and healthy! Greetings from germany!

[@aiceriz7923]

Your entire comment basically boils down to: "dude. Old good, new bad lmao". I hate people who keep so mindlessly glorifying the past. Especially people who never stepped outside of their comfort zone. The 2000s and early 2010s anime had one of the most beautifully crafted and written stories in the history of the medium but most oldfags obsessed with fetishizing the 90s will just rather stay in their nostalgia zones for the same 7 or 8 normie entry level trash their watched when they were 15. It's pretty sad to be honest. The fact that people call the remake of Borque an "inferior experience" compared to the original is complete nonsense to me. The remake still has a dark and surreal atmosphere and art style, it's just done in a different aesthetic and which one you prefer is 100% a matter of personal taste.

[@Furore2323]

Me, who has only ever watched forty hours of Pathologic video essays: This game has some strong Pathologic vibes.

[@thewardenofoz3324]

Your video turned me on to this. Love the art style.

[@rogercheetoofficial]

i've had this game rattling around my skull since i discovered it when i was fresh out of high school, glad it's been becoming more well-known

[@BlindfoldFox]

Man it's the fourth time i fall asleep watching your video, will i ever be able to watch it entirely ?? 😂 Awesome video gg

[@NewportBox100s]

This game has always fascinated me. So excited to see it has now been translated

[@vladv5126]

Plisskin with the translation was like "Kept you waiting, huh?"

[@rcLdrcH]

I absolutely love the bizarre and weird but my history with this game was a strange one as I played the game with my brother who had showed it to me for the Wii and I was under the influence of Mushrooms at the time and the story captivated me to the fullest and spent 12 hours straight going through all of it I could and it was such a strange,scary,creepy,and enthralling experience and is why I still love and mention this title to friends. Love the video man.

[@HolligaMan]

This game kinda has the environment/ monsters vibe of one game i bumped by accident recently called Fear and hunger 2. If you wanna give a shot to a modern horror game, there is a option for you. Nice video, by the way.

[@RagnarRoxShow]

Fear and Hunger/2 are fantastic

[@foreheadenlargement2515]

That’s what I was thinking! Love the game

[@keystonelyte]

I think F&H 1&2 are fantastically designed games, Orange just handled the graphic material REALLY poorly. The edgy kink stuff really detracts from the whole thing.

[@Aggressive_Progressive]

My sister, and I fell in love with the Wii version when we had it. We'd always purposefully go get cursed by the Lust entities, and even to this day sometimes we'll just look at each other, and be like "Hey...Don't go crazy." And then we both proceed to copy the scene, and do the "Don't go crazy, don't go crazy, don't go crazy, don't go crazy." thing. XD

[@ruanoliveiradpaula477]

mannn!! thanks!! because of your channel i knew about the translation and after two consecutive days i finally end this masterpiece, thx thx txh!!!

[@TwilitBeholder]

What's funny is that I've spent so long trying to get the PS2 version of Baroque (as a collection enthusiast), but I never knew the PS2/Wii versions were actually remakes! The Saturn version has so much charm in its style.

[@BloodWingKinghts]

Hey nice use of that NIN track in your video.

[@Mankey619]

Never knew that Baroque is the very first rougelike game ever made for the PS1. Not only that,it is also mixed with dungeon crawler gameplay with survival horror aspects too. It’s incredible how games like this has inspired so many indie developers.

[@djbootleg537]

to whoever sees this, i dare you to play fear and hunger.

[@kameroglu]

and play it blind

[@yellowrain3747]

Meh, try pathologic

[@djbootleg537]

@@yellowrain3747 i also enjoy that game

[@yellowrain3747]

@@djbootleg537 i already finish all the 3

[@yellowrain3747]

@@djbootleg537 i already finish all the 3

[@TeskoLove]

The use of music, especially the NIN bits, in this video is masterful..

[@wyldink1]

What a pleasant surprise! Never expected anyone to ever do a deep dive into it. Love Baroque.

[@statiksea]

Baroque is one of my favorite games of all time. And i discovered it thanks to this video. Yes the game is THAT good

[@cliftonsargent1572]

You amazing man, I only get this excited for 4-5 KZbinrs and you are absolutely 1 of them. Doesn’t matter what I’m doing I will walk away and find a space to sit and watch

[@KokoroNoSama]

Sometimes I wonder if you were a astral childhood friend. Like in flashbacks you were there during the spooky game parties eating pizza lol. Its so crazy seeing the saturn version getting a translation. I remember having to play this blind with only an faq, but added to the surrealness of the unreality I was in. Now thanks to you I actually understand what I played with delicious vivid explanation.

[@m00sician]

I own the Saturn version of Baroque, bought it last year on a whim because it looked like it has an insanely cool vibe to it. Nice to know what I can finally actually play it lol. I hope the Saturn version gets eventually translated as well!

[@TheSonNamedSet]

I'd love to see you cover Fear and Hunger. You do an amazing job with these breakdowns man, keep it up.

[@mkstarstorm8822]

There is also a Baroque manga that adapts the plot of the original game as well as adds some backstory.

[@Joe-fi7il]

I'm glad you brought up the influence Mystery Dungeon had on Baroque. That aspect of the game is what got me into it to begin with. The gameplay loop is astonishingly similar and yet the gameplay itself is entirely different. Mystery Dungeon has spawned a lot of clones and imitators but Baroque is far and away the best of the best, perhaps even standing toe to toe with it's progenitor. The fun (and to this day, unique) spin on familiar mechanics carefully interwoven with the aesthetic and narrative makes it feel mean to even call this an imitator.

[@ronaldfarber589]

Nice NIN name drop, love the vids, you and Jacob Geller are making the best vid essays and ensuring that the medium gets the proper title as an art form

[@SushiDaddy]

I had almost no idea this game had such a cool and crazy original version, I've only played the Wii version. Great video, can't wait for more!

[@AgentAsh]

Here's a tip: if you're playing this through an emulator like Duckstation, set display aspect ratio to 16:10 instead of 4:3 to make sure the game is rendered with square pixels, as envisioned for Saturn. If rendered at the aspect ratio of 4:3, the game will be vertically stretched due to using a 16:10 resolution (likely 320x200). If you check out the Saturn version, you'll see it was rendered with square pixels, and its assets were made with square pixels in mind, so on PS1 everything is vertically stretched. You can easily see this from the level indicator in top left appearing as an oval on PS1 instead of a circle. For clarity, it's a common thing with many 90s games, especially early to mid-90s: most displays at the time were 4:3 while the most common output resolution was 320x200 pixels, which has aspect ratio of 16:9, resolution in pixels that were 20% taller than they were wide. That's why many games used graphical assets that would appear vertically squished if viewed outside of the game, to account for stretched aspect ratio.