Dark Seed II (PC) Playthrough - NintendoComplete

A complete playthrough of Cyberdreams' 1995 horror graphic adventure for the PC, Dark Seed II.
The gameplay itself isn't really the focus of this game - the focus is more on creating an unsettling feeling deep-down. Unlike Phantasmagoria, Harvester, Sanitarium and other somewhat similar titles, this uses some pretty brilliantly dark art to evoke its sense of horror rather than lurid scenes filled with buckets of CG blood. Of course, that makes sense, given that H. R. Giger's work was used for all the Dark World backdrops. For those that like the graphic stuff, there is some of that too.
It did amuse me that some of the imagery seemed to be directly lifted from Alien (the first area you see in the Dark World where you enter the pillar through the alien's mouth looks almost exactly like the external shots of the derelict craft that the Nostromo crew stumbles into on their way back to Earth in the classic Ridley Scott film), but I'm fine with that - Alien is a visually phenomenal film, and its assets certainly contribute meaningfully here.
The storyline is pretty braindead, despite being penned by an author that would become somewhat successful in the years following. The major plot twist is pretty clearly telegraphed from almost the beginning, and the plot lacks any real narrative substance, and the main character is as unlikable and stagnant an avatar as I've ever experienced in a game. These things don't really hurt the game that much, in my opinion, though - the game was posed to live or die on its visual design, and the presentation conveys the horror more than most modern games could dream of. Somehow it's enough to offset the insipid dialogue, the sheer banality of Mike's whiny delivery of the same dialogue, and the unnecessarily cumbersome mirror mazes.
If anything, the sheer corruption of sexuality incorporated in the art, a Giger hallmark, does wonders for making you cringe in ways that PC games usually can't provoke, let alone a game that was, in all honesty, hopelessly outclassed on a technical level by its peers at its time of release.
In short, I love this game, glaring flaws and all. It's a celebration of the twisted and the macabre, and if you let yourself go with it, you'll find yourself far more absorbed than you thought possible. With Halloween being less than a week away, it's hard to imagine a better game to celebrate :) Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
One side note, apologies for the editing snafu around the 3hr 40min mark. There's about a minute of the video that loops before continuing on that I didn't catch when I originally check the file before uploading. Nothing was lost in the edit, just a mere annoyance :)
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[@Hazzard91]

“You always were a kidder, Mike.”

[@sparrowsparrow7505]

So the whole town did Rita, and now she gives head to another world to an ancient alien species...

[@auron570]

the backgrounds and foreground art is amazing! great use of colors and shapes to create a feeling of depth. I really appreciate the work put into those uploads to preserve these games along with notes. I think watching a Harvester playthrough was the start for me, been hooked since xD

[@HowlingMoonCinemas]

@auron570 Indeed! It's artwork from the legendary H.R. Giger! You have to look it up! It's amazing!

[@ryanamberger]

Something about this game is just wonderful. The ambiance is so cool for such an older game. Great choice getting so close to Halloween.

[@NintendoComplete]

I've always loved the vibe that the dark world gives off. Thanks! :D

[@Leny1777]

Its October again and im pissed this game is not on Steam.

[@uselessmedia858]

This music makes MY head feel like it's going to explode...

[@Luke18_13]

It's garbage day!

[@xcarpathia]

Yeah, should have turned off the repetitive midi

[@Tsumami__]

Apparently Mike had a nervous breakdown so bad it turned his voice into that of a fifteen year old boys

[@HowlingMoonCinemas]

Kitana Kojima 😂😂😂 Your other comment to some guy "going through a dark time" also was funny.

[@Solipsismreal]

hi

[@TheGreenarrow88]

@@Solipsismreal SIMP

[@Solipsismreal]

@@TheGreenarrow88 hi

[@kejiri3593]

I legit feel bad for the original guy who made first Dark Seed game. Because he modeled himself and voiced in the first game. And then 2nd game which he had nothing to do with, turns him into a friggin whimp XD

[@drakebauer4496]

4:09:55 That's right ... Mike killed the shrink then stabbed himself in the back to death ... case closed !

[@Rocket1377]

Considering that the first Dark Seed game established that the police are being controlled by the Dark World, it's a simple task for them to frame Mike for the murders.

[@mixwidman5458]

I mean, teeecchhnicalllyyyy...

[@HenryvKeiper]

Well, that went from "Happy Days" to "Hellraiser" rather quickly.

[@fauxSkills]

Ahhh a game I was never able to complete as a pre-teen. Thank you!

[@xetra1155]

This game gave me the creeps as a teenager! Was looking for so many years until I remembered the name of it !

[@alexanderhall5579]

3:46:20 Damn, Paul has a diverse music taste. Country music and Celtic Frost, as evidenced by the poster on the top left ;)

[@JohnSegway-RainingLamppost]

Aw man, this was really interesting to watch after only seeing Retsupurae 's verison where they talked over 80% of the dialogue, but why the sudden skips in Paul's house?

[@JustinJTime]

Game doesn't have very interesting dialogue to be fair.

[@MrHillsidestrangler]

"That does it, Dawson!! Get the hell out of my office!!!"

[@donskiver]

I hate how this one ended. The ending to the first game was much more satisfying.

[@tantrumania]

it's true that this game deserved more endings...

[@MrHillsidestrangler]

Seeyaround pal

[@kejiri3593]

I mean its even worse considering the guy who programmed, modeled and made the first game of the character. Had nothing to do with 2nd game, yet they used him in it. And just made him into a sad whimp in this game XD

[@MrSentia]

58:30 Wow, Minnie-Daisy, the same two first initials as the main protagonist's name, Mike Dawson.

[@1Hol1Tiger]

Minnie and Daisy... So glad those names aren't copyrighted

[@cobrasvt347]

Looks like the power to the whole block is shut off...... light on in the pool hall. Lolol gotta love these old games. Brings back memories of my childhood

[@appidydafoo]

1:51:30 - This background plate is Giger's 1977 "Hommage à Böcklin" - a direct tribute to Arnold Böcklin's 1880 "Isle of the Dead". Similarly, Giger's 1975 "The Isle of the Dead (after Böcklin)" is featured at 2:03:46 with an overlay of his classic double pentagram over what was a bit of industrial tool feature he had incorporated from one of his previous studies. Rachmaninov composed a gorgeous Symphonic Poem in 1909 which was also inspired by this painting. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mpPFpaCpoKiFi7s 4:09:03 - Speaking of musical diversions, this ending segment text immediately reminded me of Shpongle's "I am you" 💫 kzbin.info/www/bejne/nHmcaYF7mNp8e8k Also I must note, as I was skipping around I caught some of your save game slot names 🤣 Appreciate the upload, I'm paging through to observe how the licensed artworks were cropped, stitched and animated in the Dark World sections of the game as that is most interesting to my current studies. Thanks 🖤

[@explorer47422]

You know I feel HR Giger's imagery was far beyond even that of the 90's, so they tried to interpret and incorporate a story they thought audiences would comprehend - a kind of corny 80s fantasy adventure schlock - like trying to apply a story or lore to a Dali painting. The campy characterisations seem to contrast with the Giger imagery depicted

[@POLE7645]

After seeing the final twist and the thing with the cupboard, I'm completely convinced that this game was written as a joke. There are plenty of interesting ideas and concepts that feel like they were written by someone with talent. There's no way you could've made something like this by accident.

[@hotbam37]

I played this game when I was like 8 years old. I think it traumatized me for life. I always got stuck at some point early in the game too.

[@sidviscus]

Mom: *head explodes Mike: Oh mommy, I hope you're OK.

[@thepirategamerboy12]

Actually, fan fact: If you get to the part where her head explodes but instead of talking to Rita go back to the normal world through the bedroom mirror, you'll find that she is indeed okay. It won't let you go back to the normal world after talking to Rita.

[@MrBossyful]

"This will explain everything." ... if you say so. That ending is rather disturbing though. Makes you wonder whether someone really was just effed in the head right from the get-go...

[@Duzykutas]

He cut off his mother's head and then stepped in the blood. Mike was one disturbed individual

[@Shittlebees]

This is by FAR my favorite channel! Thanks for the memories!

[@Junior.illinois]

Great Horror Adventure game! love the art work by H. R. Giger's and classic music from the 90s I remember finish both games ! stunning desing and atmosphere

[@radagastaddams3703]

it's weird how they took the nightmarish, biomechanical art of H.R.Giger & made it so mundane - a world with shops, bars, police & a leisure centre. not the first thing u think of..... also strange that in Gigers "erotic" art there's all sorts of human bits all over the place - so they censored part in one area by putting darkworld bikinis on 2 women even though there's a big male part directly above them. so strange 🐹

[@xAnescox]

yes, the dark world was better in the first one.

[@darkdemonwerewolf]

3:50:00 Why did you start spamming though the text?

[@tantrumania]

From Slim's speech in 3:15:30, it's sure that Jack is all in Mike's head..

[@macetoface]

this game is defo about a guy who successfully broke into a nuclear power plant. Although being done while under extreme dissociation.

[@Roteiro92]

This game is from '95, and i think the graphics is so cool, 4example against the Phantasmagoria.

[@jasontodd8071]

The background music almost sounds like the opening credits of Creepshow II.

[@principedelamuerte3235]

Just as the first game. ^^ Sleeping in clothes and shoes in his bed. : D

[@StrangerHappened]

*I LOVE this* old school music, as well as the art, of course.

[@JohnSmith-451]

Knife wound to the back? Must be suicide! Sheriff Butler would make a great detective in the Capital Police.

[@MrSentia]

This seems pretty awesome @_@ Did you do an LP of Dark Seed as well?

[@NintendoComplete]

+MrSentia Nope, I haven't. You can see all the computer games I've done in my PC Playthrough playlist!

[@MrSentia]

NintendoComplete No worries! Just watching your Sanitarium now it's really absorbing. Loved your City of Lost Children LP +_+

[@metroscene]

The 90s decor is so swag I can’t cope. Love it

[@tuxysmagicaljukebox5431]

In the original game, Only Mike Dawson is digitized, and the rest of the characters are hand drawn.

[@chrichtonsworld1]

Back when I played this the twist was far from predictable. Naturally if you play it now it's more obvious.

[@bulasturubula3660]

I had this game when i was a kid... THis was a fucking mistery to me, i never got past the circus.

[@bulasturubula3660]

SHIT Now that i see the mirror room, i actually remember this part HAHA. Jee ok i'm not spoiling my memory any further i'm reinstalling the game

[@بسام-ط7ع]

looks a very good game .. thank you for sharing and we wait for other rare games

[@CrazyGamerDragon64]

It's hard to take this game seriously after watching Retsupurae's "Wrongpurae" of it LOL Although there is a part of me that really wants to play this game for myself What's with the music at the carnival and sideshows? They don't sound like how they normally do

[@34Bahamut]

1:17:08 Heheheheheh.. I find Doc Larson's voice very funny except that when he told Mike Dawson to get outta here sounds like he's singing an tune & yelling angrily at the same time.. Lol... I find that the Ancients are INDEED truly psionic aliens but their psionic powers are more vengeful & destructive.. This explains the current state of the Dark Work.. the first game was the reason it was all safe until the Ancients showed up again the second game & subjugated all who inhabited here just like the other planets & galaxies all for life energies to fuel their immortality.. Mike did too damn well of foiling their plans two times that led to their final downfall & the death of the Behemoth who sought to enter the Real World & bring about it's final destruction yet, the Three Points of the Triangle Light, Scrolls & the Sword of Justice was all needed to put this apocalyptic demon down until Mike fullilled his destiny.. only to die at Jack's hands upon his return to the RL since he is Mike's DW Counterpart & assassin.. With the killings of the Mayor Flemings, Rita, Doc Larson & Paul Gardener, Mike could've become captured by the Sheriff sooner & later but either way.. his fate was sealed though Mike Dawson was an brave man to have overcame those ordeals even though he suffered nervous breakdowns after his traumatic encounter in the DW & the reality that an alien embryo was implanted in his brain that could've ended his life if he had not investigated quickly.. May the Gods & all of any Sci-Fi Deities praise & bless this brave hero in memory...

[@jacksmith7799]

Retsupurae, anyone?

[@Hazzard91]

Absolutely. Big fan of Resupurae and NintendoComplete. ❤

[@mb7050]

this is like a mix of twin peaks and aliens

[@KywokiYakasaki]

Do you know how to make the sound and cut scenes work for dark seed 2 on windows 3.1? I installed it on dosbox yesterday, the game runs normally, but it doesn't reproduce any cut scenes, I get an avi error, and there are no voices when the characters talk.

[@NintendoComplete]

You have to install sound drivers. I'd recommend the Sound Blaster 16. It's compatible with everything.

[@KywokiYakasaki]

@@NintendoComplete that's the sound driver I'm already using here, but no luck, and I don't know how to make the cut scenes work either, I'm using the s3 trio64v 1.70.04 640x480 256 driver.

[@NintendoComplete]

@@KywokiYakasaki Do you have the video stuff installed that the game needs? I don't remember what it uses, but you might want to check its Readme to see if it needs anything like WinG or QuickTime or whatever.

[@KywokiYakasaki]

@@NintendoComplete I have all the drivers it needs installed, but it didn't work anyway. But a guy here on youtube told me a website where I could get the game, I got the game from there, a pack with both dark seed automatically configured and I managed to run it without using the dosbox manually.

[@NintendoComplete]

@@KywokiYakasaki Oh, okay. Glad you got it working!

[@RetroRogue.]

Lol his dad has a welp this town ain't big enough for the two of us.

[@madhatter984]

Gee mike you were in the dark world version of you're room there was the knife and bloody shoes and he had the reunion ticket.Let me guess who the killer was kind of obvious that it was the dark version of mike.

[@1Hol1Tiger]

I thought that it was Mike who did it and the Dark World was his insanity

[@maxdamage4919]

Hr Giger art

[@thriftweeds]

Did you used Windows 3.1 /3.11 real or thru DOSBox or VirtualPC ?

[@NintendoComplete]

I did this on Windows 3.11 installed in DosBox. I didn't see the need to drag out the old PC since it runs nearly identically through emulation :)

[@thriftweeds]

+NintendoComplete I'll remember back in the day trying to launch pre-installed Win311 on DOSBox without success, and i tried to install also with no go!

[@NintendoComplete]

+Guybrush Threepwood I've had a lot of luck with the Daum SVN version of Dosbox. Through it I've been able to install and reliably use up through Windows 98SE. You ought to try it again :) The only hiccup might be drivers, but there are plenty online for 3.1 that drive Dosbox's emulated video and sound cards. In Dos and 95 it even supports 3dfx acceleration!

[@thriftweeds]

The Daum SVN Dosbox build is all i use been using that build since 2012 or 2013, but when i last tried that Win311 was on some old regular Dosbox version back in the day! 3dfx emulation works well in dosbox svn, and Roland Mt-32 munt emulation likewise! :)

[@NintendoComplete]

+Guybrush Threepwood :) If you do give it a go and can't get it to work, hit me up and I'll try to help. It really is easy, though. Copy the floppies to the mounted drive (out mount the ISO of you have the CD version) and just run setup. Works as (awkwardly) well as it does on any old 3/486 :)

[@avatarion]

Those were different times. No modern game would use language like vvohre - Google won't even allow me to type it.

[@GrayContrast1]

Do you think the dark world is real or just a delusion?

[@Rocket1377]

Real. The story keeps going after Mike's death. If he was delusional we wouldn't see what happened after he is killed.

[@1Hol1Tiger]

definitely a delusion

[@fionordequester6748]

Delusion--or if it *is* real, it's just a bunch of demons messing with, and controlling, Mike's fragile mind. The writers telegraph it way too hard for it to be anything else. Getting into all the ways the game supports the "Mike is crazy" angle would take a very long time... Though I could try to give it a shot if you want.

[@jasontodd8071]

Why does Mike remind me of Jeff Foxworthy?

[@jdgustofwinddance.7748]

The brown jacket.

[@michaliuz18]

any idea how to run this game on win 10 ? in dosbox game not working , wont start

[@Dorelaxen]

Maybe try using VirtualBox running Windows 3.11? It has virtual disk drives, so you can run stuff like this fairly easily. It's abandonware for sure, so finding a disk image shouldn't be too hard. It's kind of a pain to get everything set up, but they have pretty good forums for it.

[@alexnascimento3078]

Are you using Windows 3.2?

[@NintendoComplete]

+Alex Nascimento 3.11

[@leonardogsperin]

Omg a game with Fonzi

[@semj]

This skipping at the end was so unnecessary, wtf dude. Enjoyed the complete playthrough, but the end ruined it.

[@Tsumami__]

The protagonist looks like #BabaBooey

[@XsaladaPlay]

where can i dowlaod the game?

[@Dorelaxen]

Type the word "abandonia" into a Google search.

[@エンゼルワールド]

この世界観とオジサンのバランス最高！ 相変わらずキモい！

[@lisadawnthewanderlustexper488]

This doesn't look like Crowley!

[@MiserablePyre]

no budget for music on this one, too, eh? :)

[@JustinJTime]

No budget for this game, period.

[@DespairBringer]

Well, thats an idiotic ending......this game is not worth being the sequel of Darkseed.

[@secrecysmith5001]

wow

[@JohnDoe-ml8ru]

Not very good compared to the original.

[@whereistheInternet]

The first game benefitted from less voice acting.

[@myrddinwyllt9375]

2:44:04

[@agfagaevart]

weird

[@ERASE_MY_NUMBER]

My tow truck driver went bathroom my car back seat so nasty