Darkwood is a Masterpiece

[@papyrustf2149]

Deffy, my channel is dying

[@de_ffy]

im so sorry for your loss

[@bigmftssfkfnehe3629]

But your channel has no content 😕

[@meruem6995ujjoooo]

​@@bigmftssfkfnehe3629its quality not quantity that matters

[@TheDragonfriday]

Then make video content...

[@WarOfWolves]

Haha nerd

[@lollermann]

Damn, we had darkwood video before darkwood video

[@demoknight864]

pyrocynical malding rn

[@a.gravemistake3061]

Balding

[@notsane8348]

Absolutely i dont like this react clip stream arc shes going through, we need pre fat fetish normal haircut pyro back.

[@eddyplus]

Balding

[@Trillsss]

oh that’s not…

[@soundbuug]

​@SordidusFellatio even on a whole different channel his community is STILL making the same unfunny jokes

[@merrittk7403]

The calming morning music still brings tears to my eyes, especially after a tough night. It manages to feel calming, without ever getting rid of the tension.

[@promethiac2641]

Once I get to the swamp area I just assume i'm going to die on the way to my backpack. I want gumboots earlier in the game lol

[@viktorthevictor6240]

I deadass have the morning music as my alarm sound on weekends

[@bytoadynolastname6149]

My favorite description of jump scares in most horror media, is "Saying your horror movie full of jump scares is scary, is like saying my comedy sketch where I keep tickling you is hilarious."

[@Godzilla_Star_Eater]

But it's not though. There is an art to making a jumpscare better than other ones. I started out hating jumpscares and liking creepyness instead, but now I actually prefer jumpscares and realise I had an ignorant opinion on them.

[@bytoadynolastname6149]

@@Godzilla_Star_Eater Flinching and being startled by a jumpscare is a physiological reaction. Just like laughing while being tickled. Might as well call your dance class successful just because you kept whacking my knee to make my leg jump.

[@sainttrish7544]

@@Godzilla_Star_Eater How does it feel to be wrong. Also, you bought into that stupid Catholic bait crytpo XD brooooo

[@Sarmad_1989]

The Three killed the Trader and wrote liar on his helmet. because the whole time you been trying to find the key to the bunker's door he had the key or rather its copy. But instead of giving it to you he kept it a secret and tried to persuade you to stop going deeper into the woods attempting to save you.

[@CobaltContrast]

I saw this comment preview and has to search so far for it. Thanks for that nugget.

[@Jigsawn2]

Ah, good catch!

[@masterzoroark6664]

It's also a big possibility that the Trader is direct response of the forest to the Stranger- a lot of things point that Trader is his clone, a lier on behalf of the Being

[@Sarmad_1989]

@@masterzoroark6664 it has been a while so my memory is vivid but the Trader is definitely the clone of the Stranger. He has the same gas helmet the Stranger used when first arrived to the Forest and he also has the copy of the key to the bunker door because the Stranger had the original key so the Being cloned the key along with the Trader.

[@ryuxy032]

@@masterzoroark6664he isn't helping the being. If he was then he'd urge the protagonist to go to the swamp faster. He knew the true nature of the road home and tried to save the stranger from it.

[@RabbitAfternoon]

I think it's interesting how for the most part trusting the wolf seems like the far easier path. It makes me think they were trying to get across the feeling that “the devil you know is often better than the one you don't” I mean he's literally a wolf so you know immediately that he's not a great guy but at least you're aware of that from the beginning. Also wanted to mention that I laughed out loud when you found that gasoline after being swarmed lol “Holy gasoline!” so great This video was great and I genuinely enjoyed it. I hope you continue making videos!

[@Nevecus]

The Wolf is an interesting one. He's very straightforward with you, he pushes you, challenges you. Others want you to stay put, to be careful and not stray. But he sets his terms, he sets his challenge, and he holds up his bargain if you do your part. An honest beast.

[@josephmatthews7698]

Nah, it's just the honest option if you're even vaguely familiar with how modern systems work. The evil path is always the easiest and most rewarding. No one ever became a billionaire being a good person.

[@josephmatthews7698]

Being good takes real work and is the hardest path in life. It's NOTHING like video games paint it - as though it is simply the 'default' path. Completely untrue. Being a good person requires suffering and sacrifice. Being evil requires others to suffer and sacrifice for you. Of course it is the easier option.

[@joshuagraham1800]

​@@josephmatthews7698you're nihilism is the exact reason why such systems exist in the first place

[@Desmond-Dark]

@@joshuagraham1800 What on earth are you talking about? He's simply acknowledging reality. He isn't even saying you should or should not be a good person. It is A FACT that being a good person IRL is 1000 times harder than in games. Do you dispute that? Furthermore it is quite difficult to keep your goodness while ascending the pyramid.

[@aw2584]

This is so much better than Pyro's video its ridiculous Not that Pyro is bad (Far Cry 3 or Utopia videos are my favourites) but... this is just SOOOO much better, no rambling, no slop, just pure info... damn

[@user-hm4yi7um9d]

Darkwood is one of those games that deserves more attention. Kind of like a young channel making huge videos about it. Good luck, bro.

[@Nogardtist]

darkwood feels like original newgrounds flash game but with a big budget honestly eastern europe game development is depressingly rare cause eastern europe is hostile towards new talent and acid wizard studio is really lucky to even release darkwood in early access and even more lucky to finish it their next project looks like a strategy soccer game which dont make sense since the next logical move would be making a big DLC content expansion for darkwood or a sequel with more skill and resources but its their choice

[@user-hm4yi7um9d]

@@Nogardtist I don't even know how to process strategy soccer. But I also see big budget new grounds being the perfect and most beautiful description.

[@jamesf4423]

@@Nogardtistsoccer kids alpha has been out for ages, it seems decently fun and different. Acid Wizard will be on hiatus for the foreseeable future (5-10 years) as they are having difficulties with creating a positive work life balance in their company. I am disappointed to some extent, but also very glad to see that they had such a breakout success with their first game and can chill for a while. I hope their next project is just as ambitious and interesting as Darkwood.

[@AntiWhiteOut]

Is this game truly worth taking the time to learn? I tried twice and couldn't get into it, because the difficulty, but I really do want to get into it, I just wish it was a little more easy, because I love the atmosphere and the way it looks and sound. Is there an easier guide to follow for this game to help, that's easier to understand? I really want to love this game.

[@user-hm4yi7um9d]

@@AntiWhiteOut I'll put it this way. I love the story and atmosphere and have paid to buy it, but I haven't actually played it. I just wanted to show my support to the developer

[@JD0S]

Wake up, babe. A new S tier video essayist just emerged.

[@AC-hj9tv]

Thanks babe

[@viderevero1338]

*A new challenger has arrived!*

[@AC-hj9tv]

@@viderevero1338 it's true my italian brother

[@addictedtomemes4899]

Fffqe

[@prezrez5331]

I am a huge fan of long-form content, especially video essays. This was an immensely enjoyable listen, and you accompanied me through cooking dinner today. I really enjoyed this, and if you plan on making more content like this, I will be here to watch your future videos. Your channel is an absolute gem, and I wish you the best as you continue to grow.

[@CrungleFunk]

This is the most in depth video I’ve seen on Darkwood. You’ve literally covered everything this game had to offer and it leaves me wishing more people would make extremely long form content like this, sparing no detail. I loved every minute of this. At risk of sounding like a pansy, sometimes I just want to watch an explanation of a game I don’t want to play myself.

[@Galaxy-MediaX]

Agreed

[@shushupyounaughtyminx4832]

I love that, at least on the resource management side, Darkwood is really good at making you feel like you need more, and that it's difficult, even though it's actually supremely generous with the supplies you get.

[@balls7659]

Imo it does a poor job in exact this aspect. Since i got to silent Woods base i always had too much of everything. Workbench full since the beginning. Now im at old forest base, have no urge to Explore anything and got frustrated of dying to All the monsters in the big dog house

[@jamesf4423]

Right. The resource management is quite easy and I’m bad at these type of games. It’s just too easy, simple as that, but people might think it’s harder than it is because of the game’s oppressive and punishing atmosphere.

[@ownage11445]

I found that concerning too especially since the trader always shows up and gives 150 rep when you survive the night. Resources such as fuel, tape, nails, planks, scrap, rags, strange mushroom, and etc are relatively cheap. The game claims to not hold your hand but there is no real consequence for mistakes. Hell when you die you can get your stuff back. I’m only 16 days in though not sure if there is some invisible timer counting down your demise.

[@rainbowsorceress2082]

​@@ownage11445play on nightmare then

[@theoDSP]

Yes. You get tons of staff to survive.

[@kingoresama]

I'm way too bad with horror to actually play the games myself, so I'm really thankful to people like you who give me a chance to appreciate the genre.

[@brandonpollastri5757]

You know what scares me more about the "being", is that potentialy it's just a baby. The biggest hint being the baby we see amoungt the sleepers within the first dream sequence. It makes me wonder how diffrently this would have played out if an adult landed instead.

[@Mrtotot]

It definitely leaves open a lot of cool speculation. Obviously this type of being can create life or rather replicate it. All of the twisted defects that we see could definitely be the result of a disturbed infant. Maybe it's scared and wasn't supposed to end up here. This could explain why it created a fortress for itself in the Dark wood, for protection. Are there other mature versions of its kind multiplying bountiful and beautiful life elsewhere in the cosmos perhaps? Or do they all create something similar to this horror scenario? Maybe it's all a reflection of the individual being?

[@millymongbo7509]

@@MrtototI wouldn’t dwell too deep on the lore, the fact that the being was represented as young could mean that even the creature causing everything is unaware and or just trying to survive. Implying the lovecraftian horror of not only what the creature is/going through to everything around you giving you no room to spiritually or mentally breath.

[@candycommander]

Or it knows but just doesn't care in typical cosmic horror fashion. Similar to no one caring about the insects they obliterate while driving.

[@maya_void3923]

It all ties nicely around, like every living being, it makes other around it suffer unimaginable pain, just to survive, mostly unaware of it, maybe it was aware at some point and saw the disturbance it created against feeling beings(humans) so it made them happy, quite literally, knowing only enough about us to think that is the right thing to do, was it wrong tho? Life is at the end of the day us just knowingly or not, wanting or not, falling into illusions of happiness because real life, nature is pure survival he'll, where everything eats everything, we build around ourselves the illusion of happiness and call it civilisation, desperately trying to get out of the forest of pain that is the reality of being a biological being. Its a genius game when you think more about it, everything represents everything, nothing works on a rules that are non existent or alien to us, yet it's all too bizarre alien and is scaring us, it's a pure hell, yet it uses just things that surround us everywhere, but by amping it up to 11 it makes us dissolutioned by our little sweet dream we created for ourselves, showing true colours of what biological reality and nature is. I suffer from chronic pain hypersensitivity andy flesh hurts always despite me being on daily morphine, there's no cure, and it's literally a choice ive been given the entire life despite trying to avoid it, choose the comfort of opioids that make of your self an empty shell, slowly loosing the grip on reality and yourself, while being defended for life, or suffer unimaginable pain and discomfort, fortunately or not i chose the painkillers, because the pain wasnt an option for me, i redused to stay in the horror of forest, of true reality amd chose the bliss, because for me it was a choice of sleeping or tsking my own life, that is the third option nobody speaks about, simply refusing the horror to continue, but there's where the perfect analogy stops for me because my meds aren't an alien beinf and I'm not stuck in the horrifying forest physically, I'm living in a world that i chose to be able to experience and meds make it accessible for me, bwdore that i.felt like i was constantly in a silent hills other world, everything unbearable suffering, constant torture, I'd rather be free from it and live only 10 years , deciding to.off myself when the supply ends, and spend mlst on my life of maintain the supply, as hard as it is for disabled person that's scared to leave home, i went trough over a year of homelesness, and this game really feels way too real, thsts whyni hate/love it so much ans was on the edge whole time, it disgusts me becsuse i can see it being just like my life, constantly on the run, fighting monsters of every day, and chasing comfort which will and did ultimately bring my demise (what's funny dying in a fire is something im afraid of the most since i was a kid due to how badly painful for me is even a hot water, to the point its hard for me to bathe, but the game is a lerfec analogy of choices i have, the forest being inescapable hell of disease i have, and the ultimate choices well you saw for yourself ) Also stellar delivery of the video, i watched depsite seeing the walkthrough again just because how well it was explaining stuff and despise i hate this game for the reasons i mentioned, hate in the sense it lingers in my head and the way it describes my situation, but this gave me slrt of closure, now understanding the ending perfectly, no matter how dire it is and how much it matches my reality,i can rest i Hope a little better)

[@Samookely]

@@Mrtotot It could be a reflection of how the being feels. if its a baby, then it likely feels scared being alone, as any child would. That fear can be reflected literally in how the forest manifests itself. If the baby felt comfort, or some other happy emotion, then its likely the forest could change it’s shape to something less horrific and y’know, life threatening.

[@caibra88]

Darkwood is a hidden gem any horror fan worth their salt should play

[@de_ffy]

agreed

[@bastard-took-the-name-I-had]

My horror tolerance is jquite low but I managed to watch it when markpilier did his playthrough

[@Gabriel_Blair]

​@@bastard-took-the-name-I-hadnot a real horror fan. :/ you should have bought and played the game yourself while also slowly dripping hot wax down the back of your shirt and sitting on a pile of thumbtacks

[@dudedude6892]

I never play horror games, and I have played one total, Darkwood. 9.5/10, genuinely one of my favorite games of all time. Although it does deserve that 0.5 off for a petty, albeit valid reason. SPOILER WALL I find it really fucking stupid that nothing you do in the real game affects your ending, and only the epilogue does. Although it is a different scene when you leave the woods, you are never actually leaving the woods when you do this. For example, my friend and I played through this game at around the same time, he got an ending where he walked on the road with a bunch of characters that he met along the way because he burned the tree, whereas I walked alone because I accidentally took a different path. Originally, I was kind of sad about this until realizing that it doesn’t fucking matter, in fact, lore wise, his ending is actually worse. That really left a sour taste in my mouth. Also, I may have gotten burn them all on my first play through, but my friend told me there was nothing worth looking for in the epilogue. Awesome game.

[@ShiggyMiyamo]

@@dudedude6892 Are you going to try more?

[@MrStatistx]

For a Topdown 2D game, Darkwood managed to build up a lot more tension than most 3D horror i played, when I was sitting in a hut at night and something was trying to get into the barricaded door.

[@viktorthevictor6240]

I think it might be my favorite horror game

[@joshuagraham1800]

I think the perspective is in it's favor In a weird way as with 3d first person games you can say we're more used to that since we see in 'first person' irl. But maybe I'm talking out of my ass.

[@viktorthevictor6240]

@joshuagraham1800 Because its budget was low, it would probably look pretty terrible if it was in first person, like most indie horrors. With the top down perspective they're able to escape the difficulties of creating a good looking art style for a 3d environment. Basically, since it's in 2d, they're able to combine smooth animations, camera shake, sound design and art style to make the game look and feel very professional. You almost forget it's an indie game at all while playing, imo. To make something look good in a 3d game, you either need to commit to a certain indie aesthetic, or you need Capcom's budget. There's always exceptions and inbetweens, but that's my assessment. The bird's-eye view elevates the game.

[@joshuagraham1800]

@@viktorthevictor6240 huh? What?

[@valx7586]

I think 3D horror games are way way more likely to do something that breaks immersion, like I don't like most of them because running at a lazy jog destroys my immersion

[@realdaggerman105]

I’ve gotten into a lot of Eastern European games recently. STALKER Shadow of Chernobyl, Pathologic and METRO series, but the one that started it all for me was Darkwood. It’s such a brilliant game. Phenomenal atmosphere, creepily curious characters, player consequence, level design, art style, etc. all culminates into one of the best horror games I have ever experienced.

[@naxergss2625]

isnt this game made by Polish devs, thats not in Eastern Europe

[@stickyy_fingaas]

Stalker and metro mentioned hell yeah

[@realdaggerman105]

@@naxergss2625 Poland is actually eastern Europe! It’s a bit of a more complex term than a first glance would show, but generally Germany, Austria and Italy are considered the border.

[@naxergss2625]

@@realdaggerman105 no its not

[@janitordel6296]

​​​@@naxergss2625 Poland is geographically a Central European country but shares much of its culture, language, history, etc with Eastern Europe, as Poles are slavic, which are an Eastern European ethnic group. So while yes you're correct, the average Pole wouldn't consider themselves culturally more aligned with Germany, Austria, etc but rather with Ukraine, Lithuania, etc

[@orionstokesweiss2344]

I often fall asleep to longform reviews like this. Waking up groggy to the game sounds with the only source of light in my room being the video and not remembering why I was, was quite the experience lol

[@harrisonwoollard5022]

At 2:06:22 this seems to be the ONLY footage online of the Doctor at the Banshee camp as far as I know, thank you for this never before recorded footage. I had no idea he had a unique attack pattern and made savage noises. Well Done for archiving this rare event

[@112523]

I played this game back when mandalore released his video. Its the only time where I paused the video when someone recommended something. I pirated the game. Got hooked really quick, felt guilty towards the dev so i bought it for me and a few friends. Never played it again, but i still remember almost everything about it. And i am planning to play it on switch soon

[@Medicalguy]

The best part about this game is that you can pirate it guilt-free because the developers themselves put an older version of the game on pirate Bay

[@112523]

@@Medicalguy yeah. And that's actually what made me feel more guilty, those Devs seemed like really cool dudes. Btw, did you know that the game they made after dark wood is a complete mood switch, as it's a turn based tactical soccer game. Haven't played it yet but the reviews seem to be positive

[@randalthor6872]

good on you! I feel like most devs these days deserve to have their game pirated lol. But this game is certainly an exception :)

[@viktorthevictor6240]

I got it on sale, so I'm guilt free 😅

[@hellionshark3197]

I get you. When the developer is cool and cares for their product, it's really worth buying it.

[@TheBigL225]

KZbin recommended this video for me and i love watching long game analyses. Halfway through the video i was shocked that a video of this quality was made by a chanel with only about 900 subs! You my guy are gonna go places mark my words 👏🏼

[@Hugo_Tate]

lmfao gay

[@Nogardtist]

900 sub well thats very normal youtube is at a new golden dark age of content creators where new talent and skill appears randomly basically but the odds of them becoming big channels is slim to none so just like the game stalker just another creator lost in the zone

[@humannfinn7117]

1k subs in 5 days

[@TheForgottenStag]

He had 900 12 days ago... omg

[@jamesf4423]

@@Hugo_Tatebitch, please. Pot calling the kettle black. You watching anime calling someone else gay

[@Kaismer]

Every time one of these analysis videos pop up about Darkwood; I watch every single one. I love this game and it's atmosphere, horror done perfectly.

[@Thecactuar]

You did an amazing job with this! I’m not going to compare it to the pyrocynical video like most of the other comments, but this video essay is amazing and I can’t wait to see more of what you make.

[@ManlyBog6448]

This video is just insanely good. I haven't seen a video go over all the different choices and game play like this. Seriously man just a fantastic job! I'm super excited to see more! Also those vine booms when talking shit about the stranger were great lol.

[@carrotpudding2191]

Darkwood is a masterpiece and so is this video nice work man!!!

[@de_ffy]

yeah darkwood is probably top 5 games for me its so good

[@Br0kenMask]

@@de_ffy Good video. If you liked this game, I can also recommend Signalis. Would also like to hear your take on it.

[@trueRevk]

great analysis & video, i can see the passion you have for the game in how you crafted this video, keep it up dude.

[@de_ffy]

Oh man i watched your darkwood video a while ago as well. This means a lot!

[@kilerinsticnt5817]

You gonna love fear and hunger

[@joereneandal1926]

Fok that

[@TronyFeet]

jumpscares in modern horror are one trick ponies, once you've seen them they never scare you again

[@Nogardtist]

what about subnautica where a game is a disguised horror or the player scare themselves but yeah jumpscares are always cheap and lazy design i prefer having a smart enemy AI where it toys with you instead of going for jumpscare like five nights at feddy

[@axtrep2324]

really great video, i love these long-form playthrough analyses of games and darkwood was a fantastic pick. i'm glad youtube recommended this to me, will be keeping on eye out for more of this from you

[@TheParryGod]

Darkwood's one of the best pieces of cosmic horror media out there, not even mentioning the art, sound design and sense of space the devs created. You really did it justice with your presentation style. Letting the game speak for itself when it needed to. Exploring all possible paths etc. Really hope you'll do more longform stuff like this.

[@de_ffy]

thank you for the kind words. love your s2fm stuff!

[@wander9932]

Darkwood is one of my favorite horror games. You covered the game incredibly well, with a very chill voiceover that made me stick through the whole ass three hours the day before a final lol. Congrats my guy the vid was fantastic.

[@euiaoeuiao4501]

Love the content. Thank God I got into these long video game essays/reviews or whatever you call it. It helps me from not getting too distracted while I do a bunch of random important stuff. I’m glad to add you to one of the people that I watch who makes content like this. Keep it up!

[@HeatherHolt]

I love long form content! It’s so nice to not have to constantly look for the next thing to watch on a similar subject.

[@CidCDdrafts]

Bro beat Pyrocynical

[@EJmaw]

You got my sub. Your input and approach to this is fantastic. Keep this up. I highly suggest you cover fear and hunger too

[@angus6149]

If he could cover fear and hunger 2 as well hed be one of the first to do a full scale video on it

[@sadmongoose5347]

pyrocynical really copied the whole format 😭

[@survivorbtl1725]

8 hours vs 3 hours

[@ricksanchez2531]

​@@survivorbtl1725 dont defend the british lesbian

[@briefed232]

Nah, deffy made a really good video. Really am waiting for the next release

[@robinmatias7180]

Me when I lie :

[@sadmongoose5347]

@@survivorbtl1725 I said format not length

[@DksMonsta]

You've summoned the darkwood fanbase.

[@bojout]

"The homeless man calls you boss, which only one character did." It's very common in Poland for homeless people to call you "Szefie" meaning Boss, as a way to show respect and hopefully get more money out of you. It's just a stereotype. Also great video i love you

[@venombody6424]

I thoroughly enjoyed your analysis especially because you incorporated the game-play sequentially. I played this years ago and because of life happenings alongside the appropriate time needed to enjoy a game like this, it ended up just sitting in my library, but always in the back of my mind. Thanks for going into each decision and outcome. Not many 'analyzers' do this, but it's clear you were invested in this game as I was when i played the beta. You kept the games atmospheric tone in this video which was great. Awesome job!

[@CyanMentality]

This was excellent dude, thank you so much for the efforts, research, footage collection and putting the pieces together. I appreciated the story summary at the end, and thanks for overcoming the anxiety so I don't have to haha.

[@SpoopyTime]

I have a theory that the stranger we play with might be a copy of the real stranger, the trader. Because of the imperfections of the being recreating things, he doesn’t remember a lot of things the former self of him does, like staying away from the being.

[@jovenotjoe]

Really thorough! I played and beat the game back in 2019, but always felt like I didn’t see everything. This really opened my eyes! One thing you did great was letting the game speak for itself. Enjoyed the video, thank you.

[@promethiac2641]

I always end up quitting around the swamp area because I get tired of needing to track down my backpack. Big difficulty spike for my playstyle I guess.

[@TNUPP12]

I can't wait for this to blow up, this is quality

[@Tau-5-weeb]

craving my need for darkwood with this banger of a vid again until pyro finally uploads the vid about darkwood

[@FFF_FilmsforFun]

Wait a minute, you aren’t Pyrocynical

[@nasounicornis5834]

Something about wolf man is so likable to me, he’s so easy to hate, but he’s also the only character who’s straightforward with you. you know what you’re getting into

[@iwatcher69]

I remember playing Resident evil on PS and reading the notes on the the one guy who little by little turned into a zombie. Each note you found from him indicated his transformation. I thought Capcom did that well, it really creeped me out, especially the last note when all you read was grunts.

[@SlugcatDahlia]

This is my favorite horror game. It's so fucking stressful and feels so real that I had to stop, put it down for a year, came back and actually got good at the game and didn't help how horrifying it was. That banshee sound is giving me flashbacks lol. I had to put it down again after I double-crossed the Wolfman, and I was just so scared of facing him lol.

[@JespoXyzwtf]

i love this game so much. bought it blindly back when it came into early access on steam in 2014 and played through it many times since, so when your video was recommended, i instantly clicked. great video! you got my sub

[@bobbobbing4220]

you have a promising future in documentaries about games, good clear diction, able to break down the story.. good structure.

[@unlikable6264]

i love when youtube recommends random channels who make hour+ long videos on games i’ve never played but still watch because the video is so well made and unlike recent halo games has effort

[@somegingerguy4242]

You know, I appreciate the detail of the epilogue where, if you killed everybody you came across, the Stranger just....goes back to being calm and normal. He doesn't pull the usual genocide route of indie games where they become a mindless, homicidal maniac in search of victims. In his mind, all the killings he did were just a means of helping escape the Forest, and if anything, many of the killings could be considered mercy due to how bad some of the inhabitants are. I dunno, I just enjoy how the game doesn't go the route of "You killed a lot, so you're now a mindless murder machine" like so many other indie games do

[@oasis4031]

Love the way you covered this/the approach you took, nice Jerma, thanks !

[@karolkwiecjasz9356]

Something worth mentation is that The Road Home itself is an imitation - it oozes the grey substance and the statues of people are copies of those who ran away as a snapshot of the moments before The Entity destroyed the road.

[@Syz_gy]

God, that whole night sequence after you set the "tree" on fire was so incredibly intense.

[@Theodoros.8]

An amazing video essay! You've done a great job, one can easily see that you invested a lot of time in making this video. We, the viewers, thank you!

[@jessesurprenant1981]

This was an immensely enjoyable watch- I’ve beaten Darkwood once before when it first hit the Switch, but I had missed a lot of content in that playthrough that I didn’t even realize was there. Truly a great vid Deffy.

[@madelinbaeza305]

Been waiting literal years for someone to make a long form video on this game thank you ❤

[@WishAAAProductions]

I swear watching RagnarRox’ video on darkwood to set the mood and then directly binging into this is such a blast. You just have to skip the spoilers at the end of rox’ video and it’s really almost perfection! Thanks for the contend man. Liked and subscribed ❤

[@nefarian8553]

Absolute premium content. Keep at it, you have a good voice, good understanding of pacing, good writing and the tenacity to make a 3+ hour video that actually keeps my attention.

[@sussychickengloop]

on gloop I was surprised when I saw this man only had 250 subs, this is some good shit

[@MrDeath2iPod]

This is one of the most complete and comprehensive videos on Darkwood ever. Great work man!

[@7leeches]

I loved this video!!! I’ve watched let’s plays of Darkwood in the past and it’s one of the few horror games that I just can’t forget.

[@Wanderingcacti]

The musician's story makes me feel so sad

[@ImagenedHat88]

Deffy shamelessly stealing Pyrocynical's darkwood video 8 months earlier.

[@TheMirandawise]

This whole video was first, very informative but also, quite entertaining. I learned some things I didn't actually know about and that's the part of Darkwood that always fascinates me. Thank you for taking the time to make this film of a video!

[@trusodapop]

Man you're such a good creator. Your reporting on subjects is very easy to follow and I like how you stop talking to demonstrate what you're trying to show. Very well done mate. Subbed

[@Obri55]

Did what pyrocynical couldnt

[@tipuka0077]

I got this game as a gift from one of my relatives. I'm not a big horror game player(to much stress and anxiety), but I was interested in this game so this video was perfect for me plus a play long and informative video game document videos. So thank you so much for this amazing video and to experience this hidden gem of a game

[@damiancrowley569]

The only thing you can prepare yourself for in this game is that no matter what, you won't be fully prepared lol no matter how many times you play it, it's all randomized terror

[@SmotheryAxe1414]

This isn't pyrocynical, you're much too handsome.

[@SlopCommentary]

Watching this because Pyro Moved the Darkwood video to Saturday

[@ebonhawken574]

I’ve been waiting so long for somebody to do a video like this. Thank you! I’ve wanted to finish this game, but could never find the time to actually sit down and do it. It’s such a great game and you put this in an easy to digest way to enjoy the story and your play through. Appreciate the hard work that went into this!

[@Raiden8tor]

What an excellent video my guy!

[@NeemoVideos]

This is one of the harshest view-to-sub-ratios I've ever seen, aside from the typical one hit wonders and meme-reuploads. Not the only reason why I am giving you a sub tho.

[@DanteMantovan]

Amazing work from such a small channel. Excited to see your progress. Plus one subscriber.

[@braulioromero9880]

Seeing a 3 hours long essay on my KZbin feed put a huge smile on my face

[@bigboyepic8598]

1:36:56 let's not forget that siding with the wolfman most likely leads to the death of the village by famine and death to that woman. Granted those both could be seen as merciful given the circumstances.

[@GuernyHalleck]

"Darkwood is a Masterpice" And what a masterful edit you've done of this wonderful game. It was a delight, from start to finish.

[@toolazy7945]

Wish this game became more popular at least I can hope it becomes popular like fear and hunger did those two are were my under appreciated gems

[@mikle1404]

I'm a simple man: I see a 3 and a half hour analysis of Darkwood, I click like and subscribe.

[@BADXREACH223]

commenting for the algorithm, stay strong brother

[@ricwilliam9839]

Very good video content. You talked for more than 3 hours, but it never felt you wasted my time.. We need more youtube content like this. I'm curious of how you would do Alan Wake.

[@tescobag5704]

I fucking love Darkwood. I haven't finished it yet, I picked it up in the past week after having it installed for at least 2 years, and it may be the scariest game I've played

[@death-hr6ff]

coming after the pyro vid LATE

[@Starkill445]

This is such a amazing video, one of the best review/playthrough/essay/lore explanation on KZbin

[@Stanmf666]

I love the costume

[@plaguedoctor3489]

Loved this video man! I started it as background noise and stayed for the lore and excellent story telling! One thing I found symbolically interesting is how in the fake ending, the stranger is facing away from the window, away from the forest and the truth. As the screen panes away he’s back is facing away from the actions he’s done. While in the true ending he’s facing towards where the window would be. As the screen panes over he’s facing the truth and his actions. Maybe it’s me reaching a bit but it feels very “red pill or blue pills” to me lol. Keep up the awesome work!

[@lechonkawali5725]

It truly is one of the games

[@whothehellarewe]

Best*

[@D1ne-O-SAur]

Of all time

[@LEvpic161]

I remember buying this game and playing it for 40 hours. I reached the second swamp area, did a few things there then never finished the game but it always stuck with me and over the years i kept thinking about it. This is a fantastic video and felt like closure for me, finally understanding this world. Great stuff!

[@T3mina]

horror without jumpscares is one of the best type of horror since it doesnt have to rely in something cheap and lazy like a jumpscare, i havent finished the video but i can tell that you put a lot of effort into it, you have won a sub.

[@specialknees6798]

As someone who generally dislikes jumpscares, I think they can be pretty important for setting the tone of a game. If your game has no jumpscares at all, the player will figure it out and realize that the experience is all tension and no release. But if you occasionally sprinkle in a few jumpscares throughout your game, players know that something could actually jump out at you at any moment, which is the feeling horror games want to evoke. On the other hand, too many jumpscares will get the player used to them and ruin the tension.

[@filipesaul8435]

Well constructed video Quality audio Overall very good video game analysis. Subbed

[@anthonytonelli7863]

I have been looking for someone to cover this game in deoth like this. You rock!

[@russian_knight]

Great video. Darkwood is an absolute masterpiece and one of my favorite games of all time, glad to see it get some more coverage. Also regarding the trader's death, it most likely actually is the three that killed him. The word "liar" is scribbled all over their room, and presumably it's the only word they know. The word likely has no significance to the trader himself, it's just been written on the visor by compulsion by the Three.

[@aegawaergaerga1794]

Good stuff lad - the currently only incredibly thorough analysis of dark-wood, almost similar to the ultrakill explanation or other games - almost too much detail but with how immense the lore and elaborate the story of darkwood - that much explanation is required even to understand basic characters or set pieces such as the village or dreams - -for those who see the 3 hour long video essay and i dissed by it IGNORE it - no video less then 2hrs1/2 will be able to cover all of dark wood and its alternate paths/events I also loved your hints at small notes such as the flame thrower note about the diserter in the third camp, these hints would give watchers the “wait isn’t that the ___ from ___” moments and with the flame thrower example it connects directly to the good ending as you steal it from that person. This VERY subtle thing u did here gives me and other veterans of the game reminders of these things that we would normal forget or ignore. I’ve played darkwood 3 times and each was a harder difficulty ending at the 1 life challenge, spamming moletovs and crafting more pump shotguns then god since they come fully loaded. But the different traps such as broken glass or oil on barrels is really neet and something I never tryed

[@aegawaergaerga1794]

I laughed really hard 1:25:02 - just the hard switch to u beating the wolf man “unless u killed him” pff

[@zukeirl]

Liked and subbed Criminal that you don’t have more subs to be honest. Keep up the solid work dude

[@zcgamerandreacts2762]

I love the true ending. Sure you died and no one will remember you but your soul can rest easy as you saved humanity from a force of extraterrestrial proportions. It's purged. Earth is safe that's all that matters.

[@deusvermiculus1072]

a great video and a good format. Longform content like this is very interesting. I will look forward to your next release.

[@Julio-p1n1y]

Who came here after pyro moved the darkwood video another 4 days

[@keravesque]

You've convinced me - I just started playing through Darkwood after falling asleep and waking up to this video playing maybe a week or two ago. I was also surprised to find that the version the developers released in a Torrent - which happens to be the Windows version - plays just fine out of the box under Wine on my older Linux Mint (19) system. Only after downloading it and starting the game did I find a considerably smaller and much faster Torrent of the Linux version with the latest updates. As a side note, I will absolutely support the developers for $15, but it's definitely nice to be able to make sure it can run on my system first.