Eternal Darkness - Story Explanation and Analysis

[@maxderrat]

Did I get you? Did I not get you? ;)

[@themewwave6308]

You got me

[@Aiur]

Damn dude, I felt the loss immediately

[@stephenlanuto5993]

LMAO that intro was great Max, you totally got me despite my playing the game years ago. The exploding head would have been too on the nose Bravo, sir, bravo

[@Nomed38]

Nah as I know a few things about the game without ever playing it. I would say from what I've seen the game is worth getting the console alone just to play it.

[@Camaxtli]

I've barely watched the first minute and immediately was tricked by it... just like this game did to me when I first played it at release... GOOD SHOW.

[@churichurinfunflais5269]

"Deep into the darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting".

[@himwhoisnottobenamed5427]

“You too, will come to learn fear as I have….”

[@churichurinfunflais5269]

@@himwhoisnottobenamed5427 "We must never be persuaded, but by the evidence of our reason."

[@spiritconsumer]

To think that once I could not see beyond the veil of our reality, to see those who dwell behind. My life now has purpose, for I have learned the frailty of flesh and bone. I was once a fool… Aeons have passed since then, and I have learned much.

[@bloodjoe]

Dude yes I love this game, and that beginning was just perfect btw

[@maxderrat]

Hehehe

[@wellesradio]

I did not feel sorrow or pain with that intro as this is my first ever visit to this channel. What I felt was frustration and vexation thinking that the video was stuck, resorting even to downloading the video only to find that you got me. You got me good.

[@brentclouse7791]

This is an absolute gem of a game, and one I was fortunate enough to play back at its release. I was 14 at the time and the game equally terrified me and intrigued me - long before I understood what cosmic horror was. It’s definitely had a lasting impression.

[@wallflower9082]

Likewise. I was too terrified to play it without my older cousin present

[@AAllen-br8it]

You son of a gun! I should have realized! My phone has been stuttering lately and as soon as it started to buffer I went to check the time stamp and came to the realization and audibly began to say "I see what you're doing." as soon as the sound queued. That immediately sent a flood of nostalgia over me from watching my mom play this game. What a perfect intro lol the rest of this video is going to be great.

[@ScottAngelo]

They had us in the first half not gonna lie - I was already grieving, what a relief!!

[@OscarGarcia-tw4qu]

Agreed, I just went through a rollercoaster of reactions in five seconds 😂

[@oldmanonyoutube]

Eternal Darkness was highly rated and recommended on the Nintendo GameCube. The way it messes with the player was a novelty only seen in Metal Gear Solid's battle with Psycho Mantis. It is a shame we never got a sequel on a newer platform.

[@Chronostream]

Silicon Knights was stomped out by Epic after a lawsuit involving the Unreal Engine. Too Human was their last release. It too had a fake out in the story, funny enough.

[@baguete02]

Also as seen in the video ,Nintendo meticulously patented the whole Insanity effects mechanic so no one could make a similar game

[@stellabee2026]

@@baguete02 Nintendo let the patent lapse last year but it’s been 20 years so who knows if anyone will decide to go back to an explicitly Eternal Darkness style system or not is up in the air, and it’s not like other games didn’t come up with similar systems that I’m guessing were either different enough to avoid litigation or Nintendo just letting it go (there’s a theory it was to actually filed to avoid patent trolls rather than just to be their lawsuit happy selves)

[@Indy_Bendy]

Didn't sell at all.

[@MorimotoRei]

One of the best games of all time! The way the game messed with the player, not just the characters. I still remember when the "Mute" appeared in the bottom corner of the screen and the sound stopped. I started yelling at my sister thinking she was trying to annoy me.

[@Shivaio]

I love this game so much. You are 100% right, it is definitely underrated. I'd love to see game developers create games with magic systems and gameplay as creative as this one (although I know is very hard). Thank you so much for taking the time to make this video.

[@dwaynetheduckjohnson]

Oh my gosh I actually thought you were leaving KZbin. Definitely got me 😂

[@tommytampons2080]

Got me too

[@josedorsaith5261]

Same here. So glad it was just a joke!

[@perversemite519]

Saaaaaaaaame

[@soccerandtrack10]

Spoilers . . Doctor who.

[@mickieramirez5807]

Dwayne the Duck Bonkson should have been your name. lmao 😂

[@wmdtone]

So nice to see this game get some coverage. I can only imagine what a masterpiece this could be if it was remade with the same care and respect as the resident evil remake.

[@himwhoisnottobenamed5427]

Perhaps different characters and locales depending on which Ancient “Pious” chooses.

[@Lesandira]

The way Eternal Darkness invokes madness is really unmatched. I remember when the game automatically switched to my save files and deleted them all, only to reveal a moment later that it was all due to my low sanity.

[@byoutifulmonster]

Knowing you and the struggles you go trough I truly felt for it.

[@whirlwind872]

What struggles does he go through? 🤔 Not saying he doesn't have struggles, just curious what you're referring to. It feels like he's in a solid place mentally, he releases high quality, thoughtful, insightful videos on a frequent basis, he actively promotes mental health advocacy and he has a supportive loyal kind community who love his videos and praise him in the comments. Rightfully so too, I fucking love this channel. Super thoughtful analysis on so many things I've played/watched and yet totally went over my head. His videos make me appreciate these games/movies on a whole other level. When he said he was not going to make videos anymore, my brain was like ERROR cuz I thought he was in a really good place in life.

[@we-must-live]

@@whirlwind872 there was a community post, in which he claimed he might need to take more time between videos because of... stuff. having read that, and hearing the start of this video? i damn near had a heart attack!

[@SergioLeonardoCornejo]

The game has no remakes or ports, and that is unforgivable.

[@jumpingman6612]

This, so many gems out there.. And an inflation of others!

[@victoriousf.i.g.3311]

I always assumed it was because of that thing where they stole an engine and used it without permission in a later game. It is sad no one acquired this IP and remastered it, for sure.

[@GenkiStarLeaf]

@@victoriousf.i.g.3311 Nintendo owns the IP. Knowing Nintendo, Eternal Darkness will never see the day of light ever again.

[@afkafkafk]

The main dev is well hated and one of the other devs got done for being a pedo, Silicon Knights is dead but Precursor Games was going to make a spiritual successor but they failed to make kickstarter money to make it

[@SergioLeonardoCornejo]

@@afkafkafk wait. Got any evidence of the claims?

[@0bserv9r]

One of the best games ever in my humble opinion. If I remember correctly there was a chance of a sequel but that never happened unfortunately.

[@gilgeaschwithkerk2344]

Yes, it was planed but i think it just was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I hope Nintendo will remember that game one day.

[@michiganjack1337]

Denis Dyack did talk about he would've been interested, but Nintendo wasn't and so Silicon Knights moved on and developed the long time classic, "Too Human" 😅

[@PhazonOmega]

That moment when the video was buffering and I was so confused since I've been having trouble with it anyway. Seeing that the video was still playing helped me figure it out, lol

[@SteadFast411]

Whenever I see Eternal Darkness crop up online, there is always a multitude of either newcomers who are enticed to try the game out, or players who already had and would kill for a remaster/remake/sequel, and Max's video here is no exception. Sadly, the spiritual successor to Eternal Darkness was put forwards by the dev team Silicon Knights as a crowd funded campaign, and has gone down as one of the most cursed projects I can think of in the game industry. From legal issues with Epic Games over the use of an engine, to a former Dev being charged with sexual assault and possession of CP... For all the cool eldritch and cosmic horror being promised in a new game, the real world narrative that circled Eternal Darkness's sequel is pretty damn dark itself.

[@skachor]

Here's an exception. It was ok, but it was nothing special

[@BBWahoo]

What's wrong with Cthulu Poetry?

[@XWXS2]

@@skachor *WHAT* no game is like this it was very special

[@skachor]

@@XWXS2 sorry, not Imo.

[@baguete02]

@@skachor The Ancients didn't want a new game

[@swmtothemoon6660]

Finally, some video game content that I want to save like it's my favorite magazine of Game informer back in the day

[@kb4499]

I played this game years ago with a buddy of mine. I remember beating it, but more memorable were the moments it would flash things like “controller disconnected” on the screen, prompting me to fiddle with them and to question both my buddy, and my sanity that they were fine.

[@we-must-live]

wow. that sounds... legitimately frightening! playing on emulators (as Max did with this game) and using a controller plugin, there is the high chance that you will tug just a lil' too hard and disconnect it. and, as avid controller users would know, sometimes the micro-usb insert into the controller can get a bit finnicky - meaning that you can sometimes spend a few minutes wondering if your controller, the emulator, or your mind, is to blame for the useless hunk of plastic you have in your hands. having that experience be artificially manufactured... wow.

[@ThePanchEffect]

boy what an intro. it got me many places, so many new projects, tought of hiatus, then hit hard, and then, the intro was over. how many takes it took to sound so convicing? now, lets watch the rest of the video

[@maxderrat]

That's what four years of drama school will get you. ;) I think the take I used was the second one.

[@thelastminuteman7513]

I rented this game from Blockbuster when it game out and absolutely loved it. About 5 years ago working as a mechanic for a disposal company, we had spot in the shop the drivers would put down interesting items they found in the trash during their routes. If they themselves weren't interested items they'd leave them by the stairs to the locker room so anyone else could have at them. One day I saw an ammo can by the stairs that piqued my interest. I opened the can and found it was full of GameCube games. Literally every Resident Evil, and Zelda game as well as Metroid Prime and Eternal Darkeness. I grabbed that can and elwent to the used game store down the street and bought a used GameCube for $30 bucks and still have it.

[@leopoldogranados7706]

Lovely opening, OMG! So accurate! 10/10 You really make me feel like inside of a horrible nightmare like the ones on the Eternal Darkness game! U the best

[@corytaber1676]

Damn, savage prank!! Bro please continue making videos as long as it serves you!! Your channel is a GEM among the video game community. I have learned so much from watching, from your clear and concise descriptions of concepts, to taking ideas you talk about and researching them afterward. As soon as philosophy, religion, psychology etc... is painted on the backdrop of a great video game my mind is so much happier focusing and reading. I feel like your channel is a mini life-hack for people like me who wouldn't otherwise have the focus to study concepts in an academic way. I take this as a great lesson personally. I will continue to use my own interests as catalysts to branch out laterally and actualize more of myself. Thank you again!!!

[@TheJatonEffect]

It's a shame how this game was essentially lost to time and the various debacles with Silicon Knights. I wish Nintendo would let go of it and a capable developer would pick it up and run with it. It's a story that deserves expanding, or a remake at the very least.

[@shobooknight]

Great video, that intro made me feel uneasy. When it comes to yellow cosmic gods, Hastur is the first thing to spring to mind. Mantorok also kind of reminds me of The Demon Sultan Azathoth visually.

[@LordSpleach]

I remember getting mad at my friend for turning the volume down while playing this game before I realized it was the game itself. Crazy part was I had already had seen the sanity effect before and hell the volume icons didn't even matter that TV's. But still, it got to me.

[@youtubemusicowesmemoney8470]

Great video! I don't know what makes me sadder: how underrated Eternal Darkness was even on release ( Yeah, I have the GC original), or how hard and far Silicon Knights fell from grace after.

[@RomanHoltwick1]

I bought an original copy for my Nintendo collection just a few months ago because I heard how good it is supposed to be. This game snuck it's way around me for quite some time. I was not disappointed. And you Max, making a video about this game right now... That just validated my great opinion of this game.

[@dasuero7489]

At the intro, I just physically froze and had disappointment that slowly turned into a dumb looking grin and doing approval with my thumbs. You trickster, you. I'm ecstatic and giddy that profound horror in the medium of games is slowly being brought to online and public attention and through the venue of your channel. And I salute and thank you for that, Max. Always a yellow fan. Our jaundice overlord

[@we-must-live]

jaundice? jaundice! lv100 WORDMASTER over ere'! seriously though, i think this might be the first time i've seen that word used in a youtube comment.

[@andergo6318]

Dear Max - that intro was super scary! I so look forward to your videos that I was crushed. I feel better now, however. All the best!

[@danielstansberry8684]

Played this as a Kid . One of my dads favorite games of all times , it was sick !

[@niklasrydelius774]

Not gonna lie, you had me going there for a while. Love it! Keep up the amazing work dude!

[@QuantumLex]

The start really hit me man, I love your channel, and then, oh my god, the memories, THIS is how you pay homage to a great game. Best regards Max, I have no doubt of who the yellow god would have been and know that it's still yellow to this day.

[@dasuero7489]

I love it when I can catch a video early! Thank you subscription button with your notifications feature. Woot! Woo. The name of this game, I already get a strong impression it will be wild, good, and deep into the bowels of psychological horror and or Lovecraftian elements. Supreme job, Max!

[@denisdyack89]

One of the most thoughtful videos I have seen of Eternal Darkness. Thank you for the kind words and for spending the time to talk about it. The overview of writing influences was spot on; you are one of the few to highlight all of them. Great job! I encourage you to check out our new work Deadhaus Sonata with narrative influences of Thomas Ligotti (philosophical horror), Steve Erikson (epic grim fantasy), H.P. Lovecraft, and Michael Moorcock. There is already a ton of content to check on the website, even though we are still early in development. When released, I hope you and others here will also enjoy it. Narrative & Cosmic horror are central to Deadhaus Sonata.

[@baguete02]

The man him self !! I will follow this project, it looks amazing , you guys broke the barrier of game mechanics actually reflecting the player reality , keep up the good work.

[@shadowwolf1355]

Fantastic intro and coverage of this beautiful game. Keep up the great work!

[@OMEGAg935]

Definitely got me, my heart dropped this been my fav channel on yt since last year

[@himwhoisnottobenamed5427]

Anyone else just listen to Maximilian’s autopsy reports? Amazing stuff! RIP William Hootkins (Maximilian Roivas) …also Lt.Ekhart in ‘89 Batman.

[@snapdragonsweetgum8574]

MOST FRIGHTENED I HAVE EVER BEEN WATCHING A VIDEO ON THIS CHANNEL

[@AstralMatrix80]

Hey Max! I appreciate your content. Long time follower, first time commenting. Just fired up the old game cube and been playing Eternal Darkness. It's an excellent game that still holds up. Thanks for this analysis!

[@digdugdat2847]

Max, that intro was awesome! Well done!

[@leinadreign3510]

I see eternal darkness, I click. It is simple as the old ones are complex! Im so glad I bought this game when I was a kid. Had a fun time. Multiple playthroughs and the game brought me to the works of Poe and Lovecraft. That is way more achievement than the frikkin school did back then!

[@InMaTeofDeath]

As a casual viewer of this channel yup got me *small spoilers below* I still have a clear memory of my child self playing this game getting the delete your memory card scare. I had bought a 40 dollar 3rd party card that had a ton of memory so everything was on it I legit jumped up and yelled No! as the game was telling me my files were getting deleted.

[@lilyxxxxxx7146]

My heart sunk after the first few seconds of the video and I desperately checked to see if this was released on April 1st and was just devastated when it wasn’t. Damn max, you got me good .

[@StefanKoran]

The Beginning is exactly like the game... the first time the game "deletes" your save file still hunts me^^ well done

[@Davlavi]

This channel deserves way more views. Keep up the great videos.🙏🙏

[@maxderrat]

Thanks Davlavi.

[@xcalibur6482]

By the unholy Cthulu mate, you almost gave me a heart attack.

[@AlmightySwordGames]

Wow i'd never realize how much i like this channel until now, that was like a jumpscare to me the moment you said you were leaving this channel lol.

[@ChubbyJimRaisinBran]

Always appreciate your videos. I like watching them before bed when possible.

[@ninja011]

If I were ever to win the lotto or strike it rich somehow, I'd fund out of pocket if I had to, to get this game a remaster port to modern platforms, soit never fades.

[@benfrancois7856]

I remember playing Eternal Darkness on my mom's game cube an it was an awesome game

[@victoriousf.i.g.3311]

*Delete Max Derrat?* No. *Are you sure you want to delete Max Derrat?* No! *Deleting Max Derrat* Noooooooooo!

[@codymiskelley3533]

I love your videos, you so got me at the beginning haha

[@seanchan4478]

My brother and i bought a used copy from blockbuster back in the day. As a kid I thought it was impossible. A few years ago I loaded it up turned off all the lights and had a blast. That's why I so firmly believe there needs to be a video game archive for all games, sometimes it'll take a few years or a decade to learn to appreciate something you couldn't before

[@confitao]

God this game was fucking incredible, the first horror game I ever liked, and finding the secret ending by my own without guides, fucking bliss. I still have my physical copy of this game and treasure it every time I see it.

[@Camaxtli]

I've barely watched the first minute and immediately was tricked by it... just like this game did to me when I first played it at release... GOOD SHOW.

[@juliusx9953]

Splendid video Max! If you are interested in books as well I can recommend Liu Cixins three body problem, it's a scifi horror series playing heavily on humanity's helplessness

[@RecluseBootsy]

That intro got me for a sec. I was writing a farewell to you and everything.

[@aaronoman6460]

You totally got me with the intro Max, nice one!

[@TheSakurambou]

Love this game. Been on a binge recently, watching different youtube videos about it and even with the story refreshed in my mind I still have an urge to try to find where I put my gamecube and replay it. Still holding out hope that it might be remastered and released again, this time, receiving the recognition it deserves.

[@Amadeo790]

I love this game and that opening was amazing LOL you got me there.

[@tommytampons2080]

Freaking loved this game.

[@windwalkerrangerdm]

Nice detailed explanation and solid presentation. Subbed.

[@maxderrat]

Ayyyy! Thanks man! Stay tuned for more in-depth content.

[@Poruasecas]

Oooh man I just started watching and you almost got me with that beggining, if I had watched this on release instead of having it on my watch latter list for 3 weeks you would have totally fooled me!

[@toyhaunter8260]

I barely even began the video and suddenly you give me a flashback of when I played the game. Have this like. I know I'm going to enjoy the video but I'm not gonna wait to give it to ya.

[@jasonbreedlove495]

Still want of my all time favorites from the GameCube!! The casting of spells was so cool.

[@inkscript483]

I was just gushing about this game the other day! Yes! Really glad this game is getting attention, because there just hasn't been a game like this for so long!

[@brodelicious]

You didn’t get me because this game left such an impression on me that I could never shake. I actually reset my GameCube a few times before I got that the game was messing with me. I was angry, distraught and on occasion scared. But one way or the other it got me in a way that few horror movies or games do. It got me to act in the real world in response to what was going on in the virtual one.

[@BadTeacherUA]

...and despite all graphical and mechanics potential that we have now - good horrors are criminally rare.

[@we-must-live]

i know everyone already knows this, but, yeah - it's because designers back in the day had to innovate ways to scare people beyond graphics, so they developed stories, implications & other imagination-driven sources of horror, which always have, and always will be, infinitely scarier than any spookyscary RTX rendered ghost. nowadays, though? yeah, most people are content being spooked by some real scary graphics... so why would designers bother trying any harder?

[@BadTeacherUA]

@@we-must-live It's all in story, storytelling and direction. I think we, gamers, have more problems with marketologists occupying industry rather than with lack of developers' talent.

[@BadTeacherUA]

@@we-must-live To be precise, we have some problems with horror genre such as 1. Inequality. Nothing bad with capital or capitalism, but with people are in charge and ruling companies. Profit above all, so they, major shareholders, are forcing marketing experts and developers to copy success of the old features. Again, and again, and again... To gain maximum profit. There is a pretty cruel scheme unfolding because those are already in power become more and more powerful, and even talented commoners - become outsiders. Videogames, cryptocurrency, real politics... you name it. Even more: videogames market becoming a political instrument novadays. 2. Horrors of the real world. Global climate change, pandemic, information and work burnout, psychic and psychiatrically inclined problems, proxy wars and wars (our country is on the verge of the full scale russian invasion for example). Paranormal or not, there are much more to fear in reality rather than a videogame.

[@we-must-live]

@@BadTeacherUA as dire as our situation is, both in terms of horror videogames, and, well, human society - I'm... looking forward to the future! maybe not in an optimistic fashion, but the morbid anticipation of waiting for what our gaming and/or political overlords do next is... better than being in eternal darkness. i think.

[@BadTeacherUA]

@@we-must-live Only accepting the darkness one can fully perceive the light )

[@victoriousf.i.g.3311]

I'm one of the lucky half million. I still play it every October; not for Halloween, but because my wife and I started dating in October many years back and this was the first game she watched me play through. It's a fun callback to our beginnings to relive those old days when we were young and broke :)

[@meekle8891]

Thank you Max! This game is one of my all time FAVORITES

[@ComradeSeanski]

"What if we made the psycho mantis boss fight the whole game"

[@tolkraft1883]

when the video paused I thought damn, what a time to pause, but the timer was still going- and then I knew. Big sad to relaxed to small mad. You got me.

[@Leitis_Fella]

Damn Nic Cage is great at going completely nuts. He knocked it out of the park in The Color Out Of Space

[@itsmejofra]

I just beat the game for the second time after almost 20 years since my first playthrough. And it still holds up so well, this is truly a masterpiece of a game, I love it.

[@ProjektBurn]

Damn. That was a good one. Clever cheeky bastard. You got me good. The sadness was for real.

[@Elrond_Hubbard_1]

A small little plot hole/inaccuracy just occurred to me. There is absolutely no way that a centurion in the Roman legions would have the last name 'Augustus'. Augustus was les of a name and more of a title, first adapted by Emperor Octavian. It was reserved for nobility, and while members of the Roman aristocracy did hold leadership positions in the military, they would _never_ have been centurions.

[@jmporkbob]

So grateful I was able to play this game in period.

[@nicolaspastor9451]

he had us in the first half not gonna lie

[@kenthefele113]

You got me with the fake loading loop. Max you conniving bastard.

[@roguedjinnwind4569]

Thank you for this video. This is one of my favorite games.

[@ZenGaijin]

God, i wish Nintendo would re-release this game. Also it sucks they copyrighted Videogame insanity only to do nothing with it.

[@SpiritboundNeo]

...Strange isn't it? Almost like they didn't _want_ this mechanic to be used... or thought about even... 🤔

[@BadWisdom523]

Huh, there’s a King who’s Yellow… and now I’ve gone mad

[@YouNeedATeacher]

The boss fight and its theme are just perfect. So satisfying, no other gane achieved this for me.

[@QuantumTelephone]

My friend was actually cursed by this game. He was going through serious mental health stuff during the pandemic, so he bought a gamecube to relive some old memories to pass the time. The last time I was over there he was playing this game for the first time. It was really awkward. I was trying to strike up a convo but he was just glued to the screen, which was fine, I enjoy watching people play horror games because I'm too scared to play them myself. We ended up having fun together, talking about the ideas of the game. We ordered a pizza and I went home. The next time I hear from him was about 3 days later, where he sent me a picture of his gamecube in a firepit, where he appeared to be ceremoniously burning his console that he had JUST bought. I was like "oh nooo did it break already?" And he replied "it went dark on me, it's not my friend, you're not my friend either." I thought he was obviously just fucking with me and playing up the whole insanity thing in real life as a joke. I didnt hear from him in weeks after that so I called his mom for a wellness check and she said he checked himself into a mental facility. Maybe it's a stretch to say it was eternal darkness that triggered this, but it's definitely a weird coincidence. Given how obsessed he was with it, he could have been up all night playing it for days on end, who knows. He still wont talk to me though

[@brunostyx3]

Max trying to give me a heart attack. Also, love this game and your videos, Max!

[@sagenerd419]

this is easily the most over looked game I can think of off the cuff. so happy to see you cover it of all youtubers this is awesome 🥰🥰🥰

[@redquoter]

Ah yes, The Insanity Shotgun - thank you, Matt and Pat.

[@himwhoisnottobenamed5427]

The Chaos Shotgun is best. Anything aligned with Mantorok is.

[@JollyRoger7114]

Now I want to play this and I want a remake of this game with the insanity encounters more modern

[@apimb1396]

This really bought me back to my tiny apartment in 2002 an playing all those Game Cube titles. What a year....ED was a great addition to gaming history

[@dagjish]

i was scared! You got me Max. Good one

[@Kyle-qn9ci]

Thanks for this video, I was blown away w/ this game when it came out. Excited to revisit it 💀

[@DisguisedAsHuman]

You kind of got me. This is still one of my favorite games and I wish it would get the love it deserves. I would be ecstatic if it ever got remastered.

[@TheWaffleFactory]

This game changed my life, im always coming back to it, it lurks in my mind... driving me MAD

[@kakolicht]

The reasons Eternal Darkness failed commercially were being so much ahead of its time and have been released on a Nintendo platform. How I crave for a rerelease/remaster/remake of this game😓.

[@jumpingman6612]

Indeed

[@mittenface]

Thank you so much for covering this masterpiece.

[@puffythedestroyer8878]

An easy to miss insanity effect I’m fond of, is in correlation the character Maximilian’s autopsies of the ancients’s minions. If you read them in the pause menu with a low sanity meter: you will be presented with a vocal description from max himself on the matter - progressively slipping further & further into manic & despaired fits of dread, anger & paranoia. & these vary depending on what god each enemy happens to be aligned with (each has 3 alternate descriptions). The only exceptions are the GateKeepers & the vampire, as Max was mercifully spared from meeting these creatures in his time. ~ curiosly however, Max’s voice in these readings is provided by the late William Hootkins; As opposed to Michael Bell, whom voiced the character in gameplay.

[@ryanheemann3819]

This was the first “adult game” I ever played. It was 2002 and I was 13. I had grown up on a steady diet of Nintendo games on N64 and Gameboy, and mostly played games for the love of exploring places, jumping around, and collecting things. What I liked the most about ED was how it created this parallel history, with the Ancients working behind the scenes to orchestrate historic events such as the Reformation and WW1. I loved the sanity effects too. It’s a shame the game is a GameCube only cult classic. It deserves a remaster 20 years later on PC and current consoles. Oh and I love the Roivas mansion too. It was both cozy and very creepy, but part of me wanted to live there, or at least visit, and keep exploring its secrets.

[@razorblaze4406]

This is easily my favorite horror game of all time. It really deserves a remake.