Exploring Sanitarium - Connecting The Dots & Story Explained - Tarks Gauntlet

Sanitarium is psychological horror, point and click adventure game that first released on PC in 1998. To this day many people still riddle over its various themes, ideas and abstract way of presenting its concepts and world continuity. In the end, this is one of Sanitariums greatest strengths.
Whether you played it before or just want an interesting story, sit back and relax as I walk you through my vision of Sanitarium.
00:00 - Disclaimer
00:32 - Preface
02:33 - Genet: The Innocent Abandoned
09:25 - First Intermission
10:09 - The Hive: The Faithful Betrayed
15:56 - Second Intermission
17:17 - The Lost Village: False Despair
19:22 - Final Intermission
20:54 - Max: The First Beginning
23:17 - Sarah: The Second Beginning
28:22 - Sanitarium: Connecting The Dots
33:48 - Rabbit Holes: For Your Consideration
38:35 - Closing Remarks
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[@TarksGauntlet]

This will be the only video I make for Halloween/Horror content this spooptober. It has been a bit more of event for me in the past but I am aware that this isn't what I built my "brand" on and a lot of people don't like the influx of horror content. In the end, it tends to under-mine my ambitions around here. That said, horror is my second favourite genre and Sanitarium is a killer game that I would love to share with people, so as a sort of compromise I'm cutting the videos down to just 1 this year but making it chonky for those who still want something horror-related to chew on. That all said, despite the length of the video there's always more to talk about with this game and I want to use this comment to highlight an area I left out. *SPOILERS* One thing for sure that didn't make the video I'd like to look into more (Just really needed another play through to make sure of this) is the games criticism of for-profit medical research. It seems one of Max's biggest issues with Dr. Morgan through-out the game was that Dr. Morgan was researching a treatment to a disease where Max was researching a cure. However, Max kept hitting walls, not the least of which was ongoing funding for his research, as his research vs. Dr. Morgans would not produce continual income. There definitely seems to be enough evidence of this in the flashbacks but I also feel the cyclopean children in the hive that were being "Kept alive" while also bleeding out "Into the machine" so-to-speak indicate the same. Something interesting about it I only thought to include the day before this video went public, however it is something I definitely would need to look deeper into before including it in any meaningful capacity. Still, it bares mentioning. It certainly adds another layer to this multi-layered experience.

[@TarksGauntlet]

PS. Yes I recorded a game from 1998 in 4k. For the lulz. (And to test my rigs editing ability with such footage)

[@OneShortEye]

Great video! Love the analysis. A few thoughts: 31:00 It took me way too long to realize "Gromna" is an anagram of "Morgan." 37:32 I feel the same about the Aztec chapter, in that it's the weakest one narratively. But I think the connections to the real world are there. Quetzalcoatl, as destroyer, is a stand-in for Morgan and / or DNAV. Also, it was Max's previous research / expedition to the Aztec ruins that led to his breakthrough with the DNAV cure. As he says in one of the cutscenes, "The Aztecs found a way to survive the 'Plague of Quetzalcoatl' without conventional modern medicine." The problem for many players, I think, is that this flashback cutscene occurs in the Hive chapter, so by the time they get to the Lost Village, they've forgotten about it. That, and Max's exact DNAV ephiphany is left unexplained. So, the connections could've been made a bit clearer. However, I've heard some people say they have NO idea what the Lost Village has to do with the rest of the game, which has always confused me. 39:36 Since you've released this video, ScummVM added support for Sanitarium, and the GOG release now bundles the game with ScummVM. The guy behind it has been great with squashing bugs, and it's very stable. And, if you download the most recent daily build, he even added speed options to make Max move faster. I don't know if that's made it to the mainline release of ScummVM yet, though.

[@stefanssmellsvictory105]

It's fantastic to see someone praising this game. I remember playing this game over 20 years ago, and the number of times I was either extremely close to tears, or had shivers down my spine. The game was criticised for it's voice overs (which I never found bad, as it added to the eerieness and, well, I think all American accents sound strange), but the story is just masterfully written. This should have been adapted to a feature length film.

[@guyincognito5663]

Yes, oh god yes. I actually cried like a bitch in the ghost house.

[@mediaglitch]

I did this game last year for Haloween. Its my favorite PC game of all time and let me just say you did a great job my friend. Loved it.

[@TarksGauntlet]

This was a game I always seen on store shelves growing up but could never afford, so I didn't play it first until about 10 years ago and it immediately shot to the tops of my lists. It has some flaws and performance issues that make it hard to openly recommend to people these days but I think for those who are into this sort of thing there's very little better out there!

[@Corroyeur]

One of my favorite narrative game of all time, happy to see it resurrected, and looking forward to your analysis!

[@Gilluria]

You really nailed it with the music in this video. I'd love to see you tackle more games in a similar way.

[@magnusm4]

Sanitarium's own soundtrack is really good so it's not surprise it fits so well even in a video about it.

[@Mike55690]

The transitioning edits were phenomenal and though this is different from your normal content it was genuinely enjoyable and really well done Tarks ! Amazing work !

[@TarksGauntlet]

Thanks Mike! Just a bit of a Halloween special I guess. Horror is my second favorite game genre and first favorite film genre so I'm just happy to take an opportunity to dive in for once and talk about it haha.

[@lds_drive]

I really wanted to play this as a kid and never got to.

[@TarksGauntlet]

My first time playing was probably about 10 years back, but same. Used to see it in stores all the time.

[@Mojoanimeo]

Dooood! This is why I love your videos. I have felt like I was the only one that played and loved this game. I remember picking it up in a discount bin at my local Ames (a now defunct store) in Vermont. I loved it, but have never heard it spoken of anywhere. I love these weird fringe games. Great video. Makes me want to replay it.

[@TarksGauntlet]

Man I would have loved to see it bargain priced one day. It eluded my as a kid. Always seen it on store shelves but could never get it. Didn't get to play it first until about 10 years ago.

[@Mojoanimeo]

@@TarksGauntlet I remember it having one of those huge 1.99 or .99 cent stickers on it too haha I've just always loved horror games. So I grabbed it because of the creepy bandage face man on it. So glad I did. Such a wonderfully weird, deep and creepy game. Your thoughts on it are so well put. Really brought me back.

[@Romanus_Matthaeus]

Man I was never thinking to tie Larry with his sister corpse to Max, good attention to detail and great review to this gem.

[@magnusm4]

"A god from the machine" Sounds like a song name from Black Sabbath Dehumanizer album. It's fun to see how Morgan develop from Max's amnesia. Starting as just a doctor Max wants to find for help on what's going on. Then he finds him and he simply tells Max about the generator and situation while doing a test. Third you go above to the upper floors, you can see the courtyard in the background bellow. Here you're knocked out and Morgan lies about trying to help Max get better by injecting him with a hallucination serum. Fourth is when he's become full villain and is surprised Max managed to get to him so fast and then taunts him before leaving. Final is when he's the black wall as an evil entity while also showing his real self in his hospital room. Transitioning gradually as Max's memories return from simply being a doctor to the evil bad guy who caused everything.

[@diobrando6177]

Huh, what you smoking

[@guyincognito5663]

This wonderful game deserves a video like this. This game changed my life.

[@DuoBeard]

The way Tarks can dissect a game and go into detail is a skill he improves on every video. Although I may never play sanitarium, I feel in hindsight, a video like this is key to understanding the complexity that is Tarks Gauntlet. A man of Overwhelming genius and certainty. Don’t stop now Tarks, this game has peaked my interest in storytelling and medium as an expression of media

[@TarksGauntlet]

Slow down there hot-shot. I'm not that smart haha. But thanks for the kind words regardless! Glad you enjoyed the video. I do really cherish this game and seemed a fun one to share with people this halloween season.

[@DuoBeard]

@@TarksGauntlet whoa whoa whoa, you know you deserve the credit on this one buddy. I’m sure the comment section would agree

[@strain42]

Something that always stood out to me with this game was its voice acting. Because on one hand...yeah, it's bad. But on the other hand, the bad voice acting has this fantastically unsettling charm and I truly think it wouldn't have been as effective if it'd been better. Max especially had a great voice for the creepy nature of this title. I know this generally isn't the type of content you cover, but dude am I glad you did, because this was awesome!

[@TarksGauntlet]

Glad you enjoyed it dude! I also think the voice acting heightens the experience. The world's are so uncanny it's cool that the acting reflects that. Also Max has some killer lines that just wouldn't be as fun if delivered more straight. Sometimes he's kind of an asshole but the strange delivery helps soften my reaction to him.

[@followerracc67]

I didnt remember how the game ended but I remembered it was one of my favourites. I recommended it to my friend and I’m hyped to know what he thinks about it

[@bubblewhip382]

Great video. You deserve more views, but keep up the great work.

[@deema7345]

there is something with that game...its so bautifully nostalgic

[@gilgamesh310]

I played this game a few years ago, but never finished it. I got to the hive area before incurring a bug that made me end up losing a lot of progress. You have a good analysis of the story. I didn’t really understand it based on what I played. But I never got to the end. The game Strangeland, which I played recently, bears similarities to this, only it’s even more nebulous as to what’s going on.

[@TarksGauntlet]

Sounds like a game I need to add to my watch list. I'm all aboard for this kind of stuff!

[@gilgamesh310]

@@TarksGauntlet Yeah, you should definitely like it.

[@xumo4732]

This game is an extremely underrated gem. I've mentioned this in another video analysis of Sanitarium, but I'd love and hope this game gets a remake in the future. Even if the chances are VERY LOW, there's still a tiny bit of hope. I can imagine Sanitarium, a point and click adventure horror game with an interesting plot, blowing up on the internet much like Fran Bow or Sally Face if it ever does get a remake.

[@raku8391]

9:12 "Weeeeeeehh!!!"

[@mlg8849]

How the fuck does this only have 7k views

[@TarksGauntlet]

I'm a loser and nobody likes me I think. Not sure. Them some good noods in your avatar though.

[@pyramidhead156]

I don't understand how you are literally at the top 1% of game reviewers, yet you don't have an enormous amount of views. It is literally a sin.

[@Theo.M1989]

Genet? Like Genet-ics?

[@dcrossman]

I loved this game way back in the day. I need to check it out again?

[@Mockthenerd]

Would make a good TV show.

[@paradigm2841]

I get Silent Hill vibes from the themes and spooky disconnection

[@R4nD0m57]

Enjoy the change in combat, games that give me the same vibe that i would love to seee your impression on ; Pathologic 2, Vampire the masquraude: Bloodlines

[@helenFX]

Wonderful video ! Have you ever played Planescape Torment?

[@jankokressinger4952]

Great game

[@Pupppeteer]

Damn that opening... Speak about warnings! But I appreciate the heads up.

[@TarksGauntlet]

And that warning is 100% serious too. Game doesn't hold back haha.

[@gustavoschnurr1907]

I still don't understand how he discovered the cure by looking at the picture of his trip.

[@SHDW-nf2ki]

Max wouldn't have crashed if he listened to eurobeat

[@Prince-pw4pm]

The aztec portion kind of confuses me the most. I kind if wonder why its olmec a warrior god. As far as I understand it, Olmec isn't really a specific god. The omlec are the first civilization in mesoamerica, and they're like way way older than the Aztecs. Aztecs were also polytheistic so whenever they conquered a place they'd just allow them to worship the same stuff. The aztec empire did become big enough to conquer where the olmec were geographically but it wasn't really the same civilization. So I kind of wonder if that means anything in terms of why you play him

[@TarksGauntlet]

I'd say "Your guess is as good as mine" but I know shit-all about mesoamerica so you're guess is likely significantly better than mine. I have a feeling the devs maybe weren't expecting your avatar there to be read into too deeply. My best guess was an intentional and literal deus ex machina and I mostly threw that in as a joke.

[@Prince-pw4pm]

@@TarksGauntlet yeah, the idea crossed my mind that he just wasn't knowledgeable at an expert level and this is just what he knows or his idea of it. Which is fine, just threw me for a loop since I'm fond of mesoamerican mythology and I was looking for the symbolism in terms of what gods they used and what they would represent. I can see why you didn't go too much in depth on this one since it's kind difficult to interpret.

[@olimphus26]

never heard about this game holy shit

[@Diablo_Himself]

I don't think you need that warning at the beginning....? I just played through this, it was quite good to play again. That bluddy Max walks TOO SLOW!! Other than that, its a good game. I find that all the levels kinda point to who Max is, and what he is trying to do, despite people trying to stop him.

[@TarksGauntlet]

It's not a matter of whether "I" need the warning or not. It's a matter of whether a viewer will benefit from it or not. While you might not, others will. And let's face it, we all need a warning about the voice acting.

[@Diablo_Himself]

Yeah. Max varies from "bored as fuck" to "unnaturaly animated". It was the creepy voice in the menu that got me into the game.

[@Hugo_Tate]

"and voice acting" lol

[@user-zt3dv5cl4b]

nah man, now 'cat-lady', thát's a depressing game.

[@Hugo_Tate]

olmec from legends of the hidden temple lol

[@Renebunny24]

Trigger warning- **voice acting**

[@SHDW-nf2ki]

I still think everything after the second dream was stupid and should have been cut.