Firewatch Is A Horror Game

[@MalpasDan]

I don't know what to say. When I uploaded this video I was on 745 subscribers and honest to god, my hopes/estimate for this particular video was that it'd hit maybe 100 views by the end of the month. A lot of you seem to have been brought here by the algorithm, so I imagine the KZbin gods selected me for some loving this week as a birthday gift. All I can say is thank you so much. I keep looking at the amount of comments and it doesn't quite seem real. As mentioned in the video, this channel has existed for a long time, but it's never had a community or many viewers. I hope I can do you all proud and I plan to continue to deliver this standard of content to you for the foreseeable future. I've already got my next 2-3 big 'project/essay' videos planned and I can't wait to share them with you. I hope you all have the best weekends and that a dog comes out of nowhere and befriends you. Edit: this is getting hard to comprehend! Thank you once again. I've given some more thought to my next few uploads and shifted them around a bit, the next TLOU video will line up with Outbreak Day in September, which means the next big video from me will be focusing on The Beginners Guide. I'm very excited to talk about another remarkable game! I've tried to respond to every comment on here, I'm very sorry if I've missed yours! This is way more attention than the channel has ever received so I'm doing my best to keep on top of it :) For those of you who are new and think that this is a one-off, I promise more videos in this style are coming, in addition to my existing series :)

[@HowdyBepple]

Happy birthday!!! Also bravo on your journeys in weight loss and youtube career. Here's wishing you another great trip around the sun--cheers!

[@george_2252]

happy birthday man! please keep making absolute bangers like this, can’t wait for what you have coming down the pipeline 👍

[@agustinalucia9762]

Happy birthday :)

[@MalpasDan]

Thank you all! You're all so kind and it's been a true joy to keep chatting in the comments these past few days. I'm still in disbelief over the reception to this video. I'm not going anywhere, can't wait to share more videos with you!

[@warp033]

It's well made content. Your script, reading and overall video pacing is quite well done. This reminds me a little of PeopleMakeGames.

[@themysterfox8695]

i gotta sayL the first time i played firewatch, i was FULLY paranoid that there was gonna be an ax murderer somewhere for most of the game

[@MalpasDan]

@@themysterfox8695 same! After seeing the figure by the caves on day 1 I had to stop and Google if this was a survival horror or something lol

[@danteward-hunt6038]

i TRULY almost shat when I got the flashlight scare and i was so paranoid by the time u find the kid i would have passed out if someone knocked on my door

[@johnlee7164]

"I've played enough indie horror games about a guy in camping gear to know where this is going."

[@Deadrum]

@@johnlee7164were my thoughts exactly lol

[@skaterdudeprodutions]

I will say I wish it went with the horror more. The ending was just absolutely underwhelming IMO. It's disappointing because I really loved the first half.

[@CheesyRacc]

when i saw the thumbnail i was like "oh absolutely dude thats not a secret." stunned to find that thats not the general consensus.

[@MalpasDan]

@@CheesyRacc Lol! For sure many people definitely consider it a horror game, at least in a light sense of the term. It's not marketed as one but it's definitely not without horror...

[@Bubbles-dd8pn]

I was thinking the same thing, my first playthrough I was on the edge of my seat the whole time 😂

[@Passionial]

Same?! Like i began playing alone for an 30 minutes and i was like '' no i can't '' in full panic?!? In the end i did finished it thank to my bff playing with me but damn I was panicking the whole time

[@ratratratratratratrattt]

The thumbnail made me go, yes and the sky is blue 😅

[@Dr_Crayon]

Same it's a beautiful game but I feel like I'm being watched the entire time

[@mabeylane7163]

"I hate tomatoes," I said to myself. Peering out the bus window, I realized we were approaching the tomato factory...

[@MalpasDan]

I hugged my sister at the airport ready to say goodbye nine eleven :(

[@SuperDestroyerFox]

@@MalpasDan”I hate the forest I just want to burn it down” ... “Good thing I can take some matches from my creature that lays them in the basement”

[@realdaggerman105]

@@SuperDestroyerFox “I was home alone for the weekend, and had to take a dump. The toilet seat was warm.”

[@toastieprotogen6005]

"This is where they make them..."

[@mariamatedei]

​@@toastieprotogen6005 make what 😦

[@niro3208]

Same vibes as Subnautica. "You survived a catastrophic crash, you are all alone but there is a knock on the capsule"

[@MalpasDan]

That's a horror scenario through-and-through, I wasn't aware of subnautica being horror at first, that was an experience :D

[@aceofhearts4048]

I’m so glad someone brought up SubNautica as well! I kept thinking about it in comparison to Firewatch throughout this video.

[@Awesomeness-iz3dh]

Subnautica is way more of a horror game than Firewatch, though, like honestly I'd say the horror is a lot of the appeal and what it's known for. Genuinely the only game I've played that I've been as of yet unable to finish just because of how terrifying it is.

[@haikall5479]

Speaking of subnautica, i wish you can find optional lore in the game if you go to the place filled with leviathan like the dune for example, imagine theres an optional hidden alien base that have nothing but cool lore tidbits

[@kizunadragon9]

The ending of Firewatch is the culmination of everything the game was trying to tell you, that sometimes even if we don't want it to, a good thing just, ends.

[@MalpasDan]

Love that description, really true! Not everything is a fairytale unfortunately, but we always gotta face it.

[@terminaltrash6284]

I couldnt help but feel disappointed at the ending though. It felt like an after thought

[@crazynachos4230]

@@terminaltrash6284 Perfectly fitting isnt it? So many things in life are just an afterthought or an anticlimax

[@LizzyGiggles]

What a brilliantly well put together video. You did well to create tension in this vid, I could barely look at my screen most of the time lol

[@dinoplays1019]

Not even joking I actual did a whole presentation on this game for school, it was about reality of how we might not expect what will happen, and sometimes it’s disappointing, this game made me actually made me grow up as a person and I’m glad it did

[@lmsb1997]

"The monsters didn't break down the door ... They were in the room before you were" is so chilling to hear

[@Glubey]

"the monsters didn't break down the door, they were in the room before you." is such a chilling line oh mygod

[@MrDumbRodent]

I don't know how to articulate how much I appreciate the gag of the figure in the bushes throughout the video showing up in frame eating potato chips.

[@povertymidas]

it's kind of amazing

[@connyaaaa5555]

After it was revealed someone was listening to them, I got so insanely paranoid in the game, and when I find the facility, I was frantically looking around making sure no one could jump me or no one was looking at me I was SCARED. And in the caves too, terrified. It’s absolutely a horror game

[@twocheeky]

holy fuck the exact same experience. I was SO scared there was going to be someone out to get me. Especially since you get knocked out by an unseen entity sorta early in the game

[@childishgrimm9610]

"Is it a short wholesome tale like Papers, Please?" Did.....did we play the same game?

[@MalpasDan]

Totally wholesome game idk what you mean 👀

[@hobobobette]

Literally I was like HUH

[@tabithamotta8753]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who did a double take.

[@thomasraiff3007]

I’ll never forget my first time playing that game I got arrested on Day 3 for making too much money (I’m really good at my job)

[@lazydroidproductions1087]

@@thomasraiff3007 sounds like capitalism and/or corruption to me, straight to jail

[@bunnydasnowman]

-Little warning here for talking about child death- Something that has always stuck with me about this game, no matter how hard I want to forget it sometimes, is when you find Brian Goodwin’s body. The dread you begin to feel as you find his things, toys, drawings, and equipment. You really do get a flash of hope when you find his camp, maybe he’s still out there and you can save him. But when you do find him, the air is still, the sun lighting a small patch of the cave, and there, rotten and shriveled, is a small body. For younger me it was so haunting, to see him nestled in those rocks, jump rope stuck not far. The way he lies there all twisted always made my skin crawl, and even when I finished the game the image of his body always sent shivers down my spine. The game really knows how to set such a gut punch of a detail.

[@MalpasDan]

So true, the placement of his hideaway is so well done. As a player, Brian probably isn't the focus of your thoughts at that point, but the hideaway reminds you he was here, and of his own innocence, and how he didn't really want to be there but was going home soon, just to deliver that ugly, painful gut-punch of his death.

[@basicmudkip5985]

I think I watched markiplier play the game, I just really started to feel bad for the old man in the woods living like that

[@twocheeky]

i unfortunately found his body before the hideaway so finding him wasn’t as devastating (although it still was heartbreaking)

[@Natali_Talis.Library]

You can pry Firewatch from my cold dead hands! The replayability is extremely high in my opinion. it introduced me to the idea of quiet horror games, and lit my passion for 'walking simulator' horror games. The atmosphere, the soundtrack, the visuals, it is so incrediably beautiful, haunting, and foreboding. Thank you KZbin for popping this gem of a video essay into my Home feed.

[@MalpasDan]

Totally agree! Walking simulator horror games often have so much to offer. When your focus is on the atmosphere and your emotions rather than surviving a monster attack, it allows for the psychological side of things to really dig deep! Thank you so much for watching and commenting, I'm really glad you enjoyed!

[@Tester-sh1mn]

Gone Home freaked the hell out of me the first time, thought for sure the family where all dead in a locked room or something. Both relieved and disappointment it wasn't the case.

[@Natali_Talis.Library]

@@Tester-sh1mn Yes! I remember being on edge the entire playthrough, it was such a good experience. I would recommend Everybodys gone to the rapture if you haven't played it. It captures the beauty/eerie nature of a quaint English village so well.

[@Deadgirl97]

"Never use garlic" Damn starting out terrifying us with your cooking style

[@MalpasDan]

Gotta keep that horror vibe 😄 I swear I use too much garlic in all cooking, that man on camera is a liar and a fraud

[@zerophantomyt433]

​@@MalpasDanno such thing as too much garlic. With how my family cooks a vampire would die simply by sitting down at the table with us

[@ula437]

The side eye i gave the video the moment he said that 🤣

[@rindrr]

Every time Henry and Delilah hear Ned cough it sends shivers down my whole body. It's such a moment where they both realize they aren't alone in their communication where they once felt free to say whatever.

[@momsaccount4033]

“I have never shit myself in my entire life.” … and then I saw the “shit yourself man”

[@matthird3961]

“I hate tomatoes,” I said to myself Peering out the bus window, I saw that we were approaching the tomato factory…

[@Ardorstorm]

"Shit yourself." Said the shit yourself man

[@davidgrant1298]

"ive always hated seeing things outside my window at night. however, it got worse once I started my job on the ISS"

[@jneilson7568]

😳👏👏👏🙂

[@ctdaniels7049]

[Shrek voice] Donkey, that's the Moon.

[@davidgrant1298]

@@ctdaniels7049 LMAO, thats fucking funny.

[@wyvernah]

Holy shit, that part of "Your wife shouldn't be digging that hole." Gave me genuine goosebumps i haven't had in years. Just the utter hopelessnes and panic. Briliant

[@jpyanity443]

Firewatch came out right when 14 year old me was first getting into watching let’s plays. I remember watching Jackcepticeyes play through of it and the scene where you find Brian’s body was so scary to me that I couldn’t watch. My brain created a false memory of it being some body horror of mutilation with a horribly misshapen skull. A few years ago I finally got around to playing it myself and I was surprised by how take that scene actually is from a visual standpoint

[@MalpasDan]

That's really interesting! It's so crazy how the mind can do that with memories

[@jpyanity443]

@@MalpasDan it is. I think it says a lot about the atmosphere of the game too. When you’re expecting something to be scary, you’re more likely think it is. And Firewatch does a really good job at making you expect something scary to happen.

[@MalpasDan]

@@jpyanity443 so true, that dread stays with the player for most of the game and in my opinion is a much more effective use of horror than a monster and a jump scare.

[@catothatidiot5243]

I had the exact same experience

[@pariahmutt3589]

“The monsters didn’t break down the door, they were in the room before you were” is so raw, I love it. I never considered Firewatch a horror game. Amazing video!

[@ResaleSoda]

The ending of firewatch as I sat there just staring at my monitor I felt like I finally understood life.

[@moopi0]

'Go look up your favorite horror movie and tell me it's more than 7/10, I'll wait' John Carpenter's The Thing is 8.2/10 and honestly that feels a bit low

[@SuicideForSteelyDan5]

TELL me about it, Hereditary is a 7.3

[@RaggedAssRobin]

Whoever thinks that C.H.U.D. isn't a masterwork, well, there's something not quite right with you. I'm not sorry.

[@daegannlongstrider1293]

Agreed. Same for the Shining.

[@Sgt_Kane]

The thing is the most terrifying movie I've ever seen, as a concept and in execution.

[@DallyASMR]

Thank you KZbin algorithm for showing me this guy. Firewatch was an amazing art piece, I never actually figured out that I was meant to be disappointed. You learn something new everyday. And thank you for making this, I love KZbin analysis videos and I never saw one about Firewatch. And I definitely thought this game was a cousin of the horror family.

[@MalpasDan]

@@DallyASMR Thank you, KZbin algorithm for showing DailyASMR this video! 'cousin of the horror family' is a great way to think about it! Thank you so much for watching and I'm glad you got something out of it :)

[@witchfixpodcast2997]

I remember watching a lets play of this when it first came out and being 1. terrified and 2. on the edge of my seat waiting for the next scary, mysterious thing. Horror game devs should study this - it's more scary than all the mannequins and asylums they throw at us.

[@MalpasDan]

Exactly! Even if it's not necessarily labelled a horror game it definitely does horror so well and devs can really learn something from it's subtlety and focus on atmosphere rather than cliche.

[@peachkitt]

the last part of this video made me tear up. my grandma, the woman who raised me, passed from breast cancer a few months ago and i really resonated with all of what you said. really glad i found your channel not only for the great analysis but the sort of catharsis this vid brought as well :)

[@MalpasDan]

I'm really sorry to hear that and I hope you're healing! Her love won't go anywhere :) thank you so much for watching and I appreciate your kind words!

[@yankido]

Firewatch my beloved desolate hopeless story... When I was about hm, 15? I watched the entire gameplay and the ending and plots and twists, it made me cry despite not experiencing a lot of the "adult" story. But I understood everything. I love this game, and I love how you have put my intangible love for this game into words and visual presentations. Thank you, for helping new people understand the full scale of how gorgeous, heart wrenching and heart breaking game.

[@MalpasDan]

@@yankido I'm really glad to hear that! Firewatch is tragically misunderstood in some ways and it's such a great game to discuss and examine. Thank you for watching!

[@HarnCraftForever]

I listen to video essays while I work for white noise, and I lost count of how many times I paused this since I actually wanted to listen. You have an extremely engaging voice (both in your writing and vocally); truly one of the best I’ve heard on here. Subscribed! Can’t wait to see you grow

[@MalpasDan]

@@HarnCraftForever Ah thank you so much it means a great deal to hear this! I'm really glad you enjoyed :)

[@WamboWomboWompo]

This is an incredible video man. I just recently played firewatch maybe a month ago and this was the general impression it left on me. The occasional moments of subtle horror made it such a memorable experience to me. When delilah sends you to go and get the new radio and you can literally hear Ned's footsteps behind you just chilled me to my core. And the "unsatisfying" ending just felt so real and raw, no happy ending, no dramatic scene where Henry embraces Delilah and they bond over the shared trauma of the summer. It just ends as anticlimactically as it began. This game was an absolute masterpiece and so was this video 🙏

[@MalpasDan]

Thank you so much! And very well said, this game uses Horror so effectively

[@glenjordan23]

Really enjoyed this analysis! I love the firewatch world. There’s just something about the dialogue between Henry and Delilah that feels so real to me. I know some people were disappointed with the ending but I think it’s perfect. It expertly captures themes of loneliness and loss and attempted escapism, but then ultimately reminds us that we cannot simply run away from our problems, inevitably the time will come to deal with them. Definitely gonna have to replay this soon!

[@cyborshade2582]

Me too! Very happy this video popped into my feed today, a great in depth video essay, really makes me wanna revisit this game now!

[@MalpasDan]

Thank you so much! Very well said regarding the ending :)

[@scoe3000]

Thanks for updating us near the end that your mom beat cancer. I didn’t see that oh so familiar darkness within you that accompanies the loss of your mother/father/loved one, but glad you talked about such a personal subject and knowing there actually is a happy ending there, brings joy to those of us in the “Dead Mom’s Club”. It’s horror in its purest form. Subscribed.

[@MalpasDan]

I'm sorry for your loss! I hope things are well with you now, or at least on the way up. Really kind of you to watch and comment, thank you so much!

[@EmilyHutchison-z3e]

"yes it is," i said immediately upon seeing that title

[@MalpasDan]

@@EmilyHutchison-z3e you're one of the good ones! 😄

[@dragonmage7980]

Really interesting analysis. Game fell totally flat for me inside the first 5 minutes after it refused to let “me” do what I would’ve done in the starting situation (ie. stay with my sick wife), and I struggled to have enough sympathy with either Henry or Delilah throughout the rest of the game to really care what happened to them. I’ve dealt with way too many people in life who hide from reality and thereby just make things worse for everyone around them, and am very much a “face your problems head on” kinda person as a result, so figured it just wasn’t for me, but your analysis has helped me appreciate the game more for what it is and was ultimately trying to get across.

[@MalpasDan]

I'm glad you went in with an open mind! It's absolutely a pretty divisive game, people can either feel that it's somewhat shallow and disappointing, or they can find meaning and message in the themes of the game. Thank you for watching and I'm glad you got something out of it!

[@justinkramer9758]

Just over 8 years later, and this game still is in my head. Great video, man!

[@MalpasDan]

@@justinkramer9758 You and me both! Thank you for watching :)

[@peachypurrfect2955]

the part of the video that mentioned avoidance and escapism really resonated with me, so much so that i turned away from it was doing (ironically escaping through playing video games and listening to video essays) and sat looking at my screen like we were having a personal conversation 1 on 1. i think what you said will really stay with me for a while, because i’ve never felt so seen in how i cope with change and new things coming around. im honestly really thankful for the fact that this video had appeared on my homepage, because it had not only discussed one of my favorite games and described how i felt playing it so well, but also made me feel encouraged and emboldened to stop looking at my feet all the time and face the music. thank you once again for making this, this has truly been a great watch! wishing your parents good health and great success to any of your future endeavors! 💖

[@MalpasDan]

This was so great to read, I'm really glad you got something out of this video! Thank you so much for watching and sharing this comment

[@theeditor1212]

just finished the game and obviously i had to look it up on youtube immediately, and one thought i had throughout the whole game was "i am scared". this game is scary. terrifying in a way that makes you realize how lonely you are.

[@coffinboy556]

34:55 shoutout to the guy in the pink for falling in the background for all of us

[@lpvrooom6714]

bro is diabolical for having people behind him at different points.

[@kalopsiaeyes9676]

This is the first video I've watched of yours, but my gosh, you're so funny and have such a presence I don't see very often anymore. Keep up the good work, and if my partner and I ever do KZbin, I hope we match your skill :)

[@MalpasDan]

@@kalopsiaeyes9676 awe this is one of the nicest comments ever thank you so much! I really appreciate that and if you do start KZbin I wish you the best of luck!

[@kadenjay6207]

I think I really needed to hear these things. I've been running from monsters my whole life and I ignore them with games and KZbin and weed

[@MalpasDan]

Everyone runs away sometimes, good on you for catching yourself though! I know you'll find the strength to face them monsters.

[@tianajade1579]

firewatch definitely gave me horror vibes on my first play through but the atmosphere and the gameplay one of the best i’ve played in a long time, the art and the storytelling pulled me in and definitely made me feel like i was in Henry’s shoes. i think the starting sequence definitely helps with that because of the choices the give you and how it shapes the players view of Henry as a person and as a partner to his wife

[@MalpasDan]

Very true, they do such a great job of setting up the atmosphere and playing with your feelings!

[@attackdawg1798]

Commenting strictly for the engagement this video quality deserves sooooo much more attention beautifully written and it perfectly captures everything I felt playing this game

[@MalpasDan]

Thank you so much I really appreciate that!

[@heehoopeanut420]

lemme help you out there because this is so good and needs recognition!

[@attackdawg1798]

@@MalpasDan I can’t wait to watch your channel grow don’t forget us when you hit that milly

[@MalpasDan]

@@attackdawg1798 Ahh thank you thank you, we'll get there and not one of you will be forgotten :)

[@chibiterasu369]

I don't know if you read all the comments, but I thought it was sweet you played this with your dad. I lost my dad this week and I'd give anything to play another game with him again. Cherish the time you have with him. 💘 You explaining the grief you felt over your mom also provided some comfort, you know? That I wasn't the only one that felt lost in the middle of a sea but also detached from it all. I actually teared up near the end.

[@MalpasDan]

Thank you so much for sharing and I'm sorry for your loss, I hope there's comfort in the memories you shared

[@OsQuinneOsGwynneOsRobynne]

I haven't really thought about Firewatch since about 2017. But god, every new sentence you hit me with thoughts I remember thinking but not knowing how to verbalize. Incredible video.

[@MalpasDan]

Thank you so much I'm glad you enjoyed!

[@FillsFantasyFactory1]

Why nobody mentioned the skit when he pick up the walkie talkie at 2:46 that literally shook me

[@ellipszilonq]

So happy the algorithm chose you dude, loving the way you shot this outside too.

[@MalpasDan]

Thank you very much!

[@MrStatistx]

There have been some very horror-y.. type scenes, especially since they come from real possible situations, unlike ghosts and monsters. The time someone looks at you leaving the cave, or when you come back and it seems someone is in the tower

[@nothanksillwaitforthenextcar]

this was unexpectedly deep and beautifully worded and i didn't know i needed to watch this vid but thank you for making it

[@MalpasDan]

Thank you so much for watching! Really glad you got something out of it :)

[@vortmax1981]

I saw it as a horror game from my first play. It's so good at building suspense and paranoia! And I didn't think the end was disappointing, but fitting. "Oh, it was THIS the whole time? Not AT ALL what I thought?" It was an incredible reveal.

[@noellehardin6697]

I got Firewatch less than a year ago, and it’s become one of my favorite games. When I started it I was mainly looking for walking simulators and this game came up. That first play through was such a uniquely beautiful experience. The opening sequence is simple and bittersweet. You feel for the main character, but he’s very flawed. He’s so human that we can’t help but to feel for him. He’s totally alone in this new environment and it’s not long before the player feels that too. The paranoia that seeps into the player is so well crafted. You’re afraid of looking over your shoulder because no one is supposed to be there; yet the game leads you to believe someone is watching you constantly. Even the ending is tragic but really reflects the idea that the simplest explanation is most often the correct one, no matter how depressing or painfully mundane.

[@MalpasDan]

@@noellehardin6697 Really well said! It's very human in that regard

[@themeatballtv1390]

The way you articulated your point and kept watchers engaged even more deeply than the game itself is the reason why your channel shot up so high. Keep doing what you're doing man. This level of dedication is phenomenal; yes im also taking into account you shot the whole video in woods lol

[@MalpasDan]

Really appreciate this thank you so much :)

[@quindigo5058]

This channel needs more subscribers your editing style and humour is some of the best I've seen from video essays like this

[@MalpasDan]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate that :) and your wish is KZbin's command as the channel has nearly doubled in size in the last 24 hours, just mind-blowing! I'm really glad you enjoyed :)

[@HugeStormay]

wow, what a gem of a video. A real clanger of a title too, had the exact reaction you telegraphed, glad youtubes algorithm worked for once.

[@MalpasDan]

The algorithm has really blessed this one! my *hope* was for it to get around 100 views by the end of the month, safe to say that target was met! Thank you so much for the kind words and I appreciate you watching!

[@HugeStormay]

@@MalpasDanthought i’d come back to have a look at how this video did, congrats man ❤

[@maciek9272]

I'll never forget the feeling and the shiver that went through my back the moment I realized that during the entire Firewatch playthrough Henry... so me as well have been watched.

[@ashbuehler7995]

this was an incredible video. i don't often watch videos from smaller channels, but your analysis, insight, and vulnerability easily shot this up to my favorite video in recent memory. i literally quit working on an art piece i was almost finished with to give your words my full attention. keep doing what you do, you're goddamn good at it.

[@MalpasDan]

That's really kind of you thank you so much! I hope the art piece you were working on went well :) Plenty more where this came from!

[@ApparentlyQuacky]

You are incredibly talented at capturing the viewer as you talk and express your own thoughts and feelings. Please keep making more videos. You deserve to be able to make a career out of this

[@MalpasDan]

Thank you so much! Definitely gonna keep making videos, career or not :)

[@Radiosparkie]

Writing pure brill man the guy standing behind you rite before taking about the feeling of being watched and the last ma on earth thing was amazing

[@MalpasDan]

Thank you mate I'm glad you enjoyed!

[@joshelton1382]

My family has been going through a lot these last 2 ish years, with the last couple months being the worst. My Uncle was diagnosed with cancer, my grandmother had a multitude of health problems, my cousins boyfriend was arrested and their 3 kids have been left without a dad, and to top it off, my dog passed away 3 days after Christmas. I felt like everything was piling up and crushing me. My grades declined to an extreme, to the point where I probably lost a scholarship or two. The only thing that I could find any joy in was video games. I'd play them for hours just to escape, to feel anything. I'm in a better place now, and hearing your experience with your mom has helped too. I'm not alone, neither are you. Its okay to feel overwhelmed, and I know that now. Thank you for sharing your experience. And I hope that everything works out.

[@MalpasDan]

@@joshelton1382 I'm so sorry to hear what you've been through and I'm very proud you got through it! Thank you so much for watching and writing your comment :)

[@Ryliejaphet123]

you’re awesome man keep it up, i love the scenery and sensory sounds of you walking through the forest while presenting. 10/10

[@MalpasDan]

Thank you so much! I'm glad to hear you enjoyed this one :)

[@kipi8497]

i have zero insight to provide so i'll just leave a comment for the evil algorithm gods. i'm surprised your channel is small, your style of presentation is so natural and engaging and i really enjoy watching you pace the edge of a field like a lost pony. excited for more.

[@MalpasDan]

Lmao 'like a lost pony' 😄 thank you very much for watching! The algorithm gods showed kindness this week!

[@the_red_jinx]

Going through something extremely rough and this video came out of nowhere and helped in a way that nothing else has. Thank you

[@MalpasDan]

Oh this comment really hit hard, I'm so glad you got something worthwhile out of the video! You've absolutely got this.

[@the_red_jinx]

@@MalpasDan you too!

[@madib3356]

i love when youtube recommends me some random channel’s 1 hour video essay on a game i love, it’s always such a treat and my dad was diagnosed with cancer my senior year of high school and going to college was how i ran away from having to deal with it. it sucks so bad and im so happy to hear your mom beat it 💪

[@MalpasDan]

Thank you so much for watching and sharing, I really appreciate that :) hope things are getting better!

[@marblesun9669]

the thumbnail grapped me in, the intro breaking a forth wall made me wonder and your way of speech made me stay for the whole thing! I loved this game and this video was awesome!!

[@koburi]

grateful for the algo showing me your channel, a little less grateful because I was trying to find a video to help me fall back to sleep and this topic is so interesting that now I’m too invested to rest. great work! looking forward to your future videos! go at your own pace and thank you for this.

[@MalpasDan]

Lol this made me laugh! Apologies for interrupting your sleep but thank you so much for watching! I'm really glad you enjoyed :)

[@Mystic_Apollo]

Damn, man's production value has shot through the roof!!!

[@MalpasDan]

@@Mystic_Apollo we aim to please at megadan labs 👉😎👉

[@Mystic_Apollo]

@@MalpasDan can certainly tell... how much did all those forest sets cost you then? 👀 bet the cardboard tress cost a lot in big tescos

[@MalpasDan]

@@Mystic_Apollo I'm an experienced shoplifter... So £500 and 6 months inside

[@Mystic_Apollo]

@@MalpasDan worth it

[@subtlegong2817]

An inclusive mind ruins simple and brief stories. “The last man on Earth sits alone in a room. He hears a knock on the door. His daughter asks him if he’s okay in there”.

[@TailsFan]

Well, that could make you question if he genuinely believes he's the last man, if he has some kind of mental state that makes him think that way, or maybe...whatever is knocking on the door just SOUNDS like his daughter, trying to coax him out where he would become prey.

[@fleetwheelmac6978]

The daughter is no "man", though. See no logical issue here.

[@QuikVidGuy]

That extra sentence is remarkably comforting

[@HeyRay]

Dude this is phenomenal. This game has lived rent free in my mind for years and you articulate my feelings on this game so perfectly. Not only that, but your writing is superb, and you connect points to real life that really resonate with this story. Thank you for this video my dude.

[@MalpasDan]

Thank you so much! I'm really glad you enjoyed :)

[@allinatonce]

46:22 I loved this video! I’ve also always wanted to work on a game as meaningful as Firewatch, moreso in the writing realm, and I loved listening to how much you felt for this story. Beautiful vid, and congrats to your mom for beating cancer!

[@MalpasDan]

@@allinatonce thank you so much! It'd be a dream to write for a project like Firewatch :) best of luck in your journey to get there!

[@calvininthanon1546]

Another scene that pulls something off like the clip at 28:27 is a horror short called "Other Side of the Box" when the big twist is revealed great execution

[@MalpasDan]

Ooooh I'll have to give that a watch!

[@calvininthanon1546]

@MalpasDan you definitely should! Let me lmow what you think when you do

[@Jovian12]

Honestly, I loved Firewatch's ending. I loved how there was this building atmosphere of paranoia and conspiracy, only for the explanation to end up surprisingly mundane (and sad). I remember one part where you're running and an elk bugles in the distance, and if you've never heard an elk before, it's loud and frightening, and if you didn't even know it was an elk, you might even consider it something unreal...but it's still a very mundane thing making a very mundane noise, in the end. There's also that raccoon jumpscare too. The devs cultivated the theme very purposefully, imo--sometimes you just get caught up in your own perception and become blinded to reality.

[@KuruSeed]

my thought process was more "i can see why someone could say that" and then i clicked

[@notbeb995]

Actually went to check the iMDB score of my favourite horror movie, and I am proud to say Train to Busan has a beautiful 7.4

[@lefish5277]

You’re like a calm Nakey Jakey but for lore, your own flavor I LOVE IT

[@MalpasDan]

This is a massive compliment I love Jakeys stuff lol thank you!

[@lefish5277]

Omg I’ve never had a KZbinr respond to my comment thank you 😭😭😭 I feel so seen

[@MalpasDan]

@@lefish5277 more than welcome! Thank you very much for watching and leaving such nice comments! :)

[@SirAyme]

Years ago the ending of Firewatch pissed me off so much that I made a video on it, and I kind of went through the exact same realisations while writing for that video. Kinda feels like looking back at myself. But far more handsome and better at making videos.

[@MalpasDan]

I know I'm not seeing that face think it isn't handsome! Thank you so much my guy I'm glad you enjoyed! I'll have to give that video a watch!

[@SirAyme]

I doubt that it's aged very well to be honest. I mostly mentioned it because I feel like Firewatch might be one of the only games that sets out to make you think about certain things and actually manages to achieve that to the extent that people are still making videos on it this many years later. It's amazing at what it sets out to do.

[@MalpasDan]

@@SirAyme It really is a remarkable game in the purest sense of the word! So crazy to see how much interest there still is after all these years.

[@laughysapphy6175]

The fear of the unknown. The question of “What comes next?” We don’t know, truly. We will never know exactly what is next. We can have an idea based on evidential planning, but there are variables we do not have, that could change things. We are trapped in the present with the evidential basis of the past, looking on to an unknown future, uncertainty, but still hopeful of what is to come. It’s horror in it’s human mindset.

[@Stargatealldaway1872]

Fire watch is definitely one of those games that sat and haunted me long after I finished it. All the questions and the feeling of no knowing what was going on is like a core memory to me, what a fantastic game. It was also one of the first horror like games that I've played that truly felt haunting, and I don't think I've found one that's had that same feeling since.

[@stellesappho]

one of my absolute favourite games!! really happy people still make essays (especially as amazing as yours!!) about it ❤

[@MalpasDan]

@@stellesappho thank you so much! It's great to see interest in the game still going strong :)

[@marln2157]

You really got to the heart of why this game is so captivating and doesn't let go of you or me - even after years. Your video is such an incredibly successful and simply extremely likeable and humorous analysis of the game... Thank you for your work! One can tell how much you put into it. ❤

[@MalpasDan]

@@marln2157 thank you so much! ❤️

[@diogenesstudent5585]

He left his wife during her most vulnerable time.

[@lefish5277]

That’s part of the fun, having to play a character who has both likable and dislikeable traits

[@diogenesstudent5585]

@@lefish5277 hateable*

[@samwinslow2097]

Just found your channel and let me say you're a great orator/writer. Sorry to hear about your mom but it sounds like that experience helped you become who you are. This game is one that sticks with me and I love it. Thank you for the video, I genuinely enjoyed it

[@MalpasDan]

Thank you so much! :)

[@cranberryrosebud]

Ahem, *my* favourite horror movie, Perfect Blue, has an 8/10 on IMDb - checkmate, ath- But anyway, I was highly entertained by this video. I remember playing Firewatch myself, and being scared the first time Henry had to walk through the cave. The atmosphere is absolutely spine-tingling at times. Neither here nor there, but I love the calm, acoustic soundtrack too. Congratulations on the weight loss, and to your mum for beating cancer! She sounds like a real fighter. And happy late birthday 🎈

[@MalpasDan]

@@cranberryrosebud oooh that's one I haven't heard of yet! It's going straight on the to-be-watched list :) thank you so much for watching and for your lovely comment!

[@cranberryrosebud]

@@MalpasDan I don’t think there’s much I can say to prepare you for the experience that is Perfect Blue - you’ll just have to brace yourself for absolute chaos, and maybe the best ever case for animation as a medium. Really hope you enjoy it 😊

[@bluebird1914]

I still remember all the theory videos about this game that apparently insist during a part of it, that you can actually hear someone following you.

[@manoffastqualities8668]

This video has genuinely inspired me. I love your form of presentation and I aspire to develop work that meets the high bar you’ve set. I appreciate you, and I look forward to seeing your next project.

[@MalpasDan]

Thank you so much, that's such a lovely thing to hear! I hope your projects meet your own expectations and do well!

[@liamgoff9542]

I found this video while looking for a background video essay for my actual essay due tomorrow but I just wanted to say how well this video was made and i appreciate how much effort you put into this, good video and good luck with everything

[@Piemesan]

The garlic comment. Arguably the only incorrect statement.

[@MalpasDan]

I promise those were empty words, I use unreasonable amounts of garlic in all my cooking :)

[@jamietaylor1848]

Fantastic video and a nice refreshing pace to the typical faire you find on YT nowadays. I'd give you a quid but i don't even have one myself. Definitely going to give Firewatch another playthrough, I haven't played it since it came out and it's always stuck with me. Grats on the big views!

[@MalpasDan]

Thank you very much! No need to give a quid, this comment was payment enough. Hope that replay unearths some new things for you :)

[@DarkCornersTV]

4:43 this story never fails to give me goosebumps unironically lmao

[@jjkilhij9531]

Glad the algorithm blessed you and put this video in my feed! Firewatch is always gonna be a classic to me, and I think that the ending definitely helps make the game stick in my mind and reinforce the themes of not being able to fully away from life/the past 🙏

[@MalpasDan]

@@jjkilhij9531 thank you so much! Really glad you enjoyed :)

[@diwrong8351]

Clicked this video as something more auditorily-focused to put on in the background while I play some minecraft and I'm glad I did. Was a very enjoyable listen (as well as some glances which when your mate was in the background jumpscared me). I can see on your channel that this type of format looks a bit different to your normal kind. I'd say if you enjoyed making it, you should definitely make more like it.

[@MalpasDan]

Thank you for watching and commenting! I had a great time making this and would love to make more like it in the future :)

[@Froggy_flowers77]

I’ve never played the game, but I clicked on the video for some reason haha. What you said about escapism really hit home for me. It’s something I had been doing a lot lately. Just sleeping and watching the days melt away. I never thought I’d find such comfort and a sense of peace within a video like this. Thanks dude… you kinda healed me with this one ❤

[@MalpasDan]

That means the world to hear, I'm so glad you got something out of it! You'll smash through your struggles 🫡

[@gabethegamer8547]

this is i think the actual most under rated channel high quality videos good mic I'm am genuinely surprised this isn't channel isn't much larger

[@MalpasDan]

@@gabethegamer8547 too kind thank you so much!

[@burntbeanies7886]

I really like this style of filming where you're out and about, adds a lot. Really cool. You're a terrific writer, really nail what makes things scary. Awesome work.

[@MalpasDan]

Thank you so much!

[@unprofessionallyamateur6354]

Wasn’t expecting a video essay on a game I haven’t thought about in years would hit so close to home but my mum was diagnosed with breast cancer a month ago so that segment was both incredibly cathartic and had me tearing up

[@MalpasDan]

@@unprofessionallyamateur6354 I'm sorry to hear about your mum, I hope this reminds you there's light at the end even if it's hard to believe it sometimes ❤️❤️

[@unprofessionallyamateur6354]

@@MalpasDan thank you, this video was kind of exactly what I needed to hear when it comes to escapism and facing reality Needless to say you’ve gained a fan

[@usoppgostoso]

Hard not to play after this. Great video. Very touching story about your mother. My dad was suspected to have cancer and I felt this "shrinking" you mentioned. Thankfully, the diagnostic was negative. Just found out about your channel, and I've to say I love this kind of content. Love the quality content.

[@daniellegrace83]

I'm really glad the algorithm served this video up to me because it's exactly the kind of video I enjoy! Please keep at it. I was really tense after you mentioned your mum and I swear the RELIEF that washed over me was palpable. :')

[@MalpasDan]

Awe thank you so much! I really appreciate that :) definitely more to come!

[@ComsicQuestGG]

Now one of my favorite Video Essayists on YT love the mix between gameplay and forest

[@Taejiu]

When I played through this game I felt more terrified than many horror games I've played recently. The environmental building is incredible at setting a chilling atmosphere.

[@MalpasDan]

Atmosphere is definitely one of the best things about Firewatch, there's a sense of dread throughout that gets under your skin

[@nashwhoover]

i love watchin longer form content like this - more video essays than brief dives into specific subjects. personally, I find the way you speak and present the facts and your opinions absolutely enthralling to listen to. i usually put youtube on the in background as something for me to listen to but I found myself actively listening and paying attention to this. i just want to say you did a wonderful job with this and I hope you put out more content like this! ps: happy belated birthday!

[@MalpasDan]

That's so great to hear thank you so much! Really appreciate it :)

[@northistired]

dude idk why ur not more popular, this looks awesome and so well made!!

[@MalpasDan]

@@northistired thank you so much! It's early days for this new style on the channel so who knows, maybe it'll take off! :)

[@djayt]

Such a great video-essay! Underrated channel for sure. I feel like firewatch and outer wilds are some of the greatest games as art pieces

[@MalpasDan]

Thank you so much! And Outer Wilds is another absolutely remarkable game, definitely qualifies as art.

[@luvie714]

When you mentioned FROM I knew exactly what part it was going to be because that literally gave me chills 🥲

[@MalpasDan]

Same with the chills, it's such a great moment!