GERMS The Targeted Town (1999) (ENG) | PS1 Open World Horror | 4K60 | Longplay Full Game Walkthrough

[@ErmacgerdLongplays]

Hullo friends! An Alien invasion, a big town full of mysteries and dark secrets, horrible graphics, ultra weird dialogs and music... and that's all I can think of when I try to make an "ad" for this game. xD GERMS, an ultra obscure PS1 japanese-only game, here translated into English. It's an FPP Open World, running on the PS1 with... mixed results. It's hella interesting tho, in a "it's bad, real bad, but so weird it's almost good". All the rest I think of this game you can read in the description of this video, A LOT of reading, but I thought this game needed that. Soooo, thanks for watching this rare gem-not gem, thanks for all and any activity here and under my other videos, have fun with this one! :)))

[@d.aardent9382]

Very interesting, i always liked these kinds of mystery/scifi/horror adventure games from way back even if they were clunky amd frustrating to get things done. Lol It looks really good though so far as ive seen. I wonder how expensive the game is to get.

[@ExtraThiccc]

Personally I don't find it ugly at all. It has a consistent and charming artstyle despite the limitated polygon count. The human faces though are unsettling. I love the grayscale city though, really sells the idea that something is very wrong, plus it helps POIs stand out much more. The arrows floating around though aren't appealing at all

[@mannypardo1080]

I remember this game being a major talking point like 12 years ago when it was still mysterious and undiscovered- same with Mizzurna Falls and Garage. It's one of those games that just never lives up to the mystique that surrounds is still worth the play. In the same vein as this, I recommend "Planet Dob."

[@DedAlexFive]

Man... The "experimental PS1 game" era was truly something lol. Very unique looking. Thank you for this video, I NEVER heard of it before. Cheers!

[@HanzOntaboodi]

It was the best era

[@elementallobsterx]

The fact that you can die and become one with the final boss and play as him is interesting. It’s equally fascinating that you can find him earlier on and actually win the boss fight.

[@DatOneCat]

Dude this is nuts. If you hadn't known, you would've thought this was a PC game trying to be a PS1 era title with the way its presented. I need to give this game a try when I can.

[@The1of1000]

That’s exactly what I thought. Wow.

[@Moped_Mike]

It’s probably because it’s being emulated and runs too smooth to be on PS1 hardware

[@bradpotts1747]

clear lovecraftian horror endless driving at 20mpr will drive you incurably insane

[@enriquejoseantequerasanche6180]

You laugh, but imagine that literally, an endless road surrounded by buildings you cannot enter, on a car that cannot even crash, eternally trapped

[@Dave--___--]

i love this game already when i first started yesterday. quick question, what does the term lovecraftian imply?

[@GeorgeL909]

This game feels like it was ripped straight out of one of those dreams I get when I wake up before my alarm clock and I'm like "I still got another hour". Then I fall back asleep and boom. I'm in Germs.

[@bradleykoperski7198]

Doesn't help I'm watching this cloae to midnight while I'm already sick. It's gonna be a wild night.

[@RubykonCubes3668]

Yeah, it has a very LSD Dream Emulator quality to it, tbh

[@kongzillatoho4558]

NEVER HEARD OF THIS BEFORE HOW? It looks really interesting and very creepy. Will try this game now right now! thanks!.

[@bunasdfghjkl]

saw this in an “old ps1 horror games” video and went down a rabbit whole, thank you so much for this longplay so people like me can experience this game without the hardware!!!

[@billyoldman9209]

26:50 so this is what inspired Morrowind's combat.

[@ErmacgerdLongplays]

Yeah, something like that. A festival of some hits, and a lot of misses. Brilliant. :))

[@eliottdeletraz97]

This is really the era when the games were an experiment before we did something great with it and completly rotting it after. 😢

[@ExtraThiccc]

This game looks really, really cool, especially for a PS1 game. I think the grayscale city was meant to guide players to points of interest (which are in color) since this would very likely be someone's first 3D open world game so would be very lost and be overwhelmed if everything was as colorful as the interiors. That or it could be simply technical limitations

[@therealisticgamer5834]

This walking around sequence reminds me of Namco Museum games also on the PS1.

[@unknown6390]

So glad to have another obscure PS1 masterpiece be known to me. Kowloon's Gate desperately needs a translation too

[@Miketopus.]

Sure do love the soundtrack to this game! Clomp clomp clomp clomp clomp clomp clomp clomp clomp!

[@callmehercules]

Game was way ahead of it's time

[@Bizzyidiot]

This is the best cover art to gameplay Contrast I’ve ever seen! 🔥

[@R2V_Haze]

The scariest thing in the game so far is the dude in the yellow shirt

[@sirrealism7300]

2:08:09 the "thanks" and the dudes extremely detailed face made me crack up.

[@Plxlinixy]

In some ways this game's unintended jank and it's ambition make it feel like it's a predecessor to Cruelty Squad.

[@JoesGuy]

I'd wake up early and invest in this game!

[@CB-L]

Whether ambitious or not, the developers of this game used same engine for early metaverse stuff "Splume" and apparently it became their new company name- *still going on today.*

[@muhammadaliffbinmuhammadla7846]

PS1 very first LSD simulator.

[@Sulcuryalt_Inone]

You remind me of LSD: Dream Emulator for PS1.

[@Manx123]

Holy shit, you are ignorant, lol, considering LSD: Dream Emulator came out the year to prior this game's release year.

[@TheyBenefit]

This does play exactly like it

[@abraxaseyes87]

Limited Slip Differential

[@Manx123]

@@muhammadaliffbinmuhammadla7846 Completely incorrect.

[@albireotheredguard1599]

That ps1 intro brings back memories, good times!

[@SEGAGoldenJuly]

Revolutionary and abysmal at the same time. Love it. 😁

[@phylippezimmermannpaquin2062]

Such a sick art cover

[@kloa4219]

looks like psx deadly premonitions, love these twin peaks inspired games

[@xxxxxxxxxx02]

Check Mizzurna Falls

[@DatAnnexGuy]

The walking sound, that is the real horror in this game lol.

[@axelwulf6220]

People always reference "PS1 Graphics" without remembering the actual framerate it was moving at Playstation revolutionized gaming with a single console

[@ErmacgerdLongplays]

Well, problem is... those framerates weren't even good back then. They were directly impacting the experience, the input delay, the controls. So maybe it revolutionized home console gaming, but did it so in a real bad style. And graphics... yeah, it was real bad, pixel warping, dithering, and horrible draw distances in almost every game. PS1 was not a good piece of hardware overall, fine for 1994 when it first released, but many games were locked to it as exclusives, and both the games and the players suffered for it. I'll always say that - PS1 was a shit piece of hardware, had many good games *despite* the hardware, not thanks to it. :))

[@axelwulf6220]

Sure, there was always the 3rd party titles that were just absolute garbage disguised as a revolutionary experience *cough* heroes of might and magic *cough cough* but those where the later titles. The games like Resident Evil, which withstood a surprisingly large amount of hardware limitations and still delivered is something to consider Sure, the remakes were somewhat necessary, but that was so the entire saga could be on one console and not spread across 5 generations of gaming Now if only other titles were given the same special treatment, I'm sure Army Men would have overshadowed CoD without any trouble iffin it had the chance

[@axelwulf6220]

Actually, I don't know what's worse, the fact there's different sized fonts, or the size font used was purposeful

[@ErmacgerdLongplays]

It was apparently needed, or else all the text would be misaligned and gibberish. The patch mentions a certain "fixed font" improvement, which was apparently needed to make the text at least somewhat legible. :D

[@axelwulf6220]

It looks like it made with Microsoft Paint, but with a toaster

[@St_Rizla]

I didnt know this was translated recently, I need to give it a go

[@AbuHajarAlBugatti]

A ps1 first person storydriven open world horrorgame? What??? How come I never heard of this, this game was groud breaking at that time and maybe the very first of its kind

[@ErmacgerdLongplays]

It seems so, there were ps1 FPP horrors before it, but not open world simulation-like this, where you can go wherever you please, eat in restaurants and stuff. :D

[@doompotty]

Wow this game actually had some real potential. I really like the way the mutants are revealed so suddenly, especially in the hotel section. It really carrys a vibe, too bad it’s attached to such an ugly and frustratingly hard game.

[@alanpendragon1316]

The footstep noises never ending lmfaooooooo

[@WheatyBoi]

Idk what to say,but this content deserves *engagement*. Nice mini review in the description. Almost a shame its not just pasted into the video. I think you might jave interesting things to say and it would also help give a bit of energy to those more monotonous sections of gameplay..m Ty for making this !

[@ErmacgerdLongplays]

Well, my content is definitely not me putting myself into my videos, it's supposed to be a no commentary for a reason, sooo, idk, maybe I should have put some review parts on the screen during the slower moments. Ehh, I guess it's alright either way, it's perfecty watchable (I hope). :D

[@VCV95]

​@@ErmacgerdLongplayslook at WhoIsThisGit. They have done a few videos with voice, but imo they are among the gold standard for silent game videos.

[@ChazDragoon]

This game looks like it'd be one of the "PS1 Retro Horror" indie games we see today... Now i have to wonder if they played this game or we got some crazy morphogenic field insanity hitting here...

[@nathanbrown1905]

If it hasn't been recommended already, Hellnight for the ps1 would be incredibly cool. Another obscure Japanese horror game.

[@ErmacgerdLongplays]

I've got it somewhere, perhaps it will be done, in some time! :)

[@alexnikolas1991]

Something very liminal about the grayscale city void of any sign of life. Lifted straight from the dream plane.

[@Wesley_C]

This one a PS1’s indie roleplay simulator game, that’s cool.

[@mynameisNeo369]

Nice bush in the thumbnail 😂. I wouldve tripped out playing this as a kid, thanks for sharing!

[@JayK47a]

I bet there are as many more weird games from ps1 and ps2 era ? I love it

[@aira995]

When you said the combat was bad i didn't believe you until the first boss fight when i had to put it in 2x and it still took a few minutes to beat 😭

[@rootbowy825]

Giest on GameCube was insane

[@ErmacgerdLongplays]

Geist? I know of it, maybe will play one day. :D

[@arkgaharandan5881]

is the lack of color a way to save on memory outdoors? The whole game looks surreal, like its not an actual game but a video made for a movie or a tv show meant to be a game in that movie but gamers know that its fake because there is no way it would look or play like this...but its real.

[@ErmacgerdLongplays]

@@arkgaharandan5881 it was thought to be this way because or hardware limitations, or an artistic choice, or both partially. No one correct answer I think. :D

[@JustinVargheseYT]

For the ps1, texture mapping was very costly, so many games would resort to fall backs like Spyro the dragon. Far polygons would have their textures removed and the underlying polygons was just a single colored or vertex colored. The ps1 could actually render an impressive amount of untextured polys. So yea, definitely a way to save memory to keep these buildings untextured

[@enriquejoseantequerasanche6180]

Ddfinitely artistic choice, differrnt colors for polygons were a common thing, plus you can see some colors here and there. Someone else commented important places do have colors, so maybe it's actually a gameplay thing, to make objectives easy to find

[@enriquejoseantequerasanche6180]

​@@JustinVargheseYT yeah, but I think the discussion was on the untextured buildings also being mostly monochrome. Color data occupies but a few bits, a byte at most.

[@jezgramusic]

1:10:40 sounds like it's looping Arnold Schwarzenegger saying "Look what you've done" in the background of the music... Confounding but fascinating soundtrack!

[@iirrooo]

Woke up to this video around 1:28:52 to a dark room and this thing jerkin around on a bright screen. Thoroughly spooked.

[@jax0r44]

There is something very ominous about the introduction and the emails that is just immediately lost when you start playing the actual game.

[@Exquisited]

Indeed a gem!

[@maryevaguil5448]

Hey, thanks.

[@killertrip10]

Awesome looking game. I might just try to give it a shot myself.

[@Czarewich]

Cruelty Squad's great grandfather.

[@bradleykoperski7198]

This is some emersive stuff for a PS1 game.

[@yopachi]

Big sub for the dub W🎉

[@ABW941]

It is pretty sad that this is how the PS1 games looked like, while in our memory they look so much better.

[@enriquejoseantequerasanche6180]

I love this strangely whacky but still scary world. Fujita, how the hell did you keep C4 in your garage?

[@Akuretaki_Nikolay]

BIG GG !!

[@ErmacgerdLongplays]

THX FRIEND! This is one weird, ugly, obscure, japanese piece of software. Well, I guess it's now been recorded, with a translation, for preservation sake. xD

[@Akuretaki_Nikolay]

@@ErmacgerdLongplays true

[@GreatestGames777]

The glerps are coming

[@Ploulaf]

I refuse to believe this is an actual ps1 game and we never got it

[@bisdakbestfamilytube4577]

Such a unique game. But DAMN why is Fujita's house sooo far 😭

[@ErmacgerdLongplays]

Everything in this game has to be far away, to make the game seem longer I guess. xD

[@Jazzdude_]

Really reminds me of Deadly Premonition in the sense of many interesting game mechanics very poorly implemented. Unfortunately, Deadly Premonition did not really go anywhere with many of its Open World and "Cop Sim" mechanics (after like 3h at least I forgot of most of them and just blasted through the game), just as this game didn't seem to do too much with it. Really a shame. This game looks like it could do a modern remake based on the idea. I love the slow pacing, the backtracking, and especially the vibe. More games in rural towns please.

[@ErmacgerdLongplays]

You'd do well to take a look at Mizzurna Falls (PS1) then, too! It's exactly what you want: some light detective work, small rural town, christmas and snow everywhere. Open world basically, with time-scripted events and lots of backtracking. :))

[@Jazzdude_]

@@ErmacgerdLongplays Nice, thanks a lot I will check it out :)

[@F19HORNET123]

an hour and a half in and i still have no idea how the health indicator works

[@callmetatan]

Interesting

[@DamplyDoo]

Liminal space vibes

[@tonight_you]

swap some textures out and you have a slow version of cruelty squad.

[@Quaid44]

Looks like a fictional game that is played in movies.

[@9fmradisapratama]

I don't think the graphics is horrendous in the experimental ps1 era. Sure, you can create a paragraph of symbolisms of the game's grayscale exterior. It's roughly comparable to Ace Combat 2. Lots of weird alien consciousness lore contained in the game. It's funny that the hunger also affected health system. But be advised that one single head shot could get the player instantly killed like from your playthrough and get resurrected as the infected. Though if you get killed by the infected or directly by the mutants. The story reminds me of some lovecraftian lore. Its Morrowind combat system is the charm of this game as you can dodge or parry rocket launcher? lol I uploaded several soundtracks ripped from the game. Though this game might uses MIDI formats and their soundfonts which I have yet to find out how to rip them directly from the disc. I only found the Spanish translated GERMS. While I partially understand it, I still got no clue on my 2nd playthrough. Btw why did you kill Agent Xi lol

[@ErmacgerdLongplays]

Could you show the timestamp of that Agent Xi? xD Well, wasn't I supposed to off him? Wasn't he the one turning into an alien soon anyway? :D

[@9fmradisapratama]

​​Sure. It's at 4:32:20 I'm not really sure whether you should attack him or not. In my playthrough, he turns hostile, but in someone's old deleted playthrough, he wasn't turned hostile as they were playing it fast enough.

[@SusieUndertale]

This game is aesthetically amazing but playing it is like pulling teeth... it takes what feels like hours to drive or walk anywhere, the controls are unlike any game before or since, and combat is 90% missing shots when you have your gun pointed directly at an enemy's head

[@ErmacgerdLongplays]

Yep, sounds about right. Ambitious ideas and world design, terrible execution. :)

[@Dr.MSC.W.Krueger]

Interesting...

[@noel_996]

So weird not seeing the warping effect from ps1

[@ErmacgerdLongplays]

PGXP texture precision correction via Duckstation! Although... it worked better in the buildings, outside I rarely used it. Seems like devs actually implemented at least some small fix for that themselves? Or... the graphics were so simple in geometry there wasnt really anything to get warped. xD

[@MrAndromedean]

this definitely uses some of the same sounds as LSD: Dream Emulator. Or perhaps, it's just the chip that is so recognizable.

[@bloodrunsclear]

This is real? Honestly I kept expecting an ARG!

[@ErmacgerdLongplays]

It kind of, sort of, is an RPG, there is a character progression while using the weapons, and you are free to go anywhere, free choice. Still, WEIRD. :)

[@KluorpivhlanderP]

This gives me very strong LSD Dream Emulator PS1 vibes.. walkings sounds, textures, fog, models, etc... hmm i wonder if Osamu Sato worked on this..

[@meltedgrumby6094]

This game was designed with the PS1 mouse in mind.

[@ErmacgerdLongplays]

Hmmm, that might be, but there is no indication of it on the game's back cover, no graphic for Mouse support, so I believe... it doesn't actually have one? Idk.

[@divvu1014]

@@ErmacgerdLongplays I'd wager it lacks support then. I was one of the 17 people in the world to have both a ps1 and a mouse for it and each time I tried using it in non-compatible games it behave like a stoned armadillo.

[@divvu1014]

7 minutes in and I feel like the engine sound loop is forever etched inside my eardrums (and soul). How could you possibly sustain this for a full playthrough fren? U ok? edit: omg, the footsteps. U not ok :(

[@ErmacgerdLongplays]

It is what it is, bro. xD

[@andrewyang3917]

😮😮😮

[@SDjilliaRE]

The translation is definitely off. I translated Fujita's letter out of curiosity and they've added a lot of stuff he straight up does not say lol I'm guessing the whole script is probably like that.

[@ErmacgerdLongplays]

As long as I understand what's going on, it's good enough for me. :D

[@SDjilliaRE]

@@ErmacgerdLongplays For sure. I just wonder how much clearer the game could be since there's a few points I was just as confused as you lmao

[@kloa4219]

isn't japanese contextual as opposed to being literal? There are multiple uses for one word and the meaning of a phrase can be entirely different

[@SDjilliaRE]

@@kloa4219 It is yeah. I jumped the gun a bit with the e-mail as well. Most of it's fine, it's just the first sentence or two that's totally different and that threw me off. I don't know why they would've changed it so heavily during translation.

[@2prize]

Ain't no way

[@Jolis_Parsec]

Better than most of the crap on PlayStation these days, that’s for damn sure. 😁👍

[@newtybot]

Kinda annoying that the indie crowd got more into shitty looking “psx” graphics and not this

[@axelwulf6220]

14:30 There's something going on at the power plant, here, take this gun I happen to have stashed up my butt, and I might have something else in my garage, go take a look in there, but don't look in the freezer, just don't look in there....

[@RamenStand]

I don’t know what it is but 60fps just doesn’t feel right on this game. I feel like 30fps fits the atmosphere better if that makes sense?

[@UdodaTube]

Bro walking 10mph😂

[@ErmacgerdLongplays]

That's an optimistic number. xD

[@wiraarkananta-jf9ko]

Me save 9:10

[@StayHydrated420-k3z]

Sean seanson

[@ErmacgerdLongplays]

John Johnson?

[@bobbyboswell13]

how on earth did the thumbnail not get you in trouble? i can clearly make out several naked bodies in it

[@ErmacgerdLongplays]

Idk, but who am I to question that? KZbin decided it's all fine and dandy. :D

[@tylerharris3329]

I’m struggling to get the same fps unfortunately. I can get way over 60fps, but when limiting to 60 (or 100, or 120), there is a noticeable stutter. Any suggestions for duckstation settings? 🙏

[@ErmacgerdLongplays]

Well, might be just your pc is not strong enough for that overlock. I used 180% overclock mostly, as on 300% it could go over 60 and that's completely useless here. Don't know anything about a stutter, not sure if you mean it really stutters or just your emulation is not running at 100% speed (means - performance problems). Didn't have those stutters tho. :D

[@kloa4219]

1:28:00 oh noo, catholic aliens

[@apersonwhoknows]

I guess running wasn't a feature.

[@ErmacgerdLongplays]

Nope. :) Any damage to lower body parts also means slowing down. Plus, there is an option in the main menu to change the speed of the car, it could actually go slower than this: Extra Slow, Very Slow, Still Slow. (names mine xD)

[@marcusferreira7729]

Weird game 😅

[@ErmacgerdLongplays]

I think that was the intent, creepy and weird. :D

[@EncryptedLiberty]

PilotRedSun the game?

[@ErmacgerdLongplays]

I don't really know that guy, but yeah, the game is... weird and broken, almost like it's intended. :D

[@lucasnunes2453]

0:56

[@甘夏みかん-b4o]

足音が永遠にうるさい😨👣👣👣

[@albireotheredguard1599]

Think you can do a long play of Persona?

[@ErmacgerdLongplays]

Oh boi no, absolutely no. :D Not my type of game at all, and it's like almost every game in Persona series is like 30-80 hours long. I've got 12 hour youtube video limit. Soooo, yeah, many NOs here I'm afraid. :D

[@albireotheredguard1599]

@@ErmacgerdLongplays 🤣 Ok. I had to ask!

[@Cinemaphile7783]

Horrible graphics, how dare you. This was the genesis of 3-D gaming. 😂 You should play Kings Field by From Software, the grand daddy of all Souls games.

[@korewuash7838]

WTF? XD

[@ErmacgerdLongplays]

HUH?

[@JamesSmith-c9f]

28:25 Jesus Christ that's scary

[@mikeymotorpsyche2792]

14:25 is that Bob Saget?