Crusades in a Dying World - Hexcraft: Eventide Sigil Review

[@javierrayon8808]

Yeees, the Painticus experience. Impressive that there is a game about incel terrorists. Even though it sounds definitely dark, it's important for games to be able to explore these themes. Playing this, or even watching a video of your tragic and fun permadeaths, makes me realize that terrorism by these persons is now a phenomenon. If games do something, let it be to question and improve our world.

[@Painticus]

I absolutely agree - games can be excellent ways of informing us about the mindsets of others, especially those who are disillusioned or demonised by the public. It's not always going to be a pleasant experience, but it's an important one.

[@Daniel_Lancelin]

I get what the game was going for, but I like to imagine that the knights are just militant /tg/ users fighting over rare collector's items. Knight 1: "Now listen here, anon. _Over my dead body_ are you walkin' outta here with that 1977 Advanced D&D Monster Manual." Knight 2: *Pumps shotgun* "Have it your way, pal."

[@RenegadeY]

The most disturbing part of this video is the revelation that the teeps is multiplying

[@Painticus]

It is a trully accursed revelation and I fear that soon humanity itself will reap the consequences

[@RenegadeY]

@@Painticus when the time comes, let us hope there is a god left to offer mercy

[@bigbearboy144]

God bless you painticus, I was starting to get "the itch". But that's not a problem now we have a new video...

[@Beeyo176]

Every time a new Painticus pops up I end up binge watching all of the other videos.

[@Painticus]

Thank you! Personally, every time Painticus uploads I hide for a few days to avoid his videos

[@Beeyo176]

@@Painticus His videos cover some pretty spooky content so I can understand wanting to just go cuddle the inside of a blanket for days on end after watching one. But he also provides hilarity to lighten the mood. Have you heard his Chills impression? Have you? Have you heard it paint

[@Painticus]

I have only heard rumours of the Chills voice, and they always worry me

[@Beeyo176]

@@Painticus No need to worry, he's pretty... ... ... ... chill. I hate myself

[@duncanclark8933]

It's always fascinating to me when games can leverage a player's own morality and empathy against their in-game goals. As a kid playing Pikmin for the first time, I became emotionally overwhelmed bearing witness to these helpless beings I held responsiblity for get devoured at my command. That appeal to my consciousness made me engage with enemies only as Olimar, completely blocking me off from making any meaningful progression. A lot of games attempt to do morality systems in a such a rigid binary sense that it punishes players both thematically and mechanically for acting on their personal impulses rather than committing to a single pre-defined path. I personally find most games cited as successes in this regard to hardly be any less superficial in their executions over their peers. Often, either you are denied the agency to do anything other than what you become judged for (Spec Ops), your choices are illusionary as all your outcomes yield parallel results (Wolf Among Us), or you're mechanically motivated to "play nice" because the immediate convience of being evil is always mitigated by the greater reward you're implicitly guaranteed in the end as a pat on the back for "doing what's right for right's sake." This is why I adore systems driven games. Your consequences become unfiltered by predeterminable binary incentives. You are impartially judged only by the game's own world and the metrics of their systems' morality rather than the game's creators imparting objective judgement on you for being confined to their specific direction. Systems driven games unshackle players to freely act on their own spectrum of ethics that they can individually relate to, which motivates them to engage in interesting ways for their own sense of immersion rather than a Pavlovian treat.

[@Painticus]

Well said - morality systems in most games are still at a sadly rudimentary stage which is similar to those found in cheap 90s kids' TV. I'm always glad to see a game come along and push you in a direction that you may be strongly against - especially if the game includes giving up as an acceptable choice. Dark Souls is a great example of this - thematically, if the player simply stops playing, their character goes hollow and is no longer responsible for whatever happens in the world.

[@ilyabelyaev5242]

Just found this channel through the Darkwood vid and i think im gonna stay awhile and listen.

[@RobertMatheson]

Seriously seriously good video this. Had me feeling many different ways and different strands of anxious and uneasy to what I'm used to in any way. Really good job.

[@rotisseriepossum]

11:35 ‘grimoire discovered in providence Rhode Island’ :3

[@Painticus]

I really like that message as a random news event - it really cements the idea that *absolutely everything* is going to shit

[@automaticbobcat9166]

I think in the same way that a lot of people felt a kind of connection and attachment to Pagan, this game had a similar, albeit negative impact on me when I played it. It felt like it hit close to home in so many horrible, negative ways. I don't say that to dissuade anyone from playing it. I think it's a testament to the artistry of Oleander Garden, but it is legitimately a troubling game for me personally. In its own way I think it's simultaneously great and cursed.

[@Painticus]

Oleander Garden has said a few times that they are surprised they haven't been cancelled yet due to the fairly divisive subtext of their games, but I think that's because A) they make very artful games, and B) they attract a very thoughtful audience. Me excluded, of course.

[@fortebort]

Really interesting look to a game I've never heard of. Keep it up, Paint!

[@moneymandate]

This game feels eerie in a way I can't really explain, even considering its dark subject matter.

[@emskidoodlepip]

This was possibly my favourite work of yours yet: your portrayal of the bleak gloaming of Sigil really encapsulated what I felt in my wanderings there. Garden's ability to not just conjure but manipulate this dreadful and independently living atmosphere I think is at its very strongest in this release and I absolutely agree that their status as an auteur is cemented now. I've been searching for that elusive fourth ending since release day now, and while I feel that I can't truly form a full opinion on it until I have experienced this final statement, I truly dread finding it...

[@Painticus]

The message I got from the fourth ending is perhaps the most spirit crushing one I've had in a game, and not necessarily in the way you may expect. Happy hunting! (and thank you for the kind words, I'm glad you enjoyed the video and were able to relate it to your own experience!)

[@jowell6921]

6:42 Cruelty Squad sound!

[@117F56]

You might not want to say it here, but what was the secret ending? i caught a couple of the streams but never saw when you did finally beat it. If you dont want to say here can you let me know to dm you on discord or something? I was super curious about it.

[@manniacc2681]

I definitely like this concept of a small scale immersive sim, most immersive sims like Deus Ex are really expansive, but this one seems to be relatively simple by comparison.

[@keinname1896]

I died a little bit on the inside when I heard "immersive sim", but well, it's from Oleander Garden, so I might as well buy it, play it, be confused and than watch this video to the end.

[@julian0451]

Is this a meme or do people not like that genre? Some of the best games ever fall in that genre Not that this game looks particularly great

[@keinname1896]

@@julian0451 I don't know about people, but I was never able to connect with most of the greats in that genre. They are probably great games, but it's just not a type of experience that I normally enjoy.

[@megi_w]

Ay new video, great one yo

[@julian0451]

Ahh, that DX ost

[@Painticus]

An immersive sim game that has hints towards conspiracies? There's no way I couldn't include some of Deus Ex in there!

[@orza20]

Do you ever plan on doing Hexcraft Harlequin Fair?

[@百合荒木]

Enjoyable video Paint! Can't say I'm fond of Oleander's games, a bit mechanically shallow for my tastes and i find they rely too much on the player being emotionally invested in the pre-existing topics and/or themes rather than them developing their own ideas, this one seemingly affected you though!... not sure what to think about that but good for you i guess? :P anyway, please create more satisfactory content that i may consume so that upon their consumption i may scream sweet-nothings into the void in the hope that they may reach you!

[@vincenthawthorne9360]

What no I wanna know. What’s the secret ending?

[@keegan4854]

Binge worthy content

[@snuffcassette7555]

am i crazy or is hexcraft eventide sigil really not all that hard to say??

[@MysteryHandle76]

I was on board until I heard "immersive sim".

[@Painticus]

Not a fan of the genre?

[@MysteryHandle76]

@@Painticus No I'm no uni student that pretends to understand David Lynch films to impress girls loser! I play Fifa that's why I'm subbed to this channel I want some awesome Fifa let's plays but all I get is stupid Lovecraft like who even is Lovecraft? Sounds like a role play potion my dad would use during sex with my mum

[@MysteryHandle76]

@@Painticus You're contents changed bruh miss the Fifa playlists

[@Untrustedlife]

@@MysteryHandle76 ...Im pretty sure paint never played fifa on his channel friendo lol. His first video was about a horror game.

[@keinname1896]

I wrote that I died a little bit on the inside when I heard, that this is an immersive sim with perma death, but now I played it and I'm completely dead inside. Damn, son, this game hates you for playing it. When postal is not really spiteful, but more tongue i cheek and hatred is spiteful towards the world as a whole in a really incely kind of way, this game is spiteful towards the player. I've never felt this hated by a before. And I haven't even found the secret ending yet, but I imagine that will only get worse from here.

[@Painticus]

Oh yeah, the secret ending *really* hates you

[@Atomsk0192]

You should play Pathologic 2. There is a point near the end where the game almost literally says "Fuck you in particular"

[@wylser]

....how is Hatred of all games "incely"? It's an isometric action game with a goth misanthrope progonist.

[@iamtired4974]

Great video, could do without the whole preaching part though.

[@Painticus]

Fair enough!

[@arkgaharandan5881]

didnt expect this game to be so political. I wonder if there is gonna be a trans incel dlc to better modernize the game and fit in with the new mass shootings.