The Beauty of Games With Dead Worlds

[@wildspirewarrior211]

I love games that feature dead worlds, there is a sort of melancholy and haunting atmosphere around them like you're a ghost in a world that has long since passed with remnants of life and society or was never alive to begin with which can be even more chilling

[@Zel-Veraan]

I felt that in playing No Man's Sky. There are several dead moons in that game which feature virtually nothing of value on them; not even producing enough carbon to sustain your life support systems. Landing on those moons and doing a 360° turn to reveal nothing more than rocks and lifeless hills in all directions coupled with the sub zero temperatures just screams to me, "You do not belong here."

[@archerpence]

Ever watched the anime "Casshern: Sins"?

[@bliss6417]

Dark Souls series, especially the third game is amazing at portraying a world once beautiful dying out, and the endings are all about ending the current world that is dying in a place for a completely new one.

[@eugenux]

he forgot Journey(especially Journey) and Bound.

[@dootersnooter5343]

I liked fallout because I kind of took it as "the hope within the hoplessness" I also played fo4 first though which probably impacted my opinion

[@Beaston_125]

Shadow of the Colossus is one of the best examples of a dead world. Traveling between battles gave me a feeling of anxiety and dread. When I killed a colossus, it didn’t feel like I should celebrate, because I didn’t feel like it was a good thing that I was doing. Such a good game.

[@array_index]

Shadow of the Colossus is a fantastic game, everyone should play it if they have a chance. The game makes it pretty obvious that killing the colossuses is a Bad Thing(tm), if only by looking at what it does to the player character. However, one could and should feel elated when felling a colossus. It is your duty and your destiny, because the game is made that way. It is the game mechanic and the path to progress in story. Arguing otherwise is inviting ludonarrative dissonance. Asking what one should feel about killing the colossuses is not the right question. It is, what one should feel about the player character killing them. They are the one who had the choices, and their decisions on those choices have paved the path the player observes.

[@kakahass8845]

@@array_indexKilling a colossus is a weird feeling you feel happy you did it and impressed a you killed such a gigantic creature but at the same time you invaded its space and attacked it and killed it to revive someone which is something that was already made clear is a bad idea.

[@FarawayFragrance]

@@kakahass8845 and you also revived a creature which was trapped by the colossi and ends up cursing you with the same curse that ico has

[@farkasmactavish]

​@@array_indexJust because it's a game mechanic doesn't mean it's not a negative part of the narrative, and saying "arguing otherwise is X" is thoroughly obnoxious.

[@jackbuchanan6441]

​@@array_indexI hope you played the first game, Ico.

[@Tyrexthecreaturedesigner]

The beauty of being in a near barren world is the idea of how small you are and the mystery of how the world became like how it is portrayed

[@solsystem1342]

I think outerwilds captures this really well. Spoilers: You can't travel to other stars to visit the remaining Nomi, you can't build new experiments in the time that you have left, I mean you can't even save yourself or your villain from the end of the world. But the game revels in the act of discovery regardless. Just in the way we do in reality, by pealing back the secrets of our universe with any scraps of evidence we can find we not only come to understand our place in it better but also perhaps improve the lives of those to come

[@jbear3478]

Yeah it's crazy!!!

[@jbear3478]

​@@solsystem1342just watched a video on this. As soon as he goes out exploring, the sun goes supernova, right?

[@maydayman9285]

"These worlds have died, and the world lives on" this is so beautiful.

[@Matters-]

Curious Archive never disappoints

[@Typical_name]

🐢

[@Smokethesea]

Yes he did he said grease instead of gris😢

[@TheImbeseal]

fr

[@theperfectbotsteve4916]

yeah if he wasn't he would just be "boring Collection"

[@IAMHIM912]

Git

[@YaBoiBoris]

Journey and it's successor Sky: Children of the Light are both great examples of games that also have gorgeous dead worlds! Granted, Sky's world does not necessarily feel as dead as Journey but lore wise in its world it is

[@kayaszakacs4521]

I feel like the fact that the world doesn't feel dead is part of the point of Sky. Journey's world is still suffering the aftereffects of its apocalypse, while Sky's world (minus Golden Wasteland and Eden) has already recovered and you're just there to finish the job.

[@YaBoiBoris]

@@kayaszakacs4521 while I mostly agree with you, a big example to point out is Isle of Dawn, which has been shown countless times as having once been a thriving grassland similar to Daylight Prairie. also another big example is that.. everyone is dead XD literally except for the players, creatures and occasional season character (like Aurora or The Little Prince), every other individual that once inhabited the world of skyh as passed on and become spirits

[@favoriteginger863]

@@YaBoiBoris I don't think the recovery of Sky's world necessitates a return to what it was before. The effects of whatever happened are still very much present, even outside of the spirits, with the structures and statues and buildings still littering the landscape. The world of Sky isn't what it was before and still feels post-apocalyptic in a way, but it's clearly well on its way to recovery and flourishing again

[@pandoratheclay]

@@favoriteginger863 I agree with you there, recovery isn’t returning to the start It’s making a new one

[@qwertydavid8070]

SKY MENTIONED RAHHHHHHHHHHHHH, WHAT THE F*CK IS A BAD GAME!!!!!!!!!

[@SubmergedDream]

Rain World fits this theme. The game takes place in the ruins of can ancient civilization and it decays throughout the story.

[@kaiju4864]

rain world is actually such an underrated game i was looking for a comment about it

[@baalgar5530]

Peak world

[@LarsTonguesInAspix]

@@kaiju4864he already made a video abt it so thats why it wasn’t mentioned

[@aarcade6676]

rain world is actually mentioned in his video about *alive* worlds. although, rw is only a living world on its surface (saint moment)

[@legendsneverdie8308]

​@@kaiju4864 same here 😂

[@1whospeaks]

Something tells me that the lost civilizations in ABZU know that the ocean world and it's suffocating amount of life would swallow their history in an instant. It doesn't seem like this saddened them either, they almost revere it, putting the marine life literally above the humans in their surviving art, its really comforting and I see life the same way, I have no issue being forgotten as long as I do right by the world and use my time wisely, really appreciating the fact I can comprehend the world around me, its a real gift we have as humanity.

[@GandalfTheTsaagan]

Journey is also such a game, there's something so evocative about exploring loss and moving on

[@KAl-vf1dz]

I love that game so much that I have a Traveller tattoo on my shoulder! 🥰

[@ThisChannelIsAbandoned300]

Man, Journey was amazing.

[@onuen3778]

To be honest I was a bit disappointed he did not incorporate Journey, since it is one of my favorites. Still it was an amazing video.

[@purplehaze2358]

"Acceptance isn't about feeling happy forever; it just means an acknowledgement of a loss." I wish someone could have told me that at some point in the earlier parts of my life.

[@rion7668]

Both nier replicant and automata have beautiful and haunting dead worlds witch show different civilisations who have lived and died in it making it quite unique. And not to mention the beautiful music that just perfects the overall vibe

[@pedrom.8525]

Agreed!! Was hoping to see the Nier games here!

[@Kanyon85]

Automata not only conveys the feeling of desolation and loss, but it beats you over the head with that grief until you're emotionally broken. especially after getting all main endings.

[@trevorveillette8415]

​@@Kanyon85that and it's cathartic to play since we the player are humans observing our creations, our children essentially roaming the earth standing on the mass Graves of humanity called cities. The world we see feels alive from all the overgrown flora and fauna. Yet the world feels so dead and lonely. So so lonely. But at the same time its so peaceful and blissful. It kind of puts into perspective both sides of the desire to be alone and away from people. It's peaceful, but lonely. It's beautiful and it's ominous. NieR:Automata has one of the most subtle forms of beautiful world design and characterization of the world. It's actually one of the few games or series that makes the world feel personified. Like its a person or that it's alive in a way. The style is so uniquely NieR that the world feels so expressive and personified.

[@credaaaooo824]

@@trevorveillette8415 the part you mentioned about the world being personified and alive in a way is especially true after playing the "Emil's Memories" quest and learning about Emil's story, especially if you have already played ending Y and know a bit more about Emil's lore. Not a single other game has ever made me feel quite the same way as Nier: Automata did. Everything in that game is a truly prefectly crafted experience that depicts one of the most hauntingly beautiful and yet emotionally devastating stories i have ever seen. it is a bautiful mix of life and death, hope and melancholy

[@moffxanatos6376]

@@pedrom.8525 I get the feeling this youtuber doesn't like NieR because there is no mention of it here or in the one about androids/living machines.

[@eliplayz22]

I wasn’t expecting Hollow Knight to be mentioned in a Curious Archive video, but I’m completely here for it

[@elusive-osmium]

this isn't the first time he has talked about it

[@eliplayz22]

@@elusive-osmium oh, when? My bad

[@astrovation3281]

He used hollow night music aswell (in other sections). I mean, its one of the most popular (indie) games ever.

[@birdsridingdogs2877]

@@astrovation3281 Minecraft?

[@astrovation3281]

@@birdsridingdogs2877 thats why I said one of the most, games like GTA and minecraft are obviously more popular

[@Littlekoji-df1cf]

This... Has to be one of the best videos youve done so far. The way you explain and narrate is beautiful.

[@TheMaryWriter]

When I saw the title of this video I immediately thought, “Someone else gets it.” I’m a writer and have often described what I like to write most as post-post apocalypse, stories that take place after the survivors have survived and the life of the generations that follow. Apocalypses have their place in stories, but as you said, they are often so loud and boisterous. I think that apocalypses are best understood and reflected on in their aftermath, rather than in the moment. We better see the footprints of what was, and we can see what truly lives and lingers when everything else has ended. Fantastic video.

[@angelsartandgaming]

I don't know if this counts as a Dead World, but I remember when I was a kid and I played Kirby 64 so religiously pretty much, there was one world that I always remembered the most. Shiver Star. The first level of the world is like a winter wonderland with Christmasy music. It's cutesy and fun. Then there is a bubbly cloudy level with some classic Kirby music remixed. It's like a typical Kirby level. Then, there's this abandoned mall. It's still cutesy and it's playing the same music as the first level said. Almost kind of gives you this Christmas shopping vibe. Though there is no one shopping. It just has your typical Kirby monsters that are inhabiting it. But then there is the last level before the boss. It's a factory. And at first the factory kind of looks like maybe a Santa's workshop sort of area. But you enter it and there's all these robots still maintaining the factory. The music itself is completely different from the rest of the levels. Instead of something that sounds peppy or happy, It's industrial, depressing, and it almost sounds like it's telling a story but in music form. Is something off about it. Then there's the boss itself. A giant robot that's almost protecting a city. The city is still lit up and it almost gives me 1990s Gotham vibes. But you don't know if there's still people living there or if it's all being maintained by the same robots that run the factory. And then if you look at the planet Shiver Star itself, You realize that it's actually earth but frozen over. Even the level select music sounds a little bit off. It kind of raises more questions about this world. This very thing is kind of what got me not only into video game music, but also into the idea of post-apocalyptic worlds in video games. Shadow of the Colossus is definitely one of my favorite video games. And the whole world kind of reminds me of Shiver Star in the sense that the first you don't really think about it because it's a fantasy adventure game. But the more you let the atmosphere sink in, the more you question.

[@VeritabIlIti]

Shiver Star is canonically confirmed to be post-apocalyptic Earth, I believe! Although after Forgotten Land it's possible it's an alternate reality...

[@BlueisNotaWarmColour]

Damn now I have to play Kirby 64

[@blue.lagoon00]

Gris is one of those games that touch you in ways you didn't expect, so glad to see it talked about on this channel.

[@WAHa06x36]

I did not really find it touching at all. It felt more like it just wanted to be thought of as touching, but didn't want to put in the effort to actually be touching. Instead, it is just filled with vague symbolism and tries to leave it to the viewer to imagine it has something to offer, but in reality it is just empty.

[@blackhammer5035]

@@WAHa06x36Agreed. It felt like all atmosphere and almost no content. Vague moodiness.

[@Narko_Marko]

@@WAHa06x36 artistic indie game, all aesthetic no gameplay. I haven't played it but it really looks like it, i tried planet of lana which looks pretty similar and it was boring as hell.

To each their own. It was like a good looking puddle. The surface looks nice, but there's no depth.

[@spider_plantt]

"There Will Come Soft Rains" was one of my favorite short stories as a kid (still is one of my favorite short stories) and it put into words the feeling of something that forms around an absence. Delighted to see it show up here!

[@bliss6417]

As someone who is obsessed with games made by From Software, I gotta mention the absolute beauty of playing Dark Souls 3 after you've finished the first game. There are so many little environmental details that makes the players nostalgic and sometimes even sad about how the passage of time has effected the world.

[@diegocassola1]

Dark Souls 2 is even better at that, Draengelic knows Lordran like a misremembered echo when remembered at all, treading similar paths and already deep in the process of getting itself forgotten like Lordran already is

[@j.pearce3981]

Senua's Sacrifice comes to mind with these themes. even though you know that you're in a small slice of civilization, and that the world isn't dead, roaming around that abandoned landscape with the head of your lover in a bag on her hip, while the voices in your head are taunting you...boy that was so good. also, scorn was a masterclass in this, which i know you've spoken about in detail. great videos.

[@VeritabIlIti]

Everyone got really down on Scorn because they wanted it to be something it wasn't. But for what it was trying to do, it absolutely succeeded!

[@jayvillemin]

I lost my mom recently and needless to say this video was all the more poignant because of that. The process of grieving is long and fraught but life goes on and beauty persists, even in pain. This was a lovely video, thank you

[@zombiesalmon4997]

I wont lie, dying and ruined worlds are more realistic and,honestly, more fun to write and create compared to worlds in which everybody is happy and everything is fine

[@chriss780]

"Its easier to imagine the end of the world than the end of capitalism"

[@headwreak1768]

soo i'd say end of evangelion

[@zachrabaznaz7687]

It's really not more realistic. Sure, more fun maybe, more interesting, but it's really hard to actually get yo a dying, ruined world. Such a thing has never happened before in human lifetime after all. Only overtaken. Never dead.

[@dustinnabil798]

If dying world is realistic, then how are we still here?

[@Slayerlord13]

@@zachrabaznaz7687 Exactly. The amount of time our planet has spent in such states (for example a short time after the extinction event that wiped out the non avian dinosaurs or as another example during the Great Dying that preceded the Triassic, etc) is disappearingly short compared to the amount of time our planet has been bursting with life. (no, the time before life arose doesn't count, as something can't have died if it never lived)

[@rockygetsrolling]

What a beautiful video, maybe your best yet. The examination of dead worlds as thematic for grief, acceptance, and change is a very illuminating thing, and all of these worlds are stunning to observe. The comparison to whale falls nearly made me weep, and I was genuinely overcome at the mention of Sable’s whale. What a beautiful connection. Fantastic work here, as always

[@qwertydavid8070]

CA really cooked a 5-star meal with this video. The way he connected all the themes and examples so fluidly was just awe-inspiring. Seeing post-apocalyptic words as metaphors for grief has completely changed the way I think about the post-apocalyptic medium as a whole.

[@aperson1754]

GRIS and Curious Archives is the greatest combination I could ever hope to imagine! I love this take on GRIS, I've already watched basically every analysis of it. It's my favourite game, and this is a really unique view of it. I've always loved games with dead worlds, and the quiet, desolate beauty of them. Hollow Knight, Dark Souls, Rain World, GRIS, Subnautica, there's something about them that brings about an emotion I can't quite describe. Plus they have cool wordbuilding. Also, you have absolutely sold me on Abzu. I've been considering getting it for a while, and I absolutely will as soon as i can now.

[@tragic_relief]

Thank you so so much for being able to put into words what I never could. You've truly captured what it's like to admire the tragic beauty of the remnants of a bygone world overtaken by a new one. It is the same feeling I feel every time I find a Jungle or Desert Temple in Minecraft, see the cities in the Last of Us or the remains of civilization in Adventure Time. A certain hollowness and melancholy that doesn't fully convey sadness. I realized how greatly these complex emotions could be provoked when I first watched this TedEd video about what happens to the world without humans, coincidentally inspired by the same book mentioned in this video, and until now my descriptions of this particular aesthetic or vibe have escaped me. Whether it be "desolate" or "dystopian", the words never quite fit the particular feeling I wanted to describe whenever I saw these "Dead Worlds", because only now I realize that to die is to have had life, which I am utterly grateful for. You have no idea how much this video means to me, and I hope you keep making videos that do the same for others what they did for me.

[@itsmaxmint]

I absolutely love Gris. It's more of an immersive interactive artwork for me and a masterpiece in that for sure. I would encourage any art lover to try it, even if they have nothing to do with gaming as a medium yet. Makes me very happy that the game becomes a stage at your channel! Thank you.

[@qwertydavid8070]

gris should be in a museum. It's one of the best examples of "videogames as art" that I've ever seen. The problem with videogames is that, unlike paintings, you can't get all the meaning from a single glance, and you have to invest a good amount of time into a game for its themes to really hit. I love omori. I think the way it explores its themes and characters is just masterful. I would love for omori to be some sort of display in a museum. But I just know damn well that no art critic on this earth will go through like the 12 hours of omori's story in a single sitting. Its sad, because I really think videogames have the potential to be the next epitome of the art medium. Film combines writing, music, and visuals in a beautiful way. Games take it one step further with the interactive element, making any story feel that much more personal and impactful.

[@luco9155]

For a strange coincidence We studied today one of the first "distopical story" written by Leopardi in 1820's: it was a dialogue between a gnome and a fairy about how all human suddenly disappeared and about our egocentrism to think that the world was made for us but in reality now that we are gone nothing has change, sun still rise days pass by even whitout anyone to count them, every species thinks to be the most important, but we like dinosaurs and others disappeared whitout anyone care...

[@muffin5062]

I feel like the mobile games Monument Valley 1 & 2 also fit the description of a dead world. In both games you wander through and do puzzles in the remnants of a civilization long gone and the only things left alive are the crow people, the totems (basically living totempoles) and you.

[@micahjones7837]

Monument valley is hands down the best mobile game I’ve ever played. My entire family actually played it. It really creates a special atmosphere

[@monky4640]

monument valley is such a surreal game to me because i only have memories of playing it on the ipads in the apple store but i remember it being really good and having such a unique atmosphere, i should really play it fully

[@dracodracarys2339]

we need a shadow of the colossus special edition that brings back the original extra colossi that didn't make it to the final cut. there was apparently supposed to be 24 of them

[@prideslayer77]

Such an underrated game

[@_guillermo]

There is a certain peace and pride that comes with exploring a ‘dead’ world. The peace is self explanatory, but the pride is a fascinating sense that emerges from questioning why we were spared from the widespread death. This is fuel for our search for meaning.

[@Fantasygod930]

I always love the dead world Aesthetic mostly the one with no life and the one that life has took over The old world They're always peaceful and calm to me And well yes The one with no life seems grim It's also kind of refreshing that Even though you see ruins of a civilization when no signs of life Plant or animal It can kind of make you think of your life and the future Things might Dark in the moment But when you say the dawn break You know a new world and life have arrived it's time to move on from that dark place Plus they're very pretty looking

[@daneymcpane]

Hey, maybe you'd like to look into the video game 'Cocoon'? It's a game where you're this beetle character that explores, solves puzzles and defeats bosses with the gimmick being that you are exploring alien worlds within worlds within worlds within worlds. It just seems like the kind of stuff you like to explore with the speculative biology and strange worlds. There are so many fascinating and unique lifeforms in this game, I would really love to hear your thoughts on it.

[@Sundayson451]

I'm in tears! Thank you for such a beautiful video, wonderfully narrated! I grew up playing videogames trying to convince everybody that games are indeed a form of art. I even contacted Jenova Chen to encourage him early in his career when only Flown and Cloud were released... And I would like to encourage you to keep doing beautiful videos and thougful reflections as this one! 💚

[@anglure3617]

loved this video and your introspective on emotions and consequences that follow suit in "dead worlds". really made me feel things

[@pcseeya4534]

Each time you make one of these videos it's a examination of a single game and its main theme but pulling in other games with the same theme. And its beautiful.

[@Davesobscurevideos]

I really enjoy your style of videos. You should consider doing one on “No Man’s Sky.” There’s a beautiful loneliness to it as you explore uninhabited and largely untouched worlds that no other player has witnessed.

[@aperson1754]

I think he did do one or two on them a while ago.

[@Davesobscurevideos]

@@aperson1754oh snap, I’ll check it out.

[@3nertia]

Beautiful :') The way you summarized the storms and charging through to end up angry at the world ... well, if I weren't already so tired of crying, I'd have shed a few more tears just then ...

[@AnimalAce]

This video is amazing! This is a full on movie in it of itself. I feel like i've been on a 3 hour journey and yet its only been 20 minutes. Thank you so much Curious Archive!

[@zimbydraws]

That was a really nice video with beautiful topic! I've always been fascinated with these types of games and loved all those emotions while playing them. Especially shadow of the colossus, on of my favorite games ever, was always kinda hard to describe (for me at least) because, while playing and not looking to hard into the story, the game was so simple and the world so empty. It was not like the other games you can play where the story throws you from one action event to the other, with plenty other characters to interact with or the goal to do as many quests as possible or something like that. In these games you are mostly on your own. Sometimes there is a companion who is with you for some time but in the end they have to move on in one way or another. Most of the time it's you, these dead lands and your own thoughts and emotions. I can't speak for all on that, but the emotions I feel while playing these games are so much more intense than what I feel while playing a game where I was told to mourn this character or I was told that this or that is important. When playing these games with those dead worlds you have to think for yourself. Maybe you are wondering what happend to these lands, where did it's people go, what is the history of those broken buildings. Experiencing your own thoughts and finding answers to your own questions is just so much more powerful than doing just another quest. Shadow of the colossus brings you this eerie feeling that something is wrong with the land around the temple, and maybe that thing is you. Abzû makes you wonder where you came from and how you are connected to these underwater world, it's many inhabitants and with those people you see the remains of. First you feel disconnected from your surroundings but with time you start to understand and feel much more comfortable. And with Gris you feel sad for that girl, for the world around you and all that is lost. But eventually you see that it's going to be okay and that this isn't actually the end. And I think that's the important thing about those stories, the end isn't actually the end. Even when all is lost, the people are gone and all their monuments are forgotten, life still goes on. It will thrive again and new things will be and new stories will be told, and it will be okay.

[@saturn_in_blue]

This is one of my favorite videos of yours. Poignant and beautiful. Also, lots of great games for me to check out. 😊

[@epicazeroth]

The number and depth of intertextual links on display here is mind-bogglingly impressive.

[@qwertydavid8070]

I know right??? It's genuinely impressive writing. The way he connected all these unrelated games back to the exploration of grief and accepting of gris was just so cool.

[@julianas8201]

when you were talking about the whale bones in Abzu I started crying 😭 Something about death of a huge and gentle creature resulting in life for years and years is emotional idk

[@zenithcoquelicot]

I don’t usually comment o videos but the way you conveyed this was really quite nice. there’s a comic I love- We Only Ever Find Them When They’re dead- the art is absolutely stunning but the story follows this concept. humanity relies on the corpses of dead gods to sustain themselves. different parts are used for medicine or food- and we follow the story of a man who had lost his entire family to the buying and selling of these parts and his story of grief until we meet a new form of life entirely. and I remember this one line “if I am to be something new, let me live.” it’s beautiful honestly. I love to see people convey these kind of messages in these stories.

[@RegularBiscuit]

these videos are awesome, i came for the speculative evoloution and stayed for all of it

[@JustLex25]

Gris is such an amazing game. It’s like learning to deal with the loss of someone very, very close, like a lover, or a good friend

[@Kuzul_]

I always feel this melancholy when playing these sort of games, the first one of this kind I played was Journey, and I played it dozens of times, always loving the narrative and the melancholy the world is built on.

[@senspartech3533]

Your videos are works of art in their own right, and I love how they have continued to evolve. Well done as always!

[@ZerglordGhi]

Nice, a new video! I love your content, keep it up!

[@jvikingr5764]

man, I almost started crying at the end of that. my favorite types of worlds are dystopian, of ages long past or passing. . . and yet I still can't help but grieve for the world I'll never know.

[@krowtrobot]

These are all my favorite games, lol. You have good taste! Of all of them, though, Sable might just be my favorite. When I finished the game, I just sat on top of a tower and watched the sun set and then watched the sun rise for an in game day listening to the sounds of the world...that is a game memory I will never forget.

[@thebluest_blue1145]

I think what sets Sable apart for me is that in this game, your purpose is to explore. Climbing and gliding off tall hills for fun, poking around every nook and cranny, seeing a cool thing in the distance and immediately switching course to see what is is - that's not a sidequest or distraction from the main plot, it's what you're encouraged to do. It really captures the feeling of being a young adult setting off into the world, having the freedom to go wherever you want.

[@Squabbit]

When playing through Gris myself, i came to think of the person being mourned, as the main characters vision of self. The rebuilding of capabilities and self worth, even through the toughest times of loss. I don't know if there is a canonical story to Gris, but i love having both this and my own understandings to what it could portray!

[@finpin2622]

This is really beautiful! The aesthetic of Gris reminds me a little bit of Journey/Sky: Children of the Light. I haven’t played Journey, but Sky definitely takes place in a living/dead world, the previous society remaining as spirts while the light children move through it. It’s kind of half-revived through the players. All the stages of the game are representing stages of life, which is interesting because you can constantly replay through all of them, so I guess its kind of a game about constant rebirth.

[@pandoratheclay]

Also the dead society, and the start of the game beckoning you to save them It’s sort of like our own, a previous generation that has or is on the way to killing the world with themselves along side it With the Children of Light being the only ones left, essentially having to fix what others have caused

[@forrestr7948]

Abzu is literally one of the most beautiful video game experiences ive ever had, im so glad to see you talk about its atmosphere

[@dionettaeon]

There's a puzzle-platform game that I love, called Unravel, that could fit the concept of a dead world to some degree. Basically, you play as a little red yarn figure, Yarny, who seeks to gather the memories of an old woman's past. The environments are beautiful, but even with all the evidence of human activity around you, the people themselves are largely absent, appearing primarily as static memories in the background. You get the sense that these places have been abandoned, even if only recently. It's just you and whatever animals you happen to come across. Any actual people in the game are few and far between and appear only briefly.

[@littlefox_100]

Unravel is a beautiful game!

[@dionettaeon]

@@littlefox_100 I couldn't agree more!

[@thomascreczynski5926]

i cried throughout this video. You have such a way with words to convey emotion it is almost uncanny. Absolutely infatuated with your work.

[@jillesvandermolen4594]

This video is so nicely executed! It all fits together so well! If I had more time I would definitely play many of the games you mention in your video’s! Thank you for making me think!

[@varivivid8031]

This feels so meta. Your channel is what has helped me with these feelings. Seeing how many forms life can take has given me so much peace despite being a part of a failing species

[@dialog_box]

2:28 the term "leviathan" specifically refers to sea creatures. the terrestrial equivalent is "behemoth." (and as a bonus, the aerial equivalent is "ziz.")

[@mike_k89]

Man i was thinking of watching some of your videos before going to sleep and you released a new one, perfect

[@mishacochran2825]

I love this channel, always so interesting

[@classicminer191]

I know its not exactly a dead world, but the book All Tomorrows can give you the same melancholy feeling of a dead world at some parts, particularly at the end.

[@penumbramine]

glad you mentioned abzu I would say rain world is also a good example with the ancients dying or ascending and leaving behind atrophying robotic megatructures and the descendants of bioengineered organisms.

[@Axeloy]

Never heard of a whalefall before this. You’ve done such a great thing with this video using it

[@bigpartay3355]

Glad someone is taking about Sable, it's an amazing game!

[@BryceCon]

The thing I respect the most is someone's ability to truly change my view on a subject that I have otherwise had a set viewpoint and stance on. Curious Archive manages to beautifully change my stance every time, and I respect it. I like that I see these new views because I enjoy them a lot. This is an amazing video.

[@artorias6969]

Bro I love your channel, keep up the good work

[@Kephinio]

This reminded me of Shriek in Ori and the Will of the Wisps. My partner introduced me into this whole thing with two-dimensional worlds and the beauty they are. I'm so thankful for all the people who worked on things like this, which both enables content like this to exist and people to feel something they often didn't know they could feel. So am I also thankful for video essays like this. Thank you!

[@that1cat999]

Did not expect to see Hollow Knight in a curious archive video, I’m happy about it being here tho

[@mikeykwaak272]

This was easily one of the most amazing and beautifully written videos about any kind of topic I've every watched. Bravo Curious Archive, bravo.

[@Guydude777]

That was a really good video. Heck, one of my favorites.

[@Ser3k758]

Dead, desolate worlds (especially in the hypothetical future) fill you with dread beacause they show us how fragile we actually are and highlight how our present actions may impact our future. For the better or the worse.

[@gregcalvin4337]

When I saw this, I was liKe "I hope hollow Knight is in this".

[@riptarozone]

This has been one of my favorite videos of yours as a longtime fan. If you've never played The Outer Wilds, you would love it. It fits very much into these Dead Worlds.

[@anthonybernard8819]

I would say that a dead world depends on what "dead" and "world" even mean. Dead could mean something is completely forgotten and world could mean your perception of reality

[@Emma-jg4bt]

I really don't know why but i cry almost everytime i watch one of your videos. The thought and consideration that you put in there, that hope of optimism in a world filled with pessimism and seemingly only ends makes me feel at ease. The world will continue and thrive even after we are dead and forgotton, that gives me a feeling of calmness i can hardly explain. Thank you for making those videos. The way you intertwine concepts of fiction with scientific discoveries results in a philosophy I aprechiate a lot

[@bluesquare001]

In a video about dead worlds i'm surprise that there's no mentioned of Journey. good video

[@Bone220]

There is something that is interesting some people don't think about. We always imagine the horror of ai being that they rebel, they turn against us... But what is more scary is they do their job so efficiently that they continue long after we are gone. There is an animation o forgot the name of, but it's of a bomber doing bombing runs, the plane is old and falling apart, and as the bombs drop you find the whole planet is already dead, the war ended 10 years prior and the bombs are still dropping. The ai continues the plane by having it land at base, re arm, then take off for it's next flight. It doesn't go down by anyone's affect but by it breaking apart through the decade of none stop running. I feel it's far more scary to see that happen because it means even if you survived, you are doomed to be killed in a war that long since ended.

[@michaelchaney2336]

As The Gunslinger says, "The World Moved On." I think the creator coordinates with space, time, light, gravity, and matter to create. Before creation there was only mass, gravity, and space. A place can have mass, gravity, and space to it but feel time is meaningless there. As if the farthest reaches of that world have no place anymore. What light there is as hollow and empty. Like you will seek for a long time to understand the fullness of what once was.

[@dulcineaquinn]

Rime is also a game that uses ruins as a symbol of grief and has different sections representing its different stages, but it ends up being more explicit about what's being mourned

[@rustyshackleford234]

I can’t believe you didn’t mention scorn! That’s about as dead as you can get, the whole game looks like earth died and going through putrefaction. There are these horrific posthuman creatures, but I’d hardly call them life as we know it.

[@Nothing.Nugget]

I think it's because he was going with the theme of the 5 stages of grief, like what "Gris" did. So, he found games that represented a "dead world" while also showing a stage of grief.

[@danieladmiraal9371]

Same with journey or rainworld, in a way they are dead worlds but they didnt fit nicely into the video.

[@SPYD0R]

He released an entire video dedicated to Scorn at the end of 2022 and it was excellent: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j3jdloycrLuUa7c

[@SirToaster9330]

Scorn is a horror game

[@C-Farsene_5]

I think its cause he wanted to showcase other games he hasn’t mentioned before

[@MintBiscuits]

4:22 - As I watched this video I realized that I had never once considered revisiting any of the giants I slayed in Shadows of the Colossus and oh man that is a feeling.

[@Netist_]

I loved the art in Gris but, I dunno, I always felt like it was one of those games that has nothing but symbolism going for it and ends up being far too vague as a result.

[@burntnougat5341]

Same. It feels like more like an art display visual novel first and game second

[@WAHa06x36]

Same feelings exactly. Gris feels like it WANTS to be profound and moving, but is not willing to actually put in the work and heart to earn it. It just vaguely handwaves and expects you to do the work for it. Really didn't like it, it felt very disingenuous.

[@hugomoel8490]

Wow, that video was amazing ! Thank you so much :) One game that convey really well the idea of a world built upon a dead world is Rain World. You are literary part of a new ecosystem thriving on the ruins of the ancient world

[@Zweckmeister]

Darksouls also has a great dead world setting!

[@aperson1754]

It does! Gael's arena in particular feels like it could represent acceptance - not for the passing of a loved one, but rather an acceptance at the end of one's own life. It just feels faded, and there is no new world after it, just empty nothingness.

[@cortos_9733]

Fantastic episode CA. The exploration of how death pervades each environment but like a whalefall leads to an explosion of life is amazing. It reminds me of the world you did a while back where the massive creatures fall from the sky in death only to feed the rest is a sad kind of beauty.

[@Flame03265]

Lets go. New video!

[@coolbeans5911]

my heart becomes so full when i hear people talk about hollow knight

[@smartsmartie7142]

I saw the title and knew Gris would be in it!

[@gansior4744]

Genshin is a one game that gets never talked about in this aspect. It has some of these vibes of the Shadow of the Colossus. Lost buildings of the forgotten civilization, giants roaming the hills. For this pretty standard RPG, Genshin has some amazing aspects

[@kamm6001]

im not gonna lie, ive been going through some rough stuff lately, almost given up entirely but i keep getting videos and posts recommended to me that give me a bit more hope, and it helps thank you, curious archive :)

[@kyledabearsfan]

I watched my friend watch Gris in utter awe for hours one night. Its breathtaking. It gives real Journey vibes.

[@Moxie326]

The world of Nier Automata is such a beautiful dead world.

[@baldagam8456]

bro this is your best video yet, i love, how you spun together so many different interpretations of death and rebirth, and how neatly you tied it all together.

[@paytonskate21]

How you missed Nier: Automata as a dead world fucking BAFFLES me LMAO.

[@erweepretorius457]

A dead world is something i often think about. Just the thought of a place abandoned that once was so full of life is quite the mystery. Yet when i play a game or read something that has worlds like that i get a sense of melancholy and peacefulness i cannot explain. It so comforting, walking around a barren and abandoned place, but it is also so scary too. Like you know you are safe but something always says you aren't and even when nothing happens that feeling stays behind. I love dreaming of days like that where i am alone and at peace, with no one to bother me and no one to hurt me. Yet it's also leaves a sad feeling behind when i do think about. Anywho that was just on my mind. Great video dude i love your channel and only discovered it yesterday

[@highlord2841]

Dark Souls, Elden Ring, Bloodborne, and Demons Souls

[@TroyTheCatFish]

I Agree ☝️

[@IronCarnage20]

I've been playing Remannt 2 for a couple months now and I feel like that game belongs in a video such as this. You basically travel to different worlds, which are mostly dead or in the process of dying. Ne'rud, in particular feels like something that would fit the definition of a dead world. Such an awesome game with great lore. As always, amazing video! Looking forward to more.

[@kayskreed]

'Gris' is pronounced 'Gree'. French for 'grey'. It's a game that I've been thinking about trying someday. Games with 'dead' worlds are among my favourite. I enjoyed the Outer Wilds for that reason also.

[@tyddlup]

A quick Google about the game has informed me it's made by a Spanish company, therefore it is pronounced "gris" for "grey" in Spanish.

[@kayskreed]

​@@tyddlupSpanish and French are both Latin languages with many words in common. It wouldn't surprise me.

[@somelaser5906]

Amazing video, you truly never disappoint. It was made all the more bittersweet due to my Gramps' recent death and already going through the 5 stages of grief. It made me feel comfortable being reminded that other people go through the same as I have.

[@lemonboy9208]

amazing video!

[@PinchyTheKittyGirl]

This channel shows me so many games I never knew about that I then go play. Awesome.