The Complex Matter of Fear & Hunger

Alternative title: Danse Ma'habre
Warning: this video discusses topics such as SA which may be upsetting to some viewers.
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Zuldim's Video: • Fear & Hunger: An In-D...
Few indie horror games have experienced the notoriety and praise that Fear & Hunger has - and for the longest time it has been recommended to me over and over again. Now I've finally played it, and I have many, many thoughts to share.
Known for its bleak world, dark themes, and ultraviolent content, Fear & Hunger is often cited as one of the most disturbing games on the internet. But there's a running theme with for games that are disturbing/bleak/dark as their main selling point - that being that they are often reliant on shock value, subversion, and controversy rather than the quality of their own content. Does this apply to Fear & Hunger too? Let's find out.
Music Sources:
Fear & Hunger OST
• Fear & Hunger OST - Ma...
Mark van der Meulen
• ♫ Sad Ominous Horror M...
• ♫ Creepy Neoclassical ...
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King
• World of Warcraft Soun...
World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade
• Hellfire Peninsula - B...
• Shadowmoon Valley - Bu...
Dark Souls
• Dark Souls Soundtrack:...
• Video
Video Sources:
Fear & Hunger
Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Elden Ring

[@Painticus]

Hello! I'm jumping in preemptively here to address some criticism I know I'll get for the video. Below are some things I've heard other people say to shut down criticisms of the game before, and other things are more specific to this video which I reckon people will bring up. "You know you can just install a censor mod, right?" Yeah - I've seen it. I've got some friends that play with censor mods on, and that's fine for them. But, as I say in the video, the nudity is okay by me. The SA and whatnot is what bothers me. Installing something to remove that aspect of the game for a review would be effectively pulling wool over everyone's eyes in an attempt to make the game less controversial - when the SA and generally inappropriate content is something the developer intentionally put into the game. This is not something we should overlook because we like other aspects of the game. We have to call out things that are unacceptable or detrimental to a product - even if we like the rest of it. Conversely... "You're just oversensitive about the SA." Not quite, I just have standards. And as far as shock content goes, it's not even that effective. It's just distasteful and edgy. "You built your character all wrong, of course you found it tedious in parts. You can get an immediate speed boost if you choose to immediately rush to the dungeons in the intro, and if you pick Cahara or D'arce as your playable character the game is much easier." (and any other 'just do xyz and you'll be fine' type comments) I know that now, but I didn't know when I started. A new player wouldn't know these things. More importantly, a new player shouldn't know these things. I approached this (relatively) blind, and reviewed my experience as such - because that's how I cover almost every game on this channel. That's how most people approach most games - especially horror games which are usually very far removed from the idea of a meta build. For a game that has its main strengths in atmosphere, visuals, and narrative, having a super pragmatic and mechanically focussed approach is pretty counterintuitive. If I wanted to play a power fantasy JRPG, I'd play one. "You just don't like hard/dark/bleak games." I do - genuinely, I really do. Not the ultra-hard kinds that are made to infuriate like a lot of gimmick platformers and whatnot, but the ones that are mechanically, thematically, or narratively tough. I mention the Souls games in the video, and they are (with one exception) some of my favourite games ever. I also mention STALKER - a notoriously bleak and unforgiving game, which happens to be my favourite FPS series. I've also covered games like Hexcraft: Eventide Sigil on the channel which is a very grim game in tone, and I really enjoyed it. The game that I've covered which is probably closest to Fear and Hunger in terms of tone and difficulty would be Darkwood, another game I adored. The "difficult" parts of Fear and Hunger that I disliked were all timewasting mechanics and RNG events, which these other games largely (or entirely) lack. Which leads me to... "You're just impatient." There's a fine line between being patient and disrespecting your own time. You have to choose what to be patient for - and with a video game, if I know there are other video games out there without the problematic content that will provide a similar (if not better) atmosphere and payoff than what I'm currently playing, I'll have all the patience in the world. For the other game. Not to get too existential with it, but we've only got so much time, and I'd rather not spend it on coinflips. "You can get explosive vials in a few ways - you can find them and craft them." Indeed you can! But there are two major problems with that. Firstly, the currency you need to buy the guaranteed recipe for explosive vials is also randomly placed, meaning you could potentially never find enough money to buy it. Then there are the issues of getting the right materials for it, which I found to be abundant, but again - it's random. But the second problem is a far bigger one - which is that a random consumable item should not lock you out of 2 of the games endings. That's absurd. I don't know any other game that does that with something so wholly unremarkable. "The game is meant to be replayed multiple times, you don't need to access all of the endings in one playthrough." That's entirely fair, and I appreciate that the game has a lot of replayability. The explosive vials can still fuck off though. "You used an exploit/cheat to beat the game!" Yep! But I still got 2 endings legitimately, and the only reason I cheated was to get more coverage of the game which I was softlocked out of. If I had known how unpleasant the Gauntlet area was, I wouldn't have bothered. I'd probably have tried to get the God of Ultraviolence ending instead, because that one sounds kinda fun. "You'd like it way more if you saw/did/read/looked up-" Whatever you are going to recommend, I have either done it or seen it since finishing the script. I know more about this game than I ever needed to for this video because I really wanted to give it a chance - and I gave it substantially more time and thought than I have for any other game I have looked at in several years. What you see in the video is my initial experience with the game, but following that (all throughout the editing process) I read/watched so much - and even replayed the game fully. None of it changed my mind. Yes, I know the King in Yellow is in the game. "The game just isn't for you." That's a very fair analysis. Again, like I say in the opening of the video - I know a lot of people love this game and that's okay, I don't have any issues with people that do. Having watched a lot of fan content surrounding the game I know that it is a very active and fun community who are almost entirely very lovely. But there are certain issues with the game that I can't overlook, and I would encourage even those that revere the game to be open to these criticisms too. I hope people don't just view this video as me hating the game - because there are so many aspects of it that are truly great, and I love that those parts are celebrated. Much love all

[@jtru0]

❤❤

[@Crumb_B]

You dropped this my man 👑

[@basketodone]

I think most of these are pretty fair criticisms, but I disagree with the idea that it's unfun because a new player doesn't know everything they need to know right off the bat. I consider this to be a "wiki game", something that's very common these days, especially in groups like those that enjoy Fear and Hunger. This includes a lot of other dark roguelikes, like The Binding of Isaac, Darkest Dungeon, etc, and other games like Terraria or Minecraft. At the end of the day, there's two ways to enjoy these games. You can go into them blind, spend an exorbitant amount of time failing and learning, and eventually feeling the satisfaction of doing everything right through trail and error, or; just look it up. I don't see what about Fear and Hunger's blind gameplay makes it any worse than any of these other games.

[@waltervoidbringer4491]

Using cheats and exploits, especially exploits, is 100% valid. All-Bones Jones, another content creator that is basically a celebrity in the F&H community, notoriously says that dev-tiles are canon to the Dungeons of Fear and Hunger. If the game is unfair then the player can be unfair too. Him, and a couple of other players and content creators have carried out vivisection after a vivisection to know every bone and muscle in Miro's infamous spaghetti code to break the game as much as possible

[@Shenaldrac]

Oh oh, let me shut down your criticism! Oh I have you dead to rights Painticus, you'll never criticize another beloved cult classic video game in this town again! Ahem. You only dislike it because it does things you think genuinely harm the game itself as well as being frankly unacceptable in a modern context! Bam, gottem B)

[@arthurjeannin3357]

About the coin flips: I did check the game's files when I was playing because it seemed very low to me too - you can open it in RPG Maker and see every single part of the code. The coin flip event really is a 50/50 chance! Failing 14 times in a row certainly is TERRIBLE luck though haha

[@Painticus]

oh god

[@necrosadotor]

did u guys use the lucky coin then? because many people don't know to use it, which is strange because its usage is explained literally in the beginning of the game

[@Painticus]

I believe I use it in the video

[@necrosadotor]

it's where you press shift when coin flipping. it'd be insanely bad luck to get 15 times wrong even then, but ofc that's also possible@@Painticus

[@obazu3727]

Lot of games actually have hidden "pity" systems to keep the players from getting these kinds of unlucky roll sequences. Interesting Firaxis made a game mode for X-com 2, that didn't have these systems turned on(in other words a game mode, where the rng was actually working exactly as stated) and they ended up getting ton of complaints from players, who thought the game was cheating against them.

[@carriebrute3627]

Honestly is super wholesome to see that the game about murdering kids , exposed genitalia and very explicit mental and physical abuse has one of the most wholesome and respectful communities seeing everyone being nice with this persons opinions and thoughts on a game they love despite this person saying they didn’t liked it is very cool

[@fearhunger3983]

Thanks for a comprehensive look at the game! A lot of the criticism is fair. Might sound a bit pretentious, but F&H1 was never really meant to be a "good" game as far as general game design consensus goes. It was an experience and experiment first and a video game second if that makes sense. With F&H2 I thought there could be potential for a "fun" game too with some of the established game design. So in that light, I always understood perfectly well why some people weren't feeling the game. If anything, I'm a bit surprised how liked F&H ended up becoming.

[@Painticus]

It says a lot about both you and the vast majority of Fear & Hunger fans that my criticisms have been met very openly and respectfully. The communities surrounding this game and the sequel are full of lovely people and I'm very happy that people have recognised that I'm still very impressed by the aspects of the game I did enjoy. Truly, the world, lore, characters, and style are all spectacular and I can't wait to see what Termina holds. Thank you for taking the time to watch the video and comment - and thank you for fostering such a great playerbase!!

[@masterzoroark6664]

In these regard- of a game being suprisingly loved by community - it's not dissimilar to works of Icepick Lodge. Their games, especially older, are rough and hard to make a point And I guess this is why people gravitate to them- they tend to force one to become media literate to enjoy, and if it sticks, it usually leaves a proper mark.

[@Aondeug]

It may sound a bit weird and this is a month late reply but the fact that the first game wasn't designed to be a "good" game is honestly what endeared me to it so much. One thing I really like in video games is a strong thematic presence, especially if it is one that the gameplay is made to bow to. This can be a very polarizing approach to games, but I find it very fascinating to analyze and experience. Basically everywhere I looked in Fear and Hunger I found more and more things that led back to the themes of the game. To the point where I was often thinking about how my experience of restarting the game a lot could be viewed with the themes and worldbuilding in mind. The more I learned about the game and how to actually play it through repetition and experimentation with often fatal results, the more things like the Hall of the New Gods or Enki's story really began to sit with me. It's an uncompromisingly cohesive experience and that's just neat. Hearing that Termina was more approachable is somewhat why it's taken me so long to start on it. Since starting on it I'm liking a lot. It's gotten me restarting the game a lot just to examine the other characters and to see what patterns I can unravel with the time chunks. And I'm really loving that the expansions to the lore and the soundscape and art is wonderful. But hearing that the game wasn't as unrelentingly hostile to the player did give me a bit of pause. I suppose because I'm a weird art person who likes reading and writing essays at heart and Fear and Hunger's hostility to the player definitely gave me that. Thankfully Termina is very ripe for that sort of thing itself, though I do think that there is something very special about the first game. It's not for everyone. I'd suggest most people start with Termina. But the first game just hits a certain way for precisely the very reasons I wouldn't recommend it over its sequel. Also, it's a bit tangential so I am not sure where to put it in this though it feels relevant. But part of my experience with the first game is very colored by my fondness for traditional roguelikes. Wherein a lot of the progress you make in the games isn't just the bigger numbers or getting closer to the end of the game, it is in the accumulation of knowledge even when you lose. It's the playing fast and loose with risk and reward and being fine with your experiments failing because you can always try again.

[@johnskelington]

​@Painticus Termina has you play a game that involves murdering innocents to save yourself. Saw-like game confirmed?

[@ElskaFox]

@@Painticus, I really hope you like Termina!! It's a very different vibe from the 1st Funger and much more enjoyable, IMO. Best of luck!!

[@Killysunt]

This game really is one that I just enjoy watching others suffer playing rather than playing it myself lmao

[@Painticus]

That seems to be what a lot of people feel, and I understand that completely! I've since watched other people playing it and it's more interesting than doing it yourself for sure

[@planterion7969]

Yeah that's me too, I got it after watching a few videos about it and tried it. After three hours I was so annoyed by the gameplay that I put the game down and went back to watching videos XD

[@excitedcat9517]

Absolutely, My man 👏👏👏

[@josedorsaith5261]

My GF is the same way with any horror game. Turned out to be a great date-night; sitting on the couch, me with the controller

[@kal_bec]

very rare people make the correct choice of making a video 4:3 when 90% of the footage is 4:3. Good man

[@CriticalNobody]

Seems like a game built to simulate having a killer DM who’s going to screw you over for the lols

[@yserareborn]

To be honest, that is one thing I kind of like about Fear and Hunger. It does at least invoke the feeling of playing one of those old-school ADnD games where you play through a scenario built to churn through characters.

[@thekameru6058]

From what I've read, the creator got the idea for this game whilst playing a sort of 'what would you do in this horrible situation if you were in a dungeon' idea game with his friends at school. So, you're bloody close basically. Oh yeah, and agree with Painticus - fuck them nails.

[@obazu3727]

Haverinen actually touched on the use of shocking content in his bachelor's thesis, on thematics of horror in video games, using his game design work on the demo of Fear & Hunger as a case study. Here's a quote from the paper, translated from Finnish to English: "During the design of the game, the question of how far to stretch the horror scenes constantly arose. Several studies referenced in this thesis have depicted the traumatizing effects of horror games and imagery, which only added weight to the question. Despite the moral choices continuously troubling the development of the game, it remains uncompromising and utilizes everything in the imagery that was originally planned." And here is a quote on the function of the shocking scenes in the game: "The game features some scenes that act as punishments for players for poor performance, for when mere death in the game does not convey enough significance to failure. In these scenes, the extreme imagery is taken beyond the game's already macabre visuals." He also has two pages long chapter on creating narrative resonance via what he calls "anti-gameplay"

[@obazu3727]

Here's a translation on what he had to say about anti-gameplay: "I believe that for horror games, the most entertaining gaming experience does not produce the sought-after reactions from players. Section 4.4.1 already discussed how, from a game mechanics perspective, horror games often put the player in a vulnerable position. Fear & Hunger aims for this by breaking several game mechanics textbook teachings with elements that do not conform to the generally accepted notions of good video game design. Within the thesis, I refer to these elements as anti-gameplay elements. Examples of such elements in Fear & Hunger include: the game does not explain any of its features. Only through trial and error can the player find a purpose for items that otherwise seem nearly useless. The game contains one-way dead ends that leave the player without the possibility to continue the game in a normal manner. The character development in the game works almost in the opposite way to traditional role-playing games, where the player's characters become stronger with each battle, whereas in Fear & Hunger, characters lose limbs and approach permanent disability with each monster encounter. Although the anti-gameplay features likely cause frustration and irritation among players at times, this is not their primary purpose; rather, they aim to reinforce narrative themes. The dungeons of fear and hunger are meant to be distressing and hopeless, where the fate of the player's characters is in the hands of higher powers. The anti-gameplay features create a contrast to ludonarrative dissonance; they create ludonarrative resonance. Game mechanics have been made unpleasant on purpose so that the player would avoid the same dangers as the game character. The purpose of the anti-gameplay elements is to make the player paranoid about every choice and to seek alternative means to avoid the dungeon's dangers. Through ludonarrative resonance, I aim to achieve higher immersion, which in turn would add to the game's frightening atmosphere." And here's what people had to say about the punishing elements in the demo: "Based on feedback from the test version, it became clear that these particular features caused considerable frustration for several players. Sudden deaths, where opponents can kill game characters with a single strike without any warning, were found to be particularly unpleasant. However, on the other hand, many players quickly learned creative ways to avoid these events. The sudden deaths reinforced positive experiences with features that helped players out of trouble. The lack of explanations for game mechanics initially caused frustration, but at the same time, it added mystery and fear of the unknown to many. The feeling of hopelessness seemed to be strongly conveyed through these anti-gameplay elements. Mastering the game mechanics also created feelings of success among players. All those who provided feedback mentioned that the anti-gameplay elements, despite their unpleasantness, were not so severe as to completely stop players from playing. Looking forward, the game's anti-gameplay features require a lot of balancing, but I believe they have a strong impact on creating the overall image of the game and help achieve the desired feelings of hopelessness. This subject area is also quite unexplored in game development, so as an experimental indie game, Fear & Hunger serves as a good platform for further research."

[@Painticus]

Thank you for this info! Definitely a good read. It reminds me a lot of the writing that is done on experimental film (which I had to go through a ton of doing my degree). I feel that F&H1, while theoretically very cool and asks a lot of important questions about the medium (much like a lot of experimental cinema does), does not translate well to a consumer experience (in the same way a lot of experimental cinema does too). This game being a thesis makes a lot of sense - and I'm sure academically it was well received. The dev is very talented and I appreciate that F&H2 seems to be a combination of F&H1's theoretical strengths & player feedback

[@VCV95]

Funger 1 is actively antagonistic to players, as are many other eastern European games. Honestly there are so many parallels between Funger and Pathologic. Pathologic HATES you as a player, and actually does almost everything in its power to screw you over, RNG involvement and not explaining things all over both games. The content is obviously troubling, but outside of actually "showing" some things, the game is about the same level as several other adult dark fantasy series, and much less horny about it on average imo. Look at Game of Thrones, Berserk, Hellsing, and even JoJo for well loved media with some insanely intense themes and graphic scenes of violence, gore, and sexual assault, and handled worse on occasion too. It can be a part of horror imo. The level of fan service or being outright sexually pleasing is part of the determination to me, and fear and hunger is pretty good about not titillating players, more grossing them way the hell out, as desired and intended. I don't disagree it's a borderline impossible subject to handle well, but Fear and Hunger could definitely handle it worse, and it's done it's job making you obsessed enough to make a 40 minute video while correctly not advocating the content in the game. It's meant to be troublesome, disturbing, and triggering, and While I agree it's not good, it's handled well and has a full right to exist alongside movies like Salo, The Human Centipede, and more media.

[@lorddervish212quinterosara6]

Damn, where do we find this thesis?@@obazu3727

[@chrisossu2070]

It's more surprising that Fear & Hunger blew up as much as it did, considering it was intentionally built to be unrelentingly hostile. Like, it was built for an incredibly niche audience but somehow everyone ended up playing it. FYI, while the sequel does tone down the grosser elements of the previous game and is less luck-based, there are gameplay elements that seem to actively punish those who think their tactics in the first game will carry over. It's better to go into Termina completely fresh and learn its particular set of rules rather than draw from your experiences with the first Fear & Hunger for assistance.

[@SpecterVonBaren]

Sir, might I introduce you to a game called 'Getting Over It's?

[@anthonykarnes6804]

Two words. Pocket cat

[@mado-wh4jv]

The difficulty of the game isn't really a problem for a community. People got their interest and catch on the game learning about the characters and the worldbuilding, and when they actually want to play the game they use a guide and actually practice to play efficiently without losing the fun of it. That's why the game is popular regardless of its hostility.

[@planterion7969]

I think most of the community of this game doesn't even play it themselves much, me included. We just watch videos about it, since I think many people find the lore interesting, but I don't think nearly as many people actually enjoy playing the game.

[@mado-wh4jv]

@@planterion7969 I do, I love realistic rpgs and survival horrors, of course I use the 99 enlightened books mod, I am not expending 1 hour straight of gameplay just to find a bed so I can save the game and come back later.

[@harrisonfackrell]

The phobia mechanic doesn't actually do much. The weakness status effect (which phobias inflict when activated) make you more likely to be hit by, and take more damage from, physical attacks. However, very few attacks in the game (approximately 60 out of 300-or-so) actually qualify as physical. In fact, at least one of the phobias corresponds to *no* enemy that has physical attacks.

[@waltervoidbringer4491]

As someone who actually loves F&H games and played through 'em to hell and back, everything here is valid. F&H1 is, at it's core, an egregiously rough game. It tells you jack shit, breaks your arms and legs, drags you to the nearest pond and throws you in there. Sink or swim. It took me 30+ hours to finish my first run, and that is ignoring all the other various times I dropped the game for one reason or another. It is not a fun game to play until you learn enough to literally cheese everything. So, how about the second game? F&H: Termina is an infinitely better game in every aspect. Miro listened to the criticism people had with the first game, which resulted in a gem. Mind you, still a rough gem but it's better than a bloodstained rock that was the first game (the bloodstains come from your skull). P.S.: There is an upcoming update for F&H: Termina which adds a fishing minigame and clowns. The rough gem will become a diamond! WOOOO!!!

[@Painticus]

Holy shit there's a fishing minigame coming to F&H2? I'm all in

[@RobertMatheson]

Do you know how mad you have to make this man for him not to have a party at the notion of "bug ending"

[@uraniumsgloriousjunkyard6194]

I absolutely love Fear & Hunger, but I respect your opinion. This game is far from being for everyone, and I can see how playing it could feel like a tedious and unfair experience. It is way more antagonistic to the player than other games that are considered hard but more fair. It is truly cruel, especially in the beginning. With that said, the brutality it shows has a deeper meaning than you think in my humble opinion. I made a bunch of videos on the strong Freudian psychological themes in the first game. And many others had explored other deeper parts of this game. Maybe you would appreciate them more as a viewer and not a player. Disconnected from the cruelty the game can inflict on you.

[@planterion7969]

Yeah, I too like this game in theory but absolutely hate the gameplay, most of it doesn't even feel difficult or unfair to me, just annoying, tedious and boring, not like a challenge but a waste of time. But the setting is interesting, so I agree that it is fun to watch videos about the game and watch others play it.

[@TKVirusman]

The point about artificial and fair difficulty literally just being a matter of opinion is so creative, original and TRUE that you are getting my sub instantly. Thank you wise gamer man!

[@TrinSpin]

I respectfully disagree that gore, or excessive violence is so far removed from most peoples' lives that it can't be traumatic to the same degree as SA. I suggest you look into the rate of suicide (and mental illness) for first responders, particularly EMTs. While not to the same degree, doctors and technicians that work in emerge also deal with having to see horrific things near daily. And that's without even getting into survivors of assault with a deadly weapon. I'll admit I'm biased because of my own past experiences and social circle, but even despite that I still think everything should be on the table.

[@Painticus]

Oh I wasn't saying that it's less traumatic - I'm well aware that it is - I was simply saying it's less common and less normalised. I totally understand that it's still a very prominent issue in many peoples' lives

[@TrinSpin]

​@@Painticus well, after having finally played it I now have to eat my hat because A) your callout/criticism/clarification in the Sad Satan video was accurate for my knee-jerk defence B) you were right that the sexual content in the start of Funger adds absolutely nothing. Shit's like a store-brand 00s Nitroplus/Urobutcher VN; none of the artistry that leads to the gut-punch from the shock content. I was operating on faith that the internet wouldn't glaze such a punitive game for no reason. (yes, I should know better) I will still die on the hill that exposure to/trauma from gore/death is much more common than you'd expect. And that Crucible Knight Ordovis and friend was an amazingly fun boss fight specifically because of how hard they input read.

[@cartertitan-rv3xe]

maybe im just braindead but i really dont understand how dismemberment and extreme gore is so far removed from normal life, but sa is just not. both things are real tragedies that happen to real people, but the criticism presented here just makes it seem like sa is not acceptable in this context because its uncomfortable, which i dont really get because i personally thought that the discomfort and disgust was one of the main points of the game. otherwise i agree with pretty much every other argument.

[@NicholasCarabine]

Fear and Hunger. That about describes by 2 emotions when i see a new paint video

[@Beeyo176]

I love FnH, but at no point did I ever think, "Painticus would LOVE this!" Absolutely doesnt feel like his lane

[@gabriel0742]

fear and hunger is set in a location where it is possible for people to act on their desires without any consequences or intervention for their actions at all. A lot of them will decide to do horrible things because there exists terrible people in real life that go to the absolute worst extremes imaginable if they can do it with no impunity at all. If you remove the sexual violence, you aren't telling a faithful reality to that world. It's perfectly fine to not want to watch that type of content, because it doesn't have to be watched by every person on the planet. But removing it from the game entirely is just kind of ridiculous when you consider the other forms of violence that happen in the game and the circumstances around it.

[@evanwojtalewicz4983]

Fear and Hunger is a game that is a whole lot more fun to watch than to play. It's a game that is carried SO hard by its lore and story. I feel that the internet's infatuation by this series is due to the fact that most people have never actually played it. They experience the story through content creators without having to go through the tedium of the game itself. I honestly wish fear and hunger was a book series instead of a game series. One thing you didn't get correct is the fear and hunger ending. It's implied that a darkness comes to the world yes but it does something that the game rarely does. Give meaning to hardship. The idea of the god of fear and hunger is that is creates hardship for the express purpose of training and molding humanity to be stronger. Funger 2 is indeed quite a lot more mature and better. Less tedium, same baller story. Top notch video as always. I look forward to more :) -TheWyvernBorn

[@mattmolloy636]

F&H Termina is probably more your speed, so much so that it's generally recommended when it comes to which game you should start with. That said, how'd you enter a room full of meat mannequins and selectively choose to sacrifice a playable character?

[@Painticus]

I kicked myself over the mannequin room after I beat the game the first time. Turns out I interacted with everything in the room OTHER than the big clone vat thing. You have to interact with it in a specific spot otherwise it doesn't work and naturally I missed it because I'm a fool. My apologies go out to Cahara's family, and I wish to pass on this message: my bad lol

[@doctorrussia]

Im honestly super glad you brought up the sa stuff. Its so weird how no one really criticizes that part of the game

[@DBArtsCreators]

All I can say is this regarding the games' use of sexual assault and similar depraved acts - if they were cut, it would imply that there are limits to the evil & depravity of the world / that there are lines even the most evil of beings would not cross. That would degrade the themes of the game (which can largely be summarized as "the world is fucked, people are fucked, and you don't have to be the lowest of the low to do fucked things. Being good/moral in the world is hell"). Such is what I get from the game and its exploration of depraved, primal nature at least.

[@brycemoose7026]

My thoughts exactly

[@nandanthony]

kinda funny how the gods will smite you for paedophillia lmao

[@spookyjones6577]

about the sexual stuff…I hope it isn’t lost on you that whatever happens to the little girl is your own doing in the game. Actually, the game actively punishes you, doesn’t reward or makes it explicitly obvious what will happen (think pocketcat) if you choose to use the girl for whatever screwed up thing is in the dungeon. It’s kind of weird, but as a woman, I actually love the inclusion of sexual themes in the game. It’s thematic with Sylvian and makes sense in the game world and I think just calling it an inclusion for shock value limits a proper analysis and appreciation for it. In the game, the monsters use their sexuality for monstrous purposes, makes sense. You can also cut off their members. A lot of fun. The worshippers for Sylvian have an orgy nonstop that they don’t actually seem to enjoy…but it heals you to participate. It is interesting to me and doesn’t seem to be there for pure shock value. I for one feel like the loss of the sexual aspects would take away from the game.

[@IAreNotaPotato]

You like the inclusion in the game of being able to have sex with a kid? Think about what you just said...

[@epicsavagebros7400]

@@IAreNotaPotatoThat is not possible in the game. If you try the game simply says no same with Moonless.

[@IAreNotaPotato]

@@epicsavagebros7400 why did you tag me in some random post I don't know what post you are referring too

[@epicsavagebros7400]

@@IAreNotaPotato It would seem you have deleted it

[@IAreNotaPotato]

@@epicsavagebros7400 then how are you responding to it? I didn't delete anything

[@derosapigi56]

This was a great video! You brought up a lot of valid points. I’ve watched various people play this game over the years, and the vast majority who manage to get endings are those who end up using exploits to get past the unbearable RNG mechanics and time limit. I enjoy the lore behind both games, but it’s definitely not something I’d want to play for myself With the SA, I think it’s good that there are proper content warnings for both games (believe me I’ve played games that give no warning), but you do have to question when there’s any point for including it in the first place. It felt like SA was just included for shock value and I wasn’t sure how to feel about it

[@MDiarmeid]

Fantastic video dude, even tho i disagreed with many of the points, the presentation and how you articulate the points it is really good and comprehensible! Now idk if you would like to, but if your ever curious i think it might be worth to give F&H 2 a shot, now idk if you would like it, but given that many of the issues explained here are toned down a lot, and the exploration and combat its more rewarding, without sacrificing the tension or the sense of danger. But again only if you are curious and stuff.

[@briancordry8165]

really glad that you brought up the point about the gratuitous sexual violence and exactly *why* it's so much more offensive. seems like the truth of that point is lost on the edgelord younger generation (which is like kinda ironic?). those parts consistently make me uncomfortable too, which i get is the point, but i feel like there's a way to imply sexual violence without ... delighting in being so graphic about it? i recently watched some anime for the first time with an extremely obsessed friend and i felt the exact same way - why is this stuff being so explicitly shown?? great vid

[@dunningdunning4711]

Honestly fair criticisms. I love this game and it really resonated with me, I became obsessed with it and trudged through it to get all the endings, but I can understand why people wouldn't like it. For me, all the rng-based elements tied in heavily to the themes of the game and created a vision that paralleled my own struggles with mental health. Trying and failing and trying again until you succeed while at the mercy of a random, bleak environment was a really cathartic experience and I believe Funger is actually a lot more hopeful than it lets on. But with all the praise I can heap on the game, I agree 100% about the explicit SA. It feels cheap, tasteless and edgy - and, like you said, needless, when it is already heavily implied.

[@redrighthand9571]

As someone who's loved Fear & Hunger since 2017, it's entirely justifiable to not like it. The game is actively hostile to the player, as several other people have mentioned. I don't get why people are so shocked when someone hates (or criticizes) Fear & Hunger. The game is designed to cause that.

[@oscarfowwilde]

Enjoy this video but theres a few points I noticed as someone with insane knowledge of the game! 1) the game has a (yea, rng) book called anathomia that will tell you what status effects are 2) i agree, and so does the creator in retrospect, that the sa is a bit much. however, it is thrre because of the god of the depths; he distorts people into primal animals, which is why the forms are the way they are and the dungeon is distorted-constantly changing and all they want to do is murder and reproduce. (ps darce isnt the only one implied to have been sa’d, cahara was too. dev also heavily toned down on this in the sequel) 3) the ghost miner uses ruin, which turns your character old like you saw. if it happens to you three times, youll die of a heart attack. Sorry if this seems passive aggressive? im really not trying to be like that.

[@bancon903]

there is a way to get around the coinflip attacks the game doesnt explicitly say this but enemies will project their big attack before they actually do it like when it says "the stinger is pulsating" it means the guard will charge the next turn and if you use defend it will completely nullify the attack

[@Gigamokin]

Doesn't it feel like nowadays there's too much judgement about what content should and shouldn't be allowed? Is it really a universal standard? Not many games do it and the few that do it are still doing it wrong? The whole shpeel about "You can do it but only if you do it right" feels hollow because apparently nobody does it right anyway. It feels like a more acceptable way of saying "don't do it at all since you can't possibly do it right"

[@Painticus]

It's a complex issue - but ultimately game devs are allowed to put whatever they want into their games. If people don't like it, that's just the way it is. Some topics require a more measured approach because otherwise people won't appreciate them. It's not a matter of "you're not allowed" and it's more a matter of "this feels unnecessary/distracting/in poor taste". "Apparently nobody does it right anyway" is mostly accurate, because it's a tough topic to make something good with. It's the same reason games about mass shootings don't work. It's not what the public wants to see. While the moral issues are one (pretty big) thing, another factor is the much colder and more distant factor of consumer demand. It's definitely not a matter of censorship, because Fear & Hunger has the SA content in it and nobody stopped that. But if I or anyone else as a player find it distasteful, that's valid

[@Gigamokin]

@@Painticus I don't beleive it's a matter of people finding it "distasteful", and more about devs and publishers being afraid of even touching the subject, I bet if they were "allowed" to explore such subjects with more freedom it would be less taboo, just as ripping people in half is totally acceptable and even praised. I don't believe the "we are removed for gore and violence more than sexual violence" I would believe it's the opposite, we hear about how amercia has a school shooting evey month, and yet gun violence is perfectly acceptable and not traumatizing at all. I believe is more about subject and theme normalization, that's what i mean by "allowed", as in, societally "allowed", just look at japan where is the complete opposite, sexual themes are more prevalent while mortal kombat is unreleasable.

[@mfkrwill]

"the green realm" bit got me every time

[@gorillahandler]

I absolutely love fear & hunger but I totally respect your take. Playing the game is honestly pulling teeth sometimes, but the atmosphere and lore are just so good that I can't help but love it. If you're just looking at the gameplay, it's really not that great and it does punish you just for trying to play it. But getting to learn about the world and what's actually going on is so goddamn interesting that it's still like a 9/10 experience for me. Keep it up dude

[@orza20]

The crashes seem like an accurate analogy to the tedious game mechanics. Imagine if the game actually did do that? Would people praise it for that? I doubt it, but if they somehow tied it in a way that "narratively made sense", some people would praise it

[@carloshiguerey6342]

One interesting aspect of games is how they can make us feel from what is shown to us. F&H makes sure to make you feel disgust, anger, fear and oppression, which I find really interesting, because these are feeling you have commonly in your life; from colleagues, from "friends", from relatives or perfect strangers. Of course you may think why'd anyone want to have those feelings? The thing is that you don't want to, but to let them be helps to accept them and diggest that they exist inside of you, in quality of a normal human being. Fear and hunger is a playground for the lowest of the human psyche itself, I could even say it's cathartic and that's the reason it's so popular: We all have traumas, we all have hurts, we all feel disrespected and used and keep it unresolved; most people want to help their issues or persue a solution but not all of us have the courage or the idea on how to give the first step. The game isn't only about the game, it's about you and how you won't give up even though you feel it's cruel and relentless, just as the life is (too often). It's a depiction of how the human can overcome the horrors to stand for the best and for their principles, and as is for the story of the god of fear and hunger, how the duality of your fearful feral being and brilliant ideal determination will allow you to ascend and be someone better, an idol, and maybe an idol that is meant to stay.

[@thatorangeguy3646]

my only criticism of your points is that you need a good reason to use grim aspects that are present in real life. as this can just be applied to anything. you could say doom is disgusting because your dad got mulched in a car crash, killing dogs is horrible because your beloved pet died etc. these are terrible things, and they definitely vary in both intensity and frequency however i dont think that should bar them from being used "without a very good reason" as said reason will be entirely subjective. for example is it valid having a character who is a victim of sexual assault? is it valid having a character who is a victim of horrific injury? id argue the answer should always be yes in media, while anyone can and probably should find it disturbing or distasteful, its inclusion should not need to fit into anyone but the authors view of if it belongs. personally, i feel Fear and Hunger definitely uses sex as a matter of context, with things like love cults and being able to "marry". its used as a way to convey the perversion of love and the bond of marriage in a bleak setting,this is not to say it doesn't use it for shock value at all but i feel like writing it off as ALL there to go "wow so edgy" is just a strawman.

[@Painticus]

I should have phrased my point differently - I'm not saying things _can't_ use grim material, they just have to use it carefully on a case by case basis if they want it to be effective. Authors are free to include whatever they like in their work - and audiences are free to criticise their work too.

[@thatorangeguy3646]

fair enough. i found it very effective. the pleasure cults eating each other while having sex paints this horrid scene of hedonism similar to psychopaths finding gratification in their cruelty. most things allude to such dark topics but fear and hunger just shows you with no fanfare or warning, its a cruel and disgusting place within that dungeon and sudden acts of violence of any kind happen frequently.@cus

[@maxobyrne1474]

I was worried when you said “little pre-video ramble” but then I saw the timestamp, thank god

[@harrisonfackrell]

I am very impressed that you found the cloning room, but did not make a clone for the purpose of summoning Chambara.

[@helloeverybody.8455]

As much as I love this game, I totally get your criticisms, particularly when it comes to the amount of chance in this game. Even I start to get peeved when my character wakes up from a killing intent five times in the cells, even when every enemy in the room has been destroyed.

[@thatonekarissa]

been waiting for this vid forever bc you have been talking and teasing about it FOREVER. it’s like christmas. 40 minutes?????? i’m eating good

[@necrosadotor]

i disagree about the sex parts being too much on F&H, but you have respectable points

[@thedigiseviper1330]

I love Fear & Hunger. I also love your videos. I understand why you wouldn't end up liking it, your reasons are valid, and the game is by no means perfect. Personally, I enjoyed how unapologetic it was and how fathomless and unknowable it felt. But from the perspective of one of the people who was excitedly waiting for this video after recommending it to you, I did not come away disappointed, and I really enjoyed the video even though there are points I disagree with. I'm glad you gave it a fair shot, and even more glad that you didn't let the overwhelming fan praise influence your opinions on it. All that is to say, its a shame there needed to be such a heavy disclaimer ahead of an opinion piece at all. You shouldn't be ashamed of what you've made here, because it's yours and it's genuine. Well done on the video, and I look forward to seeing what you do next.

[@justinahmer7116]

I’m a huge fan of the game and found myself captivated by the lore wanting to know everything and devouring any and all content related to it but I gotta say this was a really fair and good video

[@Zawamin]

Awesome video! I'm a big fan of Funger (especially 2), but it's awesome to see someone with something new to add, especially when it feels like everyones saying the same stuff about a game that's very interesting to talk about

[@pterojacktylus2475]

I really love the game, and I'm here to say there is a million reasons I can understand why someone wouldn't like it. Same with berserk, same with so many of its inspirations, theyre dark, and as much as i love them they ARE edgelordy in many senses. I have a million friends who love games I hate, and theres millions of games ive wanted people to try or love and have failed to get them into. Respect to you for having your own opinons and sharing them, and to hell with anyone who thinks the community should just be a vacuum of praise.

[@JC-bv6tb]

Funger always struck me as a game that's more interesting to talk about than actually play, which is why I never touched it - and this is coming from someone who has Pathologic Classic HD as one of their favourite games of all time. Thanks for taking one for the team and going through it so I didn't have to. Great video as usual!

[@travisgeorge1553]

Termina , is definitely a better experience. While there's still some sexualized themes, it's a lot more digestible. Every enemy, isn't coming at you with their junk out....well, there is the Woodsman...but he's got a whole nother thing going on there. I honestly don't even recall a single depiction of SA in it. Weird stuff involving a woman and a goat....also connected to the Woodsman btw. The horror themes are far more into body horror, violence, cultish activities, and the bizzare/unknown. Sex took a huge back seat in it. Oh, and it plays more like a game you can actually learn, instead of being RNG heavy.

[@Grayfox176]

I don't recall any explicit SA, but there is a point in the game where, depending on who you are playing as (I know that Marina and Abella both can have this happen, not sure if Karin or Olivia can), that if you rest in a specific place, you wake up to another character attempting SA on you. So, there is that. But it definitely is much tamer in comparison to what can be shown in this game.

[@PaganPilot]

imho, you dont have to like something and dont have to explain why, just as another person can like it turn and not explain why. Some of us like edgy while others dont n vice versa and thats fine.

[@woelikeme]

Its weird because I think I disagree and agree with what you said about the sexual violence. I can see how it can be much or teeter on edgy and it obviously can be a lot, but I think it does add SO much to the bleek horror of the dungeon. You yourself said that violence is so separated from our daily lives but then said the violence was enough to show the horrors of this dungeon. I think it made me just never feel safe and as a man that's not really something I've worried about much in a game or irl. This was such a unique horror for me

[@polarpickles8035]

awesome video, subbed. excited to see your opinion on termina if you ever decide to make something about it !

[@DivinityIncarnate000]

I deeply love fear and hunger. But, it isn’t for everyone. That’s half of the appeal. I’m glad to have watched this and can’t even disagree with most things here. Still, fear and hunger is and will always be one of my favorite games

[@ookami5329]

the weird thing is, I can recognize every complaint of yours, but whereas for me it all clicked together into this greater-than-the-sum-of-parts whole, it didn't for you. Not sure what I'm getting that you might be missing, or what causes our perspectives of the game to be so different

[@johnskelington]

Mad props for not accidentally naming your character JohnHammerz

[@buttercupbarbs4283]

Joke at 12:37 is REALLY funny. Subscribing

[@mertkorkmaz1669]

I found most of your critisism valid especially the save system. But you can completly avoid coin flip attacks by blocking. Most coin flip attacks are not random and in fact happen at exact turns. Pressing defend on your main character at that turn completly negates the coin flip attack. I found it similar in a way that you have to learn attack patterns in souls games. There are signs for this usualy at the text on top of screen. If i am not remembering it wrong for the basic big junk guard always does a coin flip attack at second turn and after that it just does nornal things two turns then coin attack again. Maybe this info can make the game more enjoyable for you. Also your characters aged because you let the ghost on the mines touch them if they do that three times its death and aging effect is permanent.

[@LoKri00]

Im gonna be honest, i love to finally hear some genuine critique of this game. I like it, sure, but its undeniably flawed. Its the kind of game that could only come from a solo dev just making a game to make people feel like a background character in berserk. Warts and all, its facinating and unique, both from a game perspective but also from a psychology of a game developer perspective

[@GenTristan]

yeah couldn't tell you how many times I've alt+F4'd this game

[@funnyman3030]

For all the comments i've left, the one problem I have with this review is I think for games like this it should be explored more as to why people enjoy the game despite all the things you don't like about it, because at times. Some of the things that you harp on the game for aren't objective but subjective, and because you don't understand I think the people who enjoy the game should be questioned in order to properly address the parts you dislike in a more objective lense.

[@GeorgeWest-l9n]

Something small I noticed that I really dislike in 2 is the coin flip animation, you can tell mid flip which side it’s going to land, where in the first game the coin could flip again one it landed

[@MrXHCx]

I love F&H for lore videos and thinking about it, but actually playing the game, I don't really like. This is probably my protestant upbringing coming out, the sexual content in the game isn't a problem because none of it is enjoyable.

[@Painticus]

I don't necessarily agree but the reasoning is sound

[@TheMonk3613]

Icecrown theme fits Fear and Hunger well. I haven't realized this until I saw this video.

[@melocomanTV]

I don't know how you can claim to enjoy dark, bleak, disturbing media but SA is a deal breaker. I mean most people aren't drawn to it but it's everywhere in good works of film and literature, you'd be a fool to let it turn you away. You can learn from SA depictions. That said, it's not for everyone.

[@JorguinTorpedo-ff5vk]

hey, I really liked your analysis including your points on Using SA. I was kind of calm with the subject thinking "ah, it's a screwed up world and it's a Finnish dark fantasy game", it's not a good reason, but a good cope I must admit. the most cohesive explanation in the game world would be the fact that sex is a form of ancient magic of the older gods, like you can learn jerk off as a form of witchcraft. Anyway, the second game has an area that touches on abuse involving children, which is done in a very well thought out way, but can still get you out of the game.

[@Precisionetica]

I’m not a fan of it either, but the fact that he named the game, fear & hunger, and sold millions of copies is the ultimate irony. Most of you ( independent game developers included) will never do anything in life because you don’t possess the fear and hunger to win.

[@8saiharamasukoi]

man thats kind of edgy

[@DarkKnight6six6]

Fear and Hunger is absolutely NOT the kind of thing everyone is going to love. You'll either fall so deep into the rabbit hole that you will never escape, or will turn back and stay away forever, and that's okay.

[@reinadelaapocalipsis8603]

About ten minutes in, so forgive me if I'm responding to something you'll address later. F&H is not a fighting game. It's a survival game. You're not really meant to actually fight all the enemies because that's a waste of valuable time, health, and resources. I'm sorry that the fight with the guard went unfortunately for you. The guard isn't meant to be beatable for beginner players. It's supposed to teach you to avoid fights whenever you can (a lot of the enemies are juke-able) qbd and try to escape when you get stuck in one. It's also a lesson in knowing what you're doing. F&H is actually pretty easy when you have more game knowledge. When enemies have a coin flip attack, their body part that activated the attack will flash, and flavortext describing it appears. When you see that, guard, and the attack won't happen. It's not for everyone and has a dense and confusing way of dispensing information, but the game is still playable.

[@therabbithole993]

the most lovecraftian thing about this game is it can drive you insane

[@LobselVith13]

I don't know if you're going to try it but I honestly think even the dev agrees with you on F&H1 being too edgy and tasteless with the SA stuff, since the sequel barely has any of it be shown the way it was here. The saves are also different in it for better or worse. Gameplay-wise I still prefer this one with the censor mod on, since the dungeon is almost always dark and dash makes it so much faster, but Termina is by far the better game (it was also the only actually made with being a game as the starting goal too, this one was originally just a kind of thesis for the dev)

[@epicsavagebros7400]

You may like Termina more. It is easier for people to get into and lacks most of the elements you were not into.

[@Kemdari]

First, there are two things tha you talked about wich are mistakes, one the nothing happening when you win a coin flip at the weapon table (only the table) Two The coin flip saves, which aren't supposed to happen with no enemies in the room, however once you sleep with a coin flip there is always a coinflip (coding error) Second, there shouldn't be any assault in the game; no counter arguments. Third, there is a tower in mahabre (the city) which has a bed without a coinflip, which will 100% not have a coinflip even if youve had a coinflip before (this bed is the one where you fight the skin granny, and you dont even have to fight her, as she appears only in one time of day) Fourth the game is brutal and gorey, thats how its "supposed" to be. Though people may sell it as something else, it acts like you said sadisticly. Which is sorta the point of the game, wether or not it was intended it is how it is, and im sorry you weren't able to enjoy this sadistic game. Fifth, thanks for giving it a try, and seeing it through to the end. You didnt have to you might have been better off not, but you did thank you for playing (and hopefully f&h 2 is better for you than this, though it is still a sadistic game.)

[@thegreatgoatking.kingofall4001]

Oh boy, with a runtime like this and a subject such as fear and hunger? This comments section is gonna be a bit spicy once the time comes. Personally I have no horse in the game, I'm just here to watch Paint talk about stuff. Though with any subject as personal as horror and themes like SA, I don't think there's every such a thing as a relaxed conversation.

[@funnyman3030]

I really understand the SA stuff comes of as strange and it is pretty excessive. Personally I still think it contributes to the bleak atmosphere of the game along side what was already there without those things. But im not very responsive to trauma in fiction, I can't get myself to see it as distasteful in this game but I can def understand on why it looks that way. Maybe I just have a hard time really understanding most trauma as I do not really know anybody close who has gone through these things, of course i've heard many. But thats all. As strange as this is for me to say and maybe concerning, it's hard for me to be thoroughly disturbed or frustrated when games like this use trauma for shock, at most for me its like "thats kind of a stupid way of going about things" rather then the "downplaying victims" thing, cause it's something I can't truly understand unless it happens to me or someone I hold very close to me.

[@goldtoothslair3052]

Yeah you experience the save mechanic glitch. In the game if you're trying to sleep in a room that is full of enemies the game will turn on this feature and it will stay on no matter if there is enemies around or not and this is a known glitch that just never got fixed. And literally the only way to avoid it is just not sleep on the floor that still has enemies on it. Which is really stupid. And it's not just the only thing because there's several other glitches that happen in this game that just makes the playthrough absolutely unbearable. Fear hunger run is what I would probably say was a game that the person wanted to make and accidentally threw in too much and took things a little too far. Fear and hunger 2 I will say is a lot more fun though you're not going to be able to escape a lot of the more unsavory stuff that feared hunger one had. Yes there's less of it but it's still there and it gets thrown in your face as soon as it even shows itself. And this is coming from a person that plays fear and hunger 2 more than fear and hunger one because two was just more fun and in a way is a little bit more "fair" in quotes here. And that's only because if you choose one character in the beginning of the game you can literally just break the game over your knee and just not deal with any terrible or hard situation. Wrench throw is a very powerful ability. In fear it hunger 2 has a lot of that where there's just a lot of ways that just break the game which makes it fair and more tolerable over fear in hunger 1 which if you want to break that game you literally have to do Secret breaks and use literal exploits and glitches and even debug areas to make it fair. What are the in the beginning of the game if you just phased yourself to the wall little bit you would have already had a full party in the beginning of the game. How in the hell does that even fair? And yeah it makes it more fun but you literally used a debug exploit to get yourself party members that you're not supposed to get until later on. But that's the thing that a lot of fear and hunger fans that I have noticed just keeps forgetting that we use exploits in debugs and everything in the game too pretty much break the game and someone like you that went in completely blind and only knows that the game was supposed to pull your teeth and instead just smashes your f****** face in with a hammer wasn't fun. I'm happy you made this game and I'm happy you have your own opinions about it and in many points I do agree with you a lot of the content that's in it could have easily been cut out and we would have had a much more better experience. But because we live in a time where everybody now just wants to be an outright masochist and doesn't find no pleasure through the most basic of things now has to turn the games that just literally don't give a s*** about your life and have no problem selling you stuff that no other media will allow you to see. And I find that more scary and sad

[@lbobby6116]

Thank god this game is getting the criticism it deserves. Genuinely unfun gameplay wise, cool lore and decent story, but overall agonizing to play and tacky in it's shock.

[@limbobilbo8743]

I have a big personal disdain for the genre of “games that are made intentionally to be difficult to play” Fear and Hunger is one of the things that fits into that. I tried it once for like an hour and gave up. I can appreciate it but I just never see those games as appealing.

[@Hexie094]

I love fear and hunger, it's not for everyone and that's a great thing, It shows us games can successes while being niche, you may have a favorite dish but people would turn their nose up at it, I don't expect you to cook your favorite food differently to better suit the pallet of everyone. The combat is fun and really rewards knowledge, its not like most RPGS where you get the god killer sword or brain explosion spell and just spam those while chugging healing items, and the lore is some of the most interesting and deep things I've seen from gaming in a while. and the bleak oppressive atmosphere is peak though I do agree with some stuff, mainly the lack of saves, funger is a series of knowledge checks, you can do the game hitless and more realistically saveless if you know everything like fight timings (every coin flip attack can be guarded), im fine with how little the game tells you, you need to either read NPC dialogue or read the books you pick up (Alchemillia vol. 1/2/3 tells you what herbs do and things like that) but the steep punishment for failing a knowledge check and limited saves is a nasty combo, the game is best played experiencing it as blind as possible but using some beginner/spoiler free guilds. And the SA is eh, there is an argument that like gore it is also used to show brutality and blah blah but the scenes in the game really add next to nothing, the dev proved this by being a good boy and only putting 1 SA scene in funger 2 (and one very vague one the community can't even agree if it is a SA scene or not). The monster nudity is good tho as it makes the player feel uneasy and showing love goes with the eldritch s3x god thing. (also it's not even implied d'arce is SA'ed, she's just attacked while fully armored, no lines imply it was more then that or anything in the environment) Also small point but its an RPGmaker game so very easy to break open, variable 0014 coin_flip is just an operation that calls for a number between 1 and 2, the flips are not rigged, true randomness can feel sucky especially when so many games use pseudo-rng to pad the numbers for better odds

[@tboyjaydee]

"what is November if not the now of the past?" so true king so off

[@kalamaroe7137]

It's cliché to say but never before have I seen a statement more (admittedly) true yet offensive than calling Crow Mauler, "Dollar Store Pyramid Head."

[@Painticus]

Hey, its a very well spent dollar. Crow Mauler is cool!

[@kalamaroe7137]

@@Painticus True! Shame none of the characters have any seeds or live worms on hand. (Good video btw.)

[@StanTxc]

I really enjoyed watching the games Shut in, House, Yippie Psycho, Count Lucanor and Ive watched manlybadasshero's 6 episodes of The Last Door(sorry if the titles of the games are not correct). I have realised that even if i dont enjoy reading anything other than webnovels or a certain type of light novels i may enjoy Lovecrafts works. I saw your channel and your interest in Lovecraft so id appreciate it if you can tell me where to start, what to read, i dont know anything about him and havent read anything, just recommend me where to start. Thank you!

[@funnyman3030]

This game does not respect your time and you need to dedicate a lot of time to it, I originally had no intent of playing this game after hearing all about it's unfairness. But as soon as I looked into a lore video of the game I picked it up asap, i'm in love with the world miro/orange~ crafted with this game very interesting to me. It's a game that rewards experimenting, but admittedly if you do not have the desire or time experiment with the different mechanics it will be a very difficult game. Once knowledge is gained of this game pretty much everything in the game can be countered in some way. But to get the knowledge you have to dedicate a lot of time, or just a guide but thats not many people's thing. It can be unfair, and tedious, but to me knowing that I could have better prepared myself and at most times this game isn't unfair if you know whats going on, kept me going.

[@bricktea3645]

Waiting for fear and hunger2 review

[@jamesvivian2855]

I don’t know why some people are super hostile because a game they really liked wasn’t enjoyed by someone else. Good on you for trying it and deciding you didn’t like it, your opinion is totally valid. If you’d heard half a fact from someone else and decided the game sucks objectively from that alone, I’d consider your opinion less valid but you’re still entitled to your own opinion

[@ObliviouzRomantic]

I call these games cruel but beatable. They are not my type of game as they take a lot of time to get even a bit decent at. I don't have the time or patience. But I do love the lore of this game. For the more SA aspects, this game is one the few out there I think it fits. The game is a cruel reality, where it shows humanity at its worse. Could I live without it? Yes. But it does not feel like it takes away from anything, but then again I have a HUGE tolerance to things in games. In real life, absolutely no tolerance.

[@corbynlarsson9279]

I love fear and hunger, played through the entire game and got all the endings, through watching youtube

[@Your-local-skinwalker]

There's a sequel

[@MeltMasterFresh]

Good review! No hate. Its a game you want to play until you are playing it 😁

[@cpunching]

Fear and Hunger (funger) is definitely an "experience" more than anything. I think the fandom built around it recognizes that and can fully enjoy it (as well as enjoying other people NOT enjoying it lol), rather than going DarkSouls1-fan and insisting everything is skill issue related.

[@verloren844]

31:20 about that... You know how computers do not have true randomness (at least, readily available?) Well, this might be due to the qame preserving the same seed value for the RNG. With the same value, you'll get the same result every time. Hate when games do that though.

[@shadowpleaser8312]

Probably the oldest party I've ever seen

[@VervainVanity]

I love fear and hunger. Love love it. And I actually agree with you on a lot of these points. I especially agree with you about the coin flip mechanics there are too many of them and they aren't much fun. If you ever get the inclination to play the sequel I would be interested to know your thoughts on it too because this was very interesting.

[@therabbithole993]

the second one corrects most the issues you had with the first one its still unfair but at least you can save safely

[@sibel9272]

1:38 You don't fuck with no Yume Nikki, no LISA no NOTHING?! (I just wanted to do that meme)

[@greatemperor7185]

If I may if you may I say womp womp. I like the womp womp.

[@icannotbeseen]

The ICC music drive me nuts

[@acetrigger1337]

A game that doesn't respect your time is worst than a bad game with potential.

[@k7gendo]

as someone whos played these games, im not even remotely shocked they suggested termina. while id say i generally liked f&h1, i thought your criticisms were entirely fair and agreeable. and id like to hear your thoughts on the 2nd (for me, its one of my favorite games ever made).

[@GorillaBussy]

I thought it was cool you used music from World of Warcraft for this video.

[@Painticus]

I've spent around 2 decades on WoW, it best pay off somehow

[@computersocsci]

39:47 Ah, that's me! Thanks for a great video. I hate this game, but I love hearing your thoughts about it.

[@chrisdiokno5600]

The worldbuilding is alsp honestly pretty good