The Genius of 'Fatherland Follies' (Psychonauts 2)

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

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[@もちの花]

Not going to lie. Very good segway from the caviar to the sponsor ｡ﾟ(ﾟ＾∀＾ﾟ)ﾟ｡

[@F1areon]

BTW IDK if you're into Klonoa or not, but since the remaster of Klonoa 1 AND 2 is coming soon, I think a Klonoa 2 video would be kinda fun bc there's a REALLY interesting theory about its plot that's kinda similar to what's discussed in these videos.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

@@もちの花 Thank you so much! I felt pretty good about it! :D

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

@@F1areon I've never played Klonoa actually, but I would definitely be interested in trying it out once it's released again!

[@もちの花]

@@ThoughtBubbleYT it made me chuckle since I wasn't expecting it

[@RunonTales]

I love how this level portrays Nick's life exactly as he sees it: A free ride.

[@helluvagooddrawer2027]

Dam thats deep, honestly i can relate to some extent

[@bradleyadams5252]

One of my favorite lines from Gristol's little song was "Gristol Malik was their voice", where the childrens' voices start to shift to Gristol's, showing that he truly belives that HIS opinion is the only valid one.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Yes! I loved how it slowly started integrating his voice!

[@alexhiser4073]

*cough* (Twitter moment) *cough*

[@magnusm4]

I like how he starts to sing at the point of the song that praise him the most and mocks his father. It's the most emotional and personal part he enjoys so of course he's drawn and sucked into that the most.

[@bubonic019]

I noticed something interesting with that verse. "The People rejoiced, Gristol Malik was their voice." Only Gristol was excited about the possibility of Maligula coming back to life, and based on the memory vault in Ford's mail level, Grulovia was no longer a country so the people there probably didn't care about Gristol returning.

[@PhoenixEnforcer101]

Not even just shifting. It sounds like he's singing over them (and not as well). He's gotta be #1

[@sugarp1e174]

Adding onto the point about Gristol only wishing to associate with those he perceives to be an equal, if you use Clairvoyance on the projection of Gristol you meet to get the golden egg, you'll see that he views Raz as a fellow Grulovian noble. But if you use Clairvoyance on the real Gristol, he views Raz as a lowly peasant. In other words, the mental Gristol is only amicable because he thinks Raz is an equal. But the real Gristol sees Raz as below him and has a dismissive attitude.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

This is a great catch that I hadn’t tried!! Thanks for letting me know because that definitely adds evidence towards only associating with those of higher status!

[@OriginalGameteer]

I was always confused by that, so this makes a ton of sense A version of Gristol being polite just seemed... out of character with everything else going on in Fatherland Follies to me. But it being his perception of another's status definitely explains it

[@neptuneplaneptune3367]

Probably because they are in the Lady Luktupus at that moment and so mental Gristol just assumes only poeple of high status can even get in here,let alone up here into the VIO area

[@Imagigirl]

And if you use it on him outside while he's Truman Zanotto, he sees Raz as a shepherd. He wanted to use Raz to guide the "sheep," aka the Psychonauts, to his goal.

[@xXYannuschXx]

I could remember it incorrectly, but I think that if you used Clairvoyance on him after the ending, he also sees Raz as a noble.

[@fennecwolfox]

I love the conversation towards the end that demonstrates perfectly his mindset. Raz: "Grulovia was never great. It was always a fair-to-middling country AT BEST." Gristol: "Please. I was there. You weren't. It was amazing. I had a cotton candy maker IN MY BEDROOM." Raz was talking about the actual country. Gristol was talking about his life in the palace. That stuck out to me so much.

[@Tengu125]

With how sheltered he was, likely surrounded by servants and the only people he'd seen close up where ones loyal to the royal family, and only being able to see the people of the nation from very high up, far removed from the struggles of the average citizens, it really isn't very surprising that he turned out the way he did. Dissenting words where likely stomped out long before it could ever reach his ears, and it was only when the citizens became loud and persistent enough that he noticed, from the perspective of his young mind it seemed that they all, only just then, suddenly became hostile, a threat to him, his family and his lifestyle.

[@maverickdarkrath4780]

@@Tengu125 also his perceived belif that maligula did nothing wrong and ford was the bad guy, considering his vault shows him close to her and smiling, he most likely was very fond of her which probably further distorted his view when he believed he father coward away from an ally abandoning her to her fate instead of helping her. Most likely causing him to believe groolovias problem was his father

[@WikiSorcerer]

Take that, Nationalism!

[@moneylover318]

​@@maverickdarkrath4780 To be fair the problems did come from his family.

[@moneylover318]

​@@maverickdarkrath4780 Well they might not all be his dad's fault some of that is

[@StarMechV]

Another little thing I noticed not a lot of people talk about: The Emotional Baggage. The emotional baggage in Gristol's mind is no different from any of the previous mind levels, scattered along the areas; in this case they are always found around the ride's exhibits (aka the points of Gristol's life that he is whoing off and embezzling to create pity for his situation and inflate his ego). However, while in most other minds you just find the Tags in hidden nooks or hard to reach places, Gristol's tags are all found in this very strange areas deep DEEP inside his mind, wherere its surrounding by pure darkness and where not even his obnoxious music reachs you. the same areas you can only access by Psi Blasting these mind walls and then use mental connection to even reach. In a way, Gristol's mind shows off his emotional baggage on display, but the tags to actually sort this emotional baggage are so deep, blocked and intentionally constructed to not be found, that he is purposely refusing to sort his emotional baggage because its more convenient for his narcissistic self to just put them in display for pity points. Its an interesting contrast with the baggage and tags' locations within Nona's mind too: In her mind, all the emotional baggage is found in a singular spot: The leaking dam constructing out of pure emotional baggage where Maligula is kept, while the tags to sort this baggage are all found within the quilt world; the comforting and happy world she created from living with Raz and his family.

[@Gallant_Silver]

That's a really interesting observation! I'm only just now going through my second playthrough, so I didn't pick up on that in my first run.

[@swimm03]

if i remember correctly, one if the tags is in the forest part in an easy to find location behind some wooden cutout and you drive right past it with your vehicle as well so yeah your theory doesn't apply to all of them😭 but i still like it, it sounds plausible

[@swimm03]

yeah i might be wrong idk🤣

[@danielplainview2584]

This is brilliant.

[@Cyrribrae]

huh that's a cool observation!

[@MusingsMuses]

A point I've heard elsewhere about Gristol and eggs is that Fabergé eggs are exquisitely handcrafted out of the finest materials available... but are utterly hollow on the inside, just like how Gristol wraps himself in the clothing of a mighty wealthy king in his level but holds almost no leadership ability in the slightest. As for the caviar, idk if this was something the devs knew about but Caviar prices are expected to start dropping because there's apparently a new method of getting the egg out of the mother fish without killing it meaning you could possibly get multiple batches out of one fish instead of killing it, getting one batch and then needing to wait a year or whatever for another female to grow up and become fertile. Another example of something that is generally highly valued ending up being worth far less... much like Gristol.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Oooo, I think that idea of the Faberge egg is super interesting!

[@unrellated]

@@ThoughtBubbleYT It's also a common symbol to represent people who lived a privileged life that left them unprepared for real hardship. The egg is beautiful, but also extremely fragile.

[@CantusTropus]

​@@ThoughtBubbleYT To double and triple down on the appropriate symbolism, fabergé eggs were also popular at the Russian Imperial Court during the late Tsarist era (late 1800s-early 1900s), which is obviously what Grulovia is based upon. They're also an excellent symbol of decadence and internal hollowness, because while they're extremely beautiful and expensive, they're also completely useless. The fact that lavish sums of money was going to create such fine but worthless toys for the nobility while the peasants' problems went unaddressed was one of the things that fired up anti-monarchist sentiment in Russia.

[@necktiefox2917]

Not only that, but it's actually a pretty good metaphor for not only Gristol himself but his mind and motivations: He managed to weave a years long conspiracy within an organisation full of literal mind readers without being detected through totally mundane means and is clearly highly intelligent and educated according to his memory vaults but all those skills and resources are used soley for reasons so vapid and childish that 'hollow' doesn't even begin to describe them. Making him and his plan a thing made of the finest materials that looks master crafted on the surface level but has nothing of any practical use or deeper meaning on the inside.

[@navilluscire2567]

@@necktiefox2917 It would be funny if it wasn't so sad that Gristol was able to orchestrate a level of subterfuge that even world class psychics couldn't unravel easily then it says alot about his potential as a strategist or planner, a potential he wasted on pathetic, childish, banal, disgusting, petty vanity projects! If only he could've gotten over himself and learn some humility he might've actually turned out to be a very capable leader...that is if Grulovia still wants a monarchy, at the very least if that country becomes or is a democracy he could've had a promising career as a statesman of sorts.

[@javonyounger5107]

Another thing is that Gristol was saved by Lucy from an angry mod when he was younger. And this feeds back into the whole thing of him not growing up mentally and living in the past. He fails to see that woman who saved him isn't the same one he's trying to bring back. He also seems to assume that just because she served his father, she would serve him.

[@thehero8573]

I mean, he doesn't even just view her as an equal, he bows his head, getting on his hands and knees before even knowing how truly malicious she is, asking for forgiveness for his father's actions. He look up to her, more than he did anyone else.

[@theadventurer2628]

A huge "show don't tell" that these games love to do is that in his memory vaults you can see her with a huge smile on her face looking heroic and a beacon, literally glowing at the edges, and then when she starts to go dark and murderous, he isn't even paying attention. Because it doesn't concern him.

[@LordDaret]

⁠​⁠@@thehero8573and even more so, he dedicated himself to as a servant as soon as Maligula was resurrected. He truly viewed her as above him and was happy(?) to do so.

[@pkbeamgamma9262]

Im surprised you didnt touch on the enemies more, since you do have every enemy, censors, doubts, panic attacks, judges, and bad ideas, there are no regrets. Its especially apparent in the grulovian protest gauntlet. I imagine that moment as genuine trauma of his that he's buried (because it does directly counteract his course of thinking that everyone loved him), and with the most enemies in such a space in the level. So, it just reinforces his narcissistic behavior even more, proving he had his own doubts and genuine panic, but still went the way he did

[@OriginalGameteer]

Considering the way Raz was forcibly dropped into the mob arena while on the ride, I saw it as him weaponizing the trauma he experienced in his childhood as an attempted defense mechanism

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I'll be honest I didn't want to touch on the enemies because the video was getting too long as it is, though because I skimmed over the fights in all honesty I'll be honest I missed the fact that there were no regrets and I think you're totally right that this moment in particular was definitely a moment of genuine trauma that in retrospect I wish I had touched on more!

[@Wolie318]

I've always thought about gristol that one of the main reasons he developed an inflated ego was being raised not just rich, but literally the heir of the ruling family. Growing up, he likely would have internalised any praise of Grulovia as praise to himself, and same with criticism.

[@melodymcdaniel9268]

I like that you brought up that Raz couldn't do anything to help/"fix" Gristol due to Gristol's own unwillingness to change. It really ties in with the lesson that goes along with Hollis's level. Raz learns the hard way that, even aside from the fact it's incredibly manipulative and a huge breach of trust, using his powers to force a change in someone's mindset can have disastrous consequences. That message also hints toward the fact that something is off with "Truman" - Hollis tells Raz that Psychonauts aren't there to fix people, and her lesson is contradicted when Truman orders Raz to fix Ford.

[@emilierekdal5118]

But at the same time the statement “Fix Ford” makes total sense since he doesn’t just have mental problems but is literally broken by a machine. Love the double meaning.

[@TheImpureOne]

I just realized something: Gristol has a ONE-TRACK mind

[@Nicooriia]

What gave it away that Zanoto wasn't himself was his phrasing when he asks for your help with Crueller. Right as Forsythe tells Raz " you can't FIX people", suddenly the head of the Psychonauts implores you to "FIX" one of the legendary Psychic 6? That immediately made him suspicious, but I wasn't sure if the real villain was who I thought it was, or if it was just a red herring.

[@4444Ferris]

I didn't understand why they called Maligula "the deluge of Grulovia", as it is a more common the word "flood". But then it click on me that Maligula's followers been called "delugionist" actually describes Cristol perfectly.

[@nyancat2221]

Given her naturally strong tie to water, her final snap being finding her sister dead after a dam fail flooded the place (a dam that, is mostly the fault of its own poor construction, may not have broken as soon had she not been constantly/literally raining on the protestors), and most if not all of her depictions are her with title waves, tsunamis, huricanes, and flooding waters. While redundant, it fits as a title all things considered. But the double entendre is also quite fitting for her followers.

[@Obsessor23]

Honestly a super solid pun

[@Spinnermist]

a delusionist indeed

[@BigKlingy]

I think one aspect where the gameplay helps tell Gristol's story is that the level is one of the most linear in the game, barring one or two open sections (and even they don't amount to much more than a big circular room), which shows how narrow-minded his thinking has become. The fact that he's essentially singing his entire (biased account of his) backstory to you also shows his self-importance. Another thing to note about the gameplay: I don't think there are any Regrets in this level, if there are I think they're only in the angry mob segment. Another thing I love about this level: its name works on several levels. "Fatherland Follies" could mean the follies of Grulovia, the follies of Gristol, Gristol's twisted relationship with his father (and that he sees his father as committing the follies), or the fact that it takes place inside Lilli's father's body, making it a literal "father land". As you touched on in the end, the thing that stood out most to me about Gristol was his childishness. His second memory vault in particular was almost comical in how petty his motivations are, his main takeaway from being in exile and the Grulovian tragedy was crying over not getting to eat caviar as often. Lines like 35:02 and the song's "Together they rule, everything is super cool!" reinforce this childlike mentality, and I think it's part of what makes him so dangerous: he has an oversimplified view of the world while dealing with something extremely dangerous, genuinely believing that if Maligula comes back everything will magically go back to the way it was and he'll have luxury again. The way Ford and the Psychonauts are demonized in his mind is definitely propaganda, but it also weirdly gave me the same vibe as when an amateur fanfic writer demonizes characters they don't like. (or "Ron the Death Eater") I also think the state of his hotel room, with rotting food left everywhere (even the bathroom) could hint at his upbringing. He's clearly used to being waited on hand and foot and never learned to clean up after himself. Great point about him literally tying Raz's hands representing him refusing help. And then right after that, Lili beats up his mental self with a souvenir. While comical this is also interesting as, although Gristol's not a trained Psychonaut, a lot of the minds Raz visits have projections of themselves or their issues strong enough to become a boss fight. Despite Gristol's inflated opinion of himself, his mental self is incredibly weak when actively confronted, which might show how fragile he is once you get past his delusions. (This went on a while but I love discussing character analysis and symbolism.)

[@AmeliaOak]

I read it all though, it was really well thought out and absolutely fascinating. So thanks!

[@OriginalGameteer]

I'm actually fairly certain Regrets don't appear in the mob section, or at least I never remember seeing flying enemies there For everything he's done, he doesn't regret *anything*

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I didn't even think about the idea that there were not regrets in this level! That's definitely super telling and it just goes to show that the Psychonauts team really does cover all of their bases!

[@BigKlingy]

@@ThoughtBubbleYT Which enemies do and don't show up in each level is really interesting to look at. E.g Ford's levels are full of Regrets, as is Lucrecia's, Compton has no Bad Ideas despite his self-deprecation, Helmut has no Doubts as far as I remember.

[@OriginalGameteer]

@@BigKlingy Helmut had no Doubts yes, and also very few Bad Ideas As another example, Cassie doesn't have any Judges or Panic Attacks, fitting her seeming alot calmer and more collected despite her internal problems and not really having any issues with feeling judged by others

[@billybois5745]

I love how they made an exposition dump a fun little ride

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

The best kind of exposition dump.

[@SageofStars]

One thing to note about Gristole...he is not a psychic in any way. He has no mental abilities, no powers, and nothing to stand out. Yet, he's the only normal person working for the Psychonauts, and does it so well that everyone knows and likes him save 1 person. Even the other Psy6(the ones who know him), speak of him in glowing terms. This man is so dedicated that a group who's members casually scan each others minds and have no problem picking up surface thoughts on accident somehow missed all of this. He hide all of his tendencies, all of his real feelings so deep down, that even to trained mind readers, he seemed like just a pleasant guy. And he was willing to work in a menial job, seen as one of the lowest posts in an organization(How many times has a story begun with, 'I started in the mail room and worked my way up?), and do it so well that no one else was needed to assist him, despite the sheer load of things he had to do, including sort that Raz has to us TK to do, Nick apparently did all on his own. This man is the best and worst kind of monster. He was dedicated to his cause, and a true believer. That's the big thing here, everyone else you go into, KNOWS that they need help, or at least knows that there's something wrong in their own minds, but for Gristole...he sees nothing wrong with himself. And worst of all, he's not broken or damaged in any way(Some say that's not the right word, but at least with the Psy6, they're PTSD sufferers, and as someone who has that in their family...yes, yes that is the right word for that condition). He thinks what he's doing is right, and refuses to even countenance the idea that it might be wrong. So what we have here is a perfect storm. The drive, dedication, and skill, mixed with a shallow motive and no understanding of where his plans will lead, a willful ignorance of it in fact. Compared to many other villains in fiction, this guy is a cut above.

[@gabopr1365]

You’ve peaked my interest, please, tell me more. 🙂

[@SageofStars]

@@gabopr1365 Well, the only thing really left to add is how GOOD his plan was. The stuff at the Camp is implied by the figments to have been his doing. A bit of a distraction for the top two agents of the Psychonauts(And Oleander), keeping them out of his hair for the duration, while Truman is kidnapped, and then, miraculously, frees himself, but with a new, urgent need to see Ford Cruller, who would have been evacced to the mother lobe by the other Psychonauts while the camp was under attack/investigation, considering he'd be a liability in his current state. Perhaps he's even the one who helped the coach build his one and only tank? A few mislabeled shipments here, a bit of money transferred there by a file being in the wrong department, and you give the little man a big toy to play with, one that can help keep the others on their toes, and perhaps even clear out most of the rest of the personnel. Better, would it not be like a concerned father to want to know what's happening for someone who'd been on site? And without his right mind, he'd be unable to really resist, especially if Gristol knew all the right buttons to push to guide his personality towards the information he wanted, not swiftly, no need to act fast, not with what he'd setup making it clear, and then he could sniff out where the Great Maligula was hiding, and bring her to him. Then, as the Grand Head, he could order the others of the Psychic 6 to help, convince them about how important it was to reverse the damage Ford had done to their friend's mind, so that he might regain his greatest weapon and ally. All while operating under their very psychic noses. And then that little brat showed up, spoiled his distraction, and worse, freed him before he had a chance to 'escape' forcing him to keep Truman's own brain close, just in case he needed a bargaining chip. Still, Gristol was adaptable, and could think on his feet as well as anyone. Use the boy, who claimed to be one of Ford's own students, have him bring him here, use the boy to probe that mind, and then, what luck, he's brought Maligula to the very doorstep of the Mother Lobe, without him having to go anywhere to find her. Surely this is a sign from the cosmos that he is DESTINED to succeed, is it not? A plan, salvaged and turned to his advantage, even as things slowly slip away, but in the end, he does get his prize...even if the Prize gets the better of him, eh?

[@HypercomboProduction]

The only one who he barely impressed was Truman himself who Lillie says actually HATED Nick from the mailroom.

[@FelisImpurrator]

Here's the real twist. He is utterly broken. In every way. There's no such thing as a person who's just inherently evil, and that's just as true in the game as it is in real life. The kind of life Gristol has lived is responsible for leaving him a hollow shell of a man in every meaningful way. Certainly, he's a brilliant mastermind - but his "self" is an empty Faberge egg. His entire persona, his conscious mind, is fake - the reality of his utter misery drowned out by mind-numbingly cheerful music and buried so deeply even he doesn't know it's there. In reality, Gristol is a deeply unhappy man who's only so good at putting on a facade because that's all he's ever known - that's all his family ever taught him, an empty shell of life plied with cotton candy and caviar. The common people aren't real to him not because he's a mustache-twirling supervillain, but because he was never given the opportunity to learn that they are in fact people, a consequence of his isolated life of aristocracy. He's lived a life of near-complete emotional neglect, denied any opportunity to form real connections and raised in an environment where one's outer shell of social image is everything. He's so good at playing a role, hiding his true self so deep that even he can't find it, because that's all he knows. Psychonauts is great not because it portrays the minds of evil people, but because it portrays the difficult reality that there are no evil people - only victims of circumstance who, when given no way out of the broken systems that made them, endlessly repeat the suffering that has been inflicted on them. This is true of Maligula, of Oleander, but also of Gristol.

[@MezephelesArt]

@@FelisImpurrator OUCH. Nice analysis.

[@horakhtythecreator6911]

The lyric “He’s always right” is the scariest part for me. For the other minds you go into, the people you end up helping do on some level show signs of not just needing help, but wanting/willingness to change. It’s just a matter of giving the right support or pushes from another party. As someone with mental health issues and speaking on just my personal experiences, it can be incredibly difficult to make such major changes on our own when we do have outside support. Of course, we can’t always rely on others and it’s not ideal to be severely dependent on that, but when the individual does not know how to make changes or is not in a place to maintain self-discipline on their own with major undertakings, leaving them to their own devices on how to handle things doesn’t really promote good results or incentive to change. Gristol has gone without any substantial outside force to keep his issues and negative traits in check, or anyone to truly challenge him from a position he’d be receptive to. And thus, has imbued in his mind that he is always right. He is perfect, supreme. To quote the character Simon Laurent from Infinity Train, who also has more than a few parallels with Gristol, “Why would I ever want to change if I’m always RIGHT!?” A person who sees no fault or flaw or failing whatsoever in themselves sees no reason to adjust or alter their ways. To them, there isn’t anything that needs correcting. And while in theory, everyone might have the potential to be redeemed, they have to be willing. And not everyone is.

[@wjzav1971]

Man, this level truly was the scariest and most unsettling in all of Psychonauts and Psychonauts 2. Even the Milkman Conspiracy or the Meat Circus weren't that creepy. And I noticed that too that Gristol did not get redemption at the end like Oleander or Loboto or even Maligula. Think about how in almost all mental worlds of Psychonauts, the bad guys were usually aspects of people's personalities that were overblown or out of place. Jasper in Gloria's Theater was her Inner Critic being too strong and vicious. El Odio in Black Velvetopia was Edgar's fury and refusal to let go. Napoleon in Waterloo was Fred's discontent with having lost his favorite game. The Butcher in the Meat Circus was Oleander's anxiety of coming short of having pleased his father. Loboto's pain in not having been accepted by his parents as a psychic. Maligula in the Festival of Senses was Fulbear's warped memory of having been abandoned by his friends. The Memory Plants in Bob's Bottles represent the pain in the losses he endured and the Moth was probably alcoholism preventing him from facing it. The Librarian was Cassio Pia's self-preservation and caution becoming too strong. The Goats in Compton's Cookoff are Compton's anxieties of dealing with people. And finally, even Maligula was only Lucrecia's most primal aggressive instinct being put in charge (and as Ford points out, we all have one deep inside us.) (A little bit simplified. Yes there is more to each and everyone of those people's demons.) But there is not demon in Gristol's mind. No part of his personality that is overblown. None than himself. In some regards, I wonder if Gristol himself is his own demon. If narcissists are their own worst enemy because it is usually themselves that prevents them from learning, growing and overcoming their shortcomings. I personally think that Narcissism is probably the most dangerous condition because everyone else will usually at some level listen to criticism and work on themselves. But narcissists often live in their own world and view themselves as infallible and everyone else as wrong.

[@Eqha67]

Helmut, not fulbear

[@kiptheott]

@@Eqha67 His name is Helmut Fulbear.

[@Infernitar]

As a minor detail, in the first part of the ride (the history), Gristol is usually portrayed between his parents, drawing the eyeline to him. He's important, and prominent, but exists mainly in relation to the Gzar and Gzarina. But in the second part (the exile), he leads the royals in the board cutouts, and is the only one lit in the deathbed scene. Suddenly, he's the powerful leader, the most important one in the room while his parents cower behind him or fade into the shadows - given that this is where the propaganda becomes more overt, it's clear that now he's trying to paint himself as the hero, even as but a boy. His mother the Gzarina completely vanishes from the story after the exile part, once it moves toward the present day, meaning that even she is now irrelevant to him. Regarding redemption? Gristol needs to want it first. This game emphasises that changing people by force is wrong, but if people want help, then they deserve help. If Gristol changed, if he wanted the Psychonauts to help him overturn his warped mental world, then he is salvageable. If he does not, if he continues to maintain that he should have everything he ever wanted, then he will only perpetuate the harmful ideas he's carried with him all this time. FUN FACT: Gristol has every enemy type in the game ... except one. Whatever happened, however far he has fallen, Gristol has no Regrets.

[@VanNessy97]

"You are trying to atone me, and I didn't do anything wrong." "To reach a hand down to somebody, they need to be BENEATH YOU!" - Brennan Lee Mulligan, EXU: Calamity

[@fantasylover87]

Thanks for making a point about not stigmatizing folks who have diagnoses like this. It’s so easy to villainize people who are truly struggling to meaningfully connect and engage with others. I see this most frequently with BPD, but it really is true for all personality disorders. Great video!

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Of course! Whenever I talk about antagonists in games I really want to make sure that I stress that people don’t walk away from a video like this thinking poorly of the diagnoses discussed because I would absolutely loathe if my video and the information conveyed within it fed into some unfounded or ill-informed stigma. I’m glad you enjoyed!

[@EmperorDxD]

Psychonauts in itself does villainize anyone it makes it clear throughout the game

[@CantusTropus]

@@ThoughtBubbleYT While I understand their motivation for doing so, I'm a little tired of Psychonauts letting EVERY villain off the hook because they're not evil, just mentally ill. Maligula might have been pressured into doing what she did, but she still committed mass murder for the sake of political persecution. Seeing her get off completely scot-free doesn't feel right to me. I also feel like the developers cheated with this issue, by putting the only objections to her lack of punishment in the mouth of Oleander, the only person in the entire game for whom it would be hypocritical to make that point. This makes it easier to casually dismiss the point, but again, that's a cheat, because the question is still valid.

[@blackbloom8552]

@@CantusTropus i think oleander was simply a case of nepotism, the second game goes in length to demonstrate he hasn`t really change and nobody really trust him anymore. There a bit of that as well with lucretia but I would not say she got off scott free when she had her memories wiped by ford.

[@theheroneededwillette6964]

Seriously, the modern media loves to make bad guys narcissists in one way or another like it’s a requirement.

[@chefmaikocook5233]

I just notice I think he values his workers a little higher since in his mind they have actual people there who is detailed but also in the memory he seems to remember the one holding his caviar.

[@StagFiesta]

Honestly, while the small interaction with Gristol in the Lady Lucktopus room inside his mind does show how self centered he is with acting like his current life is horrible and depraved [despite literally living in a massive penthouse suite with tons of riches to be had], I really liked how he and Raz interacted. Yeah, he was being selfish, but it was a small bit of humanity on him connecting to a fellow Grulovian. Even if he is still a selfish person, it was a neat little moment.

[@Mr-Prasguerman]

even though he is a selfish person, he is still a person

[@Yakmage]

I think it a really cool bit of storytelling that while you fight censors, bad ideas, doubts, and a judge, there are no regrets in fatherland follies.

[@OriginalGameteer]

There's also Panic Attack(s?) during the mob segment, but that more likely just refers to his feelings of the past trauma rather than any panic about his current plans

[@unrellated]

There's doubts? That doesn't seem like Gristol.

[@OriginalGameteer]

@@unrellated I checked a video quick and yeah Doubts do spawn Given its in the mob scene it might be that deep down he doesn't think the people care as much about him as he claims but buries it deep down because it'd contradict his "perfect fantasy"

[@StarMechV]

@@unrellated Having doubts in his minda can simply be general worried that something can hampen his plans, but the lack of any regrets ttuly shows how he has no remorse for his actions

[@austinmorrison6953]

I like to think the arena portion of the level is to show how Gristol was so obsessed with carrying out his goals that he pushed all other problems into a single corner of his mind.

[@F1areon]

One thing that I saw on a Tumblr post about the tunnel thing at 33:30- as you zoom into the giant Gristol, you hear the Grulovia song playing backwards, specifically the line "Grulovia, Grulovia, you're always right"

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Oooo, that's super interesting.

[@F1areon]

@@ThoughtBubbleYT So he sings that song in the chamber, it plays constantly throughout the ride, AND it's STILL playing deep in his subconscious. TL;DR he really really REALLY thinks he's in the right to do all this.

[@Queenofdragons6]

Exactly what I wanted to add.

[@lovinani7]

Since some people have written what I would have liked to discuss, I'll bring a different topic on board: Do you think that Fatherland Follies may be some kind of jab at Disney's coperate underbelly? Disney theme parks make it a priority to bring their attendees back to their childhood and to live up to the "happiest place on earth" motto. In reality, the theme parks have now become more of a place for the privilege due to the rise in prices, and judging by how self indulgent Disney has become lately, it seemed like a perfect setting for the mind of a narcissistic man stuck in the haydays and his childhood.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I think this makes a lot of sense, and is super interesting to think about! I definitely think it’s intentional that they used Disney-inspired imagery to illustrate this point of an individual stuck in a childlike state of mind.

[@Champiness]

My long-shot blue-sky theory is that if they ever make a Psychonauts 3 and those loose threads of foreshadowing get picked up to make Otto the villain of it, a big should’ve-seen-it-coming aspect will be that the Motherlobe, as constructed under his influence (just like most things about the Psychonauts, after the fight with Maligula left the rest of the Psychic 6 in varying degrees of helplessness) is essentially just the EPCOT Center - which, in Walt Disney’s original conception, was sort of a 60’s-futurist nightmare where real people would be expected to live as residents and conform to his moral & aesthetic standards.

[@lovinani7]

@@Champiness woah...that's a pretty interesting theory but scary to think about 😨

[@eatatjoes6751]

That explains the cheap looking ride.

[@PokemonRules333]

@@Champiness tbh though it was weird that Otto not only was the only one of the psychic 6 not traumatized by the battle but had no mental world for us to explore also if I’m remembering correctly wasn’t he the only one that was still working for the psychonauts? I know ford cruller was also but he was too far gone and had no merit I mean raz wasn’t made an official psychonaut by him so there’s that

[@osoaioi]

it was really sweet of you to add a disclaimer about the stigma of npd and clarify that the video is specifically about grisol and not the disorder at large

[@jeremytung1632]

First of all, the fact that Gristol/Nick was able to hide all this from an entire organization of psychics for most likely years, is impressive. Second I love the fact that the ride workers are still as disenfranchised as they would be at a real amusement park.

[@kaijukid1443]

The makers of these games REALLY did their homework and learned how to craft these minds and personalities around mental disorders

[@KaeMcSpadden]

I read that Tim Schaefer also used Peter Pan Syndrome as inspiration for Gistol Malik’s mind.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I had read that as well! But since Peter Pan Syndrome itself isn't officially recognized by the WHO or listed in the DSM I didn't include it, because I just don't know enough about it to feel confident in actually talking about it. Instead I opted to discuss his stunted moral development!

[@KaeMcSpadden]

@@ThoughtBubbleYT It still was a great video, and it shows how juvenile and childish Gristol Malik viewed his home country from the comfort of his wealth. Which works with the Its a Small World design of the level.

[@javonyounger5107]

20:35 Not sure that's fully true, the fact that deep in his mind exists this version of him that embodies his thoughts right after his father died shows that it was a deeply emotional moment that stuck with him despite the fact he doesn't want to show it off. That version of him also comes off as very saddened in contrast to how he behaves typically, so I think it's less that he didn't care and more that he told himself he shouldn't care about his father's death because it's his fault this all happened as a way to cope with what he was feeling.

[@Lilithksheh7723]

29:22 Silver spoon? More like Mother-of-Pearl. Caviar spoons are made of the stuff, as it’s less reactive than silver.

[@ICountFrom0]

Maybe Gristol really WAS good in the mailroom, petty little king of a petty little kingdom, but the trains run on time and all that.

[@weirdalexander8193]

Well, that’s one way to show that a character hasn’t emotionally developed since 12, have their mind palace be a freaking fairground ride. I’d say theme park, but that implies decent quality, and Gristol is anything but decent.

[@evanm1337]

20:54 I personally think that the fact that Gristol offered to give some caviar to Raz is a sign of the modicum of respect he holds for Raz, due to caviar being his favorite food. He recognizes its exclusivity, and yet loves it. Naturally, if you offer your favorite food for someone else to try, that most likely means you like or at least respect that person. Either that, or that he thinks some caviar will be enough to at least soften Raz's opinion of him, along with the whole mental propaganda.

[@etcetera1995]

I think this is one of the first places I've online that acknowledges NPD isn't "Bad Person Disease" that dooms people with the diagnosis to being evil inherent abusers. I really appreciate it.

[@Champiness]

I think the context of 6:44 is meant to be some sort of budgetary hearing where Gristol is explaining why so much of the GDP has to go towards caviar - basically like that one Dril tweet about his monthly finances where the biggest expense by far is “Candles”

[@F1areon]

"Someone please help me budget this; the Grulovians are dying" "Spend less on caviar" "no"

[@EmperorDxD]

The fun thing is that Psychonauts 2 or even 1 doesn't actually have a villain because they don't make people evil instead there people that have problem and that Raz needs to help

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

They definitely make great antagonists without them being pure evil.

[@blackbloom8552]

I would say oleander and malik are very much villains. Their issues does not really justify their actions and neither are shown to have changed much by the end of the second game.

[@Olimar92]

Gristol could be redeemed, but he would need a lot of help and to gain a level of empathy he never had before. This is a guy who, while living in luxury, thought he was living in the slums at a massive Casino Hotel.

[@Doublemonk0506]

He doesn't even begin to consider that he has a problem. He literally thinks everyone else is sick and wrong when he literally considers himself destined ruler of the world.

[@Olimar92]

@@Doublemonk0506 Like I said, a lot of help.

[@EmperorXaozx]

It's not the luxury, its the idea of exile.

[@Xehanort107]

Gristol Summed up everything in his post-game conversation: "Being Gzar means never having to say your Gzorry" I don't know how to feel about that phrase, whether he is actively refusing to feel guilty or if he's taking one final jab at his father for how horrible of a ruler he was (in Gristol's mind). It's probably both, and it's what best defines him.

[@andreassmed2255]

No… It can’t be! I thought the Klaww Gang was defeated long ago… J-just who are you!?

[@ImperialMachine]

I noticed that Gristol Malik is a lot like Barty Crouch Jr. from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Both characters were moles and responsible for the main events that happened in their stories, they were both fanatics of the main villain, they both spent most of their story impersonating another figure instead of being their physical self, they used the protagonists as puppets in their plans to bring back a powerful dark lord, and they both showed no fear or worry when they got captured at the end.

[@titanuranus3095]

6:30 Misstake: Gristol was the Gzesarevich, his father was the Gzar

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Well if my only mistake was that I misspoke then I definitely can’t complain!

[@1Maklak]

I know that it's a plot for a video game and on top of that bringing back Maligula without a way to control her was a bad idea in the first place, but I can't help but be impressed with what this man achieved. Despite his pampered lifestyle, he managed to infiltrate the Psychonauts, bribe and intimidate Dr. Loboto, kidnap the head of the Psychonauts, switch brains and impersonate him, then use Raz as a pawn to do what no one achieved for two decades: reintegrate Mr. Curler, then actually bring back Maligula. That's quite impressive, even if the Psychonauts are portrayed as somewhat incompetent.

[@juanisol8275]

I love the plot twist , and how is been presented this hidden villain! Nice Psycology analysis!! Personally he whas a interesting character, kinda jerck but trully a interestin puppetmaster, but also hilarious when his plan flip out He also whas like a veangfull version of Anastasia!

[@gagejohnathan9641]

I find it funny that Gristol knew absolutely nothing about the intern program, so he genuinely believes that raz *was* a full on psychonaut

[@michaely409]

I still just desperately want to know how Gristol acted as Nick Johnsmith that got everyone to like him so much despite him hating them all

[@Lordlaneus]

To me, a big part of Gristol's level was the rumination. I can so clearly invision him working in the mail room, humming that song to himself and going through the same narratives and ideas again and again.

[@CianDelano]

This was an excellent kind of analysis, and while a bunch of stuff I kind of realized myself during playing, hearing about this stuff on a deeper analytical level was fantastic. No one is truly irredeemable, not if they are actually people, but a lot of work needs to be done to get there for him. Gistol Malik has many problems and he may never fully recover, but the biggest issue on that is he himself.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Yes! I fully agree! I love that they never make anyone out to be absolutely evil or terrible. They may do terrible things, but there's always a reason or a through-line to show us how they reached this point.

[@Bloodshade]

It sounds so dumb to say this, but when I heard the name “Nick JohnSmith” I legit said “that’s a fake name, that’s a bad guy, he’s not from around here”

[@boodahbass]

fantastic dissection! i enjoyed the hell out of psychonauts 2's story and seeing things that i missed laid out and pieced together is so intriguing. i think the best aspect of this game IS showing that everyone is redeemable like you said, showing the angry, the depressed, and even the psychotic and at times abusive have their own stories to tell through their mental constructs. id love to see more from you!

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed!

[@WolfRider2002]

My favorite detail about Fatherland Follies is the fact that of all the enemies you fight in his mind, regrets aren't one of them

[@DahHourglass]

And doubts

[@maurothetoad]

​@@DahHourglassno, doubts do appear

[@skyheartstar6510]

I really appreciate you taking the time to emphasize that NPD does not make a person evil or a villain. It’s such a common misconception and I’m glad you’re pushing back against stigma.

[@8bitgamerC64]

Any kid that had a cotton candy machine in his bedroom was never going to be level headed. Also the size of that crown might have something to do with it too.

[@pacattack2586]

Gristol is unredeemable - not because of what he's done, but because he's not willing to accept that he was wrong to begin with - the first step to recovery is admitting there is a problem, if Gristol doesn't admit there *is* a problem there is *no* recovery

[@ClintonKE]

He admits that his hero worship might have shown him he been wrong on some things, but it was just baby steps cause he backpedaled after on another. Still baby steps at least. Sasha apparently is gonna work with him so I wonder how that will go.

[@navilluscire2567]

@@ClintonKE The fact he even acknowledges the possibility that he might've been wrong on SOME things does give the ever so slight, dim ray of hope...but yes, he must fully admit that he's been wrong about A LOT of things before he can begin recovery and finally growing as a person. (but not a very likely thing that'll happen..)

[@TheManWithTheFlan]

The bit about the propaganda you mention is really interesting, because Gristol's worldview with regards to Grulovia is pretty much note for note a fascist persecution story. In fact, a lot of the things that Gristol believes seem to match pretty closely to how a fascist sees the world. The belief in a superior chosen people or nation who were once mighty and free but were laid low by foreigners and decadence, whose only hope of rising to reclaim their greatness is through a brutal rebirth of the nation, is sort of the core fascist narrative. "Grulovia was once strong and free, but our weak king allowed the rabble and Ford Cruller to destroy us, and the only hope to restore the Grulovian Crown is to reawaken Maligula to destroy Grulovia's enemies and take back the nation" is beat for beat the kind of narrative that a Grulovian fascist would compose, and then keep repeating until they believe it. The bits that Gristol focuses on are a petty and myopic, things like the caviar obsession, but I think that really just serves to illustrate how much that kind of worldview is built on self-delusion and petty narcissism applied to political ideology.

[@mrlaz9011]

you're right on the money fella. Considering his father himself was a brutal and oppressive dictator, it's easy to see where he inherited the facist viewpoint.

[@magicrainbowkitties1023]

Psychonauts says fuck fascism

[@Pakanahymni]

Thank you for differentiating between asocial and antisocial! It's a pet peeve of mine.

[@Ixmore]

38:46 IDK, Post game stated that Sasha Nein plans on using him for experiments. I can see the Psychonauts installing Gristol as a prime minister of Grolavia for their own purposes

[@ScootaReader]

Great video! I stumbled across this just after finishing Psychonauts 2, and it's a great dive into the experience articulated in a way that I hadn't thought to do. I love how in-depth you went, chronicling each new step with a lot of care and attention. After completing the game, you can find Gristol inside the Psychoisolation Chamber in the Quarry and talk to him a little bit. I can't remember every dialogue option, but he only seems interested in escaping, and bluntly asks Raz to help him do so. If you revisit Fatherland Follies via the Brain Tumbler, Raz also notes that nothing about Gristol's mind changes. These compound the idea of a character who doesn't seem interested in growth just yet, though I can easily see a Psychonauts 3 which involves a redemption arc for Gristol among other silent hopes. I really hope the series continues and that we don't have to wait quite so long for the next installment.

[@mewt5358]

I don't think I'd diagnose him with NPD, he's a prince who grew up in wealth. Narcissism is kinda inherent to such a life.

[@experiment0789]

While it will be tough since his talks with Raz shows how warped his perception is, however his early talk with Raz ironically shows that Gristol still cares to some degree about his homeland and people from it. This might just be optimistic thinking, especially since I only have one phyc class in college, but I believe as lone as there is at least one thing the person cares about that's not themselves, there will always be a foot in the door.

[@darthtorment]

I think when it comes to Gristol, like with Oleander, the key to his recovery is a resolution with his inner child. The delusions he's piled on can't be changed as his adult personality is so rationalized there's not much to be done with it.

[@upumpkin]

I don't have NPD but as someone with quite a few stigmatized disorders than you so much for being respectful, a lot of clinical counselors aren't.

[@codyboise9989]

ThoughtBubble please do a video about Helmut fulbear, I have autism and the concept of different senses being stimulated simultaneously is interesting with his synesthesia. Just wanted to see if you can find any similarities in the level to my own mental condition. Also the music in and visuals and everything in the level is perfect.

[@FelisImpurrator]

I've thought about that quite a lot before and I do think Helmut is written very distinctly as autistic for that exact reason. The senses themselves aren't necessarily sharper but cognitive perception of them is, leading to meltdowns. That lines up just right with what I've learned about autistic overstimulation, at least.

[@codyboise9989]

@@FelisImpurrator I love and appreciate when things are summarized, also isn't perceptions subjective like other aspects.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I don’t have any definite plans on what my next Psychonauts video will be, but Helmut’s mind is definitely SUPER interesting and one of my favorites in the game!

[@codyboise9989]

@@ThoughtBubbleYT exactly, a psychedelic rock festival about the senses, with jack black no less, anyone who doesn't is crazier then the milkman conspiracy.

[@codyboise9989]

@@FelisImpurrator you think you could explain a bit more? I appreciate the various view point.

[@bloodyidit4506]

Fun fact, "It's a Small World" was written during the cuban missle crises where people legit thought it was the end of the world. To me, the lyrics have always seemed gross and grossly desperate. Sinister in some way even. "There is just one moon, and one golden sun" in particular is chilling mainly because it reminds me of propaganda pieces about being the center of the world and the constant repeat of the main line of lyrics is despairing and cultish, like angry even. Like they want to force you to accept that perspective. In my opinion the world is rather large in all meanings of the word, not small and that's a good thing. We DON'T know eachother or all the facts of the world. Maybe it's because I was subject to it early on and had the song beat into my head but all I see in it is desperate conceit. I'm sure others have similar ideas.

[@StephenYuan]

After thinking about it for some time, I've decided that Fatherland Follies is my favorite level. It's just a superlative piece of environmental storytelling. All of that buildup and setup, the suggestion of some shadowy offstage figure manipulating Loboto and the othersfrom offstage, that something is off with Truman, the mystery of Nick Johnsmith's missing brain, all those threads come together here. This level is designed to handle the reveal of the third act twist, and it does it so beautifully and impactfully. I remember gasping when I realized how thoroughly Gristol had manipulated Raz. Masterful.

[@spongeintheshoe]

I love how this level was basically the playable equivalent of a villain monologue.

[@dorkmagnet5430]

I like the scene where Gristol and Raz get to talk, I could see somehow capable of change and overcoming his narccism but ultimately it's his choice to reject that. Raz could just as easily helped him but Gristol puts up walls and doesn't allow himself to change. he is redeemable but it has to be HIS choice to start that path

[@douglewis7946]

I really hope that if we are ever fortunate enough to receive a Psychonauts 3, Gristol Malik comes back as a primary antagonist. He's such a compelling antagonist and foil for what Raz and the Psychonauts stand for, and I'd love to see him take center stage in a future game - perhaps using his penchant for deceit and manipulation to lead a smear campaign against the Psychonauts.

[@cooperross9495]

I will admit, this video made me feel more sympathy for Gristol than I ever thought I could.

[@Otakukunoichi]

Great analysis. I admit I'm one of those people who feel that Gristol is irredeemable because he refuses to recognize there's a problem. But again it does still work with the themes of how you can't just change/fix people. On a side note: I do wonder how much of Gristol's views are colored by his father's propaganda. Like the whole "my father took a poor country girl and turned her into a war hero" is such a bullcrap propaganda line. It also strongly implies how Gristol thought that Maligula would be grateful to his family for turning her into "something more" and in turn, grateful to HIM for reviving her. Plus there's "if everyone hated us so much, how come we kept getting elected?" (Ignoring that Grulovia was run by monarchy and monarchies tend to NOT have elections.)

[@nobleskysisters9244]

Another to note about Gristol is the cardboard cutouts of him you see at the "You must be this tall to ride" sign and the one at the gift shop. Both cutouts are gigantic or "Larger than life" adding to Gristol's narcissism with the "You must be this tall to ride" sign showing you have to be really tall to ride but not as tall as the cutout, show Gristol believes than only people of great status can stand by him but in the end these people are lesser to him.

[@peytonreed937]

For all we know, that part of the end of the ride with gristol on top of the world, might’ve been a subtle or not so subtle idea that he plans to take over the world via maligula or some shit

[@Scream_Lord]

Reminder that in the timeline of Psychonauts these games take place like a day apart from each other. 2 days at most. It's kinda hilarious

[@MusingsMuses]

Man, I just noticed at 17:23 the diorama shows Kid Gristol looking confident and like he's leading his family through these dangerous lands but more interestingly, his father is worried and seems to be shielding his wife the queen with his robe. All that while Gristol is pushing the narrative that his father was weak. Makes me wonder how much of the former king's "weakness" was just him being human and having emotions that Gristol either couldn't relate to or was to preoccupied with his own wants to value in any way. I know the king was still probably a not-great person who didn't deserve his wealth and luxury but it might be another hint that Gristol was always apathetic towards others where even his father simply trying to protect his mother from the elements was "Weakness" and he as a child needed to step up and lead.

[@rayceeya8659]

He reminds me of one of the Russian Czars. I think it might be Czar Peter. The one who used to stage fake battles as a child with real soldiers.

[@nyancat2221]

Was he the on who was eventually married to and overthrown by Catherine the great?

[@alexanderkorol677]

@@nyancat2221 That was Peter III

[@andrewcurtin7003]

My faborite part of this level i just finished. Like. Is when you find the hidden record player and if ya break it. Raz gasps in relief. Cause ywa that song is infuriating. I felt the exact same and we both sighed at the same time

[@harry.t9523]

10:45: The inflection of “and when this didn’t work” when combined with the images is strangely amusing.

[@MorriganAtwood]

So I know this has probably been said but I'll ask anyway, who else made the connection that in each game Raz is facing off with a villain with a weird obsession with some form of egg?

[@screamingcactus1753]

Something I found odd were the people other than Gristol you meet in this level. Neither of the "employees" you meet seem nearly as invested in Gristol's delusions as Gristol himself is, despite them both being constructs from his mind. I'm guessing he understands that the people he'll be working with to rebuild Grulovia won't share his vision.

[@bradleyadams5252]

And why would they? They don't have the mental capacity to understand the magnificent Gristol's vision of the future!

[@adeptusmedicus]

Always appreciate when people quote their sources for this stuff. Your disclaimer is a good idea, mental disorders can be very diverse so we can't pidgeon hole anyone who may have a narcissistic personality as being this specific mindset. It's interesting how many little details I missed on my playthough.

[@wafagdplqs4421]

Thank you for this new amazing video !

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I’m happy you enjoyed it!! I love making content about Psychonauts!

[@austinmorrison6953]

Your segment on propaganda just reminded me of how many times history got it wrong in American schools.

[@DissedRedEngie]

Funny thing about that chart in one of his memories. The information icon bar is the smallest, probably the only reason it's there is, because it's only worth is to preach how good caviar is.

[@DissedRedEngie]

Also, I think Gristol might be one of the only (if not the only) major characters that have completely black eyes (Bob doesn't count, he has completely different eyes to everyone else).

[@MillieTheSillie616]

I can barely talk about this anywhere because its such a major spoiler but I want to talk about what might be the most underrated joke in the series. So Gristle Malik thinks he's so clever for breaking into the psychonaughts under a fake name but the fake name he chose was Nick Johnsmith.... NICK JOHNSMITH a fake name clearly came up with by someone who knew nothing about how American names worked. And the fact that he Still thinks its a good name makes me giggle.

[@elliottheutel5456]

Another interesting point is that Gristol does not have a Grulovian accent, highlighting how disconnected he is from the people.

[@ZeroTheHeartlessKing]

oh hey my favorite level is psychonauts 2, ahh the huge ego of a royal manbaby, i think he will forever be a threat, if he can't be the tsar(or czar, i forgot the spelling lol) then he will try to rule another way. also one thing i noticed that seems to show more of his mentality is the placement of his baggage, all of his emotional baggage is out for all to see but the actual tags are hidden DEEP in the warped parts of his mind, i think this shows that Gristol is displaying his baggage for everyone to witness but using only as a "oh woe is me, feel bad for me" pity party.

[@ZeroTheHeartlessKing]

something i forgot to add, i personally hope for psychonauts 3, he DOESN'T get redeemed, he seems too self absorbed to even think about other people than himself coach Oleander was driven mad thanks to the psitanium amplifying his traumas dr loboto was crazy thanks to a lobotomy Gristol is just self-absorbed ego maniac if he has to join the heroes i think it'll be a case of how the heroes used dr loboto to get Gristol

[@starlightsoiree]

It's been 2 years since i finished my playthrough of this and i forgot how the one sign being washed away really took me out 'PROBLEM s'

[@gamecubeking]

I will say my one big issue with Gristol isn't even him self, but the fact they play on the idea of torturing him in the post-game. I feel like if Coach could be forgiven with what he did then Gristol should be able to, too. Even if you could argue the severity of the crime compared to the harshness of the trauma that caused it isn't the same.

[@IAMFANTROLL]

I think the difference is that gristol is openly unapologetic while oleander at least states he was wrong. until they can treat him, it's likely he will make problems again.

[@misterdonlon]

Another great entry as always ThoughtBubble! Can't wait to work with you on the mind-blowing collab project this summer!

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Thanks so much!

[@exceedcharge1]

I think theres a part of Gristol thats not entirely terrible, he kept Truman’s brain chained to his wrist instead of just throwing it away like he could have

[@paulwilliams5949]

When I'd first played this game i knew Truman was the villain but it didn't make sense when i saw him pull raz out i shouted ( I fucken knew it) but i never would have guessed that there was another person

[@maverickdarkrath4780]

Well if post game dialogue with both gristle and his mental self, says anything seems cracks are slowly forming in his mind of what he believed was true, who know maybe one day he'll wake up fully to reality

[@Willzb-xk4ew]

I love all the levels in psychonauts 1 and 2 Shame some things were never implemented in PN2 from 1

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

They're all so incredibly well done!

[@Willzb-xk4ew]

@@ThoughtBubbleYT only one i have issue with is psi kings mind Gives me so many headaches

[@Quazex]

@@Willzb-xk4ew Yeah, it would be way more enjoyable if it wasn't physically painful lol. Still great tho.

[@neptuneplaneptune3367]

Maybe he can get back his job in the Mail Room. Considering many liked hom I must assume he did an acual good job with that

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Maybe! They'll probably need to be pretty certain that he won't get back to his old habits though!

[@neptuneplaneptune3367]

@@ThoughtBubbleYT Yeah he probably will stay in that chamber fore a while but atleast he now will get professional help. I hope we atleast get to see him in Psychonauts 3. Either cured ire still in that chamber, deemed a lost cause and now simply a permanent prisoner.

[@melodymcdaniel9268]

@@neptuneplaneptune3367 He'll get professional help, but therapy won't help someone who doesn't want to be helped, especially if they can't see or accept that anything is wrong in the first place.

[@yumenikkifan666]

i am SO GLAD you added a preface that ppl with npd are still people.... i rarely see that in videos talking about mental health (lookin at you psych2go >.>) and as someone whos likely a covert narcissist that rly made me happy :o)

[@NinjaBoy641]

The fact Gristol was able to concoct this plan all under the noses of PSYCHICS just goes to show how much of a threat he is.

[@Tengu125]

With how sheltered he was, likely surrounded by servants and the only people he'd seen close up where ones loyal to the royal family, and only being able to see the people of the nation from very high up, far removed from the struggles of the average citizens, it really isn't very surprising that he turned out the way he did. Dissenting words where likely stomped out long before it could ever reach his ears, and it was only when the citizens became loud and persistent enough that he noticed, from the perspective of his young mind it seemed that they all, only just then, suddenly became hostile, a threat to him, his family and his lifestyle.

[@The_Gidz]

Finally beat and completed this game the other night!! Absolute masterpiece

[@velvetdraws3452]

still watching the video so idk if its described here, but i like how theres not a single regret enemy in this level, he has no regrets about what he is doing or did