Void Stranger: If FromSoftware made Undertale

[@wizcatcheslightning]

The Gammelier: youtube.com/@thegammelier?si=HacXPvOaIeES0Bdf System Erasure Discord server: discord.gg/system-erasure My Discord: discord.gg/dhw22a2h

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Editor’s note: if you hear a sound pop during the quiet parts, try listening to it with headphones on. It will sound more crisp 😎 I didn’t realize there’s a sound pop if you’re not wearing headphones because I had to put in a sound loop so you weren’t hearing me walking down stairs.

[@AshnSilvercorp]

bless. I couldn't find it on their official website, and Twitter won't even let me view their page there without making an account.

[@amberhide04]

the entire void stranger fandom (of 4 people) watching this video: 😃

[@kalenipclaw5683]

there's at least, like, 20 of us

[@leeperhapsbased.9057]

As a System Erasure games fan, I say 😃

[@abd6170]

Hey! There's like a dozen of us :(

[@wymarsane7305]

5470041062466101 of us! 5470041062466102 of us I tell you!

[@mermynator]

Make it 5

[@EdgeLie]

Funny how the other person who reviewed it refused the forbidden fruit until the struggle made it so tempting, meanwhile this guy took it with no hesitation and when he wasn't affected by it anymore discovered a whole new part of the game

[@Lars_Hermsen]

exactly my experience, lmao. I accidentally walked right off after getting the wand and ate the fruit. Definitely worth it, wouldn't want to miss that amazing "bad" ending.

[@EdgeLie]

@@Lars_Hermsen yeah it's nice if you use the fruit immediately but if not, you don't end up thinking the locust are collectibles and if you change your mind last minute you feel like you wasted some of your time

[@sirtacovi3262]

I'm glad we both had the same experience with the void fruit, eating it after dying on br... floor 2 because we wanted to check if we could walk off the ledge, then assumed the locusts were optional collectibles, and ended up thankful that we got to see the best damn bad ending ever while practicing for getting to the good

[@wizcatcheslightning]

@@sirtacovi3262 😎👉👉

[@GossipGeist]

I have an immense appreciation for games that, on their surface, appear to be simplistic, but then they try to be more than just a game. More than just a single genre. A game that takes you on a journey that you weren't expecting. Those are the types of games that are hard to pull off, but the reward for doing so is making a timeless cult classic. This was a great video, Wiz!

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Glad you enjoyed it, GG! I was thinking of that Delete Guy from Death Note last night while editing, thought of you, and chuckled

[@GossipGeist]

@wizcatcheslightning A Death Note aint got nothing on the supreme might of Ctrl + Z. 💪🏻

[@waterinferno2071]

If you like difficult like void stranger with the same "deranged under the surface" you should check out Lingo. It seems pretty basic but I have over 100+ hours and I'm not even finished yet

[@frostedbricks1828]

Loved this video. You did a great job talking about the game without giving too much away, something that I think a lot of other VS videos struggle to do. I was obsessed over this game when it came out and still think about it all the time. It is far from perfect but at the same time redefines how you even think about evaluating the quality of a game. The developer commentary at the very end was one of the most genuine things I’ve seen in a game and made me respect the hell out of VS that much more.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Thanks for that acknowledgment! Yeah I’m sold on SE forever now

[@flmb02]

Amazing video and editing. After falling down the void stranger rabbit hole, I'm glad you contributed to the puzzle community

[@randoguypassword5433]

Good to know I'm stuck on the bad ending. No really I genuinely appreciate it because now I know to be careful and take it slow next run.

[@thegamersician]

Dude, this video was masterful! Now I really wan to jump into this game and check it out. Love all the lore, Easter eggs, and other such shit. I've been sold!

[@wizcatcheslightning]

F i n a l l y ! ! ! Also thanks for watching man 😎

[@gooeyPhantasm]

well done! it cannot be understated how important it is that video games like this be analyzed (and praised) as closely and carefully as you have in this masterpiece of a video. and.. thanks for talking about the server! i can't think of another game where interacting with the community is such a core component of its gameplay, and you've definitely gone above and beyond in that aspect. see you around and keep up the good work! :gp:

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Thanks for the praise and some much needed footage, gp 😎

[@gooeyPhantasm]

@@wizcatcheslightningwhaaat? i provided footage..?

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Yeah! The secret skelly boss fight footage from ZR

[@penultimatechimera7981]

i was going to be SO upset about you not telling us the quote, but then the moment I heard the first words of your reply I knew exactly which quote you meant

[@LocalLialec]

i dont think im ever gonna play void stranger but this video essay was captivating to watch. I appreciate the hard work you put into this!

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Likewise to you for taking the time to watch as well as write a comment. I’m curious though. What’s the reason for not wanting to play?

[@LocalLialec]

@@wizcatcheslightning Of course! I love video games im just taking a small break from them as I focus on other aspects of my life, though i may come back to them in the future

[@wizcatcheslightning]

@@LocalLialec I commend you for wanting to work on you

[@helmetboyHD]

​@@wizcatcheslightning Here's me barging into the exchange and saying the reason I personally don't want to play Void Stranger, even though I enjoyed the video a lot. Although I love the aesthetic and lore, the gameplay just isn't captivating to me. I've never liked puzzle games. I'm more partial to action games where mechanical ability is challenged or at least stimulated.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

@@helmetboyHD oh no worries about meddling. I appreciate the conversation. Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@linforcer]

"Once you get your scepter..." I SEE WHAT YOU DID

[@wizcatcheslightning]

😉

[@sirtacovi3262]

Aaaand just got spoiled by this comment. Time for me to stop scrolling!

[@SnowHoneyFlake]

genuinely really good video dude, *please* make more content like this

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Thanks for watching!

[@AshnSilvercorp]

thank you a ton for this. Something you said with the game's movement just gave me a big idea for something turn based I was struggling with.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Happy to have indirectly made the lightbulb go off in your head 😎

[@onesecgaming8102]

I watched a video essay about void stranger by The Gammelier, and i've been waiting for more video essays about it

[@onesecgaming8102]

I wasn't expecting you to mention him at the end lmao

[@wizcatcheslightning]

@@onesecgaming8102 😆

[@thegammelier]

This, and I say it completely without bias or ulterior motives whatsoever, is a good video that everyone should watch You did it, Wiz!

[@wizcatcheslightning]

A great man once said, “Aww shucks!”

[@thinkingatmaxvolume1992]

It's easy to catch lightning with such big hands

[@wizcatcheslightning]

😂… 😭

[@MommysGoodPuppy]

did not expect to see the word "standardbulletspiralvomit" in this video

[@Ian_Boni]

loved all the easter eggs in the video, really clever stuff! especially the chest (and the end)

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed it

[@JTriggerVideos]

The title of this video feels like it was specifically engineered to match my exact video game tastes. Definitely gonna be checking this out, great video!!

[@wizcatcheslightning]

I was trying to cast a larger net so people wouldn’t sleep on a game like this. Yeah man, check it out, get lost in it, and then do yourself the biggest favor and check out Zero Ranger. I have at least 120 hours in both games and there’s still more to discover.

[@Zack_Zander]

“The Nun is getting caught chain darts by Sister Ballbuster” is something I did not expect to hear

[@WobblesandBean]

You're so underrated, dude. I'm a little sad to see there are no other videos you have anywhere near this long.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Well thank you. I’m working on a biggums as we speak. Estimated time of footage capturing is like 300 hrs with estimated research time already at like 6 months and counting

[@alexmulanney6864]

This was a beautiful video. You’re doing wonderfully. We hear you.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Thanks for watching! 💗

[@justhaku9240]

i had wanted to write a long comment but after the ending i have almost no words... i have never heard of or played these games so im glad i clicked this Great video i somehow watched the whole thing, i hope you arent too disappointed by the views cause you made something special

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Comments like that make the journey to make this video worth it 💗 Regarding the views, this is expected behavior from YT. At the end of the day, I made something I’m proud of, and if you decide to go and play those games (you should because they’re amazing), and you happen to rewatch this video, there’s a lot that you’ll notice 😉

[@lorgon111]

31:18 (inside a spoiler region, folks) you should check out Hero's Spirit. The only controls are the arrow keys, yet there manage to be a number of interesting boss battles.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Thanks for the rec, lorgon!

[@Extracredittttt]

I love Zero Ranger so much that im now obligated to check out Void Stranger

[@wizcatcheslightning]

@@Extracredittttt it’s a different vibe but if you beat Zero Ranger, you’re going to appreciate Void Stranger

[@Extracredittttt]

@@wizcatcheslightning yeah I 1ccd both loops of Zero Ranger so I'm down for whatever sadistic twists and turns this game has in store. Great video! Bought the game and have put a couple hours in already. Exciting stuff

[@wizcatcheslightning]

@@Extracredittttt oh man that’s awesome 😎 Thanks! I enjoyed making it. Also glad you’re digging VS, it’s still on my mind.

[@matteste]

And one not regarding one of the creators of Void Stranger. Before forming System Erasure he was well known within the Fraxy community for being one of the most creative and innovative creators around, finding new ways yo use the Fraxy program in novel ways and even pushing it way beyond what it was probably ever intended to do.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Ebrozgi?

[@matteste]

@@wizcatcheslightning I think that's the one. He was known as Eboshidori back in those days.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

@@matteste I think that’s him because Ebbo (the other half) learned programming during the latter half of Zero Ranger’s production. That’s some cool trivia and I appreciate it!

[@TheOnlyBlob]

loved your video essay both games are definitely now on my wishlist

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Thanks! I promise you it’s some of the best 120+ hrs that $24 can buy for both

[@wolvozach8310]

he said fear and hunger

[@VitaminSwann0]

Great video bro!! The high probability you’ll unknowingly lock in the “bad” ending so early and that it changes so much about the game is WILD. “It’s a puzzle game…. No, wait.. it’s a PUZZLE GAME” 😂

[@whyitsfun]

Yoooo that Cave Noire packaging is so clean. I didn't know JP handled that differently either. I love a fun instruction manual lol. Remind me to show you my Omikron the Nomad Soul Prima Guide sometime I think you'd get a kick out of it

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Thanks WIF! I need to find a place to stick that bad boy. It’s just sitting on a desk, haha. Yeah the manual rules. If I can remember that I will 😂

[@benvelveeta6803]

This video is what finally sold me on the game, and god I cannot say enough for getting me to try it. 40 hours later and its easily one of my favorite games I've played this year, even if it has the Outer WIlds problem of being near impossible to recommend to my friends without a little spoilers lol Excellent video, of an excellent game!

[@wizcatcheslightning]

That means more than you know, sincerely. System Erasure deserves the praise. The only other recommendation I can give at the moment is to definitely go and play Zero Ranger. You won’t regret it. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment!

[@HarhaMedia]

Void Stranger made me cry so many times.

[@Krystalmyth]

That game box is near mint condition. Take care of it.

[@paetroalexius9299]

Great vid! I would share it with my friends but the bad ending spoiler is something I want them to run into blind. just have to wait till they get past their first run before i post it ^.^

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Thanks! And much appreciated on the eventual share

[@OmegaVideoGameGod]

Very interesting approach, this game was way more ahead than undertale was and it scared me too

[@wizcatcheslightning]

That violent ending to Undertale mortified me though 👀

[@waterinferno2071]

Played void stranger and I can finally watch videos about it, then they drop a dlc right after, is this a W?

[@wizcatcheslightning]

You b-better b-believe it 😎

[@baez1301]

Fantastic video! I wish I had encountered your video before I got spoiled by a few major plot points in the game, thanks to a big KZbinr who disregarded spoilers... man...

[@wizcatcheslightning]

@@baez1301 does their name rhyme with lonnerbog???

[@FlameForgedSoul]

Bullet _heck?_ Holy Bowdlerization Batman.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

KZbin censorship, man. But also a personal rule. Don’t curse if I can help it. Makes the writing more challenging and it makes the times that I actually curse more emphatic

[@lkim100]

aight, you convinced me.

[@Blueshellkyle]

Never seen this channel before but the video is super cool and your voice sounds like Pete Wentz which is cool.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Never heard that Pete Wentz comment about my voice before, but I’ll take it! Thanks for watching

[@naterouse]

Great video!!!!!!! Funny and informative!

[@8BitAvocado]

Oh god. Every time you make an inside joke it flows so well but it means so much. Great video Also 20:59 look I'm famous

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Thanks Avo 🥲

[@DanielG-e8t]

Great video! Was waiting for a video essay on VS, but its really funny to see one of the first made already call it the dark souls of undertale 😂. Would love to see something in depth on the rest of the game, after enough ppl have played it!

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Thanks! I’ll definitely consider a follow up in the future. It was a challenge to not try and spoil the game, so I limited it to just the first act 😗

[@DanielG-e8t]

@wizcatcheslightning thank you for not spoiling much, def the best video on that I've seen yet, some others spoil far too much. One day!

[@VeeZzz123]

You convinced me at 2:58 Now I can't watch your video anymore until I finish the game. See ya then

[@net-banshee]

i started watching this game after opening balatro to play in the background and i thought my game audio was on

[@wizcatcheslightning]

@@net-banshee balatro is just sitting in my library. Haven’t started it yet. I’m quite sure I’ll get hooked

[@DonYagamoth]

Wait what? Void Stranger also shadow dropped a DLC?... I had no idea... I overall really enjoyed my time with the game, completing it - to my knowledge at the time - 100%. And I've been kind of curious if there was stuff I've missed. Turns out, I guess I entirely missed that DLC

[@wizcatcheslightning]

@@DonYagamoth I haven’t played it yet because I’m doing other things for my channel, but the community really seemed to love it. It closes a few loose ends lore wise

[@DonYagamoth]

@@wizcatcheslightning I've just joined the System Erasure Discord, and there's an awesome community there able to give nudges for that, they seem awesome :D

[@wizcatcheslightning]

@@DonYagamoth glad to hear that and welcome to the server 😎

[@acidtib]

Game added to my wishlist!

[@acrab6527]

Fromsoft making Undertale is just Fear and Hunger. This is if Yoko Taro made Undertale. After seeing the whole game though, that was pretty good. Sad that there's been maybe 4 people talking about this game on all of youtube.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

@@acrab6527 hey well feel free to share the video to a friend in need. I know I’m talking about the game with my friends 😎 Also, thanks for watching

[@nemoguy]

Good vid

[@tubebrocoli]

A green orange, you say?

[@wizcatcheslightning]

@@tubebrocoli 😉

[@MichaelAiyedun]

Rain world is a good Buddhist themed game you should try out I can’t recommend the DLC of rain world though

[@wizcatcheslightning]

I’ll check that out! Appreciate it

[@frostedbricks1828]

I tried the dlc but couldn’t get into it. Can you share why you can’t recommend the rain world dlc?

[@wizcatcheslightning]

@@frostedbricks1828 @MichaelAiyedun for visibility

[@MichaelAiyedun]

@@frostedbricks1828 To clarify I don't recommend the DLC mostly for non-gameplay reasons. Rain world downpour was originally a fan mod called the more slug cats mod which became an added addition from the game after various back-end company shenanigans (From moving to different publishers of adult swim games to Akupara Studios and said new publisher contacting the modders is a somewhat messy way). The Downpour DLC was basically made by the fans but had some involvement with the Dev that made the music for the base game. While the mod adds new content and slug cats with new and kind of fun playstyles their method of balancing can be very questionable. After the addition of the DLC various graphical details and mechanics have been bugged (They've been slowly fixing it, but I think the karma gate animations has still been messed up). The newer regions added in by the DLC kind of feel the same as for a good portion of the "story mode" of the new slug cats make you focus on the iterators and those lack variety in layout design where it feels like it's just big rooms or narrow hallways from what I recall playing. The new creatures you face are either essentially reskins of already exist ones from the base game or blobby creatures that lack the design of the ones from the base game (I think there's one that has been broken since launch and requires a mod to be fixed). I think overall the gameplay still feels unpolished (the forcing the spear master to use one spear halfway through and saint's final "level" is a very clear example of this). Going into what I kind of really don't like is the presentation of the "story"; to state it clearly it feels like several of the new slug cats were the anthesis to the message of the base game's story and in my opinion goes too deep in the need for overexploitation of various aspects of the story. This can be seen in the artificer, the gourmand, and the Saint the most from my experience. Characterization of some of the iterators seems a bit misplace and out of character of them as 5P leading artificer down the wrong path and fundamentally the very opposite of what his creators made him for. Not to mention the idea that even after all the actions one can do it might still be possible for one to ascend and break the cycle. In the gourmand play through the potential existence of Hunter long legs does my favorite slug cat from the base game, The Hunter, dirty and taking all mystery from what happens to him after completing his mission and his karma kancer and stating it is rot based while also implying NSH willing sent a rot infected being to help BSM which could have been significantly deadly to her if the timing of the hunter wasn't successful. The Saint being the triple affirmative solution made by SoS feels wrong as not only does it feel wrong since Saint's own ending is an "unbreakable cycle" but take what I believe the base Devs might have hinted at what was the triple affirmative SoS created, but this goes all on what you interpret from the Hunter's ascension ending from the base game. The new ending where the survivor and the monk can go back to the area seen in the intro cutscene feels like a prime example of not understanding what the whole system of karma, the cycles and the base game's ending was misunderstood or unappreciated by the Downpour Devs (I think this ending was even dubbed a good ending by some but I'm not sure if it's still referred by that today) I could go on and on about how the DLC adds all these personal nitpicks for me but at this point I think I'm just being petty. I think in a dev room for the DLC they straight up say to consider the DLC an AU so I just kind of "cope" by seeing it all as non-canon, basically a literal official fan AU. TL;DR: The DLC is a paid fan mod that kind of messed a bit with the base game, is a bit unbalanced, and thematically in my opinion misses the message of the base game.

[@realkraid]

I am not going to lie, System Erasure are MUCH better storytellers than From Soft, and this is coming from someone who loves that studio

[@mrhalfsaid1389]

Shoutout to those who shudder at Shido? My fella in christ, that fight took me only four attempts on hard mode ON MY FIRST PLAYTHROUGH. Okumura makes sense for hating (f♤ck that fight) but shido? Nah the only hard part of that fight was the very last part, noted i did choose to fuse some damn good personas (notably Raoul, Uriel and another random one that resisted, nulled etc. to a decent amount of attacks

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Not his boss battle…his mind palace 😆

[@nobody4248]

23:38 Grifith!!!!

[@wizcatcheslightning]

🥲

[@FokaAlighieri]

"after you kick chest three times.." Let me guess - your favourite gun is Chekhov's? -

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Fun fact: that is actual footage of my first playthrough. And I typically pause for a bit while recording footage, but I decided not to during that part, and I’m totally glad I made that decision

[@FokaAlighieri]

​@@wizcatcheslightningi must scream. But i have no words I guess you just were [ L U C K Y ]

[@ManBung]

Sorry but I am not getting tricked by the dev to play his shoot em up after dropping 30 hours into the game! (I did...)

[@JorguinTorpedo-ff5vk]

System Erasure made a game so good that made me want buy a PC just to play(Being in a Third-party Country where consoles are more cheaper them Computers is a pain in the a##).

[@wizcatcheslightning]

@@JorguinTorpedo-ff5vk you made the right decision 😎

[@Roover8138]

I can never escape Berserk can I?

[@wizcatcheslightning]

None of us can

[@rhnirsilva652]

go play one shot

[@wizcatcheslightning]

🫡 appreciate the rec

[@josephchambers4509]

Very cool video! I really really want to like this game. But I’m like 12 hours in and I just don’t like the puzzles. Like the actual sokubon puzzles do nothing for me. Wish I could find the cool stuff

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Thanks. Hey well if it’s not your thing at least you supported its makers

[@wigglytough5745]

haha it's just like darksouls dude!! comparison is the thief of joy

[@wizcatcheslightning]

When one compares themselves to others, yes, that’s true. But for the sake of this content, it’s using the familiar to describe the unfamiliar

[@Wapcvm]

I don't agree with you calling this game by the title you named this video. You seen what general Sokaban games do nowadays? Baba Is You, Patricks Parabox, Can of Wormholes. Puzzle gamers are cooked bro with their meta elements in literally every single modern game of the genre. Also when people talk about meta games like these, I always remember Anodyne 2 came out 5 years back, and EvoLand 2 came out 10 years back and they have strong as hell meta elements already, no one really brings those to the table though. What's next for expanding the 'metaness' of games, I think about.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

If you watched the entire video, what alternative title would you give it?

[@anotherfelys]

WHY ARE PEOPLE CALLING EVERY SPRITE BASED TOP DOWN GAME AN UNDERTALE CLONE IT BECOMES AN INSULT AT THIS POINT AND FROM SOFTWARE... JUST SHUT UP

[@wizcatcheslightning]

@@anotherfelys sounds like you didn’t watch the video. The video answers why I think these things. But you know, that would require you to listen and digest the material before forming a complete opinion.

[@anotherfelys]

i mean... you even called zeroranger the "undertale of shmups"... youre just trying to trigger and make fun of people at this point or is this a joke or something

[@wizcatcheslightning]

@@anotherfelys again, demonstrating that you’re not listening. I didn’t coin the phrase “ZeroRanger is the Undertale of Shmups”, someone else did. But after playing both SE games, I do not disagree with that sentiment. If you’re triggered by that sentiment, you should touch grass or mouth off to someone in real life and experience the growth that comes with being humbled. I want these games’ audiences to grow, so go be a miserable gatekeeper elsewhere or stick around and maybe learn something.

[@BearKenster]

The hell is this title? It doesn't make any sense. This is absolutely nothing like anything fromsoft has made or undertale.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Did you watch the entire video? It’s a lot harder to go into the details of the game without spoiling it. If you watched the entire video, what would you suggest as an alternative title?

[@BearKenster]

@@wizcatcheslightning why do I need to watch the entire video I played the whole game.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

@@BearKenster well because you’re giving feedback. If you make a judgment about a video title without watching said video, how can a creator grow from that feedback? I’m willing to hear you out, but if you’re not willing to do the same, how can we make progress? Sounds counter intuitive

[@ilucasz]

I'll watch your video anyway, but your title sounded so much like "I want views at all costs" that I almost gave up on watching it.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

If you watched the entire video, what alternative title would you give it?

[@reddalek8521]

#FroggyHasAHerps (JK)

[@oddless1972]

extremely stupid title

[@wizcatcheslightning]

What makes it extremely stupid?

[@ProfessionalNamielleLewder69]

I've been following Eboshidori (Ebbo) since his Fraxy years, which was over a decade ago. I was in high school at the time and was obsessed with the canon he made for the Fragments of Men series. I guess it only makes sense that someone like him who loves SHMUPs, mechas and Buddhist imagery would end up as a developer of two of the most mind-blowing games, period.