Psychonauts 2 and Anxiety: Compton Boole
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- Опубліковано 22 жов 2024
- This video will analyze the psychological theme of anxiety as it appears in Agent Boole's mind in Psychonauts 2. Doublefine have crafted a character and a level that is loaded with depth, metaphors and symbolism for understanding the mind of a social anxiety disorder. Join me as I explore it to a pretty nauseating degree!
If you liked this analysis... get help. But maybe also consider sticking around for more deep dives. High chance I cover more of these wonderfully designed levels!
Thought Bubble's Analysis:
• The Genius of 'Compton...
Credits:
Includes footage from Psychonauts, Psychonauts 2, and Psychonauts by Double Fine Productions.
More Credits and my sources used:
docs.google.co...
Psychonauts 2 was written by Tim Schafer, and co-directed by Tim Schafer and Zak McClendon. Psychonauts 2 OST by Peter McConnell.
Here's something fascinating that the fandom has been puzzling out for a while now: If you look at the wires connecting the different stations, they tend to end in pillars of blocks. If you look at them, they resemble very closely the blocks-on-wires toys you'd find in a children's area of a doctor's office. To add to it, all of the kitchen equipment is made up of playful, childlike toys (Even in the boss fight, the flapjack flipper and the mixer are both patterned after sharks). Everything has a childlike aesthetic, not just the goat handpuppets.
I think some people relate it to Compton's kid, as he's Dogen's grandfather, but we never hear about a wife or partner or a child. It just never comes up. I think there's a lot of interesting material hidden in there, possibly.
"make you feel his anxiety"..."the mystery boxes"
this just made me realize something. I always thought that it was an unintended bug that caused you to not get the final mystery box opened(until you re-enter his mind), but after hearing those two lines so close together I think they may have done it intentionally to cause you one last bit of anxiety right as the level ends
Nice find! Yeah I couldn't agree more that the design choice is part of the "create the illusion of anxiety" choice.
Honestly I think the animal exploding thing actually was a real memory and double fine was just putting in some dark comedy, Dogan did the same thing with squirrels in the first game
But oleander had fake memories so who knows
Definitely makes sense from a dark comedy and Dogan perspective! And hey most of the memories in the game are real memories obviously.
As someone who deals with self esteem issues, this exchange with Compton and Raz in particular really struck a chord with me.
C: "A danger to myself and others they say"
R: "Who says that?"
C: "Myself."
Another detail in Compton’s mind:
The enemies that represent Doubts in Psychonauts 2 are represented as purple slime monsters.
There is purple slime in many parts of Compton’s mind, in various nooks and crannies in the labyrinth and ESPECIALLY in the Double Down segment.
Interesting find my friend! Incredible attention to detail thank you for the comment! Jumping over the purple slime at the end to overcome doubt too. The symbolism there is off the charts!
Cassi O' Peia seems like an interesting mind to dive into, especially when you go above the chandelier, if not the twisted mind of Fatherland Follies(I'm trying to keep that Spoiler free)
Cassi O'peia would be perfect for discussing Archetypes and Carl Jung. It'd be a psychology Super Bowl Sunday. Thanks for sticking with me too!
@@misterdonlon Are you still going to make the analysis? I don’t mind if you don’t want to, but I just want to know if you are indeed working on it.
@@EvTheFlickFan Almost finished my friend! Should be out this month!
@@misterdonlon Thank you!
I’m just happy I got all the boxes the first play through. By literal seconds. Three to be exact, if memory serves.
Also before the video starts, I love that all the grades they give about food are still really mean. As someone diagnosed with Anxiety, and who struggles with perfectionism, I don’t think people know what that really means. No, I don’t always try to be perfect/better than anyone else. I go for good enough not to hate myself. It’s not aspirational and the positive association is misleading.
Love these comments my friend! Glad you are enjoying these videos- More to come!
This video is a wonderful work of art, it is the most beautiful story telling, and explaining the story of one’s issues. Truly magnificent with the explanation you have given here.
OK
🥱🛌zzz
@@owenliao 🙏 🙌
I'm a fan of your theory about Compton's memory. We've already seen that the vaults aren't necessarily true thanks to Oleander's Pride vs. Oleander's Shame, and Compton's vault has always stood out to me as odd.
Either way, Compton's level has always been one of my favorites. It's so fun to play, but the feeling of waiting as the timer ticks down second by second because you put something in the blender too late is insane. It's just a game, but watching time run out until all of your hard work is ruined because of something so seemingly insignificant just hits different. I've been diagnosed with Social and General Anxiety for a while now, and this level really gets the back of my mind to light up in slight panic no matter what. It's a mini version of the stress of deadlines and presentations, and the confusing, maze-like layout is the cherry on top.
I think Cassie's mind would make for an interesting video, focused on Jungian Archetypes or even just the different roles people play in order to survive. Helmut's level and sensory issues would be really interesting, too, especially with the way that the game combats sensory overload and panic in general with literally slowing things down to give yourself a chance to breathe, and think, and try to ground yourself. Awesome video, by the way!
Thanks for the interesting comment and the insight! I couldn't agree more that this level is an exceptional microcosm for many different ways anxiety can present itself. I love the way you said "something seemingly so insignificant just hits different," extremely well said my guy!
Thanks for the support as well! And I'll absolutely be coving Jung and Archetypes with Cassie. It'd be a psychology teacher's Super Bowl Sunday levels of excitement! More to come soon my friend!
I suffer from anxiety and this level literally exacerbates it so I beat it and it's time limits and then I find out later that I don't have to actually beat the time limit
I noticed that too! It's an interesting commentary on the illusions of pressure that we often create. Easily one of my favorite themes in this level for sure.
as someone who has severe social anxiety Comptons level hit me really hard in the feels. love the video my dude
Appreciate the love and the personal connection! Thanks!
if you do work on a helmut video next, i’d love to see you tackle other sensory conditions in addition to synesthesia! as someone with autism i process senses differently, especially sound, and it’s nice to have someone to relate to :-)
Will have to lean a bit more towards this being the next one my friend! Thank you for the suggestion!
Exactly, I was shocked at how much the Panic Attack looks like a sensory overload personified.
This opening triggered my anxiety. Well done!
Oh yikes 😅 I hope it was fleeting! lol
@@misterdonlon Ah, its alright! I knew what you were going for and you did it extremely well! Love these videos, man.
Thanks my guy! Appreciate you sticking around for more too!
I'd love to see a deep dive into Helmut's mind! Psychedelic visuals aside, it does an amazing job of showing how sensory overstimulation works.
Plus, I think the way it shows Helmut's synesthesia is super clever. It's not an easily noticeable detail, but at the start of his level when you go out on stage for the first time, the audience members (representing his current perception of his senses) are all pulsing between colors, with none of their colors fixed/set until you reunite all of the band members. I think it's a really clever way of showing how synesthesia scrambles your senses together!
A little worried you've been reading my mind because this was exactly the suggestion I was hoping for! And thanks for the the tips too. You're absolutely onto something with that analysis!
Wow! what a great video. I liked the part where you talked about the guy and how he has memories and also anxiety that was cool
Your videos are so extremely well produced and your commentary is intriguing. I hope to see your channel grow cuz this is some great stuff!
More and better to come my friend! Nice to have you on board!
An extra large thing to think about
Is that Compton has a Psychic ability that specializes in Reading Minds
So arguably, his Social Anxiety is way worse than a person without his Psychic Specialty
He has the ability to Explode things of course but his Mind reading ability is what messed with him the most
Love some extra large things to think about! Interesting thoughts my friend
This level was hard as a suffer of to many things to count top being fibromyalgia and PTSD given anxiety this level was very good
Another great video! Very well edited and great pacing, and I love the branching of themes as you touch on other forms of social anxiety, encouraging further research. I'm looking forward to the next one!
Thanks my guy! Appreciate the feedback too!
wait hang on i think it's a bit of a stretch to say that that one memory vault doesn't show what actually happened? i mean. his grandson also has the ability to speak to animals and has a problem of accidentally exploding people, and also explodes squirrels on-screen, so i don't think it would be that unusual for compton to have actually lost control of his powers there
otherwise though, great video! :0 i think in addition to social anxiety, compton can also be read as autistic--sensory overload from being around others/from too many things going on around him, emotional hyper-empathy to the point that he projects human feelings onto objects, etc.
Thanks for the feedback! Yeah my argument has a tough time when you look at certain details like Dogan and what other characters say about him. I think my take mostly stemmed from the twist ending where the fear of criticism came from within and thus a lot of his fears were manufactured from his past failures. And I like your take on the sensory overload piece too. All of the flashing lights and fast paced music would compliment that nicely as well. Solid analysis!
The level design istelf seeming to try to make you fail the challenges has an interesting connotation, if you ask me.
I have both social and general anxiety disorder, and in my experience, when my anxiety acts up, if something isn't going the way that I want it to, then I think someone or something is at fault. Specifically, it means I perceive that something or, more commonly, someone, is actively trying to harm me. This can range from "the computer running slow, so it's mad at me", to "My little sister is getting job interviews and I'm not, so nobody wants me to get good things unless they allow it."
I can kinda relate to him when it comes to anxiety.
15:40 Immediately cared about a class way more when something like that was introduced lol
Couldn't agree more!
Wow, those videos are totally mind blowing, I was looking for content similar to Gaming University psychology of Psychonauts but in sequel ;d Can't wait to see more analysis of next levels, especially PSI king which I believe is one of the most intricate :)
Thanks my friend! Appreciate the feedback! I've got a long way to go before I've built the library that Gaming University has haha but more to come soon!
All the fun of learning without the stress of a classroom
What could be better?!
Those videos are so cool! Psychonauts is one of my favourite series and i love how deep you go with the little details. I would love to see your take on Fatherland Follies (i think narcissism? maybe? I'm excited to see what you think!) and Loboto's at the beginning!
Appreciate the feedback my guy! Fatherland Follies is absolutely on my list and interestingly enough we have the same ideas for how the theme! Would love to know what you think both levels bring to the table from a psychological perspective.
@@misterdonlon I'm really speaking from a non-profesionnal point of view, but I find Fatherland Follies interesting from the angle of someone building a story and an image that fits their desires! And locking out anyone who couldn't possibly agree with them (Lily not being able to go on the ride) to protect said image.
For Loboto, I think the subliminal messages locking out information is interesting! There's the angle of planted memories from Sasha, and trauma that blocks out important information (who hired him)
Can't wait for your next video, hope you're well!
@@MlleMensonges Love these ideas my guy! Just from studying these concepts of how denial works and how our perceptions of reality can be distorted with my students and I can safely say that you are definitely onto something here. I've been doing research for my script and sources for Helmut's mind, and it's becoming more apparent to me that the theme of "distorted reality through ptsd" or "episodic memory" is alive and thriving across multiple levels.
This game is quickly becoming my own "Room 237" subliminal messaging of the Shining; only it's all of these theories about hidden meanings in Psychonauts haha ! And I'm glad I'm not the only one who likes diving deep into this! Its comments like this that make the long hours of editing and research worth every second. Thanks for the support!
Oh this is lovely! Please do Ford's levels next please
Will do my friend! Thanks for the support, more to come by the end of the month!
Great Video, so close to 1k subscribers as well, keep it up my friend.
Thank you Michael !! I owe you guys a lot for the support over the past year!
@@misterdonlon 1000k well done i wish i could take some credit but this was all you and well deserved, we will be speaking soon il share this on the Clans&Dynasties Facebook page aswell
Heartwarming as ever my friend! Hope to see you guys soon! Happy Days indeed!!
superb video!!
This was a great a very detailed video. But I really expected you and other people to pick up some of the subtext with the prep stations themselves.... they are specificly chosen and they represent different styles of self harm/ suicide, cutting, burning, drowning, and finally a gun to the head (if you dont believe me on the last one find the dark thoughts chain behind the blender) it looks like youre looking down the barrel of a revolver. Also look at the things that come out of the blender they are literal piles of mush. That being said Compton is the last living member of the Senior league and its easily possible that any of these fates could have happened to the other members... But, to acknowledge your point this could definitely be due to the anxieties he is dealing with.
This is the bridge to 1k subs
If that's true Chris, then it feels like the golden gate one.
Or ill make 30 alt accounts
Some ideas for you then: @steverogers, @captainamerica, @starspangledman, @oldmancap, @johnnystorm
Whoa is that Captain America
Shaq DIESEL !?!?
I think you should do Psi king's mind next.
Read my mind! Should be up by the end of the week
Not as bad as Compton, but, I do have a degree of social anxiety and I have a youtube channel; I can banter and goof around on mic in a way I never could in a room full of people.
I'll have to check out your space! Thanks for the tip!
I'd love to see your interpretation on Edgar's mind.
I've got to have my Queens!
Please do more
Working on it my friend!
Ya baby
I recommend Compton's lover, Cassie O'Pia.
Obviously there would probably be a need for a spoiler warning, but I'd love to see analysis of the main antagonist as well as final brain we enter before the final boss!
Not to worry! That is definitely the plan!
@@misterdonlon Glad to hear! Finally got around to giving your psychonauts series a watch and It's every bit as wonderful as I had hoped. Please keep it up!
Thanks that means a lot! And of course, more and better to come!!
Great work! Very interesting and well done! 😁😁🤩
I have autism, you think you could see any relation to any of the games contents.
Also love psi-kings sensorium, best level in gaming history.
There could be some elements in the Psi-King's level actually! We'll see what the research reveals as I like to say!
@@misterdonlon also the condition of synesthesia and the triggering of different senses was really interesting. Plus I saw a video of a women with the condition playing a violin 🎻 with lights to show which note and color is playing, and I have no shame in admitting I drew a few tears both hearing and seeing how this women see's the world.
Part of me wishes I could perceive the things they describe, to broaden my mind, because if you think of something it's technically real.
Wait that's absolutely incredible... Talk about impressive and interesting! Send me a link if you can find it! I'd love to highlight something like that in the video on the Psi-King. It's connections like that, that really remind me of how meaningful seeing and playing levels like that can be.
And I like where your head is at too. I'll be sure to bring in as much to paint the picture as possible!
@@misterdonlon ua-cam.com/video/1LUbxfnpez4/v-deo.html
@@codyboise9989 Ayyee! Thanks my friend!
well that was interesting and fun :)
Thanks my friend! Hope to jump on a podcast again soon!
Max Derrat might like you and his video since he's a Aspie and on UA-cam and discord. and I predict Amygila will show up in your later video. (since that name sounds so familiar like it's a alt ego for a person.)
Btw not to sound rude but aspie or asbergers isn't the term used any more "asbergers" is autism and the term has been removed from the dsm. The term asbergers originated from a n*zi doctor who ran a eugenics program (I am autistic I'm allowed to speak on this )
I've seen a few of his analysis videos! Not only is he talented but he puts out consistently good content on a weekly basis, which is insanely impressive. Feel free to give him a shoutout for me on discord! If I had discord I would lol
@@yurigod555 here’s a quote someone said “Anyone is allowed to speak on it. You don't need to be autistic. Otherwise, mostly. They where a German doctor during the NAZI period. The eugenics thing is always a question because the NAZIs used everything, and I mean literally everything discovered to prove their supremacy. They did not trust the Japanese to fight at night due to slitted eyes, and they explained Einstein's intelligence was due to experience from his family plotting against the WW 1 Germans. It was literally everything. So if Hans Asburger was a NAZI in the way the plaster thinks cannot be known, but he is the origin of the condition and it was rolled together in the now almost useless diagnosis of Austism, with much controversy as that resulted in autism having such a broad set of diagnostic criteria, you can't really know anything about a given disability if they have the diagnosis.”
When are you gonna fo one on cassie?
Cassie might be next!
1k subs!!!
Thanks Shaq!
Wait, goading?! I just...
Could you do a video about Hellblade? I self diagnosed a bit with Hellblade thinking I might be schizophrenic. I later learned I am bipolar and have ocd. Despite my wrong self diagnosing I was still sent on the path of fixing my mental health thanks to Hellblade.
Thanks for the suggestion! I've had hellblade on my list for a little while now too. It seems like the kind of game I'd make two videos for- one for the psychological themes, and one for the mythological influences in the world building.
😃👍
For the algorithm
Do the big bads the nicls the grovia ride one
epico 👍 very cool
Thanks!!
@@misterdonlon you're so close to a thousand, i'm proud, a very big milestone my dude
So close it hurts! haha thanks for the support and being with me for it. It means a lot my friend!
Or helmet do helmet
:D
=D
@@misterdonlon :D