Control Explained - Who is the Former? [Spoilers]
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- Опубліковано 14 бер 2020
- [This Video is not intended for Children under 13]
Hello everyone & welcome back to my latest inclusion in the Control Explained series. In today's Video we put on our detective's hat and try to figure out the full Story behind The Former. Please be aware this video will contain Spoilers.
The story of Control involves threats from many sources. The most mysterious of which is arguably the entity that Jesse found within the Fridge & Flamingo. We only see it twice and are given no direct information on what it is. Pretty much everything surrounding The Former is a mystery so let's try and riddle out a few questions such as its relationship to the Board & what it is trying to do. By the end of the video I hope to answer, Who is The Former?
Please feel free to have free discussion in the comments section below regarding The Former.
Music:
Control OST: Soror et Frater - Petri Alanko & Martin Stig Anderson
Control OST: The Observer - Petri Alanko & Martin Stig Anderson
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One of the most unique and fascinating game's I ever played.
I fully agree. It's nice to see something different come down the pipeline.
Fascinating? Absolutely. Unique? Ehhhhhhh. It's pretty much just SCP but slightly altered. A lot of the OoP and AWEs are copied 1:1, save for changing what the object is.
Cool to see it all realized in-game, though.
i think that’s why this game is so great. it’s so familiar (offices, buildings, a fbi type thing) but so different (awe, ai, etc) so unique of a game that none are like it. it’s a game you have to play to understand it properly. so much backstory and so much fun
@@thearcher5824 Yeah, I thought that the office setting would get boring after a while, however, this game is so detailed that it kept me hooked up until the end... On all 2 playthroughs. I love the game ever more since the PS5 upgrade. With all the windows, glass and picture frames, the ray tracing is ABSOLUTELY stunning.
@Radical Centrist God 100% agree. A triple A SCP game would break records I stg 😂
god finally someone covered this. there's something so much bigger going on here in regards to the former and other than this video no one seems to acknowledge it at least not in much depth. there's just something so creepy about it about how hush hush the board is about it it's basically begging to be explored.
Exactly! The simple fact the Board is acting weird about it was the first thing that told me The Board isn't an all powerful group of entities. They have their own issues as well.
Telling Jesse she better do what they say without question or they'll kill her, or asking her to hang up because they don't want to discuss it further was fascinating in terms of their characterization.
@@GamingUniversityUoG Just imagine that The Former is Alan Wake. That gonna be funny)
@@GamingUniversityUoG Its clear that these Altered items are linked to such creatures like the Former. But where do these creatures come from? And how they get attached to the Altered items.
The Former is Ash
The fact that you can talk to The Former instead of fighting it in the DLC tells us something. I just finished the game and now im watching all the vids on it.
What an amazing/horrifying game/challenge
If the difficulty starts pissing you off,turn on Assist Mode in Options . At least you can enjoy the mood ,atmosphere and story.
@@procomxt What are you talking about the game is piss easy
@@Poroner Don't be daft ,man ! why the hell would the devs introduce an Assist Mode if EVERYONE thinks the game is easy ? Your experience doesn't necessarily carry over to others .
@@procomxt Because game journalists exist.
Not every game has to be made for everyone. What's worse is that this game has no difficulty options, aside from "assist mode". Anybody using it isn't playing the game as intended.
@@Poroner Get off your high horse. The game tells a story, and that is what is more important to experience. Don't judge someone for enjoying a game differently than you.
The fact that Remedy would hide this in a side quest made me love them so much more. I seriously respect games that reward the observant player.
I love this game so much. Makes me feel scared and incredibly curious at the same time.
That's the perfect way to phrase it. Freaky and interesting. Torn between wanting to know more and wanting to get out of there lol.
This is a very accurate statement regarding this game!
In the dlc called "The Foundation," the rift between the Former and the Board is explored in more detail, but still leaves us with way more questions than answers.
Sadly this was made right before the foundation was announced so I didnt take that additional information. But yes I feel the relationship between The Board and The Former is still one of the most interesting mysterious out there.
SPOILER: Former said in the Foundation dlc that it was once part of The Board, but was removed from them, as it was blamed for something unknown. I believe there will be more to the history & relationship between The Board & Former revealed when AWE expansion is released.
GIANT SPOILER AHEAD: Well, there is a list of quotes on game wiki where former speaks with MC control.fandom.com/wiki/Former/Quotes , and i don't think he ultimate evil but he surely hate board for reason and doing stuff to make pain in they astral asses, and he giving a few words which can be explained by different ways, like the first one "< Danger @#$ Director @#$ Board @#$ Broken @#$#@ Deeper @#$ Understand? >" he speaking about director, but it can be explained with different ways, about previous director who been broken deep inside by hisses, or the director as well, like board somehow make directors become broken in way noone can see it or feel, for their reasons to control it or something. The second is "< Tool @%& Other @!!# New @$#* Forbidden @$*$ Board @#*$ >" can be explained like new instrument (tool) for others(board), and as the previos part of board, he can actually know some of their secrets and warn our character. and later he actually just glad to see someone in place there no one visiting him, he become happy and talking about why board kicked him, and they asses. you can just read it and interpritate as you want, but as i already said, looks like he just simple being and he can be understanded.
Jesus Christ dude, your comment just fucking hit me in the face with fact I stupidly ignored. I strongly believe in theory that the Board is Asgard Pantheon. And guess who is usually oppose them? FORMER member of Asgard pantheon Loki. My brain just exploded...
@@katastrofa025 The second one about the tool. I thought that was the former saying that he is giving you the other tool (either shooting the crystal or pulling them out of the walls) to you.
я didn't actually played but watched videos about game, and list of quotes i seen only on wiki, so if it's giving MC new weapon - that's cool!
In the final boss battle in the DLC, Former will sent a minions to help you. Only if you decide not to attack it, when he want to talk to you in Astral Plane
I just finished this game and I'm sad. I'm not a videogame addict but I adored this. Unique masterpiece, I loved the lore, I think they developed the parallel universes theme in the best way I've seen. I just discovered this channel and I've seen there are looots of video about CONTROL. Happy bout that. This is a real cult game, I'll really miss it
I played again this game and I have an interesting theory about the Board and its creatures: based on what Jesse said to Emily about the Former, "a bug like creature", I personally think that every (or at least most) of the Board creatures are like the Former: giant, bug sized and with too much arms. This theory came from what Dylan said to Jesse when he met her for the first time: he felt Polaris in her head and said "You are a worm through time". Maybe he was referring to the Board, a group of creatures like worms that had always protected humans from other dimensional creatures...
I fully believe that the entire board are those bug like entities. I look at them as parasites personally based upon how Ash views them. The worm through time line can be looked at a few ways. One is yours, one is it may alude to Jormungandr, the world serpent or giant worm who was sent back in time. Or the idea of a 4th dimensional reality tunnel. There is an allegory about how our perspective on life is like a worm eating through an apple. The apple is the world but we only eat one tunnel through it during our lifetime. So we only understand a small part of the apple, not all of it. We are worms through only one part of time but are unable to understand all of it.
protecting humans, or controlling them...
It becomes very interesting when you find the former start helping you in the DLC. And the board has so much to hide from you. More questions have been raised!
Yea true , I realized that , I feel like the board was the enemy the whole time , I think the board might be in team up with hiss someone , or maybe have the same agenda but in a different frequency
I know I’m 2 years late but anyone notice after defeating Marshall in Foundation, when you walk back out to where the Foundation pillars are, you see FORMER in the distance before he disappears? Such a cool detail if you’re paying attention.
The guy full on sneaks out of the Astral plane at the end there. Curious what he is up to.
I wonder if you're interested in covering this "speech" of the Hiss. This is still one of the most mysterious moments in the whole game for me, yet no one seems to ever talk about it. All that can't just be a random set of words. Or can it?
Some of the discord community spent some time trying to break down the Hiss Chant. It is definitely not random. Some people guess that the "worm through time" is Jormungandr and there is some norse mythos hidden in there.
I'll dive into it more though and may discuss it down the line.
@@GamingUniversityUoG I saw a comment once saying that there's a thing called perdurantism or perdurance theory (if I get it right, it's basically a theory about how every moment in time exist simultaneously with any other moment in time, opposite to the theory that there's only one present moment in time) and how "you're a worm through time" might be connected to this theory, because a human, when looked at from outside of time and space, would resemble, well, a worm through time. Basically it just Hiss shaming everyone who doesn't exist outside of time and space.
Will look forward for your take on this
Interesting thought. I tend to ask the philosophical question when it comes to perceptions of time. Would you rather read a book or instantly know everything that happened in the story?
Personally, if we dont allow the dividing force of time to break up a story into snapshots we loss the emotional effect and the experience in general.
If I do it it will be on the Resonance in general. I have some material prepared for that and I can add this in.
@@GamingUniversityUoG
I guess so. Yet sometimes I can't help but wish to just go to sleep and wake up in a better times.
By the way, I watched this video and it's great as always👏👏👏
@@cranberryvodka7051 Outside of time? (and space) like perhaps... Mr Door/Hatch!? BUM BUM BUUUUUUUUUM
The board is a group of entities, but it sounds like one distorted voice, maybe the leader of the board is talking. And I really like the / in almost every sentence of the board. As Jesse says: "maybe we will never understand, maybe we don't need to"
I'm still trying to decide whether I think it is a hive mind type of thing where they all speak in one voice or if they speak separately but they all sound the same.
And yeah, it really comes off with the / speak that they don't speak english or understand language well so they use concepts that are close enough. Like Memories are Tattoos on the Mind
IMHO Former is one of the previous Directors, Ash presumably, as Northmoor is a power generator right now.
I hope they revisit this topic in future stories. We need more info!
Another Lucifer parallel is that the name actually means "light bringer". It being an entity in a shadowy realm with a bright light for what I can only assume is its eye. Part of Lucifers fall was that he could no longer stand in the light, thus his realm is dark and shadowy.
Not saying he is meant to be evil, just that the parallels are obvious.
There is definite luciferian, Loki, and Prometheus comparisons. I wish the Foundation was out when I made this because there is some theories that he was kicked for having a relationship with Dr. Ash. Maybe even giving him info looe Prometheus. The Fallen Angel archetype so to speak.
The Former is definitely gonna be in Control 2. I had the same conclusion theory that it used to be a board member who got fired based off of reading the Journals. Theres alot of objects of power & altered items that continue to escape P4,5,&6 of the jail. Some have gates closed too that will be explored in the sequel game. The reason I think the board doesn't want Jesse to pursue the former is probably because the former has the ability to take people from one plane to the next and it's not sure 100% as to whether the people that the former takes from one plane to the next automatically kill them or they get transported somewhere else or does he create some sort of energy that the board feels like they can use obviously they're protecting him because he has some sort of high importance for them otherwise they would want Jesse to kill it and what's ironic is you fight him twice in the game but he still manages to escape so he's a really powerful being. Former is the Gatekeeper of a very different version of the astral plane ✈ & without it existing that plane may be closed forever or for a long period of time. The Board knows this and for unknown reasons want to keep that plane open and available even at the expense of lives. This is why the Board is stuck between a rock and a hard place with the director.
I definitely think the other Altered Items and OoPs will play a role. Out of the 83 Altered Items in the Bureau's records we have only seen 24 of them. Same thing with OoPs. There are 22 on file but only 10 witnessed.
The Foundation showed us a few new ones like the Ahti Cassette tape and the Movie Camera so I anticipate more to show up in later DLC and potential sequels. I definately want more context for the Astral Civil War between the Board and the Former.
@@GamingUniversityUoG It could just be an eternal prison Former is stuck in as punishment for stealing items. Former can hopscotch through any object it wants but is still stuck in that dark void astral plane. Either the board doesn't want Jesse to continue fighting it because they are afraid it can escape...or they want Former alive as eternal punishment for his crimes committed in his previous life.
the Former was one of my favorite boss fights from that game. figuring out you can launch the black orbs back at it was such an awesome moment
Loved my first time seeing him. Such an incredible moment
this game is seriously one of the best and most unique ever made.
It is such a refreshing story and experience. Creating a world that makes us want to explore for the sale of exploration.
Well I'm now less confused. Thanks.
You got it. I hope it helped a bit.
It took me like 6 hours into game to understand what was really happening
Funny how I just found your channel after beating the new expansion 'Foundation' and you actually ended up calling a few things right! This is a really great detailed lore video and you definitely got yourself a new sub. Always nice to find another big Remedy fan, they don't have enough people making videos about the stories of their games honestly, especially for how good their games are! Looking forward to seeing your video about the DLC when you get a chance to play it!
Thanks for letting me know! I was laughing because after I dropped this video, remedy released the dlc trailer like 4 hours later. My thoughts were, "Well here they come to ruin my career" lmao. Glad to know I got several things right though. I'm looking forward to getting deeper into The Foundation! I will definitely make an update video once I finish.
It may be that Jessie perceives the astral plane through the Board's filter. So they make her perceive the Former's area as corrupt, whereas their own looks pure.
Hey, haven't you noticed that by the very end when you climb up the cliff to the crossroads after the final ritual is completed, and you have the vista of the foundation pillars stretching to your left, you can see the former looking at you in the distance from between the pillars!
EDIT: Ahh, i haven't realised this video is probably pre dlc and because i was late to the party i completed the main game and the dlc in one go which kinda made me forget the last part was dlc since they merge so seamlessly. Pretty sure we will learn more about the former in the future.
Yes! I mention it in the supplement which came out later. It sucked because literally a day or two after this video came out, Remedy dropped the foundation trailer showing we get more Former info. Bad timing lol.
Guess what The Former is back in the DLC.
I just saw last night! That trailer dropped like 8 hours after I uploaded this and answered my own question lol.
penyuwan Anyone who ever thought it wasn’t coming back was an idiot lol
You can’t get aid of something like that- that easy.
@@GamingUniversityUoG Intresting, in DLC Former also give Jessie an ability which she shouldn't have by the rules of the board and after that she can understand The Former.
It's even more unclear now.
I really liked this game, I couldn't put it down. I wish there were more games like it
These types of games are definitely my favorite. Anything by Remedy would be perfect to pickup if you want more in this style. I agree, I wish there were more game creators doing this type of work.
just wanted to thank you for covering this game, I think you're the only one that's doing so. this game just leaves me clueless and having someone eli5 is a bless lol
I'm glad I was able to provide some insight for you. This is such a great game I'm surprised there isnt more creators doing work on it.
Great video! I've been loving your videos as of late and I'm quite surprised that you haven't blown up yet! Regardless, keep up the good work!!!
I'm glad you've been enjoying these! Any requests for a topic just let me know. Thanks for the support!
Ngl i love the manner in which the board/former communicate, giving you the meaning/hint/intention in the same sentence so there’s almost no may to misinterpret concepts which have no exact/precise words in any language
I find myself wondering if The Former has any sort of connection to The Darkness. On a surface level, it shrouded the otherwise blinding white Astral Plane in darkness, and there's numerous mentions of increased AWE and altered items "over the last 10 years" which goes back to Bright Falls, and together it could make something.
As in related to the Dark Place, the Dark Presence, or any other entities residing within the Dark Place threshold?
I saw the memo about the rates increasing. I'll have to double check the date because I always thought it was centered around when Remedy started producing games as a sort of meta thing.
My first time not referring to the Former as the moon man (he throws “moons”) 💀
i think the astral entities are speaking their normal language while simultaneously playing pictionary with Jesse as a way of translation, searching her mind for images of ideas they can use to communicate. i think that the subtitles are images shes seeing or they're looking for the words she uses to describe those images. the former doesn't do that at all until the foundation. i wonder if he wasn't able to until she allowed him to. at first he's always violent, but in the foundation, maybe the former realizes that they both want the same thing, protecting the nail and fixing the locks. i think the former was cast out over a small argument and may join the board again if Jesse makes them have a meeting and discuss their differences
Great work as always. I suspect we will learn more about our one eyed friend in the foundation DLC, although in true Remedy style it will probably generate more questions than answers. I remember when playing I always liked the idea of there being a conflict in multiple dimensions, while we were busy fending off the hiss in physical reality the board also had to deal with presumably an attempted coup in the astral plane.
I was not expecting the trailer to drop answering my last question so quickly after I uploaded this lol.
I think it is interesting that the ultimate goal in the climax is to infect The Black Pyramid and usurp The Board.
From interviews this DLC will deal with the Astral Plane so we'll see if my theories are right or not lol.
@@GamingUniversityUoG An example of synchronicity perhaps :-). I've seen the trailer once but have avoided nearly everything else, trying to go in as blind as possible - always better that way.
I'm the same. Unfortunately I already watched it like 5 timed lol. Luckily the trailer doesn't give away too much. I'm considering doing a non-scripted analysis of the trailer tonight. I'm hyped to do something on it.
Nothing scared me more in all of horror gaming then when I touched that damn fridge.
And yet, somehow I got the impression that the Former helped Jesse to acquire the second Shape ability during the events in the Foundation because it doesn't want the Board to fall. If it has a nefarious agenda of its own including stealing and influencing Altered Items, surely it would be best helped if the Board is destroyed and the Board's dominion over the Astral Plane or the part it presides over is ended, right?
One thing I'd keep in mind is this video was made before the Foundation was released when the only information we had was the two times The Former attacked us and killed Phillip.
In terms of the conflict with the Board, I would say I don't trust either faction to be Frank. Before moving straight to destroying the Board outright I think we need more lore information on what ramifications would arise from this. It's a tough place Jesse finds herself in because of the lack of info. They actively fight against us learning more about them.
@@GamingUniversityUoG True enough. Funnily enough, it would seem that the Former gained a degree of benevolence when it helped Jesse while the Board gained a degree of malice. Sending Astral Spikes to kill Marshall was understandable although unfortunate since she did what she did to deny the Hiss from corrupting the Nail so it's natural for the Board to be pissed off at her but then, finding out that they deliberately allowed the Hiss to corrupt the Nail? That's a dick move I think. But it also appeared that they wanted the corruption to happen so that Jesse can purge the Nail using Polaris. The question is why?
Going back to the Former, it's possible that they have the same aims, just different methods of achieving them. Both are possibly malicious though to what extent, we don't have enough data to say either way. The Board still wins the best employer award though: apparently they provide better Bonus Package/Health Plan whereas the Former is still silent on this. Oh, the Former might actually have a better package but as long as it still speaks gibberish, we'll stick to what we know, yeah?
If I recall correctly, the Board initially only granted one of the powers to Jesse and it was hesitant to do even that, and the Former was both helping Jesse and defying the Board's "laws" by granting her access to the second ability.
@@kabeltelevizio True but it shows just how much the Board is being a collective dick when they know or should know that Jesse needs both powers to get around the Foundation in order to restore the Nail, save the Foundation, heck save the entire reality even from the Astral Plane bleedthrough. The fact they agreed later after the Former already allowed Jesse access to the 2nd shaping power doesn't negate the fact that the Board's earlier decision was dickish and possibly even malicious.
@@volrath77 Sure, but it didn't seem like the Former wanted to help the Board, rather it wanted to oppose it.
In the Foundation DLC, in my interpretation it is actually foreshadowed that the Board may in fact have some sinister intentions, or at least questionable objectives.
Jesse can't fully understand what the Former is trying to tell her, but it is obvious that it is trying to tell us something about the Board. On one hand, it could be that the Board is a representation of order and is trying to stop chaos from spreading into the universe from the Astral plane.
On the other hand, the Board appears to be the creator of the Service Weapon which has been used throughout history in different forms (See item description for Service Weapon) to basically control humans and bend them to their will. It also appears to corrupt the minds of some of the Directors who are bound to it, making them dangerous. Interestingly , the game is named "Control" possibly for this very reason.The Directors are all essentially being "controlled" by the board against their will.
While I certainly don't think the Former is "good," it is worth mentioning that The Board may actually be the greater evil in the grand scheme of things
Your voice is soothing and calming. (Just had to say it)
Haha thank you!
thanks for putting so much time into this. I've been looking for help into diving into the lore and hidden stories. Great work!
You got it! I'm glad you enjoyed.
Will you be doing a follow up video on the former soon? I really love your videos and would like to know your thoughts on the former now that the dlc for control is out
Absolutely! Check my post history and there is a supplement video already posted. It was my luck that this video posted the day before the Foundation dlc was announced lol.
Thanks for the support!
9:32 the former isnt one entity. If you play the foundation there is a another former and it actually talks to you in an understanding language.
Excellent analysis and hypotheses!
I’ve only really watched your videos but just spitballing could the former have anything to do with that blessed group providing a service of making altered items or changing effects for the worship it needs for nourishment? I want to preface that I’m new to this and have no idea what I’m talking about lol
Dammnnnn watched this ages ago and now it has almost 120k views? Lucky you!
It was also talking to Theodore ash about the board when he found the little pillar with the eyes
Absolutely! The DLC gave us a lot of jew insight. Unfortunately I dropped this video a couple weeks before The Foundation was released so I didn't know this new info at the time. I plan to address these new story details soon though!
I didn't know the dlc was based
I remember the fear I felt when the Former made its 1st appearance. Unknown things like this are by far my biggest fear but I also love it.
It was so unexpected which is what startled me. But yeah these types of lovecraftian entities are designed to feel so alien to what we are used.
@@GamingUniversityUoG yeah so scary how it just pops up right infront of you, I tensed up so badly🤣 but the lore is fascinating too. Lovecraft is the grand master of horror in my eyes. The Former would fit perfectly in Lovecrafts universe. 👍
I know this video is old as the hills now but I think the Former is an abstraction of Thomas Zane. His visual design is eerily similar to the "To Its Shores I've been" scene at the very start of Alan Wake and considering that it can change the literal meaning of Objects of Power, the implication to me is that Zane is revising his draft of the Alan Wake story during Control (who is then revising his draft of the Control narrative, if we're all in agreement that Control is a tale Alan is spinning inside the Dark Place, seemingly supported by Alan Wake 2 but I havent played Alan's story yet in that game so if the order if any of this revision is actually mentioned there, my bad).
The former reminds me in many ways about Lucifer: they both are fallen from above, they both are corrupt, they both change the meaning of previous established symbols.
I know that religions are similar to each other, so Lucifer will almost surely have its correspondent in other believes
Either Lucifer or Prometheus for me. Since it appears Former was kicked out for talking to humanity. Possibly swapping info with Dr. Ash.
@@GamingUniversityUoG love your videos man. Just discovered you after my second playthrough of control and I gotta say, you are the first yt channel I see covering mainstream entertainment by talking about philosophy, theology and mysticism. Keep it up!
I kind of got the sense that The Former might have been implied to be Trench. As in 'the former director'. Not really up to date with Control's lore anymore though. It's been a hot minute since I've played it
I have a supplemental video on this topic. Former existed long before Trench was director. Former refers to being a Former member of the Board.
Since you recently addressed Chester Bless and the Blessed organization, I have a hypothesis. That the Former is the boss/overseer of the Blessed organization who has empowered them to create AIs. Its intervention is why the Board exiled him. It seems it wants to propagate the use of AIs in the world, and the Board wants to limit this, as shown when criticizing jesse for accepting power from the Former. Perhaps the Board was trying to protect Jesse because they were concerned that too many OoPs would overwhelm her like Northmoor.
The change in the collective unconscious as a cause is interesting, though I would argue that the collective unconscious is probably a factor but unlikely the only factor w.r.t. the power of AAs.
Also, changes in collective conciousness including the interpretations of symbols happen all the time, often very rapidly.
Symbols and their interpretation change all the time agreed. I'd argue that the archetype of form they represent is always constant though. Hence their nature. Symbols for the number 4 may be different between cultures but it always represents 4.
I enjoyed this game, but the map navigation, puzzles and controls were quite frustrating. The lore is great though. I'll keep watching videos like this because I don't have time to go through all the files found throughout the game.
Don't get me started on the map. A simple 1st and 2nd floor option would have made it so much easier to navigate. But yeah the narrative and lore is top notch. I hope i can continue to help fill in the blanks.
hey uhm how do you know the fridge is called artic queen ? also how did you get that "adventurer" outfit
In the collectibles menu they have the Altered Item name and serial number. I think they are under Case Files. The fridge is labelled as Arctic Queen AI10-KE. And the outfit I have on is unlocked after beating Tier 3 of Expeditions.
Former might be my favourite character in the game, probably. Especially after the Foundation.
But there's so much mystery about it even my own thoughts about it are impossible to know for sure :D
lol imagine how insipid a plastic lawn flamingo or a cold food box with crude drawings must seem to a being like that. I can't help imagining it being all like "I can't believe I have to do this, this is so humiliating..." (on the other hand maybe it gets a real kick out of it because they don't have anything like that where it comes from. Or just doesn't understand them at all).
But then maybe the Former (and the Board for that matter) are themselves just trying to "eat." Dr. Ash calls them "parasites," which makes me think they're deriving some kind of metaphysical sustenance from the Oldest House's connection to the collective unconscious (their connection to the House isn't as old as they claim, but their existence might be relatively recent as well if that's the case). I get the feeling the Former split with the Board because it felt the Board was overdoing it somehow and wanted to take a softer, less intrusive and manipulative approach to getting fed. Or maybe the other way around. But if the Former were genuinely inimical to the wellbeing of humanity and the Bureau I feel like the Board would have tried to communicate that that and not just said "don't believe its lies," which suggests it's capable of at least making the case it's the goodguy.
But I wonder if the rest of the board is of this same "species," or if a giant headlight cyclops worm spider is unique to the Former and the rest of them all just look like whatever, reflecting their conceptual individuality, and like one might be more avian, one might be more humanoid, one might be a train, or a slice of pizza, etc. Or maybe they don't have a conventional body at all and the Former only assumed that shape for the very first time once it left.
i never hated a fridge this much...
Lmao this fridge was an ass. I'm still debating whether this one or the fridge in Ghostbusters with the demon dogs is worse.
Knowing the events of the DLC, I would hypothesize that Former represents those parts of the unconscious that keep traces of trauma and are shut out from our consciousness. When we can't understand them, hide them and push back, they do a lot of harm. But reintegtaing them and getting to know them may actually get us more resources and be very helpful, the thing that happens in the Foundation.
I'd go check out the supplement for this. This was released long before the dlc came out.
@@GamingUniversityUoG I know, but it gave me some thoughts I wanted to share
I assumed that Jesse could understand the Board because the Service Weapon acts as a sort of conduit for them and helps Jesse sense their meaning, but Former, not being on the Board anymore, can't channel its communication through the Service Weapon.
My only gripe with this video is the bit about the pentagram, I think it should be more clear that this is the common belief yes, but it represents more than just the “evil stuff” tied to it.
Oh 100%. I never really discuss the pentagram as an 'evil' symbol since it predates the association with Baphomet which is where the bad rep comes from. So many other things it represents.
I feel like I remember seeing The Former in the background of a scene, maybe in one of the DLCs?
Yeah it showed up at the end of Foundation. This one was released before the dlc came out.
Thank you. Just subscribed.
Hi from Serbia. :)
Thank you for the support! Welcome aboard!
I would have guessed the nail and fake nail are what allow the.. I suppose not. The nail did break.. did they have trouble connecting them?
is there update version due to Former appearance in new DLC and have much more lore about it
Yes there is a supplement released shortly after foundation dlc. This came out literally a couple days before the foundation trailer release lol. Worst timing ever.
Can I just point out that the FBC‘s overtime-policies contradict the theory of Relativity? If someone spent time in an alternate dimension, that time happened regardless of whether or not the same amount of time has passed in the „home“ dimension. Just like time that passes differently during a space flight also definitely happened.
The foundation DLC is out now and... it's going to make you reconsider your stance on the former...
Within two days of releasing this Remedy dropped the Foundation trailer lol. I do have a supplemental video already uploaded after I finished the dlc.
5:51 what your totally saying makes complete and utter sense! Except one missing element, ash jr spoke of 11 IDs in one of his media's. Could the 11 IDs (been the formers) have been former directors that were fired?
That's what I think. If you go into the executive office with Emily on the back wall there is 14 directors on the wall and one missing frame photo.
The only reason I do not jump onto the Board being the previous directors is a dozen directors came and went decades before the Oldest House was even discovered. It seems rather convenient for them to be related to a group of entities ties to a House that before the 60s had no link to the FBC.
@@GamingUniversityUoG yeah but what if the board wanted to stay sercet. The borad could have told past directors to keep them a secret until noorthmore came along and spoiled the whole sercet. Hence why he was fired so harshly. I think all the directors of the oldest house is placed on the wall. I think it's interesting not all the directors in the photos are in the oldest house/an office setting. It makes sense in those demographics, at least all the directors maybe didnt know of the existence of the oldest house but clearly someone had to invite them in or tell them of the existence of the oldest house. Who else could have told them/taught them the small amount of english the borad knows
@@GamingUniversityUoG and lowkey, dont you find it strange they talk about trench and noorthmore so much, but trench isnt even the last director that gets succeeded by jessie? Jessie isnt Trench's successor. Theres 6 other directors after trench.
And on a lower key, what determined becoming the director before the gun showed up? By noorthmore and ash jrs statements it sounds like a director just picked someone or maybe the borad always choose someone.
@@milliewilson1046 A lot of what you're saying doesn't make any sense. I think it was a Darling video that said the Oldest House was discovered while traveling through the Subway and that's when they made it FBC headquarters. They talk about Trench and Northmoor so much because they were the two previous Directors and are responsible for a large part of what the FBC is. Also Northmoor wasnt fired his powers got out pf control and agreed to be the power source for the Bureau and give up the Directorship to Trench. Hes in the NSC power plant which stands for Northmoor Sarcophagus Container. Jessie is the Director after Trench seeing as she picks up the gun right after he kills himself. The rest of the FBC says she's the Director after Trench. I dont know where you got the idea of other Directors after Trench. If I remember correctly The Director did just pick someone amd it wasn't until the service weapon was discovered that the Board became the one that choose the Director.
How do you see the hidden text in memos in control I have level 6 clearance but still can't see all text in memos
There is no way to see the redacted text. Mostly we just piece together what the words are from the document's context and the rest of the game.
You don't have to shoot it... It has a peaceful dialogue with you then
This video only has content from the main game when you are forced into the fight. Check out the supplement video that includes what else we learn after The Foundation.
It was my bad luck that the day after this video went up the Foundation trailer came out showing more Former content lol.
Can you make a video that talks about the significance of jesse being p7 having connections to the religious significance of the number 7? Coz that would be cool. like. There are 7 heavens in some religions, there are 7 deadly sins, and 7 connects to astral theoretical psychology. But that's just a theory, a game theory
Plus 7 chakras but also the geometric shape of a 7 pointed star is intended to represent perfection.
when the former says he is happy whe visit him I cried so much he is so cute 😭
He must be adopted haha.
I still have a doubt, I'd be greatful if you could shed some light on it,
Question: why would board ask Jesse to not believe the lies of the former when infact she can't understand what the former is saying. Why is the board under the impression that Jesse can understand the former? If your theory about "filtering " is true, then board must be aware of the fact as they are the one who are filtering...
Unfortunately this video came up before The Foundation so some of my ideas have evolved since then. However, the Board simply fears competition and if we listen to the former we give it energy/focus. In this setting giving worship to something gives it power. The Board has shown to think rashly when it comes to them acting in fear.
I'm not sure the Board/Former can make Altered Items. I think humanity's subconscious does it, and our subconscious is linked to the Astral Plane. The Board/Former can turn an AI into an OoP once it's linked to the Astral Plane, or perhaps they can't even do that but just hijack an OoP and claim they're responsible for it. Has the Service Weapon/Excalibur always been tied to the Board?
The slide/projector is an OoP wholly disconnected from the Board, for example.
Emily has a counter essay where she makes a similar argument. She questions that the board is intrinsically tied to objects keep that they make it seem like that. As you mentioned there are plenty of objects that don't require being linked to the board to use.
I think the former is latching onto these items to survive, or to get back at the board, or both
I have a supplement on this one since this was released before Foundation. But yeah I get the impression Former held onto it for survival of some form.
How did you un-redact the files?
I have a theory to why the board doesn't want us to beilieve or trust what the Former says, it might go with everyones theory but it's deeper than that. When we first encounter the former, what it said to us was a bunch if symbols(symbols have letters and meanings,im pretty sure our great buddy here will explain it). After we beat it the first time, the board says not to trust it or believe any of it's lies. In a hotline call...they explain that the former was a member but was fired due to unknown reasons(that will later on be explained). Then in another Hotline call for something else, the board was a little piss that Jesse had question what their goal was so they said, if the directive ever questions them, disobey them, or abuse the O.O.P, the directive will cease to live/exist. The former knows things about the board that we don't
Are you going to further explain this, since we have more information about the FORMER from the new DLC?
There is a supplement video on this. I had the bad luck of releasing this the day before the Foundation DLC trailer was released lol.
@@GamingUniversityUoG Just saw it, Was rather...Yeah, Bad luck :(
Other possibility: the Former may not be a more negative influence than the rest of the Board, just different.
After the dlc was released that's the way it looks like it's going. I didn't trust the board in the main game but it's looking like they are certainly making the former seem less antagonistic as it appeared originally.
@@GamingUniversityUoG thanks for doing these videos, by the way. They're interesting.
Now that I've finished the Foundation DLC, doesn't The Former play a part in that too? Namely getting Jesse access to the 2nd of two powers to manipulate the environment (either destroy or create)? You can then leave peacefully after getting the 2nd power, or fight The Former a 3rd time. This time on a narrow path that keeps getting destroyed during the battle so you need to keep retreating.
Yes the Former plays a huge role in that DLC. This particular video was released before the Foundation came out so sadly I didn't have any additional story included.
@@GamingUniversityUoG I enjoyed the base game, and the DLC were fun. I'm considering a 2nd fresh playthrough, but yeah. I can see where the conclusions prior to the DLC could be made.
I just want to point out… the name of the Former and it’s linking with the pentagram could imply it’s seeking to return altered items to their “former” state… just as the pentagram was formerly a holy symbol. Expanding on this, maybe the Board’s choices of energy infusion are the cause of the corruption, not the Former; which I might add would be a very Remedy thing to do.
I just finished it, and it was an amazing but a horifying journey. If you are kinda megalophobic this game can make you feel anxiety. I braved it tho and wow.. Sometimes it's a cosmic type horror, almost lovecraftian.
For me it's a shame that great side story coming out from fridge is not explained more enjoyable in game itself, same as the main story.
This game has the most enjoyable combat of the games I've ever played, I hope that they will make combat and puzzles like that
Hi
After the foundation dlc
I am confused even more
Who are the board ? Good or bad ?
Black pyramid ? Good or bad ?
The 1st directer ? Good or bad ?
Former ? Good or bad ?
Hiss good or bad ? ( yes I am this confused )
We don't know the first director but Northmoor was the 1st one after moving into the Oldest House. He was power hungry and fully under the Board's Control due to his personal ego. I'd say he is bad. For the Hiss I'd say bad by instinct but it's hard to say. I don't like giving morality to forces of nature. Like a lion eating a zebra is just acting within its nature and has no sense of morality. I feel the Hiss is like that. The Board, the Former and the Pyramid could go either way. I'm leaning more towards nad for the board and unsure for the former.
Welcome to Lovecraftian horror. Lol
The basic answer is that, when dealing with beings like the Former and the Board, human notions of "bad" and "good" go right out the window. The best you can do is hope that one of them is beneficial to humanity as a whole, which for the moment, The Board seems to be.
What if the astral plane where the Former is located is a black void instead of a white one because it is contained within the black pyramid as a form of prisoner? In which case the Board would not only know of Jesse's interactions, but view them firsthand from their own perspectives.
I wonder if we can compare: The former vs Shades vs Hiss to each other.
They all exist in darkness and I wonder if that means darkness thresholds will be formed .. or already exist ..
I alwazs thought the former either was the former intelligent entity/inhabitant of the astral plane before the board or a failed/former director himself, who maybe got into a clinch with the board, so now they recruit new directors from another plane basically, so humans instead of maybe other lifeforms/entities
Based upon stuff we learn later in the Foundation, there is an implication the Former engaged too much with humans and was kicked out because of it. Lot of Prometheun themes here.
But we know the pyramid isn‘t the only basis for communication, as Polaris is able to do it as well, as are the Hiss in their way.
I look at them as different types of entities. While there is no basis for it I look at the Board as a similar entity to the dark presence. One that exists as an aspect of the collective human psyche since it exists in the Astral plane. A place of consciousness.
Why would the FBC want to “bind” unconscious energy? Newbie here but wouldn’t an organization like this find OOP’s and such in the world and collect it to safely “unbind” it at the oldest house? Why not? Thoughts?
It isn't that they are trying to bind the OOPs. It happens automatically. FBC is just running experiments by having some employees link to them . FOR SCIENCE!
I don't think they even know how to separate the vessel from the energy. Or even considered trying to find out
@@GamingUniversityUoG do you think when Odin and Tor went into the lake they ended up making the musical number in the dark place as a warning for Alan. Champion of light/herald of darkness?
@alexandermaxwell9099 I believe Odin and Tor or the band itself are some sort of Altered Entity, likely altered when they drank the moonshine from the lake or at some other point during the AWE. When Ahti gives Jesse the Walkman with Take Control on it he says its a present 'from his friends'. Then he shows up before and after the Herald of Darkness sequence in AW2. They, possibly along with Ahti work as a sort of 'guide' for whoever needs them. The real band, Poets of the Fall still exists in the Remedy Universe so The Old Gods of Asgard could be their version of Zane? At least that's my theory lol
I never thought of the Formers area as a corrupted part or version of the astral plane.
I though that it was just very far/below the area the Board is in.
Frankly that bit was kind of speculation. After the foundation was released we got more info and I was likely incorrect there.
Since the Astral Plane is infinite there's not really a "below" so it's more likely he's in a "corrupted" part of the Astral Plane. Why would just going down suddenly make it darker? The entire Astral Plane is white so any part thats not white would have to be caused by something. Or Former is located somewhere that's like the Astral Plane but isn't since as Jessie said there's no pyramid which is the defining feature of the Astral Plane.
@@eobardthawne324 Its darker because, get this, its _far away from the pyramid_
either horizontally _or_ vertically.
@@slimeinabox I figured you would bring up distance. The pyramid seems to be an object that seems to be always big enough to be in view. I'm pretty sure a darkness of that size would be able to be seen since it's in such contrast to everything else. I think it's most likely that Former is in its own type of Astral Plane since I don't know why The Board would let Former inhabit their space nor why Former would want to.
Isn’t the former in the foundation DLC? Does that change things?
There is a supplement to this that came out after the dlc was released.
Possiblity: the former is the reason why the hiss happened, and the board made Polaris
Former Reminds me of a Combine Advisor
0:36
How do I get that outfit??
It's the Expedition Gear outfit. You get it from beating tier 3 of Expeditions aka the Jukebox.
@@GamingUniversityUoG Aaaah thanks, just found The Juckebox, will work towards it right away :)
While this was before the dlc that made it more clear there are plenty of hints before then that the board is not really good guys. The negative slant you give the former really ignores this.
The altered items the former links being aggressive should not be seen as proof of this. Simply because many AIs have killed ppl, even those clearly linked to the board. It's possible that how an AI manifest to humans isn't fully under the control of the Astral being linked to it.
As for it attacking Jesse. She was attempting to take control away from the former. Control that it seems to be in its struggle against the board. So it fought back.
More so equating dark to curroption is a bit silly. Since the only part of the astral that we see (outside the former areas.) is what the board holds domain over the blinding white might not be is natural state.
Seems like an ex-employee, right? We know that. Probably she was opening the fridge door to keep cool, thinking it was only an odd curiosity with the unbreakable drawings. It sat there while being studied, and was being used by employees thinking it benign. Then as she would stand there with the door open, she could hear the voice of Micheal, who had jumped inside during the building collapse for safety. So they get to talking and a supervisor notices her wasting electricity and for playing with an altered item so frivolously (as well as other infractions like his lunch continuously going missing once put in the fridge) she gets fired. But she is Michael's only friend, so he convinces her to go inside. She gets hot flashes and detests the heat, which is why she afterward goes straight for the pink flamingo to control the weather. She is manifest as a giant whispering eye because that's how her secret PK ability worked and allowed her to converse with Micheal in the first place. Call it a motherly instinct of you will. In Control 2 they will return as a duo, hell bent on making her former supervisor melt in a scorching heat and reunite Micheal with his lost mother, returning from the astral plane the same age he was when he vanished. Or maybe he finds she already died and decides instead to stay with his new surrogate mother, and they retire to somewhere that is almost always nice and cool/cold.
He comes back in the Foundation, and it was weird.
It was good to see more information come through on this character.
Its confirmed we will get Control 2 after Alan Wake 2 is done
We are also getting Project Condor, vanguard, and the Max Payne 1/2 remakes
@@GamingUniversityUoG 😮 Project Condor sounds cool. Curious about Vanguard. I hope they are in the same universe as A. wake and Control. I say this because of the 6 doors in the Oceanview Motel. Alan is 1, jesse is 2, Max is 3 just as an example. Condor, and Vanguard could be 2 of the other doors. Maybe im putting too much thought into but i loved Control sooo much. Got the Platinum trophy a few months ago
What if “mother monster” types like Mold-1 were also part of The Board at some point? 🤔 or even The Clog
Really love the name word play. Sadly, the language I played the game in only had the (matter) former meaning.
Wait, there's more than one Alan Wake game? Well then... I was planning on getting a good night's rest by crashing early, but guess not! It's me and my Xbox One tonight!
Haha well there is the main game and American Nightmare. 2nd one is a much shorter game that is more a side story. But he shows up again in Control as a background character.
@@GamingUniversityUoG Currently playing the first DLC and OMFG this game is IMPOSSIBLE! Especially since Alan controls about as well as a cow in a shopping trolley!!
Did you ever update this?
Yes there is a supplement for it uploaded a few months later once Foundation came out
I gave this game a 6.5/10, but then I got the levitate ability 9/10
Seriously the levitate and launch abilities made this game.
Well, then there's the fact that evidence provided seems to suggest a certain distrust for The Board itself. I'm reading Authority right now, and The Board is sounding like The Voice in that book, who also speaks to the Southern Reach director directly and with a muffled/ gravely voice. Like Control, nobody knows who/ what The Voice is at that point I am at in the book, which is half way. Once you get to the point of having interdimensional species, some physics based, like other resonant beings that travel through frequencies undetected by humans, the sky's the limit. You can literally go anywhere with the story. Even Harry Potter has the problem of the time turner. Why not just use that and prevent Voldemort? Why aren't they all fighting over that device? Screw the Elder Wand! A time turner is better than any of the Deathly Hallows. Inventing a time traveling machine was the worse things JK did as she has not, in the books, imposed any limits on it and having time mechanics in the whole mix is even more of a plot hole within itself, if it's not all carefully mapped out and limited...and the Remedy Connected Universe has that as well, in the way of the Dark Place : you lose time, you relive loops...I'm sure there's an element to this in Control too.
I think Former is the Light Presence, FORMERly known as Thomas Zane.