I don't know if anyone else experienced it this way, but when I first saw the collector on Blackstone Isle and almost up to the reveal, I assumed he was just standing in the doorway of the house. Now, I see that it was always clear that he was a reflection, and the "doorframe" was always a mirror. Wild. I wonder if it was at all intended for players to make the inaccurate assumption that I did
Of course that was on purpose. We all thought he was just standing at the doorway not to let the fisherman into his house, only later you can see that it was a mirror all along. Heck, you can even see the Collector's eyeglasses lying by the fisherman on his boat during the opening intro, right before he crashes.
The first time I saw the man in the 'cabin window' I was wondering how come this person came up into the boat or near the boat. Then we only see him on the isle, indicating that he never leaves the isle. I started wondering if that man was an imagined person. I didn't make the mirror / door connection until I saw that scene where he breaks the mirror.
Or when you first see him it's through a porthole, or more accurately it's your reflection in the glass. I wondered about the fisherman being an unreliable narrator but deliberately tried not to think too hard about it, I loved what the game did with the reveal.
Poor fisherman... got himself caught up in Eldritch shenanigans like those other unlucky few of Lovecraft's writing. I guess the moral of this story is respect your superstitions, don't dredge ancient relics, and never wake up Cthulhu to revive your wife.
@@LanaaAmor because it literally destroyed the entire world - it’s possible that there wasn’t a reality to spend time with her in, so it could be ultimately pointless.
a small add on. When the collector says I will join you unlike the other times when someone joins you and takes up space in your cargo the collector is never seen. I did not know the collector was us until this video due to that.
I never noticed the crimson book and the collectors glasses in that very very first cutscene! Love the thought of the Leviathan not being another otherworldly hazard, but an entity trying to stop you! It’s not killing you for funsies or cuz its evil like the phantom shark or night angler. It is a hazard but its not from the rift or whatever brought up with the casket. Never made the connection that it was of our world and trying to protect the oceans/planet but that makes so much sense!
@@LolGamer5 I agree actually! As you can see in the "Good" ending when he throws the book back it rises opens it's mouth and then pauses as if to give the fisher a moment to leave and run. But seeing as the fisher was determined to remain it simply consumes him. Considering we got the Iron rig this year. it's MAYBE possible we'll get a "Best" ending sometime in another DLC. (maybe) and we'll live to tell the tail maybe.
A marvellous synopsis, if I could make a couple of corrections. At 15:55, Rot is just natural decay. The Creature at Stellar Basin is apparently from outer space. It was a spore that arrived in a meteorite, settled on the ocean floor, began to grow down, and (allegedly) made a connection with the Eldritch Abomination in the Bad Ending and began infecting other things. 16:55 the Leviathan is a protector of 'our' seas against forces which would unleash the Eldritch Abomination (aka Cthulhu). We can see this in some of the lore on Devil's Spine in that it enjoyed the light of the grand lighthouse whereas monsters attacked and brought the civilisation to ruin when the lighthouse was destroyed by a volcanic eruption (a natural disaster or caused by the Abomination or the Creature?) 18:55 the Fisherman wasn't so much corrupted by the book, but rather, the grief over losing his wife and the paranoia/superstition that it was him that caused her to die (performing the renaming ceremony wrong, having a woman on board) had him research/ask the book to help him forget, resulting in the split personality.
@@fishygaming2554 There are three/four things that allude to it. The two obelisks found there, one of the messages, and the Researcher's findings; 1. The Creature originated from a spore. The idea of panspermia is not only a classic sci-fi trope, but a hypothesis for the real world origins of life on earth. "A spore floats in the water, adrift in the current. Fish feast in a frenzy above, devouring its kin. The spore lands in the thick silt of the sea floor. Its roots stretch down into the seabed, growing - extending towards what lies beneath." 2. The Creature appeared within the last 20 years (the Fisherman visited Stellar Basin with his fiancé with no sign of the Creature... yet there's no mention of visiting the resort, suggesting it was destroyed beforehand) "The green glimmer of an aurora blooms in the night sky above the resort. A distant boom shakes the thatched rooves and rouses dreamers from their sleep. The waters withdraw, exposing the coral to the warm air. Confused creatures chitter and seek out their hiding places. Moments later the waters return; crashing, seething, sweeping souls out to sea." 3. There's a mention of there being an 'alleged' meteor impact. "Artifact Manifest Jar of Earth A jar containing earth from a meteor impact site. Allegedly." 4. The Creature is unnatural, yet not 'caused' by the Eldritch Abomination's influence like the monstrosities found in other locations. The spore that became the Creature seems to have originated in a separate occurrence, however it's clearly not a natural part of the ecosystem, as documented by the Researcher. It's tentative, but I think this points to it being an alien lifeform.
There's also that he describes the Fanatic as simply fading away when he actually burns himself away on a pyre. Maybe a small thing but it's stuff like this that makes me question if some summary people actually play the games they summarize or if they are using someone else's summary as well.
What I really liked about the plot was the underlying sense of grief and loss that clings to everything, from the main story to the sidequests. A lot of what you do in this game is help NPCs move on, find peace or have new beginnings. And the two endings then becomes the split between the main character also moving on, or paradoxically falling to his grief after a journey of helping others let theirs go.
Great video. I was confused by the ending during my first playthrough. My take on the Leviathan eating the MC is to protect the knowledge of summoning Cthulu. Since the MC knows how to do it, he can’t be allowed to live with that knowledge.
@@Miles26545 it's not cthulhu. it's most likely other forces (i.e., the leviathan) preventing cthulhu being summoned by any and all costs. besides, going by lovecraftian mythos, cthulhu is beyond morality/apathetic to the world. everyone and everything destroyed or driven to insanity is just an unfortunate side effect of cthulhu's unfathomable existence.
@@gefenbenhayon343 nug? if i remember correctly, nug looks very different from the eldritch deity that showed up at the end of the game. if anything, it could just be a monster designed after one of the notable eldritch entities in mythos and lore.
It’s definitely a preemptive to stop Cthulhu from ever being summoned revived again, the book was discarded into the water to prevent it, yet by chance someone dredged it up and the cycle repeated, but now with the book in the belly of the Leviathan, the cycle cannot repeat itself ever again!
I love Cthulhu inspired stories. This one even had Cthulu himself appear in the bad ending, which is amazing because the sheer size of him is half of what breaks your brain
i've seen theories that the God may actually be Cthylla, Chtulhu's daughter, as it is referred to as "she" along with Julie. kind of a deception, when the book tells us through the collector that "we will bring or back" or whatever, it's actually talking about Cthylla
20:20 Interesting...so Leviathan in this story is basically the good guy trying to stop Cthulhu from awakening. I honestly kind of like that idea. You know something's bad when even the thing God supposedly thought was too dangerous to exist is scared!
It is also made clear when you inspect the blackstone next to the old lighthouse. It states that a gray serpent looks at the glowing light and sings a sweet lullaby to it, after which it descends peacefully. The light being the only thing keeping evil at bay in this game
@@yannickdellaert1616 I'd say its more liek, it keeps the levi chill, but once the light gets blocked by the evil demon fog, its like "Yo wtf, where my night lights go?!"
Oh, that's fun : the first time I got the bad ending I wasn't aware of the split personality thing. I thought it was very weird that though it said that the collector got onto my boat, he wasn't an inventory item like other passengers previously. I thought it was an oversight, but now it makes perfect sense!
Love that you covered this! One thing I’m surprised you didn’t bring up was the various black stones around the islands. When you’re sane, they’re harmless and do nothing. But if you’re sanity is gone/if you’re paranoid, the stones actually light up and describe the island’s history and the monster on said island. For example, I was out fishing at night and I just got away from the monster at the Gale Cliffs, but I was paranoid and came upon the stone and it was glowing. It actually gave me some text on how the island’s monster came to be. Pretty neat stuff!
Ahhh, I was wondering what those stones were about. I finished the story of the game but went back thinking I still had stuff to unlock because I couldn't interact with them.
@@hanacinnabun One near the ancient lighthouse talks about a leviathan rising from the sea and actually enjoying the light perhaps alluding to the leviathan which eats the MC in the good ending presumably to protect the world from knowledge of summoning the elder god in the bad ending
I only discovered how to read the obsidian stones AFTER getting the bad ending of the game for the first time, and the very first THE VERY first obsidian stone I read was one that described the destruction of the world and how Greater Marrow fell to ruins. I felt like my previous save was a much more organic premonition of what it was to come if I followed the collector whims. It feel so poetic having that knowledge after being left with the uncertainty if there was only one ending, and not so long after I found the old mayor and slowly but surely I started to piece everything together, this game’s story is so well crafted omg
I'm a bit sad I never encountered the Leviathan in my entire playthrough, only heard of it. I suspected "something" to stop me from going too far at sea but never tried. Though, even whales scared me so that thing would've killed me if I did see him. It's really cool that he's actually part of the overarching story and not just another spooky entity that is never spoken of again.
there's actually a little secret at the end where if you first take the book from the collector and then decide to help him (yourself) it will have different text saying that his reflection dissapeared and you feel cold wind, if you don't take the book it will simply say that the collector just climbed onto your boat
Okay so the fact that letters written by people already deceased can be found did clear something up for me. I wondered how we found the journal entry from our wife about the night she died if she was... You know... Dead. But if we can find writing from people after they died, that makes more sense now
I was really excited when the demo for this game was released. The studio did an awesome job making this little world feel lived in, old, and mysterious. I look forward to whatever they do next.
The reframing of Leviathan, a well known monster often used as the main antagonist, into the “good guy” of the story and protector of the seas is such an amazing twist I never saw coming.
Ever notice how the collector is always framed to be a reflection? He’s first seen through a window, and the next time he looks as though he’s framed by a mirror
MAn with boat lost wife, made a pact with a water demon, had amnesia and the part of him that did the pact manifested in mirror, then depending on the ending you pick either finished the pact, resurrecting his wife in exchange for the lives of all the people in the islands getting murked by a demon, or he rejects the pact, getting eaten by a giant feesh and lifting the curse around the place.
I just played through the game for the third time and I love it! It's like an interactive Lovecraft novel 😊 Thank you so much for this video, it brought up some very interesting details that I hadn't noticed, such as the fisherman having the book in the intro 👍
@LolGamer5 yes, but sometimes they're worth the half of this game, in terms of atmosphere/writing. This game has it's own atmosphere. I think it's a little gem.
Immediately stopped the podcast I was listening to so I could put this on when I saw the notif! Absolutely loved this game. I actually got the secret ending the first time without knowing what I was doing lol Thanks for covering it! Love your commentary and explanation as always!
Harry, your explanation videos are always so understandable! I'm really hoping you cover The Chant, because I have no idea what I've just been through. Love the videos as always
Such a great game! Only thing that bummed me, was that I expected some kind of hidden third ending, where you'd repair the broken lighthouse using the stone tablet. Was kinda anticlimactic that all you got from this was a new light and some trinkets.
When I was first looking around for a better ending after I first completed the game my main idea was to find a way to get up the broken stairs to reach the top of the lighthouse to turn it back on and then initiate the ending or something and maybe it would ward off cthulu but I had no idea how to do that so just started completing the encyclopaedia and ended up stumbling across the old mayor during it.
What an awesome game this was! A great lovecraftian game masqaurading as a calm and simple fishing game. Its like they build the entire basis of the game on how a lovecraftian tale is written. At surface level all seems fine but then as you delve deeper and deeper you realize how dark it actually is
YES!!! I’m so glad you covered this. This game looks so interesting to me. Unfortunately I knew I was not going to be able to purchase it. Love Lore & Order.
It’s also eldritch because of the fear mechanics and seeing things hunt you at night. It’s a common mechanic in all the Cthulhu board games. As you lose sanity, worse things happen to you.
Well done, Harry! The Crimson and Silver Book on the dash of the fisherman's boat at the very start of the game is the clinching clue. That, and all the message bottles I never read... +1 Like, +1 Sub
Good video! You can also read some lore on the black stones when the fisherman is going mad =) I enjoyed this game so much! Although I was a bit disappointed that the reward for finally throwing the book away was being eaten by a sea monster. Can't wait for a DLC and photo mode additional quests. The team did an amazing job!
i actually predicted the twist with the collector on my first playthrough right before the actual reveal, i found the old mayor and started to piece stuff together - i forgot exactly what my thought process was cus it was a year ago - but also i noticed the collector kinda looked like the player, so i watched the intro again and was shocked to see the glasses and book, so then i looked closely at the collector and noticed the weird glint on the "doorway"
9:22 you might have had some accidental error in the script at this bit. Sounds like part of the Devil's Spine chapter got spliced into Twisted Strand's part of the story.
I'm sure you just forgot to mention it, but you actually get 2 relics in the Marrows. First is the handkerchief, second is the key to the music box found on the backside of Greater Marrows. There are 6 relics in total. Either way, great recap and explanation video! I love this game too.
Thanks for the video. I'm going to have to rewatch that opening cutscene again. Also learned deeper lore of other areas. Additional fact. The description of the artifacts changes if you have high enough panic. Showing the fisherman remembers the before time.
Ironically, Gale cliffs was the last place i got the artifact because i thought i needed Banish to get rid of the stupid monster and i hadn't realize it wouldn't follow me to the spot the relic was in until i watched Jacksepticeye's playthrough 😮💨 But it is cool how you can play every area out of order if you want.
Just finished the game and I have to say - I'm glad I finished it before watching this. But man, what an awesome analysis and review of the story. Thank you!
In love's desperate grasp, he dared to tread, Saved the one he loved from shadows spread. Yet the cost he bore, a world in strife, For love's fierce flame consumed all life.
I played and beat this game in a few hours, I didn't even realize the depth of the story but now it makes more sense. What personally disappointed me was that there were a few clues alluding to vampiric presences in the area. The two I can think of are 1) the casket was opened and scarlet shit hit the fan and 2) when you're going mad and start seeing the eyes in the dark. But then again, the meteorite suggeted alien lifeforms or plague, and the sea monster suggested Cthulu so between all the direction and misdirection it did a good job at keeping me guessing and learning. I only saw the 'bad' ending, revealing dark magic/necromancy and resurrection of mighty Cthulu. The 'good' ending is tidy and necessary, but I'm really glad they offered the bad one, that was epic!
@HollowBagel vampire shows like Dracula and Hellsing Ultimate when Alucard unlocks his control art restrictions and unleashes more of his power until the enemy is rendered silent
@@swangooo I don't understand how any of this alludes to vampires being in the game. The casket is a casket. It was what the book was found in. The eyes are figments of your imagination, in higher panic.
@HollowBagel Do you want to understand? If you really do I can explain further, but if you're trying to establish that I'm wrong, I am. This game is devoid of vampires. These aspects of the game just steered me in the direction of vampires based on my own experiences with vampire media intake. Simple as that.
Every time I watch one of your videos I keep expecting to hear Niet here with FilmComicsExplained. Your voices are very alike and so it makes it ever more worth it. Except your GameComicsExplained although I wouldn't quote you on that as I don't know if that's copyrighted.
It’s an absolutely fantastic detail that you spend a lot of the game gathering and reading other books while travelling, naturally the character must like books :)
Hey, I personally love watching your videos and wanted to ask if you will ever be explaining Sinking City as it is kinda horror game based on Lovecraft and I think it would be a great addition
I actually think that the Leviathan is an extension of Cthulhu's will, just as he is in the Expanded Cthulhu Mythos. It follows and stalks the Fisherman to ensure that its master's/parent's plan comes to fruition. Which is why it kills the Fisherman when the player tries to leave the area, as well as in the good ending. The player is basically demonstrating an unwillingness to serve The Great Old One's plan, so it sends its spawn to kill its uncooperative thrall. But even if the Fisherman throws the book back into the sea, Cthulhu will just find someone else to serve its will. The world's destruction was only delayed.
This clashes with the Leviathan trying to kill you as soon as you discover the book, more likely implying it was trying to stop you. In addition It has a chance to spawn and devour you when using your powers in open waters, a fate the collector constantly warns you about, implying he's hunting you down and the usage of the book's powers leads him to you.
But the Leviathan also tries to kill you when you use the book's powers too much in the open waters... And if the Leviathan was an extension of Cthulhu that simply doesn't make sense...
@@OctagonCookies A willing slave is a good slave; think about it. In order for an Old God to push its unknowing victims into doing what it wants, it must coerce subtly by them give them a sense of urgency and slight paranoia. Making the victim think that cooperation with the Old One is theirs and the best alternative. This will make the victim be more amenable to the Old One's commands. But a reckless and uncooperative servant is no use to its master, so it uses the Leviathan as its whip and punishment should the servant disobey.
Just finished this game yesterday and it was one of the best games ive played in a long time second to subnautica but like the freedom you have in this game to slowly unravel the mystery when i realised who the collector was my jaw dropped coz like people have said its meant to seem like hes in the door and not your mirror reflection when the reveal happens who the little things about the story make sense plus have how all the characters are related or connected and you don't even know it at first til you go back after that reveal and its like shit now the whole story makes sense glad the good ending i didnt get spoiled by the internet coz the whole time i played it i was like the collector is suspicious as hell man then learning the developers made this game as way we like experience grief is just cherry on top for me coz who hasnt thought of wanting to bring a dad loved one its the fact that no we have to move on throw it back also we have to move on life and death this game is a masterpiece and can not wait for the story dlc at the end of the year if they stick to the roadmap they released thank you to the people who made this beautiful game
What I wonder is who was the previous fisherman the mayor talks about? Was it the main character in a wretched state because of grief, or just some random person not important to the story? If it was him, why does only the lighthouse keeper recognize him? There's also a point where you find the wreckage of a fishing boat strongly resembling the one the mayor gives you at the start -- is that just the boat from the opening scene that the fisherman is piloting, or is it somehow the same boat? I started to get the impression that this was some kind of time loop, and the Collector/Fisherman was constantly resetting it to try and get it "right," but maybe that's just me.
omg the collector at the start of the game being in the reflection of the boats window is so cool, also didn't know the crimson book was in the boat at the start of the game cutscene
I didn't realize there were two endings. The bad ending was so interesting in how it let us succumb to our grief and burn the world to be with the one we love. It made so much sense to me as a tragedy and study of how hard loss is to overcome I assumed it was just how the game ended.
Still not sure about a few things. 1: What was the casket that was originally dredged up. 2: Is the scientists sister your wife? and what about the notes supposedly from the sister after her death. 3: What are the black lore stones around the map.
1. The book with the red cover and silver ribbons. That's what the Old Mayor means when he yells "Throw it back!" 2. Yes, she's your sister-in-law. Apparently she lived far away and never met you until now. The mysterious notes she'd found were bait to attract her attention, same as the handkerchief and bottle-notes are for you. Cthulhu doesn't care who it is who calls him up, and was probably hoping *she* might do so if you failed.
2: There's only 1 bit of evidence to suggest they're related. And that's the messages written by the dead. Other than that, without some more solid proof, I wouldn't say definitively they're our sister in law. I think it's unlikely that she wouldn't know who we were. We married her sister, and it's been 20 years since her death. She would have definitely met us at a funeral of some sort, or seen us in photos.
The black lore stones respond to you when you have low sanity and basically just gives you information about the history and how some of the creatures in the area came to be like the Serpent and etc
I'm expect this game to be silly fishing game at first but i'm Glad for discovered this game because this is how lovecraftian horror should portrayed be unimaginable, unpredictable, yet still lurking at bay
I hope you know your username made me literally cry from laughing, its so stupid and dumb and its not funny but i just saw “dr.nipples” out of the blue in the comments and it broke my brain. Thank you? How dare you? Idk which one is more accurate but it’s important that you know this.
There are some hints that the collector doesnt actually exist throught the entire game If you ask the docker if he had any package deliver to blackstone he said no and since the collector says he cant sail alone we can guess that he doesnt eat or drink
One thing that struck me about Dredge's story is how it somewhat resembles a much older game's story, a game called My Lovely Daughter. It's a management game that has a gameplay loop which gets more complex over time, but it's more story based than gameplay based. It's meant to be a message about the cruelty of child labor, and how a cruel person willingly torments and pretends to love a living person, who they see as just a creature of their will. Spoiler warning The best part of it, in fact, is that Dredge and MLD's stories align. The main character loses someone very important to them, and they (In Dredge's case, the Collector/Player's alternate personality) try to use forbidden magic to resurrect this loved one. In Dredge, it's the character's wife. In MLD, it's the character's daughter. The ending revealing that the main character was much more sinister than the player originally thought is the driving point for me, and what truly makes the stories interesting. You mistake cruel, blinding devotion towards an unreachable goal as courage.
12:39 The Lore of this Game, IS DEEP. Like, Lovecraftian Deep. This kinda reminds me of Bioshock Infinite, Booker Duet is Comstock and Comstock is Booker Duet. Here, the Collector is the Fisherman and Vice Versa.
i love how one personality would rather to destroy the whole world only to save his loved one, while the other would sacrifice himself to save the world
A nice little detail about the Collector - at one point, you have the chance to ask him whether he's human. He replies that he's "just as human as you are"... ;)
I never played this game, because the gameplay looks boring but I kind of like the story. I love that reveal that the fisherman is the collector, wow. No wonder this game had such high praise.
That’s so interesting as I thought when I played the leviathan acted as the overseer to the awakening of chtulu by making sure if the fisherman didn’t do the ritual or stay in the isles it would kill him.
Fun fact. If you don't do the missions in that exact order or follow the dialogue prompts in the right order then you don't get the mirror smash scene. You get a touching resurrection scene and then Cthulhu wakes up.
I don't know if anyone else experienced it this way, but when I first saw the collector on Blackstone Isle and almost up to the reveal, I assumed he was just standing in the doorway of the house. Now, I see that it was always clear that he was a reflection, and the "doorframe" was always a mirror. Wild. I wonder if it was at all intended for players to make the inaccurate assumption that I did
Of course that was on purpose. We all thought he was just standing at the doorway not to let the fisherman into his house, only later you can see that it was a mirror all along. Heck, you can even see the Collector's eyeglasses lying by the fisherman on his boat during the opening intro, right before he crashes.
Well, it literally also says that he's standing in the doorway of his house as you approach so it's also a case of unreliable narration
The first time I saw the man in the 'cabin window' I was wondering how come this person came up into the boat or near the boat. Then we only see him on the isle, indicating that he never leaves the isle. I started wondering if that man was an imagined person. I didn't make the mirror / door connection until I saw that scene where he breaks the mirror.
Another giveaway is that he never shows up in your inventory when he’s a passenger on your boat!
Or when you first see him it's through a porthole, or more accurately it's your reflection in the glass. I wondered about the fisherman being an unreliable narrator but deliberately tried not to think too hard about it, I loved what the game did with the reveal.
Poor fisherman... got himself caught up in Eldritch shenanigans like those other unlucky few of Lovecraft's writing. I guess the moral of this story is respect your superstitions, don't dredge ancient relics, and never wake up Cthulhu to revive your wife.
I will wake anyone the fvck up to revive my wife. Why is it called the bad ending? My wife is with me 😿
@@LanaaAmor because it literally destroyed the entire world - it’s possible that there wasn’t a reality to spend time with her in, so it could be ultimately pointless.
@@beans7867 but his wife was his entire World 😭
@@LanaaAmor what lol
@@jessh4016 cope
Bad ending: the world fucking die.
Good ending: you fucking die.
Me: "As it happens, i am a very generous person..."
Tbf, you would've most definitely died in the apocalypse. Even the rocks foreshadowed it
@@lesunshineworshiper11
Idk was that the last fisherman :p
All for one or one for all
I love that if you dont confront the collector, the collector does the ritual but if you have, you do the ritual.
Damn i didnt know that since i confronted him before getting the bad end.
That happened to me, super cool detail
a small add on. When the collector says I will join you unlike the other times when someone joins you and takes up space in your cargo the collector is never seen. I did not know the collector was us until this video due to that.
😃😃😃
I never noticed the crimson book and the collectors glasses in that very very first cutscene!
Love the thought of the Leviathan not being another otherworldly hazard, but an entity trying to stop you! It’s not killing you for funsies or cuz its evil like the phantom shark or night angler. It is a hazard but its not from the rift or whatever brought up with the casket.
Never made the connection that it was of our world and trying to protect the oceans/planet but that makes so much sense!
Tbh must still be a super natural entity, not bad or anything. But I doubt that thing would be able to live normally lol (I know vidya game but still)
@@LolGamer5 I agree actually! As you can see in the "Good" ending when he throws the book back it rises opens it's mouth and then pauses as if to give the fisher a moment to leave and run. But seeing as the fisher was determined to remain it simply consumes him. Considering we got the Iron rig this year. it's MAYBE possible we'll get a "Best" ending sometime in another DLC. (maybe) and we'll live to tell the tail maybe.
@@honeydarlinggaming9156 Pretty sure they either said 1 more or no more DLC after Iron Rig.
A marvellous synopsis, if I could make a couple of corrections.
At 15:55, Rot is just natural decay. The Creature at Stellar Basin is apparently from outer space. It was a spore that arrived in a meteorite, settled on the ocean floor, began to grow down, and (allegedly) made a connection with the Eldritch Abomination in the Bad Ending and began infecting other things.
16:55 the Leviathan is a protector of 'our' seas against forces which would unleash the Eldritch Abomination (aka Cthulhu). We can see this in some of the lore on Devil's Spine in that it enjoyed the light of the grand lighthouse whereas monsters attacked and brought the civilisation to ruin when the lighthouse was destroyed by a volcanic eruption (a natural disaster or caused by the Abomination or the Creature?)
18:55 the Fisherman wasn't so much corrupted by the book, but rather, the grief over losing his wife and the paranoia/superstition that it was him that caused her to die (performing the renaming ceremony wrong, having a woman on board) had him research/ask the book to help him forget, resulting in the split personality.
Where does it say that the stellar basin creature came from space?
It's possible that the creature in the Stellar Basin is inspired by HP Lovercraft's "The Color Out of Space". O_O
@@fishygaming2554
There are three/four things that allude to it. The two obelisks found there, one of the messages, and the Researcher's findings;
1. The Creature originated from a spore. The idea of panspermia is not only a classic sci-fi trope, but a hypothesis for the real world origins of life on earth.
"A spore floats in the water, adrift in the current. Fish feast in a frenzy above, devouring its kin. The spore lands in the thick silt of the sea floor. Its roots stretch down into the seabed, growing - extending towards what lies beneath."
2. The Creature appeared within the last 20 years (the Fisherman visited Stellar Basin with his fiancé with no sign of the Creature... yet there's no mention of visiting the resort, suggesting it was destroyed beforehand)
"The green glimmer of an aurora blooms in the night sky above the resort. A distant boom shakes the thatched rooves and rouses dreamers from their sleep.
The waters withdraw, exposing the coral to the warm air. Confused creatures chitter and seek out their hiding places. Moments later the waters return; crashing, seething, sweeping souls out to sea."
3. There's a mention of there being an 'alleged' meteor impact.
"Artifact Manifest
Jar of Earth
A jar containing earth from a meteor impact site. Allegedly."
4. The Creature is unnatural, yet not 'caused' by the Eldritch Abomination's influence like the monstrosities found in other locations. The spore that became the Creature seems to have originated in a separate occurrence, however it's clearly not a natural part of the ecosystem, as documented by the Researcher.
It's tentative, but I think this points to it being an alien lifeform.
There's also that he describes the Fanatic as simply fading away when he actually burns himself away on a pyre.
Maybe a small thing but it's stuff like this that makes me question if some summary people actually play the games they summarize or if they are using someone else's summary as well.
So the stellar kraken is the source of the infection?
My god, the collector... if you look at his image closer, you can see it is, in fact, a mirror the whole time... fucking wild.
What I really liked about the plot was the underlying sense of grief and loss that clings to everything, from the main story to the sidequests. A lot of what you do in this game is help NPCs move on, find peace or have new beginnings. And the two endings then becomes the split between the main character also moving on, or paradoxically falling to his grief after a journey of helping others let theirs go.
So our MC either died as a fisherman, or live long enough to summon the evil god (and then died anyway) ?
@@vanzeralltheway8638 (insert Principal Skinner) Yes.
Great video. I was confused by the ending during my first playthrough. My take on the Leviathan eating the MC is to protect the knowledge of summoning Cthulu. Since the MC knows how to do it, he can’t be allowed to live with that knowledge.
Does Cthulhu not want to be summoned?
@@Miles26545 it's not cthulhu. it's most likely other forces (i.e., the leviathan) preventing cthulhu being summoned by any and all costs. besides, going by lovecraftian mythos, cthulhu is beyond morality/apathetic to the world. everyone and everything destroyed or driven to insanity is just an unfortunate side effect of cthulhu's unfathomable existence.
@@mayorkoopbobthat's cthulhu's dad
@@gefenbenhayon343 nug? if i remember correctly, nug looks very different from the eldritch deity that showed up at the end of the game. if anything, it could just be a monster designed after one of the notable eldritch entities in mythos and lore.
It’s definitely a preemptive to stop Cthulhu from ever being summoned revived again, the book was discarded into the water to prevent it, yet by chance someone dredged it up and the cycle repeated, but now with the book in the belly of the Leviathan, the cycle cannot repeat itself ever again!
I love Cthulhu inspired stories. This one even had Cthulu himself appear in the bad ending, which is amazing because the sheer size of him is half of what breaks your brain
That's what all the ladies say.
You have 666 likes
@@TR_DJ aww, shoot, I missed it 😂. Totally forgot id commented ob this video
i've seen theories that the God may actually be Cthylla, Chtulhu's daughter, as it is referred to as "she" along with Julie. kind of a deception, when the book tells us through the collector that "we will bring or back" or whatever, it's actually talking about Cthylla
Ohh look a calm fishing simulator
More like a "calm" " fishing" "Simulator"
@@KiomonDuck hehe
Those quotes aren’t suspicious at all
20:20 Interesting...so Leviathan in this story is basically the good guy trying to stop Cthulhu from awakening. I honestly kind of like that idea. You know something's bad when even the thing God supposedly thought was too dangerous to exist is scared!
It is also made clear when you inspect the blackstone next to the old lighthouse. It states that a gray serpent looks at the glowing light and sings a sweet lullaby to it, after which it descends peacefully. The light being the only thing keeping evil at bay in this game
@@yannickdellaert1616 I'd say its more liek, it keeps the levi chill, but once the light gets blocked by the evil demon fog, its like "Yo wtf, where my night lights go?!"
Oh, that's fun : the first time I got the bad ending I wasn't aware of the split personality thing. I thought it was very weird that though it said that the collector got onto my boat, he wasn't an inventory item like other passengers previously. I thought it was an oversight, but now it makes perfect sense!
Love that you covered this! One thing I’m surprised you didn’t bring up was the various black stones around the islands.
When you’re sane, they’re harmless and do nothing. But if you’re sanity is gone/if you’re paranoid, the stones actually light up and describe the island’s history and the monster on said island.
For example, I was out fishing at night and I just got away from the monster at the Gale Cliffs, but I was paranoid and came upon the stone and it was glowing. It actually gave me some text on how the island’s monster came to be. Pretty neat stuff!
Ahhh, I was wondering what those stones were about. I finished the story of the game but went back thinking I still had stuff to unlock because I couldn't interact with them.
@@TheKgr320 Now ya know :)
Any chance you’re willing to say what some of the texts stated?
@@hanacinnabun One near the ancient lighthouse talks about a leviathan rising from the sea and actually enjoying the light perhaps alluding to the leviathan which eats the MC in the good ending presumably to protect the world from knowledge of summoning the elder god in the bad ending
I only discovered how to read the obsidian stones AFTER getting the bad ending of the game for the first time, and the very first THE VERY first obsidian stone I read was one that described the destruction of the world and how Greater Marrow fell to ruins. I felt like my previous save was a much more organic premonition of what it was to come if I followed the collector whims.
It feel so poetic having that knowledge after being left with the uncertainty if there was only one ending, and not so long after I found the old mayor and slowly but surely I started to piece everything together, this game’s story is so well crafted omg
I'm a bit sad I never encountered the Leviathan in my entire playthrough, only heard of it. I suspected "something" to stop me from going too far at sea but never tried. Though, even whales scared me so that thing would've killed me if I did see him. It's really cool that he's actually part of the overarching story and not just another spooky entity that is never spoken of again.
Appreciate you covering indie games, the commentary is on point
Ur God damn right
I have a question @heisenberg because I hear different answers everywhere. So tell me, at what moment did you become Heisenberg?
just saw u on dead meat lol
fucking hell, you're everywhere. got any blue crystals?
Damn bro this guy is everwhere
there's actually a little secret at the end where if you first take the book from the collector and then decide to help him (yourself) it will have different text saying that his reflection dissapeared and you feel cold wind, if you don't take the book it will simply say that the collector just climbed onto your boat
Dredge is quite possibly one of the coolest games I’ve had the pleasure of playing in recent times. Absolutely fantastic atmosphere and story.
Okay so the fact that letters written by people already deceased can be found did clear something up for me. I wondered how we found the journal entry from our wife about the night she died if she was... You know... Dead. But if we can find writing from people after they died, that makes more sense now
People's belongings don't just dissapear when they die
I was really excited when the demo for this game was released. The studio did an awesome job making this little world feel lived in, old, and mysterious. I look forward to whatever they do next.
Incredibly well-written story that got explained so well by you 👍 I'm glad this endings explained got aired.
19:06 I can’t believe I didn’t notice the crimson book in the first cutscene!
The reframing of Leviathan, a well known monster often used as the main antagonist, into the “good guy” of the story and protector of the seas is such an amazing twist I never saw coming.
Ever notice how the collector is always framed to be a reflection? He’s first seen through a window, and the next time he looks as though he’s framed by a mirror
MAn with boat lost wife, made a pact with a water demon, had amnesia and the part of him that did the pact manifested in mirror, then depending on the ending you pick either finished the pact, resurrecting his wife in exchange for the lives of all the people in the islands getting murked by a demon, or he rejects the pact, getting eaten by a giant feesh and lifting the curse around the place.
Exactly, except instead of the islands, you pretty much take reality as we know it.
BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD COD
@@Quincy_Morris SKULLS FOR THE SKULL BOAT
I've looked forward to this one!! Thanks for covering Dredge :)
Great video but Magran definitely doesn't simply fade away. He burns himself to death in the pyre!
I just played through the game for the third time and I love it! It's like an interactive Lovecraft novel 😊 Thank you so much for this video, it brought up some very interesting details that I hadn't noticed, such as the fisherman having the book in the intro 👍
an indie game with interesting gameplay, simple but great aesthetics, and far better writing than most AAA releases...
That's because most modern AAA games are created to be products, not art.
@@cartooncritique6625soul vs soulless
And let's be a bit fair, most AAA games are way longer (still absolute dog writing most of the time lol)
@LolGamer5 yes, but sometimes they're worth the half of this game, in terms of atmosphere/writing. This game has it's own atmosphere. I think it's a little gem.
@@eazyez5717 Little gem indeed, but watch out for the newest DLC. Weird AF ending to its story (no spoilers btw) just felt off.
Immediately stopped the podcast I was listening to so I could put this on when I saw the notif! Absolutely loved this game. I actually got the secret ending the first time without knowing what I was doing lol Thanks for covering it! Love your commentary and explanation as always!
Also, If I recall correctly if Cthulhu awakes, it means that apocalypse is already begun, he's not the one who started.
Yeah, according to the mythos he awakens when the stars are in the proper alignment.
Harry, your explanation videos are always so understandable! I'm really hoping you cover The Chant, because I have no idea what I've just been through.
Love the videos as always
Such a great game!
Only thing that bummed me, was that I expected some kind of hidden third ending, where you'd repair the broken lighthouse using the stone tablet. Was kinda anticlimactic that all you got from this was a new light and some trinkets.
Yeah; I found that somewhat disappointing too. It felt like you should have got more out of it.
When I was first looking around for a better ending after I first completed the game my main idea was to find a way to get up the broken stairs to reach the top of the lighthouse to turn it back on and then initiate the ending or something and maybe it would ward off cthulu but I had no idea how to do that so just started completing the encyclopaedia and ended up stumbling across the old mayor during it.
HOLD ON, HOLD ON hold on hold on hold on Hoooooold on! At 12:01 youre REALLY gonna describe that man BURNING to death as him "fading away" ??? Lol
I missed so much, thank you for covering this game!
What an awesome game this was! A great lovecraftian game masqaurading as a calm and simple fishing game. Its like they build the entire basis of the game on how a lovecraftian tale is written. At surface level all seems fine but then as you delve deeper and deeper you realize how dark it actually is
YES!!! I’m so glad you covered this. This game looks so interesting to me. Unfortunately I knew I was not going to be able to purchase it. Love Lore & Order.
It’s also eldritch because of the fear mechanics and seeing things hunt you at night. It’s a common mechanic in all the Cthulhu board games. As you lose sanity, worse things happen to you.
It is clearly heavily inspired by Sunless Sea so madness mechanic is a given.
So good, thank you for covering this awesome game!
Well done, Harry! The Crimson and Silver Book on the dash of the fisherman's boat at the very start of the game is the clinching clue. That, and all the message bottles I never read... +1 Like, +1 Sub
Your videos are so good! I really enjoy your breakdowns in particular
Good video! You can also read some lore on the black stones when the fisherman is going mad =) I enjoyed this game so much! Although I was a bit disappointed that the reward for finally throwing the book away was being eaten by a sea monster. Can't wait for a DLC and photo mode additional quests. The team did an amazing job!
i actually predicted the twist with the collector on my first playthrough right before the actual reveal, i found the old mayor and started to piece stuff together - i forgot exactly what my thought process was cus it was a year ago - but also i noticed the collector kinda looked like the player, so i watched the intro again and was shocked to see the glasses and book, so then i looked closely at the collector and noticed the weird glint on the "doorway"
i always interpreted it as that magran was the monster tormenting the gale cliffs, that the amount of cursed fish he ate turned him into a monster
Excellent video as always, keep up the great work ❤
9:22 you might have had some accidental error in the script at this bit. Sounds like part of the Devil's Spine chapter got spliced into Twisted Strand's part of the story.
I'm sure you just forgot to mention it, but you actually get 2 relics in the Marrows. First is the handkerchief, second is the key to the music box found on the backside of Greater Marrows. There are 6 relics in total. Either way, great recap and explanation video! I love this game too.
Most complete explanation I have seen! Cheers!
Thanks for the video. I'm going to have to rewatch that opening cutscene again. Also learned deeper lore of other areas. Additional fact. The description of the artifacts changes if you have high enough panic. Showing the fisherman remembers the before time.
Awesome! I love videos on indie games like this, I hope there’s more to come!
Awesome Recap and Story Explanation, thank you for making us discover awesome games!
Ironically, Gale cliffs was the last place i got the artifact because i thought i needed Banish to get rid of the stupid monster and i hadn't realize it wouldn't follow me to the spot the relic was in until i watched Jacksepticeye's playthrough 😮💨
But it is cool how you can play every area out of order if you want.
Same here
12:04 I could be wrong but I think he actually used the flames to burn himself there.
Wonderful narrative and the way you explain these game stories makes it easy to stay engaged through the entire video.
Just finished the game and I have to say - I'm glad I finished it before watching this. But man, what an awesome analysis and review of the story. Thank you!
In love's desperate grasp, he dared to tread,
Saved the one he loved from shadows spread.
Yet the cost he bore, a world in strife,
For love's fierce flame consumed all life.
Hey Harry, love your work! Speaking of eldritch horror and the sea, would you ever consider doing a story explained for The Sinking City?
excellent
I think it is a good choice to tell the "Vampyr 2018" story
Your voice was made for this and other similar formats. Super relaxing
Just finished this so was eagerly awaiting this video :D
I like how they captures the atmosphere of being truly cut off from the rest of the world in game
Just finished the game and watched this, excellent round up thanks chief
I played and beat this game in a few hours, I didn't even realize the depth of the story but now it makes more sense. What personally disappointed me was that there were a few clues alluding to vampiric presences in the area. The two I can think of are 1) the casket was opened and scarlet shit hit the fan and 2) when you're going mad and start seeing the eyes in the dark.
But then again, the meteorite suggeted alien lifeforms or plague, and the sea monster suggested Cthulu so between all the direction and misdirection it did a good job at keeping me guessing and learning. I only saw the 'bad' ending, revealing dark magic/necromancy and resurrection of mighty Cthulu. The 'good' ending is tidy and necessary, but I'm really glad they offered the bad one, that was epic!
Why would either of those allude to vampires?
@HollowBagel vampire shows like Dracula and Hellsing Ultimate when Alucard unlocks his control art restrictions and unleashes more of his power until the enemy is rendered silent
@@swangooo I don't understand how any of this alludes to vampires being in the game.
The casket is a casket. It was what the book was found in. The eyes are figments of your imagination, in higher panic.
@HollowBagel Do you want to understand? If you really do I can explain further, but if you're trying to establish that I'm wrong, I am. This game is devoid of vampires. These aspects of the game just steered me in the direction of vampires based on my own experiences with vampire media intake. Simple as that.
Every time I watch one of your videos I keep expecting to hear Niet here with FilmComicsExplained. Your voices are very alike and so it makes it ever more worth it. Except your GameComicsExplained although I wouldn't quote you on that as I don't know if that's copyrighted.
It’s an absolutely fantastic detail that you spend a lot of the game gathering and reading other books while travelling, naturally the character must like books :)
Hey, I personally love watching your videos and wanted to ask if you will ever be explaining Sinking City as it is kinda horror game based on Lovecraft and I think it would be a great addition
I actually think that the Leviathan is an extension of Cthulhu's will, just as he is in the Expanded Cthulhu Mythos. It follows and stalks the Fisherman to ensure that its master's/parent's plan comes to fruition. Which is why it kills the Fisherman when the player tries to leave the area, as well as in the good ending. The player is basically demonstrating an unwillingness to serve The Great Old One's plan, so it sends its spawn to kill its uncooperative thrall. But even if the Fisherman throws the book back into the sea, Cthulhu will just find someone else to serve its will. The world's destruction was only delayed.
That’s how I interpreted it aswell. It makes the most sense that way imo
Oh, I like that more than Leviathan vs Cthulhu...mostly because it adds to that theme of inevitable doom that is such a mainstay of cosmic horror.
This clashes with the Leviathan trying to kill you as soon as you discover the book, more likely implying it was trying to stop you. In addition It has a chance to spawn and devour you when using your powers in open waters, a fate the collector constantly warns you about, implying he's hunting you down and the usage of the book's powers leads him to you.
But the Leviathan also tries to kill you when you use the book's powers too much in the open waters... And if the Leviathan was an extension of Cthulhu that simply doesn't make sense...
@@OctagonCookies A willing slave is a good slave; think about it. In order for an Old God to push its unknowing victims into doing what it wants, it must coerce subtly by them give them a sense of urgency and slight paranoia. Making the victim think that cooperation with the Old One is theirs and the best alternative. This will make the victim be more amenable to the Old One's commands. But a reckless and uncooperative servant is no use to its master, so it uses the Leviathan as its whip and punishment should the servant disobey.
Just finished this game yesterday and it was one of the best games ive played in a long time second to subnautica but like the freedom you have in this game to slowly unravel the mystery when i realised who the collector was my jaw dropped coz like people have said its meant to seem like hes in the door and not your mirror reflection when the reveal happens who the little things about the story make sense plus have how all the characters are related or connected and you don't even know it at first til you go back after that reveal and its like shit now the whole story makes sense glad the good ending i didnt get spoiled by the internet coz the whole time i played it i was like the collector is suspicious as hell man then learning the developers made this game as way we like experience grief is just cherry on top for me coz who hasnt thought of wanting to bring a dad loved one its the fact that no we have to move on throw it back also we have to move on life and death this game is a masterpiece and can not wait for the story dlc at the end of the year if they stick to the roadmap they released thank you to the people who made this beautiful game
"The Fanatic fades away"
BOI HE FREEZER BURNED HIMSELF ON COLD FIRE UNTIL HE CEASED EXISTENCE XD
Ah yes a mortar truly the most iconic aircraft mounted weapon.
What I wonder is who was the previous fisherman the mayor talks about? Was it the main character in a wretched state because of grief, or just some random person not important to the story? If it was him, why does only the lighthouse keeper recognize him? There's also a point where you find the wreckage of a fishing boat strongly resembling the one the mayor gives you at the start -- is that just the boat from the opening scene that the fisherman is piloting, or is it somehow the same boat? I started to get the impression that this was some kind of time loop, and the Collector/Fisherman was constantly resetting it to try and get it "right," but maybe that's just me.
This game was soooo good! Didn't expect a lot going in, but I was hella surprised about how good it was!
omg the collector at the start of the game being in the reflection of the boats window is so cool, also didn't know the crimson book was in the boat at the start of the game cutscene
I didn't realize there were two endings. The bad ending was so interesting in how it let us succumb to our grief and burn the world to be with the one we love. It made so much sense to me as a tragedy and study of how hard loss is to overcome I assumed it was just how the game ended.
Still not sure about a few things.
1: What was the casket that was originally dredged up.
2: Is the scientists sister your wife? and what about the notes supposedly from the sister after her death.
3: What are the black lore stones around the map.
1. The book with the red cover and silver ribbons. That's what the Old Mayor means when he yells "Throw it back!" 2. Yes, she's your sister-in-law. Apparently she lived far away and never met you until now. The mysterious notes she'd found were bait to attract her attention, same as the handkerchief and bottle-notes are for you. Cthulhu doesn't care who it is who calls him up, and was probably hoping *she* might do so if you failed.
2: There's only 1 bit of evidence to suggest they're related. And that's the messages written by the dead. Other than that, without some more solid proof, I wouldn't say definitively they're our sister in law. I think it's unlikely that she wouldn't know who we were. We married her sister, and it's been 20 years since her death. She would have definitely met us at a funeral of some sort, or seen us in photos.
The black lore stones respond to you when you have low sanity and basically just gives you information about the history and how some of the creatures in the area came to be like the Serpent and etc
I'm expect this game to be silly fishing game at first but i'm Glad for discovered this game because this is how lovecraftian horror should portrayed be unimaginable, unpredictable, yet still lurking at bay
Gaming Harry must read minds because I was just looking for this one and he pulls through!
I love that Leviathan was trying to protect everything. That an Eldritch creature was actually benevolent and trying to stop the end of the world.
Keep doing indie horror games I love these vids
you're the only creator i insta click when you upload - you really do make my day better, i hope to see more soon
I hope you know your username made me literally cry from laughing, its so stupid and dumb and its not funny but i just saw “dr.nipples” out of the blue in the comments and it broke my brain. Thank you? How dare you? Idk which one is more accurate but it’s important that you know this.
There are no happy endings in Lovecraft inspired stories.
Something tells me Hidetaka Miyazaki must be a big Lovecraft fan. 😅
Even his cat couldn't get a break.
Aaahh so that's where that book went well time to steal from the leviathan need to finish my collection
There are some hints that the collector doesnt actually exist throught the entire game
If you ask the docker if he had any package deliver to blackstone he said no and since the collector says he cant sail alone we can guess that he doesnt eat or drink
One thing that struck me about Dredge's story is how it somewhat resembles a much older game's story, a game called My Lovely Daughter. It's a management game that has a gameplay loop which gets more complex over time, but it's more story based than gameplay based. It's meant to be a message about the cruelty of child labor, and how a cruel person willingly torments and pretends to love a living person, who they see as just a creature of their will.
Spoiler warning
The best part of it, in fact, is that Dredge and MLD's stories align. The main character loses someone very important to them, and they (In Dredge's case, the Collector/Player's alternate personality) try to use forbidden magic to resurrect this loved one. In Dredge, it's the character's wife. In MLD, it's the character's daughter. The ending revealing that the main character was much more sinister than the player originally thought is the driving point for me, and what truly makes the stories interesting. You mistake cruel, blinding devotion towards an unreachable goal as courage.
Awesome video as always. This is an awesome game on my switch oled
19:07 this is insane, this would explain everything to someone new in 2 seconds
12:39 The Lore of this Game, IS DEEP. Like, Lovecraftian Deep. This kinda reminds me of Bioshock Infinite, Booker Duet is Comstock and Comstock is Booker Duet. Here, the Collector is the Fisherman and Vice Versa.
sup gaming Harry notification crew 💪
i love how one personality would rather to destroy the whole world only to save his loved one, while the other would sacrifice himself to save the world
How did I end up never seeing the leviathan until the last scene? I was so confused 😂
19:07 and right next to it, the glasses the Collector wears.
A nice little detail about the Collector - at one point, you have the chance to ask him whether he's human. He replies that he's "just as human as you are"... ;)
Great video, commenting for the algorithm.
Love the video 😀 Great job as always
I was wondering.. is there any chance that you would cover "Song of horror"? Also a Lovecraftian themed game 😀
LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, love these vids!!!!!!!!!!
I never played this game, because the gameplay looks boring but I kind of like the story.
I love that reveal that the fisherman is the collector, wow. No wonder this game had such high praise.
Congratulations your video made me get the game
That’s so interesting as I thought when I played the leviathan acted as the overseer to the awakening of chtulu by making sure if the fisherman didn’t do the ritual or stay in the isles it would kill him.
major fight club vibes with the split personnality
Fun fact. If you don't do the missions in that exact order or follow the dialogue prompts in the right order then you don't get the mirror smash scene. You get a touching resurrection scene and then Cthulhu wakes up.