Help a Mantis Make a Bridge Out Of Squirrel Meat - The Repairing Mantis / ALL ENDINGS
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- Опубліковано 26 вер 2024
- The Repairing Mantis is a horror game where you play a Mantis that must build a bridge that may or may not be made of Squirrel meat.
Game Info: store.steampow...
"Scyther"
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#therepairingmantis
Welcome to the Healing Story Club, how Healing Story are ya?
Traumatized
Alive after death
Sadly i was killed....... But i lived!
red.
Throughouly traumatized
I think nobody has pointed it out yet, but the reason all squirrels are unhappy is because they are not following their dreams. Regardless of which skin you bring to them, they do not recognize their own dream, which means their dream was not theirs in the very first place; they were just following the original flying squirrel's dream because they thought it would work for them too.
And also because the original squirrel "fulfilled it" with some help which makes some squirrels think that they can do it by themselves too
This is a good point, I didn't think of it that way but it makes a lot of sense...
This is a profound observation
Oh...I thought it had something to do with depression.
@@snakymocha7778 That could still be the case, perhaps a depression caused by pursuing the wrong dream to such an extreme; or perhaps depression blinded them to their own dreams.
The first ending really breaks me. The squirrel crying while defending its dream really made me feel like monster. Even more so when it tries to crawl into the river when he lost hope.
the gator idk what to really expect or do with a dream im just chilling
Hurting other "people" will hurt back, no matter what.
This really hurt me too. I legit cried.
@@lopsidedeyes2964 same
@@a.k8185 Meh, not really.
The sacrifices people do to attain their dream, being reminded in what they wanted in the first place, and the potential corruption of that dream, all told via a preying mantis ripping apart some miserable squirrels. A very unique approach, I'll absolutely remember this.
And moth being parasitical insects spiriting squirrels far away into “Reality” land
I love how you described this
@@TheSoCalledZoner1 wdym? whats "wrong" with the people that made this game? genuinely curious cuz i dont understand
@@TheSoCalledZoner1 Can you be upset about one of the billions of other real issues in the world, not just a random creepy game... come on now...
@@TheSoCalledZoner1 Without seeming mentally unstable? I don't understand how you typed that out and didn't realize how entirely subjective that is. No piece of media is under obligation to be sanitized until you find that it was made by someone sane enough. And even if the person who made this is deeply disturbed, they're clearly conveying something that they find profound and meaningful. They do not need to be institutionalized or quarantined from society because of this. What's more disturbing to me is that you think they should be. You don't know this developer, and you don't know that they're a danger to anyone. You just got disturbed by the presentation and decided to make some crazy leaps of logic to justify why you were so shook. Maybe you should consider that the presentation simply isn't for you, and you may be more easily disturbed by one or several elements in this game than most. It's just not your cup of tea, and that's that. It's the same way that some people enjoy horror media, but that doesn't mean they want to be brutally murdered.
"A bridge out of squirrel meat"
Well, luckily we know someone who happens to have some excess squirrel meat. It can be a little hard to put together, but thankfully, the guy is a Squirrel Stapler, so he should be able to put it together pretty well.
And I found GOD
Bro those squirrels are strong
Like no pain man
@@godlylion6857 for them pain is gain but literal
Glad to know I wasn’t the only one who thought of that game when manly brought up killing squirrels in the intro
Manly: "the trees are moving like... Things that pay taxes"
Guess Im not moving then
XD
@@ronn6771 lol
Now that's scary!
The bridge pays itself
The fact that these are technically "flying squirrels" adds to it honestly. I love me so body-ish horror.
Yeah because these types of squirrels wings are only for *Gliding* not flying
but they didn't know that and was very much obsessed with the idea and dream of flying instead
Well, the thing is they technically could have flown the whole time, but then they sacrificed the only way they had for a different, less natural way of flying
I am more perplexed by the fact that a mantis that can fly needs to build a bridge
She wants to help everyone, to make everything better, to do everything it takes to help everyone achieve their dreams. They don't want to waste her time, but she really wants to help. So she helps them along, having them give it their all to the very end.
But when their dreams are all finally realized, they feel stuck, empty. Without a dream to achieve, without something to do, they have no purpose in life anymore. But their dreams are all gone, and even if she brought them back, it wouldn't feel the same, because they're different now. All grown up, their dreams just don't fit anymore. Some just keep pushing forward, hoping that, at some point, they'll find their purpose within their realized dream. Some just give up, believing there's no point anymore, letting themselves fall and break.
How nice would it be to break the bridge between dreams and realities, between young and old. But time moves forward, so we need more than dreams to keep us moving with it.
Thank you for making the truth darker than it needed to be, I’m not sleeping tonight
I just hate how the moral of the story must be represented in squirrel mutilation.
I’m dying soon
That was really provoking and made me some what emotional (temporarily). Thanks for sharing this
nah that's loser talk, just have better dreams, 4head.
the squirrels are oddly really cute when theyre not all mutilated imo
Those big sugar glider eyes
I disagree.
@@user-gu9yq5sj7c nerd
@@letsreadtextbook1687 They reminded me of Japanese dwarf flying squirrels the most. Small, round, gray and ridiculously cute.
If I had a nickel for everytime Manly played a game about using the meat of squirrels to repair something broken, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it's happened twice, right?
When was the first one my good sir?
@@lukemonte1044 Squirrel Stapler! It didn't work though.
@@jaaaayco5256 thank you
That's exactly what I was thinking about
It… that… what…
40:10 With all of the direct symbols of depression and suicide, I am amazed I felt the saddest watching you destroy a squirrel's flying machine made of sticks. The desperation and trauma of watching his dream get ripped from him was so well executed by the devs. Crazy and deep game, 10/10. I'm loving all of the interpretations everyone is coming up with in the comments.
that was legit rough
It's partly cause people relate or knowing that dreams can be people's life work or purpose. And without purpose, some people feel nihilistic and what's the point? Dreams and purpose are important.
This game seems like the perfect example of a fever lucid nightmare, though I might need a second opinion on that
@@doth2471 As someone who had a lucid dream last 3 months ago I also undergo somewhat similar too.
It's more like I'm stuck in a nightmare video same vibe with the game that we're watching.
I somewhat remember what I dream but it's kinda random because first I'm in a dream but I also wake up in the dream and I was on my bed (it's really weird like because it feels real when I wake up but I wasn't in the real world I'm really stuck in my dream) and saw a baby on another bed and its head is huge and kept smiling at me the baby has only one eye and it's skin is completely pale but I didn't feel anything.
The baby isn't really bad though it's just pretty disturbing to look at because the baby has no body but still alive, I had my old friends with me, also my crush too. After that there was a cutscenes like in the game where monsters outside are approaching, the monsters look very disoriented they also look like silent hill monsters. we then fight the monsters using the weapons we got in the house, my weapon is a baseball bat with spikes at the end and I felt it while holding it.
Same thing with you that I didnt feel anything like panicking, fear, etc but more like I'm excited to fight and rush to the monster and killing it (there's more though but this is somewhat I can remember)
@@NICSU667 this reminds me of my one lucid dream I had as a kid, it was me and my babysitter inside a small metal room with a giant werewolf, I kept trying to beat it off but it would always win and kill my babysitter, it never killed me but it would always kill my babysitter. The feeling of utter despair due to not being able to do anything was horrifying
Holy shit you guys have some wierd lucid dreams, i also want to have one even if its a nightmare
You mean vivid?
I'm pretty sure it's impossible to have a "lucid" nightmare.
At least not without some serious mental illness that causes you to constantly want to cause self-harm.
@@ewg5511 Lucid means you’re aware that you’re dreaming in the dream, not that you have complete control over how the dream behaves. Just so you know.
Flying can often by used as a metaphor for jumping, and with the suspended squirrel it isn't subtle at all. The fact that they all have the dream to fly when naive and then once achieving it getting depressed and even outright su***dal just sticks out to me and im not sure how to explain it.
Reality is often disappointing: The Game
Reality vs expectations: the body horror game
Nice pfp
The squirrels were depressed if they couldn't attain their dreams.
@@CrystalRose1111 I thought this game was about stressing or sacrificing too much for dreams. And how some people tear down others' dreams, like the mantis destroying the squirrel's machine.
I love the symbolism, I think this rings true to many of artistic aspiration. When we were younger, we think like, "once i become an artist/game dev/etc, I can do draw/code/etc all the time and I'll be happy!" Then say we actually achieve that dream and turns out we don't become as happy as we expected, it can be pretty demotivating.
Also a neat commentary on role model there, we often think "That guy must've been very happy doing what he does, I wanna be like him!" But who knows, probably he also doesn't feel as happy as it seems.
The game itself tho... its very painful to see those big eyed squirells getting hurt. Also I think in the second end, the mantis basically sacrificed his own dream.
Thanks for caring about artists. Tho getting stressed or too sacrificial for dreams can happen with any or most careers.
Ngl almost cried when he breaked the squirrel flying machine, just looking at him lose all of the hope he had was sad
Broke
Same, just the way he kept trying to get the mantis to stop broke my heart
We all did. This game is deppressing.
Welp.
Thats the genre of the game
*gorey deppression* :)
I cried 😭
@@Mikkiiwuu No, I didn't cry, but I did feel bad for the squirrel.
Love that they chose Moths (creatures who die to achieve their dream of touching light) in this
And moths also die to achieve flight, because some moth species don't even have mouths as adults.
@@rowanheart8122 Luna moth
It might just be rather that some moths can't eat. Moths don't actually like flying around lights. Before mankind had lights, moths and other insects navigated solely by the light of the moon at night. This depended on the moon being a mostly stationary and reliable light source. Now, we have lights outside everywhere, and a moth that thinks it's flying straight according to the "light of the moon" is actually in a death circle around a streetlight.
Some other people might've already mentioned this, but there's definitely some meaning behind the fact that these are flying squirrels. And instead of using their wings to fly, they try to build flying machines, steal wings from other creatures, and hang themselves off of trees.
It's like, they achieved their dreams, but not by their own merit. This could also be supported by the fact that they all need the mantis's help.
By helping them, your character takes away their ability to accomplish their dreams on their own.
That's why no one is satisfied.
They're all trying to be insects, but not everyone in the world is meant to be an insect, some are made to be squirrels.
Manly: "Oh my god, I can fly."
No. Jump good.
Samurai jack fan of culture detected
No. Fall with style.
Niceeeee
Manly is the best UA-camr. Calm, knows how games work, gets straight to the content without a 5 minute monologue, shows all endings if there are multiple, shows credits to respect the devs, plays lesser known games, etc. What a golden channel
Agree! It's why I've been a loyal viewer for many years. And I'll add great commentary with depth, wit, & good puns. Welcome to the community... join us on Twitch too if you can where he plays much different content with a friendly chat! :)
I kept seeing his playthroughs being recommended to me even though i wasn't watching him. I originally saw him as boring and wasn't that interested in watching hours of someone so relaxed playing a game like it was a 'no commentary'..
But after listen/watching him play "Ann" and "There swings a skull" i've realized how much i was in a needed change of gameplay pace. His stuff is perfect to draw to and i even find myself watching those long hours because the games he plays are just so interesting.. Like this very one!
I like his ending monologues tho. They add a touch of closure.
You could say he's truly manly
Yep
"The trees are organic " well yeah trees are usually made of wood it would be weirder if they weren't organic
Well, he meant they're ORGANic
Like, same as "bridge", kinda meaty
Tree nuts be tasting kinda funky
@@khromyakvsevolod3664 its a pun on organ
_"When the gods wish to punish us, they answer our prayers"_
~Oscar Wilde
The squirrel had a dream. Sometimes, you lose purpose when your dream comes true. Pretty solid allegory of growing up, ambition, goals... and friendship with a mantis. MBH's dialogue as the Mantis was wonderful.
And so dreams for a reason never comes true
Begs the question whether, sometimes, it's better if a dream doesn't come true
ideologies happen for a reason
Oscar might just have bene referring to the *unholy* gods that, you know, the Abrahamic God was saying to *not* worship.
@@101Volts Nope, has nothing to do with the quote, nor would Oscar Wilde refer to anything like that. It's not meant to be taken literally, but is like "be careful what you wish for".
The quote is merely an epigram from a witty play about scandal, love, and marriage called An Ideal Husband.
What a… creative game concept. 100% not gonna give me nightmares.
Pretty realistic I say
I thought u gonna rick rolled me for a sec there...
This whole experience is one big big head Miyuki mode.
Speak for yourself, I find this unsettling.
I'd say it's not that scary!its way too normal for me lol
-- Spoiler Alert
How is no one talking about how the alligator has such an important role into the metaphor?? They represent more calm people, with no desires and that prefer to having a chill life, and i find this the most interesting part of all
When you give them a dream, they tell you about how you should go back in time and destroy the origin of all of these dreams, wich is the first squirrel to give hope to all of the other squirrels, basically so no more people will suffer because of the hope they have of fullfilling their dreams
When you dont give the alligator a dream, they decide that it would be better to destroy the bridge and give an end to it all, so the world of reality and dreams are not connected anymore
I personally feel like this is a very important thing tho, the alligator represents how outsiders of those dreams see these dreams, so basically, when the alligator doesnt know how it actually feels to have them, he decides that it would be better to separate the dream world from the real world, wich is actually useless because of how we already know that is a loop of breaking the bridge and then repairing it, but when the alligator knows about how dreams work because of him getting one, he basically knows the way these dreams work and the actual way of ending it all, because dreams are impossible to separate from the real world, but it is possible to destroy dangerous dreams of other people, for the sake of ending the misery of hope
idk this was something that i couldnt get out of my mind i loved this game lol
Maybe I'm an alligator 🐊
@@Nyax50Lopez
Lmfao I had the same thought
I-
Ignorance is bliss, but knowledge is power.
@@goncalocarneiro3043 but some knowledge also have consequences, one day a knowledge might not be a power, but suffering
That first ending is like the scene from Wreck It Ralph only about 20x more heart wrenching. A friend do what they think is the right thing by destroying their friend's hard work, dream, and happiness in front of them
Why do you think it's more heartwrenching?
@@forixiom7410 i think because there is no happy resolution; in the movie we KNOW there will be a happy resolution by the end. but in this game we know we arent getting that happiness or relief things will resolve, we dont get a happy resolution. the squirrel is so desperate to save his dream only to get struck and the pieces thrown away into a river as he desperately scrambles to fix whats left of it only to realize theres nothing left for him; his final resort is suicide rather than just running away.
I think the squirrel also has more innocence? He just wants to build a machine to fly and inspire others, but thats all. He helps the mantis with his dream and asks nothing out of the mantis. he's our friend and we destroy his dream cruelly when we know he doesnt deserve something like that. (plus the squirrel's design is just realistically adorable and harm to crying animals might strike a cord to some like me)
"You really ARE a bad guy..."
But this time, no medal...
Yes! When ralph was destroying her candy cart!!
Amazingly, the game where you stab squirrels as a praying mantis to build a bridge to space was the one that got a bit too real for me.
Also Crocodiles!
Manly: "I'm a mantis"
Also Manly: "I do mantis things"
MantisBugassHero
@@vanillanightrail5002 lol
@@vanillanightrail5002 #MantisBugassHero
Not wrong tho
Is "X: Also X:" the only type of comment you're capable of making?
I really liked your interpretation about the transition to adulthood! :) Thanks for playing our game.
It was a wonderfully creative and emotionally deep game. Thank you for creating it!
@@NaturalFlirtGamer Thanks, it was a pleasure!
Dude this was a great game. Very well done.
@@Vyansya Thanks!
What Manly said was pretty good, but I disagree with only adults getting stressed about their dreams. Some kids are trying achieve great things, do competitions, or have jobs too. Such as performance or athletics. There are kid performers at the Olympics. Some of them say they get stressed or cry if they lose too.
Some of these horror games are just like those wild fever dreams you get that you have absolutely no idea what the hell is going on in and you wake up sweating and feeling like total ass. I swear this is based off someones fever dream lol.
Maybe it’s based off of the developer Dream?
Maybe the Dev had some...LSD..?
eh?
eh?
@@chilomine839
Nice reference
Yeah, maybe based it off a dream and later added more depth and meaning. I could certainly do that with my dreams/nightmares lol. I got some game/novel worthy ones.
I do understand this game. It's about being stressed about or sacrificing too much for dreams.
Honestly I think this is the most depressing game I've seen on this channel.
Indeed, I thought nothing could beat God Opens The Door, but apparently I was mistaken (recommend checking Manly's gameplay of it, it's a very well written game)
No
Honestly yeah
Basically the endings of this game:
A. You succeed your dream but wind up miserable anyways
B. You don’t succeed and kys
C. You blow up the world so there’s no more suffering
As someone who has dealt with depression for over ten years, relatable
Watch witches house mX
![Spoiler Warning]!
The story this game tells feels like a self-fulfilling prophecy and a cautionary tale. The squirrels living in “both sides of the world” desires to exist on the “opposite side” that they currently inhabit, the dreamers ruining themselves to achieve their dream and the regretful/nostalgic ruining reality to regain their dreams. Regardless if you stop the First Dream or destroy the Bridge between Dream and Reality, the mantis and the rest of the world(s?) they inhabit are right back where they started.
Also, all of these squirrels very carelessly mutilate themselves in a variety of ways to achieve their dreams. Then when they succeed, their actions leave them scarred, crippled, and helpless in Reality - like a rather visceral depiction of their shortsightedness and regrets. Considering the fact that they all have those membranes that let them GLIDE (maybe they’re sugar gliders?) but never realized it really makes these metaphors more potent. They already had the means to fly the entire time and never knew what to do with themselves after they succeed.
I’m not sure what the crocodile and mantis represent and I can only assume the Bridge is some metaphor for sacrifice considering it took the flesh of the first “flying” squirrel to fix it and the completion of the First Dream to break the barrier to let the mantis traverse between Dream and Reality. But the story this paints is an awesome one, it feels like a morbid fable or depressing creationist tale.
Probably mantis is the friend, loved one or therapist that tries to help them, and the crocodile is the person from outside that doesn't really understand anything about the problem and possibly even has it himself but doesn't realize? The part with not-his-dream makes me think that he has kinda similar problem but the attachment of someone else's solution solves almost nothing and doesn't make him happy in the end
I feel that the crocodile had two roles - one that he took as his true 'character' and the other - a catalyst for a solution.
The crocodile is different from the other characters not only in form or species, but also in action. The mantis repairs. The squirrels dream and mutilate themselves for their said dreams. The crocodile wishes for a dream, but does nothing to find one of his own. He never moves from his spot until the end - his development is fully determined by what the mantis does. Even the dreams he gets are not his own, and when he does receive them (such as the dream of the first flying squirrel), he simply does not know what to do with it (again, until the end).
However, the crocodile is the only other character (besides the Mantis) who is not mutilated between realities, simply because there was no action to affect him in the first place. The first squirrel works tirelessly on his machine and later sees hanging himself as 'flight'. The second squirrel jumps constantly, maybe getting a little higher each time, so that one day he can fly. In the end, both squirrels are changed. The crocodile isn't.
His second role is that of a catalyst. He appears at the end of the game to offer you a solution, and none of the two solutions are good. To kill the dream of the first squirrel is to doom that squirrel to a hopeless existence and to leave the others with a mundane life. Much like him, they would never get hurt, and much like him, they would never actually need change or be able to achieve it.
The second solution - to destroy the bridge, is also useless. One cannot simply divide dreams and reality. It is a folly, and one, as the cycles show, that does not last. Reality without dreaming is bleak. Dreams without reality are just that - dreams. No achievement and no progress can come from unfilled dreams. Only a burning passion that one day it may be completed, and a growing sense of dread and emptiness the more it is incomplete (the squirrels do mention a 'feeling of void' in their stomachs).
The crocodile is unharmed, but is that really better? To live a life where all dreams you have are but the whimsy of others, and all change you see (however horrible or liberating) is in others?
The mantis was better described by someone else - they are the partner. The psychologist. The bridge, really. Not everyone can distinguish dreams from reality and not everyone can traverse the gap so easily. The mantis is also the one that leads to change within the others.
So, my question is though, to those that managed to dig further and maybe notice something I haven't - what was the mantis' dream? Because if it was to repair a bridge, then why do they help others? Or is that the dream? To help and assist?
It's a curious metaphor. And it's good that this game exists.
Seeing as flying squirrels ARE a thing, I doubt the squirrels are sugar gliders. They're just flying squirrels
@@BooksandBuns Oh my god, I got so lost in the theorizing and analyzing that I forgot flying squirrels are an actual thing lol.
self destructive negative thoughts the praying mantis represents
This reminds me of a dream I had the other night where I was trapped in a weird maze and had to barter with a mantis for the key to the exit. Let's just say it cost me an arm and a leg... well, actually two of each; his nickname for me (Inchworm) turned out to be foreshadowing. At least he was nice enough to unlock the door for me, on account of me not having any hands to reach it with.
The mantis has no fingers though. How did it even pick up the key 😳
@@Solanin0803 It was a dexterous bug, okay? XD
Your dreams have an actual story? Cool. I wish my brain could do that.
@@kimmy1325 Only sometimes. Usually it jumps between several small scenarios.
That sounds like an interesting dream
Crocodile: By giving me the squirrel's dream, I understand everything. To make the squirrels happy you have to destroy the first's flying machine.
Me: *shrugs* Do not question the enlightened one
I disagreed with the gator there. The gator doesn't chase dreams so what does it really know about it?
As crazy as this is, this is a relatable game. Unsettlingly relatable.
@Michael Pitou I suppose the whole chasing your dreams, then being miserable when you achieve it. Much like the story of the blue bird of happiness, it's the search for happiness where you really are happy, but when you achieve it, it escapes from your grasp, like how the squirrels try to fulfil their dream, only for the dreams to be taken from them once they're accomplished.
@@Rogeryoo For me, the squirrels getting their skins (dreams) taken and then not recognizing them when they were returned: you can outgrow your dreams to the point where you don’t recognize them anymore. The dreams of your old self. They thought chasing an old dream would fulfill them, but it wasn’t the dream itself they were after. It was the passion of having one
ah yes feeding the bridge squirrel meat is relatable to me as well
@@celtorwastes lol
@@CrystalRose1111 I think the squirrels want their dreams and are depress if they can't attain it. I don't think they squirrels would be this depressed of their dreams failing unless they liked their dreams. I think most people want their dreams and have dreams, instead of just the passion of having one. I don't think most people can stick to dreams or careers for long if they didn't really like it or would feel sad throughout it. If it wasn't about getting depressed over failing dreams then why did some comments here say they felt bad for the squirrel when the mantis destroyed its machine? Even then, I don't see what's wrong with wanting purpose. Just because some people aren't passionate about dreams doesn't mean others aren't. Just cause people stress about their dreams sometimes doesn't mean dreams are bad or corrupting. If some people don't really like their dreams, then they probably were pressured into it.
seems like the mantis had to give up his dream of building the bridge to prevent the squirrels from reaching their dreams and being sad
I feel like this is a strange metaphor for something along the lines of goals and dreams and the suffering that happens when your goals/dreams are unrealistic and unachievable.
Edit: i think it also shows the reality of holding these dreams to close and making it your everything and once its achieved you lose your sense of self worth and desire to continue life.
And/or also once achieved, having the lack of foresight or idea on what to do afterward.
@@vanillanightrail5002 like children having the goal to grow up?
@@Cornball676 yes
I feel like it's the opposite. The squirrels became unhappy because their goals were achievable. The only squirrel who was happy was the first one before it could fly. The other squirrels were unhappy because they knew their dream was achievable, making them feel inadequate for being anything less than equal to the first flying squirrel, and those in reality were all upset because they no longer had anything to motivate them.
I think this is about being depressed if someone can't attain their dreams or if others tear it down like the mantis destroying the squirrel's machine. You said some dreams are unachievable but also say once achieved a person feels lost of self worth. Well if dreams are that big then there's always something to do. There's always something to do. Like how artistic creativity and inventing, expanding, and helping others is endless.
This game is both metaphoric and unsettling at the same time.
Crocodile: "Should I dream, too?"
Mantis: Eldritch encryption.
Manly: "It's up to you."
Crocodile: "So basically you don't know, either."
Wow, Manly learned to translate Mantis speak really fast. I wish I could be like him.
a thing i didnt see anyone mention that i found interesting is the fact that the only beings in this game whose speech is censored are the mantis and the moths. and one of the reasons this all started is because the mantis repaired the bridge and made that "portal" in the sky where the moths now take dreams
kinda makes me wonder about the connection between the two insects, my personal best guess is that they both represent something more metaphysical, abstract, i.e the mantis being the human desire for dreams and happiness even when you don't know what to do anymore while the moths represent the forced transition from just dreaming to when reality hits you, self doubt and in general negative feelings that mess with a persons mind
this would also explain why the mantis chooses what people say!
This poor squirrel.
I feel like this encompasses many people's anxieties.
Have a dream, really want dream.
Scared to fail, sabotage myself.
Try again, persevere. Must have dream.
Finally achieve dream, am sad no dream.
Sad sad sad I need a dream.
What is there now that I achieved my wish.
Please I need a dream.
I have nothing it doesn't matter.
And so on and so on. Toxic spiral.
A pit of endless apathy wallowing in brain goop
I'm not sad if I achieve dreams. It's the opposite. I dislike not achieving dreams. There's always much to do.
39:47
About helping the suspended squirrel, I guess that one might refer to how other individuals at the young age, got convinced by their parents to pursue a career that are not of their choice. So now I wonder if our avatar (the Repairing Mantis) is a personification of a mother, or something else.
Why just mother? And not father, society, or someone else? The squirrel requested the mantis to mutilate it so sounds like a toxic enabler.
I interpreted it a bit more darker than the adulthood route, though the nostalgia part is a big key factor. I really took it more depressive/suicidal, with them having a will to live/losing their will and eventually regaining it via the mantis' help (thought not being accustomed to the feeling of ambition/hope for some time like in their past, but they'll become used to it eventually), with the crocodile kind of taking a more of an on-looker outside perspective of "questioning but would never actually go through with anything drastic or serious" .
That being said, the adulthood angle might make more sense, I was trying to piece together how the two worlds (maybe as life/death instead of dreams/reality) can connect if the angle was "maybe the squirrels' dreams were symbolic for wanting to die, but they're stuck in this post-world limbo where they see that now that they've died, it wasn't what they were looking for, so they're desiring their will to live (their skins) back, but it'll take some adjusting to since they've shed it off and haven't had it for some time" , which would make the crocodile more as a "general on-looker with similar thoughts but never getting to the point of the squirrels' mentality/actions" , while the mantis plays the role of someone who has the unfortunate position of helping/"repairing" what their "dream" is/was (i.e a friend who is asked if they can "help" them out/be there with them because they're too afraid to take the step on their own to take their life, though usually they talk them out of it in most media like in the Golden Girls episode that had a similar premise)
Super long comment but I think the game had an interesting premise and really made me think about how literal/symbolic everything and everyone should be taken, which I think is a good thing
I think it's meant to be vague enough so that both lines of thinking can be taken as "Right" it's more to invoke an inward gaze and self realization and growth.
Hope, Dreams, Innocence, Life, all are pretty valid when considering this world where squirrels dismember themselves to fly as purely metaphorical.
I think the dream is about purpose and when the squirels lose their dreams, they lose their will to live
I have a pretty simple interpretation, other Comments said something simular but while the adult angle is part of it, I feel the main symbolism is the litteral of how people sacrifice so much for their dreams based on others yet are disappointed.
@@whoisheiforgothisname2103 Yeah. I also thought the mantis destroying the squirrel's machine is about getting depressed if someone loses their life's work. Like some people getting suicidal is their business failed. Actor Jonthan Brandis suicided when he was struggling to get acting jobs. Beauty pageant winner, Cheslie Kryst suicided cause she said she thought she was running out of time to make a impact on the world.
@@bittercharmer1591 I thought the squirrel was stressed and overly sacrificial for its own dream or not being able to attain its dreams too. And others tearing down people's dreams. Like the mantis destroying the squirrel's machine. The mantis mutilating the squirrel on its request also made me think it's a toxic enabler.
I think its meant to be a metaphor for self sacrifice as a measure of success- all of them could have flew in a sense if they just used their already existing wings- but they were so wrapped up in the idea that there had to be extra work to get to do that- that they didn't realize they could do it the whole time. In the end they only got to do what they wanted to do once and they got burnt out cause they realized they sacrificed so much for a destination- flying- and the process was too painful to take enjoyment out of just doing it for the sake of it. So in the end they think their dream is gone forever and nothing good can come out of life- when they could have found fulfillment in each other.
The crocodile wants the fulfillment of others but can't because they're distracted and thinks that they need a dream to get that. It doesn't help the crocodile and the crocodile realizes it hasn't helped the squirrels either. The crocodile is outside of the norm it wasn't until being surrounded by the squirrels that it ever thought it needed a dream so in the end the crocodile realizes they were the most satisfied out of them all. The crocodile wants to change the world for the better somehow, and tried to do it with the knowledge it has: that these dreams haven't made things any better.
I think this story is supposed to represent a societal ill and the crocodile someone who isn't accepted by general society and the mantis is simply consciousness
Maybe the squirrels are not just satisfied with gliding but want to fly. I didn't see how the gator was ostracized. Some comments here said they think the gator is to contrast with the squirrel in that he's chill and not stressed over a dream. I don't really think the Mantis is consciousness, and a separate being cause he destroyed the squirrel's machine. It more reminds me of people who tear down others' dreams. The mantis mutilating the squirrel on its request also made me think it's a toxic enabler.
@@user-gu9yq5sj7c The squirrels being able to glide but wanting to fly, so much so that they destroy themselves and become miserable as a result, while the mantis finds purpose in trying to help them is actually a great metaphor for why contentment is good and looking to positively affect other people as an aspiration while having principles you aren't willing to compromise on is more sustainable and fulfilling in the long term.
Damn, when praying mantis said, “_||~
Same😞
I havent felt this uncomfortable in a long time this game is really something damn
@☆Xiao same tbh
Man, if only the Mantis learn Earthbending instead
Or use something else to build a bridge. Like trees.
I was so confused by what was happening when I first watched this, but after a rewatching now it makes a lot of sense. A lot of comments here were mentioning the symbolism, but I want to try analyse based on the in-game world.
It seems the squirrels originally live in a dream world, and in this world there are possibilities. The squirrels once they are inspired by a dream, can strive towards that dream endlessly, and this gives them purpose.
However, once they fulfill a dream, the moths take them to 'reality', at the cost of losing the dream that got them there in the first place. In reality, the squirrels are miserable because dreams cannot emerge in reality. Even if you cross the bridge and hand them a 'dream', they can't recognise it and they don't act on it. This means it is impossible to find purpose, and the squirrels long for the nostalgia of chasing dreams.
That illustrates the divide between childhood (dream world) and adulthood (reality).
In the endings - one by destroying the dream of the first flying squirrel and indirectly ending their life, or one by destroying the 'bridge' to reality, in both cases the squirrels they don't have a chance of making it to reality, i.e. to adulthood.
This can be taken two ways, where on one hand children who do not follow their dreams may live longer but have dull lives (or die early), on the other hand these children can live forever in a dream world, and not have to face reality, or to grow up.
Very poignant game.
EDIT: I think it's also worth noting that the squirrels had no idea what reality is like, and what they had inadvertently signed up for. I think that also meant they were unprepared to survive in reality. As a millennial/gen Z it kinda reminds me of how when we were kids we were told "we can do anything" and "go get a degree and you'll be set in life", and just like the first flying squirrel, our parents tell us these narratives because back in their days, having a degree was a ticket to success, and they had 'help' through cheaper education, less inflation, more purchasing power, etc. (just like how the first squirrel had help).
So we work towards those dreams. But then when we do get our degrees, far from being 'set' in life, we were left with crippling student debt, unaffordable housing, high living costs, soul-sucking jobs and other painful things that 'adult life' give us. Definitely not the sunshine and rainbows we were told, and it's no wonder where there are such high numbers of poor mental health among the young adult population.
thanks manly for giving light to all these artistic games, you are doing big a part for the transition to taking games more seriously as an artistic medium.
I always thought games were art. I guess some people hop onto trends cause they're worried about their work being liked or making money.
I'm not done with the video, but I already love this game. The imagery is disturbing, yet fascinating, and there's a lot of room for interpretation. Very interesting!
Did the Squirrel Stapler man get isekai'd and become a mantis?
i was looking for this comment
Who knows
this game has so much forgotten symbolism. the alligator is a chill guy who doesnt have a dream because he just doesn't care the squirrel that wants to fly is a metaphor to people who will reach out so far, that the saying "id give an arm and a leg" quite literally happens.
The fact the squirrel can levitate in the air and has wings yet still needs to build a flying machine to fly is hilarious
He's probably levitating because of the moth in his gut
There should be a 3rd ending where the mantis just says “Fuck it, I tried helping but no one is appreciating what I am doing for them, i’m gonna go eat some flies now….”
Mutilating is not helping. That's a toxic enabler to the squirrel overly sacrificing itself. The mantis also destroyed the squirrel's machine and caused it to be depress. Some comments said they felt bad for the squirrel there.
i like how manly looks around when the "shift to run" hint appears, it's like an instinct on this point, when this shows up, you know that there is usually something chasing you, or is going to do so very soon
I’m really grateful to how Manly plays. I recognized underlying themes, but not the overarching one. I understood the squirrel with the moth wings’ moments, how it talked about learning, how it reacted to being given its own dream back, but the other squirrels were lost on me. Connecting it all as a whole allegory for growing up/dreams+self sacrifice (latter is thanks to comment section actually, I guess) gave the needed context for me. Without it, I felt like when you look at a stylized art piece and you can’t tell what you’re looking at. You recognize shapes, like maybe that thing is an eye and that other one is a hand, but you aren’t sure until someone explains the whole flow to you.
Don't let your dreams be memes, stay strong homies.
"This is the most depressing game i've played"
Coming from Manly, *that means a lot*
This game is.... *something* ? It's terrifying yet fascinating.
I think the gore could be representative of how painful the whole process is, especially to an observer. I think the "this is great!/this doesn't hurt!" applies to some people IRL too-- some people have boundless energy and near invincibility while chasing their dreams. But in the end... (ending spoiler)
... Crushing one's dream is far more painful, as ending 1 shows. Destroying the squirrel's machine is still far more devastating than those gore could convey (at least for me anyway).
Yeah, even in all the gore and pain, the squirrels never showed suffering as much as the one who watched the dreams be crushed. They can really get through even the most excruciating pain for the sake of their dreams
The moths could be a metaphor for adulthood, with them taking away the squirrels’ dreams, and one squirrel wanting to steal a moth’s wings (i.e. forcing themself grow up prematurely).
I don't get how the squirrel stealing the moth's wings means forcing itself to grow up prematurely. I don't think age matters here. Wasn't the squirrel glad to have wings? I think this game is about depression overly not attaining one's dreams, overly sacrificing for dreams, and others tearing down people's dreams like the mantis destroying the squirrel's machine. Kids strive for dreams and careers too. There's child performers and kids in the Olympics. Kids get stressed and cry about it too.
I really like this game, i thought it was very powerful in its storytelling. Dreams, purpose, meaning...all of this can be difficult to navigate especially under both internal and external pressures:(
33:56
"Rags to riches" full stories:
This reminds me of when we realized that people like Bill Gates or Zuckerberg managed to dropout of their prestigious schools and succeed only because they had received help from their parents financially.
Edit:
There are so many relatable dialogues in this game.
But I was not like the crocodile, I really want to become a *[big shot]* as a digital kemono artist, and leave this third world country I am in.
Kemonos are cute af and what country are you in?
Sounds like you need some *[[Hyperlink Blocked]]*
Now don't get Your "Dream" ripped out by a Pack of Moths
Well, that's the last time I watch a manly let's play while eating dinner.
You sure..it should enrich the experience.
@@chilomine839 ... Okay just because you're correct that doesn't make you right 😆
Squirrels die when they are killed.
@@chilomine839 Hold up did you edit your comment from "Squirrels Dream when they are skinned" Or did UA-cam have a seizure-?
Either way that's a very comforting thought before bed, thank you 🥲
@@henryhyde8939 I edited it. Wanted to stay true to the original quote.
It's like the Giving Tree but even darker
Must be a female mantis lol. I read that females can't fly as well because they are bigger. Mr. Miyagi flies around quite well.
They call her "She" a lot
Huh but the mantis could fly here
@@Benutzername474 jump good
@@absolutemaniac7368 Zebruh...
@@rev1999 zebruh 😔
Haven't been this creeped out and disturbed since "I have no mouth and must scream".
By far the only game that manage to break me down with such powerful storytelling. I don't understand how such weird way of presenting anything could be this... unsettling, yet very realistic?
This game hurt me on an emotional and spiritual level...
I'm right there in that transition zone and I feel it viscerally...
And hearing you explain it at the end kinda explained why... This game is both the best and worst game I've seen in a while... I think I need to go cry for an hour or two...
"Spiritual"? What does that mean? You said this was also the worst game. What can be done to improve this game?
A really obvious symbolism I feel many people are missing, these are flying squirrels, they already have everything they need to achieve their dreams but they don’t understand how to use them
I saw a comment that pointed out how they’re always taking from others to achieve their dreams, like stealing the moth’s wings! It makes me think, they didn’t only steal wings, they also stole the dreams. The dream of flying was never theirs to begin with, it belonged to the first squirrel with the machine. So, maybe the game is saying that to be happy, you need to follow your own dreams, and remember that you have your own abilities to achieve them, without having to sacrifice or steal from others
can’t flying squirrels only glide? just saying
Gliding is not flying. They wanted to fly, not just glide.
@@axuwu6939 The squirrels overly sacrificed themselves too. Didn't moths in this game attacked the squirrels too?
@@user-gu9yq5sj7c Yeah, I think I was talking about that one squirrel who tore the wings off a moth? I don’t remember what I was thinking when I wrote it, I probably just didn’t word it very well
Of all the metaphoric, emotionally driven game I watched you play, this one actually made me feel kinda sad...
It's a loop, it's. *ALL. A. LOOP.* "Once upon a time there was a mantis who wanted to repair a bridge."
This game had me the closest to crying I have ever been because of a video game
same, only this and The Beginner’s Guide have made me feel like crying
"Look dude, when I said to use creative engineering for this project i didn't mean like this ! "
yeah that's a normal building material
This was absolutely disturbing and depressing. I really loved how uncomfortable this game made feel. Definitely gonna keep my eye out for anything else Erupting Avocado comes out with.
The part where he had to destroy the squirrels machine was depressing
It made me shed one tear 😢
I feel personally called out by this game, and I don’t know what to do about it…
Do your dreams but don't stress over it?
The opening dialogue:
“The weather is nice. I live in a beautiful forest. I have everything I need. I think I would like something more out of life, but I don’t know what…”
Is the beginning of suffering. Life works perfectly fine as is. But then the imagination produces thoughts. Thoughts construct an ego. And the ego is responsible for all the pain and suffering we experience.
Well, not *all* the pain and suffering we experience. But certainly a portion of it, and for some people (including myself), most of it.
One thing that I have to say about the game: It gives something of a Second Person game feel when doing dialogue, where you're sort of controlling someone else, the 'you' you're talking to. Not sure, but it's a very fascinating perspective!
This game has a certain vibe that i cant quite describe, very well made
I hope more people get to know about this game now that Manly uploaded the fly game video! It's such an unique game.
Man, what a great game. I've never seen a game capture body horror as successfully as this one does.
I don't know if this is from the Golden Light devs, but it's got the spirit
in a strange way, the themes of dreams and passion in this game really dug deep into my heart. i'm currently unsure about how to get my passion back -- and the sentiment of missing wanting something is so relatable here. i know it's weird to say about this game in particular, but i suppose it strummed my heartstrings in a way that made me feel guilty. in another sense, though, i guess it feels nice to know that i'm not the only one who has had such thoughts before. it makes me feel like i can still find my dream again.
Can I ever really relate the that squirrel losing everything as you broke their machine .
This has got to be the most upsetting game I've ever seen. Incredible.
Of all the scary, dark, violent and sad games I've watched you play...
That scene towards the end with the machine might have been the most painful to watch, so far.
What an interesting game, very well crafted.
Now that's a perfect game for kids. It has everything on tab, like talking animals, family friendly attitude and bridges made out of meat.
No, not for kids.
This game... this game really unlocked something inside me, something that i didn't even know exist. Great game, im left speechless. I think I'll have a sleepless night tonight.
Also unrelated, but, seeing the squirrel cry hurt my heart a lot.
It's... interesting that you're effectively playing a creature with such a limited understanding of things who is desperately trying to help these creatures it's never met.
I knew this was going to be hard to go through when I almost cried at the second squirrel, 5 minutes in
A great and unusual game, definitely one of the more thought-provoking ones and I appreciate the effort they put in.
Manly: The trees are organic
Me: Yes, all trees are.
So gruesome just to teach people lessons like wearing someone else's "dream" doesn't feel the same as wearing yours. This takes "brutal honesty" to a whole new level.
Damn this game is weird yet interesting! I love how this genre of game (and all of its variations) are having a bit of a renaissance atm. EDIT: I mean horror genre, and to an equal extent strangeness, mystery, puzzle solving, and artistic style low fi graphics, even those they are more elements of a game rather than genres, but they are all carving out their own niche within the modern “horror games” genre.! Hope my idea makes sense? I’m just excited that this is part of the landscape of gaming atm.
I like the crocodile, he's a friend. He's depressing but he has, a lot of interesting things to say and he's kinda selfless. He just asks you to look for, a dream for him but he doesn't even get mad when you don't give it to him. He just comes to you to give you an advice.
A nice addition to the squirrel games
“The trees are organic.” Well, I would hope so.
"Flying is shit."
-Probably unknown
I wonder if someone has already mentioned that their dream comes naturally to the praying mantis? It hasn't achieved their dream, but rather born with it. It tries to help them achieve this, but is equally clueless on how to do so.