Buried Stars & How Character Design Tells Stories

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  • Опубліковано 2 лип 2024
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    Recommended guide if you decide to play it: psnprofiles.com/guide/10663-b...
    Credits:
    Model: Hauluciel ( / hauluciel )
    Branding & Graphics: Enso ( / enso_exe )
    Chapters:
    0:00 - Introduction
    4:41 - Part 1: The Other Characters
    5:03 - Do-yoon Han
    6:17 - Inha Oh
    7:39 - Juyoung Min
    9:21 - Seungyeon Shin
    12:04 - Part 2: Hyesung Seo
    19:17 - Part 3: Seil Chang
    25:44 - Part 4: Gyu-hyuk Lee
    36:37 - Conclusion
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КОМЕНТАРІ • 89

  • @aiikry578
    @aiikry578 Місяць тому +52

    this game broke me in my first playthough, I love phater cause its the best way i've seen social media (mostly twitter) portrayed in these games

    • @TheViveros
      @TheViveros  Місяць тому +19

      Oh yeah, Phater is great. Imo it’s the closest a game has gotten to capturing the vibes of Twitter, for better and for worse.
      And as far as being broken, yeah, this game is an emotional gut punch for sure. I ranted for at least half an hour after getting the first ending to chat about how good it was and how dark it got, it’s just excellent writing. Even when I was going back and getting the footage for this video I was shocked by how much it affected me - I figured I’d be over it, but it turns out that that ending still hits as hard when you know what’s coming.

  • @Nixahma
    @Nixahma Місяць тому +18

    Something I never noticed with the Gyu-Hyuk reveal in the first end is how... Completely calm his reveal is. No harsh, sudden noises or music, no jerky cuts, just. A slow pan upwards intercut with the cg.

    • @TheViveros
      @TheViveros  Місяць тому +1

      Yeah, the only comparable reveal is Seil but that one’s different because it’s not a discovery as much as a witnessing of a death, and the whole point of that one was that the suddenness was what made it jarring. For Hyesung and Juyoung the discovery feels frantic and jarring, like the feeling of moving a little too fast and losing control of what’s happening, but the Gyu-hyuk reveal is relying exclusively on dread. I remember in my playthrough as soon as he said we needed to leave and Do-yoon refused to go with him I was like “Oh god he’s gonna die Do-yoon you need to go with him!” It felt like you knew what was going to happen to him and were just waiting for the reveal, which is an interesting contrast with how Do-yoon is experiencing it because it’s clearly the death that hits him the hardest.

    • @Nixahma
      @Nixahma 29 днів тому

      @@TheViveros I think it's also because you need very little visual confirmation of his death aside from seeing his feet dangling above the ground. Hyesung was the first death and had to have the appropriate impact to solidify a sense of danger. With Juyoung, it's easy to miss the hand sticking out of the rubble and with Seil it's possible he fell safely, but with Gyu-Hyuk it's not only already expected, as you said, but it's immediately apparent what happened to him. And even then it hits you with a gut punch when it slowly pans up- you already know what happened, but seeing what he used as a noose has almost the same impact as seeing his corpse at all.

  • @camilleSVT
    @camilleSVT Місяць тому +15

    plughole? uh, yeah, don't mind if I do

  • @franciscogargantielii8568
    @franciscogargantielii8568 Місяць тому +16

    As someone who usually plays Visual Novels with either Eng or JP dubs, I have to say the Korea VAs were top notch, especially in the more intense parts. You can see the dread and tension in their performance when shit gets real while also showing vulnerability in the more somber and quiet moments. Hopefully we get to see more high quality writing and characters from the same studio that made this game, especially with how they remind me just how much untapped potential this genre has waiting to be fully explored. Great vid as always, Viv! :D

    • @TheViveros
      @TheViveros  Місяць тому +4

      Oh yeah, the VAs are amazing and had some great direction. I think the way they wrote this ending would’ve hit hard regardless, but the way you can hear them panicking more and more as it gets closer to the end even just in the way they’re breathing is so excellent. I only wish I’d gotten to show them in more of their downtime where they’re a bit more relaxed, since they really get to express a full range throughout the game, but I didn’t want to include too many clips and wanted to save them for the best moments.
      Unfortunately, I think the studio’s upcoming project actually got shelved at some point recently - it was codenamed Project Household, was described as “occult x urban x fantasy”, and would’ve followed a group of psychics in Seoul. I can’t find a ton of info on it but I remember on stream we were looking it up to see what the follow up would be and found that it wasn’t happening. I hope that that’s wrong because I really want to see them expand, but I’m not sure if it’s happening.

  • @ThatGreenMach1ne
    @ThatGreenMach1ne Місяць тому +25

    i love character design so this is going to be good. maybe I will hold off on this video until i can afford to buy this game.

  • @Despair_Bagel
    @Despair_Bagel Місяць тому +17

    IVE BEEN CRAVING BURIED STARS CONTENT FOR A LONG TIME RAAAAAAAGHHHH

  • @The1andonlysharpshooter
    @The1andonlysharpshooter Місяць тому +20

    I beg you do more because there aren’t a lot of videos out there doing deep analysis on this game and I’ve been thinking about it for years now. I’d love to see more content of it if that’s a selfish wish haha

    • @TheViveros
      @TheViveros  Місяць тому +6

      Honestly it’s surprising to me that it’s flown so far under the radar. It seems like it has all the ingredients to do really well, and it really deserved better. I can definitely understand the desire to see more about it though, I’ll keep some Buried Stars topics in mind for the future for sure 😊

    • @The1andonlysharpshooter
      @The1andonlysharpshooter Місяць тому +1

      @@TheViveros Yippee thank you! I also watched this video in one sitting, I really enjoyed it! Keep it up and take care. 🙂

  • @theon1yenigma868
    @theon1yenigma868 Місяць тому +10

    I just finished the first play through (bc of ur recommendation to do so) and all I can say is.... I watched the entire credits bc I was in shock, trying to wrap my head around what I just saw.

    • @TheViveros
      @TheViveros  Місяць тому +3

      Yeah, that first run is a real gut punch. Obviously once you get to the tipping point it’s clear that it’s going to be a bad time, and I’ve played enough visual novels by now to know what a bad ending looks like, but I absolutely never would’ve predicted how genuinely devastating it was going to get. I spent at least half an hour after the ending talking to chat trying to process it, and between the writing and the voice acting I don’t think I’ve ever had a game hit me the way Buried Stars did. Apparently the scenario writer does a lot of horror stuff, and I think you can really tell from how well they can build tension and dread even when it’s not a horror game.

  • @bird-caged
    @bird-caged Місяць тому +24

    This video definitely makes me want to at least watch your VODs. The games seems so genuinely interesting and unlike other games I’ve seen in the genre(as far as I’m aware). Hope this video gets more views, you deserve it man

    • @TheViveros
      @TheViveros  Місяць тому +1

      Thank you so much! And yeah, I love a lot of games in this genre but Buried Stars has a really special place in my heart for how well it executes its premise.

  • @iyxon
    @iyxon Місяць тому +6

    Oh I am absolutely gonna play Buried Stars now

  • @insanitear
    @insanitear Місяць тому +9

    every time i have seen this video today, it has had a different thumbnail

    • @TheViveros
      @TheViveros  Місяць тому +8

      In my defence, the original one had one of the worst clickthrough rates on my channel for a new video, so I figured I’d try changing it up to see if I could salvage it lmao

  • @flags5765
    @flags5765 Місяць тому +10

    Twink = peak design

    • @TheViveros
      @TheViveros  Місяць тому +1

      Many people are saying this

  • @Rinoscope
    @Rinoscope Місяць тому +13

    Wow you're on fire recently Viveros, hope you're doing okay!
    Looking forward to watching that video now!

  • @air_zeep
    @air_zeep Місяць тому +5

    THANK! YOU! This game is so underrated, like literally no one is talking about it and I was so pissed by the lack of discussion after I finished it. So, when I watched your Inescapable video where you briefly mention Buried Stars, I was so happy. I still want to watch all the VODs to see your reaction to the events, but this video is a savior.
    I hope more people play this game because YES, it has flaws (namely the fact that conversations were a little too dragged out at times) and YES, I would love to have maybe a little more choice that would matter to the plot, but Buried Stars still has amazing narrative and characters, some sick twists and a lot of heart put into it. It just deserves so much more attention and actual discussion.
    This game gave me so much brainrot after finishing it but it was near impossible to find any opinions and theories. So, if you'll ever make a video that talks about the game in little bit more detail, I would eat that up and ask for seconds.

    • @TheViveros
      @TheViveros  Місяць тому +2

      It’s such a good game and it’s genuinely baffling to me that it doesn’t seem to have picked up a fan base, and I’m honestly glad that I have an outlet to talk about how much I love it because if I was forced to just love this game by myself I might go crazy lmao
      Something I found funny was that while I was recording background footage for this, there was a point for nearly a full hour with zero player interaction (the bit where you go to explore the backstage area) and I remembered thinking to myself “Wait, didn’t I criticize Inescapable for this sort of thing?“ before realizing that the difference was that every time I’d played through that scene on stream it still felt interesting and well-written. Hyesung getting jumpscared by the mannequin, the characters poking around all the rooms, etc. felt like it was actively building up tension instead of just wasting time. Like the writing all gave this ominous vibe of “Something bad is going to happen back here; remember what you’re seeing, because the next time you see it it won’t be like this”. I definitely feel you about the lack of player choice, and I think one of the big issues it has is that there are a lot of relatively small meaningless choices and only a handful of big pivotal choices, and the game really doesn’t do enough to distinguish between the two. Thankfully the writing is more than enough to carry it, because even in those long periods of relatively little choice it still felt like I was getting a story worth listening to.

  • @joeyjose727
    @joeyjose727 29 днів тому +3

    I’ve never heard of this game before, please do another video 😭 omg the poor girl reaching out of the rubble…

  • @cloudy978
    @cloudy978 Місяць тому +4

    As a future concept artist I am always looking for oportunities to learn so I am going to enjoy this video me thinks.

  • @dionamain4663
    @dionamain4663 Місяць тому +4

    Just wanted to say, seeing the intro of this video added so much suspense for me when I went to watch the first part of the game. I kept staring at Gyu-hyuk in particular and wondering "what am I missing???"
    Also, since you pointed out how a lot of the character designs have something to draw attention to where/how they get killed, I noticed Do-yoon and Juyoung also technically fit this pattern. Do-yoon has headphones right around his neck. Juyoung's is a stretch, but I noticed her outfit is really modest, so pretty much everything minus her lower arms is covered... just like how she gets covered by rubble with only her lower arm sticking out-

    • @TheViveros
      @TheViveros  29 днів тому +1

      I'm glad that the intro did its job then! I'm usually not trying to sell people on something as much as I was for this one, so it was fun to be able to write with a bit more of a flourish this time to try to hype it up and it's been really rewarding to see it working.
      And for sure, I think you can definitely make that connection! It's hard to get into why I singled these three out without spoiling anything, but I think it's also noteworthy that these are also outliers in terms of colour specifically - Seil, Hyesung, and Gyu-hyuk all specifically use pops of colour to draw the eye, whereas Do-yoon's and Juyoung's are more subtle design choices that feel more like nods towards their potential fates without drawing *too* much focus to that aspect of their stories from the first run.

    • @dionamain4663
      @dionamain4663 29 днів тому

      @@TheViveros Ohhh I haven't made it far enough to know what you're talking about, but now I'm extra excited!!

  • @zckaiser
    @zckaiser Місяць тому +8

    Very nice, I played this game like a year ago and had a lot of fun with it; didn't even notice these design elements! (I'm more a words guy.) Any chance you'd do a video covering thoughts on the full game? Not enough talk about this game out there, in my opinion.

    • @TheViveros
      @TheViveros  Місяць тому +5

      I’d like to do more on it at some point, although when it happens would probably depend on how well this video does. There definitely isn’t enough discussion about it for my liking either, which is a real shame - part of me wonders if it just didn’t get the right promo, because it’s genuinely hard to really see why it didn’t pick up at least a small following out there.

  • @alterego353
    @alterego353 Місяць тому +3

    As someone who is working on first drafts for Inescapable redesigns because of how captivated I was by your video, this upload encouraged me to escape artist's block and try out Buried Stars. Burned through the first run within a few hours and am stoked to continue both the designs and the game! Keep up the amazing work!

  • @cmd5789
    @cmd5789 Місяць тому +6

    I haven’t finished all the endings!! I need to do that before i watch this

    • @TheViveros
      @TheViveros  Місяць тому +1

      This one only covers up to the first ending, so as long as you’ve seen that you’re covered!

    • @cmd5789
      @cmd5789 22 дні тому

      Ive seen the first ending now and im so impressed with the character designs. It makes me wonder how much of the story the character designer had before they started.
      I think I’m going to have to wait a bit before I play more endings though because it’s quite long.

  • @rosyuwu3904
    @rosyuwu3904 25 днів тому +3

    Boosting because this video is actually so underrated (and your channel as a whole)!! Your commentary is both insightful and entertaining, I’m so glad your “Inescapable” video blew up, otherwise I wouldn’t be here!
    I will definitely be adding this game to my wishlist! Thanks for your wonderful commentary!

    • @TheViveros
      @TheViveros  20 днів тому +1

      Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoy the videos, and I hope you enjoy Buried Stars when you get a chance to play it - I know that I hyped it up pretty hard in this video, but I know it can live up to those expectations.

  • @grayveebean
    @grayveebean 27 днів тому +3

    This was a really good video! As someone who draws and wants to get into writing, your video makes some great points and takeaways that I definitely will be keeping in my creative back pocket. Also this new contextualization about Doyoon being given red actually linking to his story role was like a pleasant slap to the face (positive) as someone who has finished the game.
    A like and subscribe from me! Thanks for the fun watch :)

  • @sachitechless
    @sachitechless Місяць тому +3

    So this is probably an extremely dark comment, but
    I want to talk about my experience with the first run of Buried Stars and why the absolute pain trying to get any sort of progression was such a devestation to me.
    Juyoung when I initially picked up Buried Stars was concerningly relateable. I have just begun to struggle with anxiety and panic attacks. Her habit of hiding under things or in tight places almost for comfort was extremely relateable to me. Seeing a character who I saw something I was learning to navigate at the time was comforting, even if it was a game where characters were clearly not safe. I got mildly triggered by her cause of death being what she used to make herself feel safe given it was so similar to what I'd do, however, the struggle of making any sort of progression sent me a message at the time that my coping mechanism would get me hurt some day when no matter what I did it ended up in that outcome which I didn't need to hear at the time. At the time I couldn't really find a good walkthrough either so I legit just gave up on it.
    That out of the way though, something I found interesting about Buried Stars was how it uses its first run to establish that this isn't going to be similar to your closest touchstone of DR, most people's closest analogue when they see the death reveal animations, they aren't gonna just be spaced out they can come think and fast.

    • @TheViveros
      @TheViveros  29 днів тому +1

      I’m so sorry to hear that your experience with it was triggering, and I can definitely understand why you had that reaction to it. If you’re interested in seeing more (I promise things get better for Juyoung) the walkthrough I’d recommend is on PSNProfiles - it should be the first result if you google Buried Stars walkthrough, but I’ll also add it to the description of this video.
      As to the final point, I definitely do think you’re right about that - it does a good job of establishing that it understands where the audience is *likely* coming from and what it needs to do to explain itself to that audience.

  • @xhunterhuntsx
    @xhunterhuntsx 29 днів тому +1

    Man, it's been a minute since I've ever heard this game. (Other than you mentioning in another video) I remember loving it. The story, the characters, the designs all beautiful. (I really need to finish the UA-camr's playthrough I was watching)

  • @ochayta
    @ochayta 28 днів тому +2

    Having unlocked the true ending (what do you mean this one is true, help T-T), i find myself constantly thinking about how well everything really falls into place. I love (and hate cause it's too painful) that you can easily trace how any small thing had lead to the overall outcome, and not just in terms of butterfly effect, it's more about individual decisions shaping their reality. What's cooler than seeing cause-and-effect relationships unfold? That you can at the same time envision the thought process of each character when they decided they'd do something, ahhh I can't stress enough how good it feels to go on this mental loop and realise that the story is believable and consistent!!

    • @TheViveros
      @TheViveros  20 днів тому +1

      I think that's a big part of why the game works, its characters are ultimately pretty grounded in reality whether it's the cast that's stuck in the building or the people on Phater. The writers put a lot of effort into making sure that their characters are responding to the world around them in a way that makes sense, and it helps get you really invested in all of them right from the jump.

  • @ochayta
    @ochayta 28 днів тому +1

    Thank you for pointing out all those missable details, I would've never noticed myself and knowing all this enhances the experience of connecting with the characters to a whole different level, great video!

  • @creamyuma3734
    @creamyuma3734 28 днів тому +2

    I'm very glad I took the warning and watched your vods first. This game is incredible but I can't run it on my old computer.

  • @itspeggybtw
    @itspeggybtw 26 днів тому +2

    im so happy u said to actually play the game first cause my god that first ending killed me. i made so many backup saves to try and keep my relationships up and STILL. i genuinely dont think anything couldve prepared me for that
    so kudos for making this video. for recommending

    • @TheViveros
      @TheViveros  26 днів тому

      I’m glad you enjoyed it! I really wasn’t sure if many people would actually take me up on that recommendation because I know it’s a bit of a hard sell, and it’s made me so happy that so many people not only took the gamble on this game but also enjoyed it as much as I did. The worst thing about Buried Stars is that it’s basically impossible to try to pitch it to people based on all the things it does best because all of those things would be massive spoilers. Even in this video I deliberately avoided explaining how the first ending worked until the midway point because I was hoping people who skipped the initial recommendations might change their minds and decide to check it out before getting there lol

    • @itspeggybtw
      @itspeggybtw 26 днів тому

      @@TheViveros for me i got to the inha part and was like "omg im obsessed with her, i have to get this game" i mean shes basically a blonde julia fox with a messy bob, how could you not

    • @TheViveros
      @TheViveros  26 днів тому

      I love Inha so much, I could make an entire video just about her

  • @wafffls
    @wafffls Місяць тому +1

    holy smokes, what an excellent video!

  • @kiel127
    @kiel127 Місяць тому +3

    More Buried Stars content, let's goooooo 🎉

    • @kiel127
      @kiel127 Місяць тому +1

      I always found it goofy how Hyesung's full body model, particularly the legs, is posed like that 😂

    • @kiel127
      @kiel127 Місяць тому +1

      This game left me with a trauma towards blue ties 😵

  • @bigangerman8800
    @bigangerman8800 9 днів тому

    you've convinced me, downloading right now and gleefully waiting for the emotional pain it will inflict

  • @fierytigergaming8112
    @fierytigergaming8112 27 днів тому

    Even though I expected it, the Notmal Ending still gave me shivers. Social media breaking you to the point where you want to end it all

  • @alex_ze_awsumyt5484
    @alex_ze_awsumyt5484 7 днів тому

    Oh my god, I am DEFINITELY getting this game when I can-

  • @sowbtsoqx451
    @sowbtsoqx451 19 днів тому +1

    hi, just wanted to say a HUGE thank you. i watched this video midway through and finally decided to play the game for myself. and OH MY GOD i'm so happy that i did (especially without encountering major spoilers, because the first ending was BRUTAL). now, a week later and 30 hours in i cleared the game almost fully (cleared all endings, but some misc stuff remains) and can say that it's one of my favorite games of all time, if not THE favorite. it hits the spot in almost every aspect, even though i was sceptical at first. so thank you and curse you cause this is going to be my next hyperfixation i fear. there's almost no fan content though as far as i can see, so this is gonna be a problem...
    RAAAHHH oh how i want to write the biggest comment of my life yapping about everything i love about this game. the design choices, the art, the music, the ui, the attention to details, the freaking secret laboratory and seil holmes endings (seriously wth was up with those two endings)... please make a second video on this game because i would love to yap about every plottwist and every ending and every other spoiler (can't bring myself to spoil anything major here).
    also the... ahem... the attacker was my favorite character who could do nothing wrong ever so obviously i stared at the wall for half an hour in shock after their identity has been revealed. they were the only person i didn't suspect ever. i was ready to accept that the producer came back to life to kill hyesung before i could accept the truth. this game fucked me up!!!!!!!!!!
    p.s. gyu-hyuk and do-yoon are the most obvious boyfriends ever. "i hope he's smiling. i don't want him to cry. i hope he likes me. if he hates me, i can't stand it. i hope he loves me"? my good sir. you are a homosexual. (why is there no ending where they kiss and everyone survives. why is every ending pure suffering. i can't take this anymore)

    • @sowbtsoqx451
      @sowbtsoqx451 19 днів тому +1

      also i giggled every time you said "and... well... * death montage *" and i'm concerned that it happened so many times in this single ending LMAO

    • @TheViveros
      @TheViveros  12 днів тому +1

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it! And yeah unfortunately if I have to have this brain damage I have to spread it to others - there are so few perks to being a UA-camr that I have to take advantage of this one whenever I can lmao
      (If you go back and watch my vods you’ll find me in denial about the attacker pretty much right up until it becomes inevitable. Like “Oh, it was probably [insert literally anyone else] bc of [entirely implausible reason] bc there’s no way it could’ve been *that one!*”)

    • @sowbtsoqx451
      @sowbtsoqx451 11 днів тому +1

      @@TheViveros oh also I wanted to ask you if you have any other game recommendations, especially something closer to Buried Stars in any way! because this one was a BANGER and I couldn't find something like that for the longest time so now I crave more good games (VNs?) with similar vibe.

    • @TheViveros
      @TheViveros  11 днів тому +1

      I’m not sure how familiar you are with the genre, but the big one is probably Danganronpa (not everyone’s favourite, but it’s easily one of the most influential and a lot of others are cribbing from it in one way or another). The first two Zero Escape games are good (don’t bother with Zero Time Dilemma), although I think AI: The Somnium Files is the one you really would like the most if you specifically liked Buried Stars. Your Turn To Die is a little more of a horror game (very mild jump scares, I’m a big baby when it comes to horror but it still wasn’t *too* bad) but I can’t recommend it enough - it’s a death game as well but where you actually get some more power over the outcomes and it’s amazing. Last one that immediately comes to mind is Process of Elimination, which I just started this week but already adore. It’s about a group of detectives who’re trapped on an island with a serial killer hiding in their midst and have to solve murders as they’re being killed, and the detective work is all done through a Fire Emblem style “combat” system where you control all the detectives and make them work together.

    • @sowbtsoqx451
      @sowbtsoqx451 11 днів тому

      @@TheViveros oh wow thank you! I already played almost all of them but have never heard of Process of Elimination so I'll look into it. also I've been eyeing AI: The Somnium Files for the longest time, but never got around to actually playing it. now I think I finally will haha

  • @annamav9700
    @annamav9700 Місяць тому +2

    Please, please make more videos about this game! I played it last year and liked it a lot. However, there were barely any videos on UA-cam about it and fandom was so small... i would be happy to hear about your theories, video essays about themes of the games and whatnot
    (SPOILERS!!! Can we talk about how one of the characters was literally groomed by a person in power, and other was almost taken advantage of? This is insane)

  • @villagerc7130
    @villagerc7130 29 днів тому

    2:30 I got to about here before I stopped watching. I'm convinced. I'm gonna plan to play this game myself before finishing this video.

    • @villagerc7130
      @villagerc7130 29 днів тому

      It is around £40 tho 🤧 and I still wanna buy Buldurs Gate so I'm just gonna have to pick one of the 2 for now

  • @Bunni89
    @Bunni89 Місяць тому +1

    Hell yeah, I was looking forward to this! Your Inescapable video made this game sound SO much better, I'm hyped to learn about why you love it!

    • @Bunni89
      @Bunni89 Місяць тому +2

      Also, gotta say that the game's name is just CHEF'S KISS perfect!
      I love how it spoils the entire premise of the game but you'd never expect it on first glance. Just sounds like a cool poetic name like any other VN, and then OH, ITS LITERAL 😂

    • @Bunni89
      @Bunni89 Місяць тому +1

      Finished the video and OH GOD that was so raw and terrifying and well written. Fuck, the protag hallucinating a cheering crowd as he goddamn hangs himself with his crush's necktie?? A cheering crowd telling him that everything was all his fault and death is the only way he can make everyone happy?? Fuck, that's a level of dark I wouldn't have imagined in my deepest nightmares.
      There's something so terrifying too in the idea of a character with anxiety running to their safe space it's literally what kills them. That poor lady, oh god...
      And heavy as this all is, it really gives a sense that the game isn't taking advantage of dark topics for cheap shock value, these are all extremely important story moments written with respect for the characters and the subject. And they fill the vital function of foreshadowing what each character's big thing is gonna be that you have to watch ot for to keep their sanity meter high.
      The idea of a game forcing you into bad ends on your first run has been done before in a lot of VNs, and often pretty badly. (Digimon Survive particularly annoyed me when it has a character commit suicide because nobody ever listened to him or tried to reach out to him, except that was the guy I immediately liked and spent every free time talking to! Wtf!) I feel Buried Stars is handling it great! It doesn't feel like control is being taken away from the player, more like this is a tutorial for future routes. Characters are dying because you didn't have the knowledge needed to predict these things would happen, now you do. Each failed run doesn't feel pointless, doesn't feel like it only exists to manipulate your emotions. It's giving you the tools you need to get the next run closer to success! And it hits even harder as a gutpunch when you avert one death just to find another...
      And it's AMAZING how it uses the character designs to sneakily foreshadow it all in ways you wouldn't have recognised. And how this compound tutorial-like death gameplay only adds to it! First dude: very bold and obvious red hair, stands out as SOMEHOW relevant to his character, but you don't realize it's his death! Second guy: only other person with red on him, makes your second-run self panic as soon as you notice it, you know somehow this is gonna cause his death but don't have enough information to figure out how. And the third guy has no red on him at all, instead the very opposite colour. Everything about his starting demeanor makes him seem like he's safe, like he's the one guy who'd never die in this specific way. You're relying on him so much you never realise how much he relied on you. And it makes you not realise this was a character design clue too, despite it being way bigger and bolder than even the red hair! Now I'd expect the player to be going into the next run going absolutely insane over any focal colour on any design. Nothing is safe!
      And I've gotta add how I fell so utterly for the blue tie while watching this 😭 I just thought "oh, one splash of bold colour on his design" = showing maybe there's more to him than just being calm and perfect, perhaps he has a silly or soft side cos it's a bit of an odd fashion choice. It was genuinely endearing me to the character! Now I'm never gonna be able to look at it again without thinking about that tie killing two goddamn people. EXCELLENT integration of writing and art design! And excellent NIGHTMARES oh god
      This game is totally gonna fuck me up and I'm immediately invested

    • @Bunni89
      @Bunni89 Місяць тому +1

      Also immediately invested in the ship, because holy shit
      Crossing my fingers there's gonna be at least one ending where they both survive and get to confess their feelings cos DAMN this ending shot my heart right in the doomed yaoi and I am now ride or die for them

    • @TheViveros
      @TheViveros  29 днів тому +1

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it! To me it’s really a peak piece of media for taking on dark themes and actually knowing how to use them for more than shock value - I’ve said it in a few other replies as well, but something that surprised me while I was getting footage for this video was how hard it still was to watch that ending even knowing what was going to happen. The shock of it obviously adds to it, especially with Hyesung and Gyu-hyuk, but Gyu-Hyuk’s in particular still hits just as hard even knowing what’s going to happen because of how it’s written in the moment. It made me really realize how much Buried Stars relies on dread and tension over shock value and cheap tricks, and I think that’s why it works so well.

  • @241Cookies__
    @241Cookies__ 7 днів тому

    I have never been sadder that I don't have the money to play a visual novel, I am so upset
    funnily enough, this video did get me more acclimated to the game! I don't have a big stomach for death in general, so it's always nice to feel like I'm playing through it with someone
    love you videos and analysis man, keep up the good work!

    • @anonymoususer9197
      @anonymoususer9197 2 дні тому

      If you haven't played it I recommend yttd it's free on VG persons website (not steam but the steam game has extra content that's not *too* relevant to the main plot but connected to it)

  • @demonicbird
    @demonicbird Місяць тому +2

    Unrelated, but I recently got into Mamiya after your videos made me miss good mystery VNs. Have you played it or are you planning too? I feel like it's an extremely underrated game and would love to hear your thoughts on it!

    • @TheViveros
      @TheViveros  29 днів тому

      I don’t actually think I’ve heard of that one, but I’ll look it up!

  • @msf2399
    @msf2399 3 дні тому

    Oh man… I don’t think I can actually play this game (I’m *very* susceptible to horror techniques, and I can tell that the tension in this is ratcheted so high that I’d probably put it down right around that bathroom cutscene and never have the guts to pick it back up) but I might have to buy it just to show the devs my support. I normally save that for more experimental artsy games, but honestly, this looks so good and is apparently so little known? It’s always such a shame when a genuinely excellent work flies completely under the radar. Yeah, I’m probably going to buy this one. Shame that it’s just going to sit in my steam library while I go watch some vods & read the tvtropes page for it instead.

  • @SobreDunas
    @SobreDunas Місяць тому

    GOD I really gotta check out this game now

  • @miigi-p4939
    @miigi-p4939 24 дні тому +3

    I played the entire game cuz of this video and its sooo goood
    Also i dont know why inha was a character i instantly loved
    I saw her and something clicked
    And then the game says people either instantly love or hate her pffft

    • @TheViveros
      @TheViveros  24 дні тому +1

      I'm glad you liked it! And I was the same way with her, there's just something about Inha that's just so immediately endearing but I can't really describe what it is.

    • @miigi-p4939
      @miigi-p4939 24 дні тому +2

      ​@@TheViverosSpoilers for inha story in case anyone reads
      I think what makes me so happy about inha and makes me like her so much is how the game just makes her be a normal person who is trying to move on
      I was so scared they would do a Danganronpa and make her past be something bad like how hyesung implies she has trouble with police only to discover thats because ACAB instead of her doing something bad
      Every single character in the game feels handled the same way
      They are still people with bad pasts that are still themselves even after doing bad stuff
      I think inha is just kinda of approachable from moment one as well since when we get to the game we might think that the first two placers will be more egoistical so she feels like a bit more approachable

  • @jaydinotjd
    @jaydinotjd 24 дні тому

    O h…
    Wow uhhh…
    Damn…
    Welp I know what I’m gonna be watching for the next couple of days

  • @getyoteladz3536
    @getyoteladz3536 Місяць тому +2

    oh i was just thinking of starting to play this game again

    • @TheViveros
      @TheViveros  Місяць тому +1

      You definitely should, it’s great!

    • @getyoteladz3536
      @getyoteladz3536 Місяць тому +1

      @@TheViveros this video has definitely inspired me too again!

  • @Draconis_Eltanin
    @Draconis_Eltanin Місяць тому +1

    I really should play it...

  • @ochayta
    @ochayta 28 днів тому +1

    Watching your vods inspired me to first complete the game myself, it was amazing!! Thank you so much for this (⁠๑⁠♡⁠⌓⁠♡⁠๑⁠)

  • @gekko821
    @gekko821 27 днів тому

    I don't know if you've played it, but I would like to see a review of Idol Death Game TV, I think you might like it, it is like a danganronpa but with idols

  • @hiramsanchez8095
    @hiramsanchez8095 День тому

    You know, I got the game years ago and the bad ending, how it felt that it was so contrived, left me with such a terrible taste on my mouth that I just uninstalled the game and left it to rot. Now that I played (what I could stomach) of No escape, I'm ready to get it another chance. But man, it felt so mean spirited, in the same way that the lust routes in No escape with this ending, that I hope that the other routes are actually worth it through this video.