You missed a heartbreaking detail by not covering the variant of the good ending you get by beating the game a second time, there's an extra scene that shows that the mouse Rob killed was actually Pop, and every time Keith talks about Pop from that point on he's lying to Will to spare his feelings
wait so would that mean that Will was willfully(heh) in denial about the new Pop he got at the end... or did Keith fuck up some poor rat 'd leg and fur just to make it look more convincing?
what's odd is that the sandman put the rabid dogs to sleep in boogieman so they wouldn't kill her, yet he was unable or unwilling to knock out the two men who were going to hurt her? that part never made sense to me. sure, we can think he'd make these two men's lives a living hell, but if he could intervene to save her life once, he should have been able to do it again.
@@Moon-Vixenmy best two guesses are that for one, it took time to put the dogs to sleep, so Robert shooting her would have been a little fast for a reaction, and the second thing is that he can't exactly be there all the time, since he still has a job to do.
I’ve said this in The Sandman review, but Uri LOVES her western music references fr. First, basing her first entry in the series off of an English children’s poem/song, then in Sandman she bases the sequence of events in the slumbering real world off of lyrics from Metallica, THEN the Boogie Man just straight up starts saying the lyrics to “Blame it on the Boogie” during the climax of his game. If I had a nickel for every time a character in an Uri game referenced Michael Jackson…
I think you missed a scene at the end, it shows a shot of Keith over the dead rat, showing that it was really Pop who has died because of his leg, and there's a final shot when Will is at the train looking at the window, it shows Pop (probrably his spirit) with a bag over his showder, as if he was packing his stuff to leave
Pop trapped on top of a shelf? Immersion broken. Rats WILL jump down onto your head Source? My first rat, Splinter, did that ALL the time. Had to move his cage from where it initially was just in case he missed.
17:59 So it’s fairly easy to miss and not really *that* important. Once you cut all the doll’s stomachs, if you go back to the Nursery and look at the drawings again, there’s an additional page. The boy is surrounded by corpses and cries once he realizes that he’s all alone now. Which is a bit foreshadowing for Ed’s character
I love the moment when the voice actor for will wakes up in the good ending and completely changes the performance for will there's so much more of a sense of confidence and self actualization in his voice. He's going to come out stronger
I like the parallel of David and Will seeing things that aren’t ‘there’, and how both their stories have to do with hanged men. Interesting to not but I don’t see anyone from the sandman here, unless I’m missing something? Interesting choice either way. Edit: I forgot who Sophie was ignore the second half of this comment I’m so stupid aaaaaa
Well, the things that happened to Sophie during the bad ending is kinda off IMO. I mean, sandman saved her from the dogs in Boogie man but here Sandman didn't do anything to save her. So, if we consider continuity, her getting in danger should also be unlikely. Regardless, I guess we can just say "Welp, she needs to be in danger for the band ending to happen".
@@Sofi5252art Well, they're all amateurs, you can't really have the same expectations from a bunch of fans voicing an indie game that you have from professional voice actors working with a voice director, a professional studio and a budget
What I like about the game series is that the good ends are canon. A lot of times in horror things tend to end badly (especially in movies) but it's rather nice that there's a light in the end of the tunnel for these characters, helping them move on and maybe teaching the players about moving on as well. Horror doesn't always need to have downer endings to be scary. Also I might have missed it but what about the origin of the note that said demon child? Was it David's mom who wrote that?
Rob was a loyal brother, but I think because of the bad situation his past trauma made him spiral. He and Ed have issues with anger due to trauma. I don’t forgive some of his actions ofc, but I can understand a desperation to hold onto the few people you care for. Honestly I’m surprised a guy like him didn’t think to just call their dad’s death self defense. Maybe he’s used to everything being hard or lonely so he subconsciously went the hard way 🤔
It's cool that the story started with actual supernatural stuff to then end with mental health problems. Still, I'm really curious about Sophie's fate most of all. Sandman still has her jewel so she probably still can't fall in love. Which is weird because she's clearly being set up with Will near the end.
@@allentayoto7387 My guess is the creator either forgot or didn't know how to properly set it off, so she let it ambiguous. (Or maybe needed an excuse to make an aromantic character?)
1:16:20 The hammer of the gun is what hits the pin, which is responsible for igniting the gunpowder. If the hammer broke, the gun wouldn't have fired at all.
Would've made more sense if the barrel got busted. Maybe dented? That way the expulsion of the bullet has nowhere to go, and the gun just sorta...boom.
Excellent video for imo, while definitely the weakest entry puzzle-wise, the most complex and interesting game to talk about in the Strange Men series. It feels like a game that doesn’t wrap up all its loose ends, but in a way that encourages you to read into it further. I can respect that a lot. But… Man, rewatching the scene between Ed and Rob is just all sorts of painful. I REALLY want to shout out Ed’s VA here because even despite their poor mic quality, they were just absolutely perfect at conveying his character. The stutter doesn’t feel too exaggerated or stereotypical, he speaks softly, but has atypical pauses or rushes through thoughts that some people with autism exhibit, and when he’s getting agitated by Rob and when he repeats “STOP IT!” it’s extremely accurate to how people sound during a panic attack. I see a LOT of myself in Ed, though thankfully having lead a better life than his, and seeing a genuinely kind and good-hearted man like him have his mental and physical health torn to shreds by an abusive father, a well meaning but ignorant brother, and the uncaring, even bigoted, nature of the shelter… It makes Ed one of THE most memorable and tragic characters of the entire series, up there with David for me. Even as I forgot the general story beats after finishing the game, Ed always stuck with me.
I 100% agree, you could even argue that Ed could easily have been the main character in this scenario. Though I don't 100% see myself in him. I can tell that Ed is autistic, (whether people can tell this was implied or not). And from my experience's with autistic people (including myself) it was well shown in the writing and speech pattern of Ed's character that he is somewhere on the autism spectrum. He isn't as bad off as someone else I know. But he isn't as well off as I am. (You probably wouldn't even know I'm autistic if I didn't tell you). Most autistic people are far more intelligent then they seem. And Ed shows this in knowing that he did something wrong and wanting to do what's right about it. To protect his brother and make him and his family happy. But his brother, who is also to stubborn and caring to let his brother go and do the right thing starts freaking out and treating Ed like his father treated him. Revealing Ed's hate for 'bad words' is one of the biggest signs of this and how his own brother Robert set him off near the end of the story. (It's pretty obvious that Robert is the true villain of this story). And for poor Ed, believing that he just killed his own brother as well, is sent on a downward panic spiral. And in his already mentally weak state fueled by the fact that autistic people can be easily manipulated and tricked by others. It's no wonder that Ed turns to the only thing that he believes that would make him happy The psychotic teachings of a murderous cultist who tries to project and deflect as to why he does what he does.
Bad End 3 is the most upsetting one to me, since the first half would've gone into its own good end. Everyone was ok, no one is hurt and Ed is willing to leave with Keith, as you said, Ed would've been given a proper chance in life at that point. The only reason everything went to shit is because of Robert, who was very much the worst person this entire game. Good End is great, even with Robert being dealt with, but... it also doesnt feel like a good ending either. People are still hurt, Will still witnessed some horrid shit and Ed basically nearly gets killed, possibly in a worse state than he was before mentally, where it'll become harder for him to be dealt with. Also, some of the stuff of the 2nd Good Ending you get for going through it a 2nd time is... well, it makes the good ending worse. Especially with Pop. Quite a neat series overall, but man, the good ending is kinda... weak in places that dont entirely involve Will only whereas a Bad Ending *would've* done good for everyone, had it not been for a single character that ultimately acted like the true antagonist of the entire game...
fully agree, imo this game honestly might be my least favourite of the 4, and there's so little that makes sense when it comes to random changes per ending.
Ben is how I got into the Strange Men anthology, and I love it. I also love how David is somehow tied into all (discluding the first, cuz like, that’s literally all about him) of the games.
Yeah, the only complaint I possibly have is what Sophie's fate will be. Afaik, between the two characters who have ties to the supernatural, David no longer experiences any supernatural, but Sophie still has her ties. We saw in Boogie Man that the Sandman won't hesitate to save Sophie or punish people who are rude to her, like what Sandman did to Keith. To add, Sandman still has Sophie's love jewel. So... what happens to her moving forward? She revealed in Boogie man that she doesn't do "fall in love" anymore, like she lost the ability to do so. Yet, it seems as if she was being set up with Will. She cared enough to go back to save him and there's even that little bit between them at the end. Like, seriously, what will happen to her?
@@allentayoto7387I think the supernatural in David's case are all caused by his internal turmoils, which the "tenant" resonated with. Now that he's no longer dealing with internal conflict and he gets Shirley back (and closure with his mother, albeit bittersweet) he no longer has to deal with the supernatural.
I know it’s easy to turn on Rob in this game, especially in the bad end where he threatens Will and forces him to keep quiet. But I think the point of their stories is that BOTH Ed and Rob are mentally ill. It’s more obvious with Ed, because he’s slow, has an audible stutter and he’s still got an almost childish perspective of the world. He’s the “squeaky wheel”, the one that stands out, while Rob’s illness is more subtle and only truly comes out when he’s put under extreme duress. Rob only managed to stop being homeless and have a family because he was capable of hiding his issues, but they were always there. The minute he’s triggered by anything, he can’t hide it any longer and becomes violent and irrational. I like the ending where they BOTH get to live, because they will finally get the help that they truly need.
Yeah, I definitely feel like Pop isn't so much a proper father figure as he is a young teen boy's idea of a father figure. And where do most kids get their ideas from? The media they watch! Like think about it, how many dads in kids' media that a kid would consider to be "cool" were actually all that responsible? And at the end of the day any responsible advice Pop could ever make would be whatever Will would consider responsible, which is something he's got very twisted through most of the game.
I most vividly remember the first and third games (Keith, my beloved). But GOD did this video drag up so many visceral feelings. Uri had me screaming, crying, throwing up about Ed so many times, not helped by the fact that I took a long break before getting the good ending. Robert echoing Will's "cornered rat" speech legit had me staring at the screen for several minutes in my old playthrough. I HATED him as a person, but as a character he's one of the Wolf/RPGMaker horror antagonists that stuck with me. That ending really sells the parallels between Will and both brothers. Also Pop is the bane of all existence, but especially mine, even putting aside my disdain for wAcKy talking animal sidekicks. In the other good ending where they reveal Robert DID kill him (his one justified crime don't @ me) I can only feel slightly bad, and for Will.
I got stuck in snow watching stray cats sit around my car while I waited to get unstuck. Listening to this video in that situation was a one of a kind experience. So uh...thanks!
In Bad End 2, I can only think the reason for Old Billy and the gang were there but not Pop was that, Pop was Will's last friend to help him integrate back into society but because he doesn't have any hands anymore the only thing Will can do is stay lost in his own little world with his "Old Friends" *Forever be a child in his world of Imagination*
I find it very interesting that sophie has many chances to be killed in this chapter. Pairing it with the implied possible relationship she might develop with Will (as it can be seen in the good ending) I think this is a way of telling us that the Sandman might have lost his crush on her and possibly given her the "love gem" back (if we go by what was theorized by Ben Again in his video about "the Boogeyman")
Me: Oh! That little moment with Pop in the good ending was actually rather sweet, and pretty nice of him. Him: And this moment cemented my hatred for this rat. Me: Oh...
This story was okay, but I feel like there are so many gaps left open in the end. Who wrote the "demon child" letter? Where did the second Pop come from? Why did Sandman not protect Sophie? Why does Rob kill one child but not the other? Okay, to be fair, I have a Pop theory. My theory is that Will sucks at recognizing Pop. First off, he says that Pop is his best friend and he says that he stopped seeing things when he got Pop. He frames this as if it happened quite a while ago, considering he also managed to get a reputation of "that kid with a rat". Just so you guys know, rats don't usually get much older than 2 years old. By the end of that timespan, they often start developing visible tumors. I think a really ancient rat can maybe make it all the way to four, but that rat ain't scurrying at Pop's speed anymore. So I think that Will's Mom has actually been replacing the Pops for a while by now, and Will hasn't noticed that his pet rat was actually at least 2-3 different rats, tagteamed in whenever one died. Keith learned this when he called Will's Mom and David and used her method to get Will a new rat.
yeah the "Demon child" letter they just dropped who wrote it and about who? was it Davids Mum when she got sick and mean? I think I remember in the first game she was horrible to david because of her sickness and it would make sense to channel that to the child that made your husband leave you ALSO why exactly the whole point of "if I kill once I'll never stop" like huh? I know he's a broken kid but come on he's 14? What the hell. They even played it up in the first bad ending
In the second good end we learn that David wrote the demon child letter but it was adressed to his dad. It was a reference from a show they whatched that said "you were a demon child but you made a blessed child and migh be forgiven now" or somehing. He gave it with the card as a little puzzle to tell his father that for Will's sake he forgave him. The rat thing I have no idea, but I think Will was just deluding himself, either that or based on how David also sees ghosts it was Pop's ghost. No idea on the Sandman. My theory is that Robert let Will live because Ed connected with him. Ed wasn't happy with the other murders but he only had an actual reaction with Will and Robert didn't want to freak out his brother even more.
The biggest plot hole for me within the whole Strange Man Anthology is Sophie's future. The Sandman had been shown to be willing to interfere with the real world for Sophie's sake. Such as the time he save her from the dogs and he prevented Ketih from falling asleep as punishment for teasing Sophie. To add, he still has Sophie's Love Jewel... so what happens to Sophie then? It's clear she's being set up with Will considering the bit at the end of The Hanged Man. But without her jewel, she cannot exactly fall in love anymore as revealed by her in The Boogie Man. It's a pretty big plot hole IMO and it doesn't help that it was never addressed even in the 100 facts.
@@allentayoto7387Uri confirmed there's nothing romantic between Sophie and Will. It was stated she will get the jewel back at some point in the future, that's not a plot hole... That's not even what plot hole means
1:25:45 Holy, I half expected Ed to be the guy that had the revolver like under his coat, but nope. Just the horrible brother of Ed. Who then also mercilessly shoots Sophie. Jesus christ.
YOOOO LET’S GO! I _LOVE_ the Strange Men series, and particularly how this one deals with trauma and a reluctance to let go of comfort things in order to face reality. Will was so cute and I always love how Uri places characters from their other games into the new ones!
Havent watched the video yet but I just know that pop is a metaphor for harmful thoughts/things that you can’t let go of. Might be wrong but that rat convincing the kid David will be mad enough he has to run away is a red flag.
I think my personal favourite is still the very first game, The Crooked Man. Although all are wonderful, The Crooked Man's story resonates deeply with me personally. In fact, your video about it came out when I was quite literally in David's shoes - my grandmother was hospitalized because of progressing cancer, I was failing academically and a long time partner had just broken up with me. David's feelings of hopelessness and depression resonated with me deeply, and still do a year later. And the message of trudging through the pain and hard times is definitely something I need to be reminded of every now and then.
I think this game is my favourite of the anthology. The story felt a lot more coherent than Boogie man, and I like that this story was fully grounded in reality. There's very slight paranormal elements, but in the end most of the fear is in Will's mind, and the villain gets to be a compelling character in their own right.
IMO the four games shows the idea of "growing up" rather perfectly. It started with actual supernatural stuff in TCM and TSM but ends with mental disorders in TBM and THM. When we were a kid, we used to think a lot of stuff that happened around us are supernatural. But as we grew older, we start to understand things, and we realize that the scary things are all inside our heads. And the things our minds create can be scarier than the supernatural (Boogie man). Yet, we still believe that the supernatural exists out there, whether good (Sandman) or bad (Crooked man).
It's kinda cool that the series started with the supernatural stuff during The Crooked Man and The Sandman, but then it slowly deviated from that and we entered the mental disorder category. All the "supernatural" stuff that happened during Boogie Man and The H***ged man can be summed up as just Keith's and Will's mental state manifesting in some way. It reminds me of what it's like to grow up. You look at the world and thinks there's a lot of supernatural things going on. But as you grew older, you understand more, and start to realize the scary things are inside your head, not necessarily out there. Yet, you still feel like that maybe the supernatural is out there, both scary (crooked man) and good (Sandman). In a way it's like the whole anthology grew up. Regardless, I still have some questions regarding Sophie's fate since she's the one most involved with the supernatural and well, she still doesn't seem to have her Jewel back despite obvious signs that she and Will are being set up together.
SPOILERS I do like that the Bad Ends show that Ed, while a killer and someone who snapped, was just someone at the end of their rope and felt cornered and almost alone. His father, then Rob, then Will and Keith. He wanted happiness and was in the midst of a misguided attempt to obtain it. He needed help and guidance to move away from the world he descended into. Meanwhile Robert was cognizant of all his actions in the other two Bad Ends. He was broken in the past by the same man who broke Ed but climbed up on his own. Yet, despite it all, deep down he was nothing but an angry man just like his father. More than ready to descend into malicious, evil means to get his way for what he considers 'good.' He was not misguided, he was simply selfish. Cruel and selfish.
Aw, I thought you would at least mention the small difference in the good ending. It's not a big change but I feel it changes the impact on how Will moves on from Pop, and how much he's grown from his experience. Still, great review! I love this series so much, and it's been a treat to watch all your videos.
I find it weird that going after Sophie results in 2 bad endings. Will was in the wrong for dismissing Sophie. Sure, if he had intended to keep her out of harms way, I understand; but in this situation he was just having a tantrum. He was mad that Sophie was scared of the rat and thought that Sophie thought he was weird for having a rat for a friend. This kinda gives the player the message that if someone doesn't like something you like, you should push them away.
TBH... I'm still curious about what Sophie's future have in store... The bad endings are actually less confusing the true ending. Because the fact that she got in danger and even died in one of the bad endings, proves that the Sandman no longer interferes with her life. But the True ending continuity doesn't reveal anything. Chances are, Sandman would still go out of his way to save her and punish people who are rude to her like he did in TBM. Plus, he still has Sophie's love jewel so she'd just like never fall in love anymore? Maybe he had given the jewel back to Sophie, but who knows? The 100 facts from Uri didn't make any mentions of Sophie's ties to Sandman.
@@allentayoto7387 It could just be that it happened to fast for Sandman to do anything. In the Boogie man, the dogs were able to get close to Sophie before Sandman saved her.
@@genericname2747 I guess that makes sense, but I still can't stop thinking about what's in store for Sophie's future with all the stuff in her story. Especially that love jewel thing. I wonder if Sandman would give it back to her one day.
I won't lie, while the story itself is solid I feel like the link between the decision points and their actual effects on the story are...thematically shaky? Like, given the strong themes of personal agency, isolation and the harmful effects of taking responsibility for things that aren't your fault, going after Sophie to apologise really should have been what lead into a good ending. And I won't lie, I have absolutely no idea how whether you go for the gun or not is supposed to have any bearing on the story's core ideas or Will's arc. Not dealbreakers, and they mostly work mechanically in terms of getting people where they need to be, but it's still strange to me.
I do want to say this because I'll probably forget to say this at a later date; You are genuinely one of my favorite UA-camrs as of now. All of your videos are fantastic, treat the source material with such dignity, and are just a treat. Thank you for putting your stuff out there.
Something i noticed about the whole anthology is how with each game it gets less supernatural in the first game the protagonist deals with ghosts he even has his friend who confirms yup there indeed where ghosts i saw them too but don't listen to them then the second game fairies that about describes the supernatural in it but the third game while the boogyman is based on a supernatural entity that Sophie met what happens in the game us mostly just a madman's actions combined with some hallucinations from Keith the most supernatural thing in it the sandman intervention to save sophie though it could be argued that the boogyman might be somewhat manifesting through the madman still doesn't change that nothing supernatural directly interacted with Keith and here on the last game almost nothing supernatural happens it mostly just trauma misunderstandings and mental disorders the hanged man is the manifestation of will's fears no ghost is haunting him no madman is chasing him while claiming to be the hanged man he just happens to stumble into the middle of the mental disorders of another man that just so happens to involve hanging someone making it more of a personal problem rather a supernatural being like the others were or seemed like so the series was certainly getting less supernatural as it went on not that that is particularly bad just something i wanted to note Ps for ben:if you read this i hope you try the deep sleep trilogy before don't escape 4 they are relatively short and if you don't try them you might miss quite a few references when playing de4 since they are lore heavt games and tie up well with each other
woah almost two hours! I'm so glad you continued this series on the games. Probably like most people your video on the crooked man is how I found you, and I can honestly say I was hooked ever since (well ever since I kept watching it over and over). I don't normally just subscribe to people, and I absolutely do not regret subscribing. You make top tier stuff, have a wonderful sense of humor, and you're one of the few channels I will drop everything I'm doing to watch. anyways rant aside, thanks for making this series, this video, and just doing what you do. I look forward to whatever is set for the future.
At the end of bad end 3, in the train you can see the old man from Mermaid Swamp, another game from the same developer...probably returning home and will be very surprise with what happened to those kids he left in his house ...
The third bad ending my word that really is psychological torture for Robert to do that to a 14 year old in his eyes to protect his brother when really it’s his on justice is terrifying. The look on will face at the end really makes the effect Robert had on him hit home. This is definitely my favourite game from the series thank you for covering them all thanks to that I could experience them and I really enjoyed it the stories the meanings behind them really hit home. Keith is definitely my favourite in the whole series he can be scary and rude at points but can be caring when necessary. And I will always appreciate the art in this series it’s so godamn good. Thank you for covering the strange man anthology these last 9 months. I will definitely try them myself
Glad you finished the series! Watching this I was fully convinced Old Ben and Pop were figments of Will's imagination. As for the scene at the end of the game where Pop gives hints and not flat out telling him is so Will actually thinks it through instead of dismissing it out of fear.
I'm extremely late but you missed several extremely important details in this video. First: The doll puzzle where you have to cut their stomachs. The reason why you're only able to open the door with Sophie after your little ritual is hidden in the words of the little girl that made the drawing. She thinks that after all the adults aka the villagers are "dead" there will be no one to controll her, so she can go anywhere. This is similar to the other puzzles farther in where you have to appease the delusions of the other patients to be able to move forward.The reason only Sophie is able to open the door is that she is a girl just like the other patient. The Second Point: Arguably one of the most important scenes in the game was completely misinterpreted. The reason Pop doesn't outright tell Will what to do is that Will has been living his life that way so far, only listening to and doing what Pop says. He craves the comfort of not having to think about his actions and fearing making mistakes, but that's no way to live. Pop also knows this and wants Will to gain his independence, to stop relying on him for all his life. To be a real person. This is why he drops hints and doesn't outright tell him, he wants to still help but can't make decisions for him anymore. It was also a very bad choice to not even look up the Good Ending 2 on youtube at the very least. If you're making a video essay on a video game i understand not wanting to replay it all, but not even looking up the extra scenes and dismissing them as not worth it, and then not even mentioning them in your video is coming off as lazy? Careless? Dismissive? I usually like your coverage of games, but it really does feel like (esp after the mermaid swamp video too) that you primarily go off of your own experiences when covering games. There isn't anything wrong with this of course, but we're all human and miss important details or don't understand the reasoning behind certain decisions. I feel like if you want to improve in your video making, you *really* need to make more research and hear other peoples opinions, if only to gain more insight into the creators mind. Also for gods sake, see everything there is to see when making a video essay about any game. Edit: Fixed some awkard phrasing
Found this channel recently because of the Hotel Dusk vid, fucking loved that game as a kid and then immediately subbed to both this channel and the longolay one, theyre both dope
Hearing you praise the artstyle makes me really want a video of you covering Fear and Hunger. It has my personal favorite art and world building in an RPG maker game
I'm only 36:25 into the video, my prediction is that Will is schizophrenic and this is a game with it's horror rooted into the real dread of loneliness paired with mental illness that just so happens to take place in the same universe where a girl saved the world by making a supernatural being that looks like Peppino Spaghetti take a nap.
I just watched the previous 3 videos last night. And when I went into the playlist it said 1 video was hidden. I figured this was the Hanged Man video I would have thought it'd have come out months ago alongside the other games, so I figured it was delisted due to youtube taking issue with the content or the name of the game. Glad to see that's not the case.
oh HELL yes, i watched all these a while back and binged them (out of order). Time to set aside a few hours again, Thanks for the hours of good content!!
Gods I hope everyone gets to interact with real supernatural stuff whenever the next installment comes around. I want Keith to eat his words a bit too lollo
I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS SO LONG I LOVE THE STORY AND THE CONNECTION BETWEEN EACH GAME AND CHARACTERS AND THE HANGED MAN IS ONE OF MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITES
A lot of the story in these games revolve around David to some extent, so I have to wonder what happens after the other endings of the crooked man. Also, thanks so much for covering these games Ben, it’s been fun. Looking forward to whatever you decide to do in the future
Hey here another like and comment for your algorithm thank you ben, these videos about games made with rpg maker bring me so many memories thank you from the bottom of my heart
I'm glad Ben enjoyed the final game of the quadtrilogy. All the games are masterpieces in their own right. Not enough creators cover RPG horror games, I would love to see Ben consider expanding into other RPG horror games like Cat in the Box, Corpse Party, Angels of Death, Mad Father/Misao, Ann. Theres so many gems this genre has to offer. I'll be looking forward to his future content.
Another Ben another Upload, Again! Happy 2024 Ben (I can hear abit of subtle irritation and annoyance in some scenes, so therefore, I am proud of you for completing the painful series)
Thank you so much for covering the strange men anthology! The Crooked Man was one of the first RPG horror games I watched as a preteen, and until your videos, I had no idea that Uri had made a fourth game! Your videos are so thorough and a huge treat to watch. I can't wait to see what you put out next!
I think the reason Pop seems like an irresponsible friend more than a father is because he isn’t one. Pop’s dialogue is a figment of Will’s imagination. Will never had an actual dad so he doesn’t understand how a father should act. All he knows is they’re supposed to be guiding and loving so Pop loves him and guides him by telling him what to do. The ambiguity of Pop’s final talk was Will coming to terms with having to be independent and not rely on others to tell him what to do. That’s why he only gave him a hint, because Will himself had to make the decision himself. At least that was my takeaway.
I have been binging all your videos so you can't imagine how happy I was to see that you had just uploaded a new video! I'd love to hear your thoughts on the Zero Escape series, they are my favorite and you have become one of my favorites
Wait, if the gun blows up in Bad ending 2 due to the hammer breaking, bad ending 1 wouldn’t make sense as Will’s hands would’ve blown off before shooting Ed.
Damn the kid playing Will is going really hard, he's got so much energy in his performance even if his mic or set-up is clearly not great. Ed is really good too.
Wow, what a conclusion to this amazing series. Before this, I was only really exposed to the same sort of RPGMaker horror which followed the formula of: Protagonist arrives at a scary (or very obviously not innocuous) place, antagonist chases them around (with cheap jumpscares), game ends. It’s nice to see a RPGMaker horror series with such an interconnected story! Brilliant video!
amazing video as always, Ben. I gotta say, I loved the story and the characters, but my favorite has to be Ed 100%. Uri knows how to make a good fucking troubled and complicated character.
I'll be honest, and perhaps it is just because some things have been lost in transition, but these feels like a rather weak entry. Will's two main problems don't feel like they ever properly connect in the story, and the fact that going after Sophie only ever leads to bad ends feels so baffling considering it seems like something that only feeds into Will's behavior. The backdrop also feels way to heavy for Will's ultimately adolescent problems, as callous as that might sound. With Keith the sidelining made sense because of his character, but I feel like Will's story would have been better with more supernatural elements in the story like the first two entries. It's made worse by the contrast of Ed, who would have worked better as the main protagonist of a strange man entry, in my opinion.
i really. REALLY enjoyed these videos, the games have unique themes and complex characters that you don't have to dig too deeply to find. which as a at least medicre writer is pretty difficult to do
the strange men is just...great. There isn't any more to say, cause you've said it pretty much already. Aside from that..I'm replaying/streaming Hotel Dusk because of your use of the music and it made me want to go back to it. 🎵
I find it so fucking funny that kenny hated that guy so much even his ghost doesn't want to shake his hand
I HOWLED. It's like instead of having a cross to ward of a demon, it's just "Oh it's f*king TED, I HATE that guy. I ain't shaking his hand"
@@chiangedison8080 Yup... XD
the jumpscare is so funny but the way to avoid it is funnier lmao
You missed a heartbreaking detail by not covering the variant of the good ending you get by beating the game a second time, there's an extra scene that shows that the mouse Rob killed was actually Pop, and every time Keith talks about Pop from that point on he's lying to Will to spare his feelings
All I can think of right now is hissing and spraying you with a metaphorical squirt bottle. THANKS FOR THE REMINDER.
Oh what the fuck.
Oh no.
wait so would that mean that Will was willfully(heh) in denial about the new Pop he got at the end... or did Keith fuck up some poor rat 'd leg and fur just to make it look more convincing?
Doesn't Pop also speak on the train and tell Will he doesn't need him anymore in that extended end?
Well I guess the good news is in the ending where Sophie died, the Sandman is gonna make her killers' lives a living hell.
Not only insomnia, but also nightmares
@@crystallation4249endless nightmares
what's odd is that the sandman put the rabid dogs to sleep in boogieman so they wouldn't kill her, yet he was unable or unwilling to knock out the two men who were going to hurt her? that part never made sense to me. sure, we can think he'd make these two men's lives a living hell, but if he could intervene to save her life once, he should have been able to do it again.
@@Moon-Vixenmy best two guesses are that for one, it took time to put the dogs to sleep, so Robert shooting her would have been a little fast for a reaction, and the second thing is that he can't exactly be there all the time, since he still has a job to do.
@@Moon-Vixen you're only allowed one deus ex machina per game
Pop's peptalk to Will before the chase sequence was the longest Michael Jackson reference I've ever heard lol
When he started singing "Beat it" I freaking lost it.
@@RushWheeler Oh wait he sang it?? I had the volume at 0 cuz I didn't wanna listen to the voice acting LOL
@@reptiliannoizezz.413 he didn't sing it, he just started saying the lyrics to "Beat it" in almost exactly the same style of speech that MJ used.
I’ve said this in The Sandman review, but Uri LOVES her western music references fr.
First, basing her first entry in the series off of an English children’s poem/song, then in Sandman she bases the sequence of events in the slumbering real world off of lyrics from Metallica, THEN the Boogie Man just straight up starts saying the lyrics to “Blame it on the Boogie” during the climax of his game.
If I had a nickel for every time a character in an Uri game referenced Michael Jackson…
I think you missed a scene at the end, it shows a shot of Keith over the dead rat, showing that it was really Pop who has died because of his leg, and there's a final shot when Will is at the train looking at the window, it shows Pop (probrably his spirit) with a bag over his showder, as if he was packing his stuff to leave
Isn't that from the extra scenes you get from doing the good ending a second time? Ben didn't do any of that and said he wouldn't cover it
@@LovingBallOfApricots must be It then
Does that mean keith broke a rats leg just so it can be what pops look like? Jesus
@@Jrsonicyt-is-weird Or he just found another messed up rat, or Will didn't noticed
@@Jrsonicyt-is-weirdI think he just didn’t notice
Pop trapped on top of a shelf? Immersion broken. Rats WILL jump down onto your head
Source? My first rat, Splinter, did that ALL the time. Had to move his cage from where it initially was just in case he missed.
there’s an interesting emphasis on death like looking at the picture four times - four is often seen as a mark of death in many asian countries
The number four is a homophone for the word for death in at least one language. 四 and 死 sound very similar in Chinese.
@@ElrichWangjongleit’s the same in Japanese! The number four and the word for death can be said as “shi”
And this is the fourth game
17:59 So it’s fairly easy to miss and not really *that* important. Once you cut all the doll’s stomachs, if you go back to the Nursery and look at the drawings again, there’s an additional page. The boy is surrounded by corpses and cries once he realizes that he’s all alone now. Which is a bit foreshadowing for Ed’s character
I love the moment when the voice actor for will wakes up in the good ending and completely changes the performance for will there's so much more of a sense of confidence and self actualization in his voice. He's going to come out stronger
I like the parallel of David and Will seeing things that aren’t ‘there’, and how both their stories have to do with hanged men. Interesting to not but I don’t see anyone from the sandman here, unless I’m missing something? Interesting choice either way.
Edit: I forgot who Sophie was ignore the second half of this comment I’m so stupid aaaaaa
Sophie is, but everyone else only existed in the fairy world
she’s the only character that’s really from the sandman
Yeah, I enjoyed how it came full circle like that. It's extra fitting that they're family.
Sophie and Regan are here
Well, the things that happened to Sophie during the bad ending is kinda off IMO. I mean, sandman saved her from the dogs in Boogie man but here Sandman didn't do anything to save her. So, if we consider continuity, her getting in danger should also be unlikely. Regardless, I guess we can just say "Welp, she needs to be in danger for the band ending to happen".
@@allentayoto7387 tbf she can also die in the Boogie Man’s bad ends
1:43:44
Will: Shaking and freaking out
Keith: That was pretty cool!
Wow Keith...you're very helpful...
he's going through the most traumatic coming of age story ive ever seen have some tact man
And that's followed up immediately by "he's not a child anymore..."
He’s just trying to be hip with the children he can’t help it. Chronic dad syndrome
Insert gamer supps joke here
"Hes not a bad guy, But not a good guy either"
Props to Will's VA, they knocked it out of the park with this performance!
Unfortunate that the mic couldn't handle it, they went hard on those screams
The writing kinda sucks tho, ngl
@@dexterity494 I chalk it up to awkward translations
Eh the VAs are all around pretty bad to mid in these games
@@Sofi5252art Well, they're all amateurs, you can't really have the same expectations from a bunch of fans voicing an indie game that you have from professional voice actors working with a voice director, a professional studio and a budget
What I like about the game series is that the good ends are canon. A lot of times in horror things tend to end badly (especially in movies) but it's rather nice that there's a light in the end of the tunnel for these characters, helping them move on and maybe teaching the players about moving on as well. Horror doesn't always need to have downer endings to be scary.
Also I might have missed it but what about the origin of the note that said demon child? Was it David's mom who wrote that?
On the wiki it says that David did indeed write it, but it was meant for their father!
The origin of the note is explained in good end 2
@@dlcdolce Ah. Okay, thanks for letting me know. Though it's odd that he'd call his dad a 'child'.
@@KirbyIsCute He may be saying he's childish by calling him a child.
@@KirbyIsCuteiirc in good ending 2 david explains the line as a quote from the detective show (from the beginning of the game)
Rob was a loyal brother, but I think because of the bad situation his past trauma made him spiral. He and Ed have issues with anger due to trauma. I don’t forgive some of his actions ofc, but I can understand a desperation to hold onto the few people you care for. Honestly I’m surprised a guy like him didn’t think to just call their dad’s death self defense. Maybe he’s used to everything being hard or lonely so he subconsciously went the hard way 🤔
Both happy and sad to see an end for all these strange men
same man
It's cool that the story started with actual supernatural stuff to then end with mental health problems. Still, I'm really curious about Sophie's fate most of all. Sandman still has her jewel so she probably still can't fall in love. Which is weird because she's clearly being set up with Will near the end.
@@allentayoto7387 or they can just have a platonic relationship
@@allentayoto7387 My guess is the creator either forgot or didn't know how to properly set it off, so she let it ambiguous. (Or maybe needed an excuse to make an aromantic character?)
1:16:20
The hammer of the gun is what hits the pin, which is responsible for igniting the gunpowder. If the hammer broke, the gun wouldn't have fired at all.
Would've made more sense if the barrel got busted. Maybe dented? That way the expulsion of the bullet has nowhere to go, and the gun just sorta...boom.
Excellent video for imo, while definitely the weakest entry puzzle-wise, the most complex and interesting game to talk about in the Strange Men series. It feels like a game that doesn’t wrap up all its loose ends, but in a way that encourages you to read into it further. I can respect that a lot.
But… Man, rewatching the scene between Ed and Rob is just all sorts of painful. I REALLY want to shout out Ed’s VA here because even despite their poor mic quality, they were just absolutely perfect at conveying his character. The stutter doesn’t feel too exaggerated or stereotypical, he speaks softly, but has atypical pauses or rushes through thoughts that some people with autism exhibit, and when he’s getting agitated by Rob and when he repeats “STOP IT!” it’s extremely accurate to how people sound during a panic attack. I see a LOT of myself in Ed, though thankfully having lead a better life than his, and seeing a genuinely kind and good-hearted man like him have his mental and physical health torn to shreds by an abusive father, a well meaning but ignorant brother, and the uncaring, even bigoted, nature of the shelter… It makes Ed one of THE most memorable and tragic characters of the entire series, up there with David for me. Even as I forgot the general story beats after finishing the game, Ed always stuck with me.
I 100% agree, you could even argue that Ed could easily have been the main character in this scenario. Though I don't 100% see myself in him. I can tell that Ed is autistic, (whether people can tell this was implied or not). And from my experience's with autistic people (including myself) it was well shown in the writing and speech pattern of Ed's character that he is somewhere on the autism spectrum. He isn't as bad off as someone else I know. But he isn't as well off as I am. (You probably wouldn't even know I'm autistic if I didn't tell you).
Most autistic people are far more intelligent then they seem. And Ed shows this in knowing that he did something wrong and wanting to do what's right about it. To protect his brother and make him and his family happy. But his brother, who is also to stubborn and caring to let his brother go and do the right thing starts freaking out and treating Ed like his father treated him.
Revealing Ed's hate for 'bad words' is one of the biggest signs of this and how his own brother Robert set him off near the end of the story. (It's pretty obvious that Robert is the true villain of this story). And for poor Ed, believing that he just killed his own brother as well, is sent on a downward panic spiral. And in his already mentally weak state fueled by the fact that autistic people can be easily manipulated and tricked by others. It's no wonder that Ed turns to the only thing that he believes that would make him happy
The psychotic teachings of a murderous cultist who tries to project and deflect as to why he does what he does.
Bad End 3 is the most upsetting one to me, since the first half would've gone into its own good end. Everyone was ok, no one is hurt and Ed is willing to leave with Keith, as you said, Ed would've been given a proper chance in life at that point. The only reason everything went to shit is because of Robert, who was very much the worst person this entire game. Good End is great, even with Robert being dealt with, but... it also doesnt feel like a good ending either. People are still hurt, Will still witnessed some horrid shit and Ed basically nearly gets killed, possibly in a worse state than he was before mentally, where it'll become harder for him to be dealt with. Also, some of the stuff of the 2nd Good Ending you get for going through it a 2nd time is... well, it makes the good ending worse. Especially with Pop.
Quite a neat series overall, but man, the good ending is kinda... weak in places that dont entirely involve Will only whereas a Bad Ending *would've* done good for everyone, had it not been for a single character that ultimately acted like the true antagonist of the entire game...
fully agree, imo this game honestly might be my least favourite of the 4, and there's so little that makes sense when it comes to random changes per ending.
i just like how all the censorship creates an even darker picture
"I will never be a hanged man" line in good ending 1 goes unbelievably hard.
Also what happened with the hanged man entity?
Bro was caught by David and got hunged a Second time
@@microcelltechnicalassistence Hanged Man 2: Electric Boogie-loo
An ending where Sophie doesn't make it??? I can't believe it!
this made me laugh, poor Sophie
like was her creepy fairy stalker taking a nap or something
@@eldritchcupcakes3195I mean, she dies in every other bad ending to The Boogieman so it makes sense for the Sandman to not be doing anything
Sophie's trying to become the next Kenny
@@eldritchcupcakes3195 RIGHT???? Sandman where u at???
i just wanted to comment to say that ed's voice actor really knocked it out of the park, his performance here is excellent
yeaaaaaaaaaah he's so good
Reminds me of Wally Darling from Welcome Home. Just a little bit, though.
It kinda sounds like Cry and I was just cringing the whole time
@@Rowenmuff1n he didn't sound like cry to me at all. i used to watch his videos a lot as a kid so unfortunately i have him voice engrained in my mind
@@Pandachu123 i thought the same! i really like wally's voice too :)
Ben is how I got into the Strange Men anthology, and I love it. I also love how David is somehow tied into all (discluding the first, cuz like, that’s literally all about him) of the games.
Yeah, the only complaint I possibly have is what Sophie's fate will be. Afaik, between the two characters who have ties to the supernatural, David no longer experiences any supernatural, but Sophie still has her ties. We saw in Boogie Man that the Sandman won't hesitate to save Sophie or punish people who are rude to her, like what Sandman did to Keith. To add, Sandman still has Sophie's love jewel. So... what happens to her moving forward? She revealed in Boogie man that she doesn't do "fall in love" anymore, like she lost the ability to do so. Yet, it seems as if she was being set up with Will. She cared enough to go back to save him and there's even that little bit between them at the end. Like, seriously, what will happen to her?
@@allentayoto7387I think the supernatural in David's case are all caused by his internal turmoils, which the "tenant" resonated with. Now that he's no longer dealing with internal conflict and he gets Shirley back (and closure with his mother, albeit bittersweet) he no longer has to deal with the supernatural.
I know it’s easy to turn on Rob in this game, especially in the bad end where he threatens Will and forces him to keep quiet. But I think the point of their stories is that BOTH Ed and Rob are mentally ill. It’s more obvious with Ed, because he’s slow, has an audible stutter and he’s still got an almost childish perspective of the world. He’s the “squeaky wheel”, the one that stands out, while Rob’s illness is more subtle and only truly comes out when he’s put under extreme duress. Rob only managed to stop being homeless and have a family because he was capable of hiding his issues, but they were always there. The minute he’s triggered by anything, he can’t hide it any longer and becomes violent and irrational.
I like the ending where they BOTH get to live, because they will finally get the help that they truly need.
The voice acting reminds me of the Silent Hill series. Sometimes awkward, but it just fits.
WAKE UP NEW BEN AGAIN DROPPED‼
I have an alarm don’t worry
BEN?????? *AGAIN?!?!?!?!*
I'm up! I'm up!
HELLLL YEEEEEAAAAAH
Wake up again, ben dropped anew (lol)
Yeah, I definitely feel like Pop isn't so much a proper father figure as he is a young teen boy's idea of a father figure. And where do most kids get their ideas from? The media they watch!
Like think about it, how many dads in kids' media that a kid would consider to be "cool" were actually all that responsible?
And at the end of the day any responsible advice Pop could ever make would be whatever Will would consider responsible, which is something he's got very twisted through most of the game.
Makes sense.
I most vividly remember the first and third games (Keith, my beloved). But GOD did this video drag up so many visceral feelings. Uri had me screaming, crying, throwing up about Ed so many times, not helped by the fact that I took a long break before getting the good ending. Robert echoing Will's "cornered rat" speech legit had me staring at the screen for several minutes in my old playthrough. I HATED him as a person, but as a character he's one of the Wolf/RPGMaker horror antagonists that stuck with me. That ending really sells the parallels between Will and both brothers.
Also Pop is the bane of all existence, but especially mine, even putting aside my disdain for wAcKy talking animal sidekicks. In the other good ending where they reveal Robert DID kill him (his one justified crime don't @ me) I can only feel slightly bad, and for Will.
I got stuck in snow watching stray cats sit around my car while I waited to get unstuck. Listening to this video in that situation was a one of a kind experience.
So uh...thanks!
In Bad End 2, I can only think the reason for Old Billy and the gang were there but not Pop was that, Pop was Will's last friend to help him integrate back into society but because he doesn't have any hands anymore the only thing Will can do is stay lost in his own little world with his "Old Friends"
*Forever be a child in his world of Imagination*
The Tarot card in question represents metamorphosis through letting go of things.
I find it very interesting that sophie has many chances to be killed in this chapter.
Pairing it with the implied possible relationship she might develop with Will (as it can be seen in the good ending) I think this is a way of telling us that the Sandman might have lost his crush on her and possibly given her the "love gem" back (if we go by what was theorized by Ben Again in his video about "the Boogeyman")
Me: Oh! That little moment with Pop in the good ending was actually rather sweet, and pretty nice of him.
Him: And this moment cemented my hatred for this rat.
Me: Oh...
It's here! EVERYBODY REJOICE AND ENJOY!
Thank you for all you do, Ben!
Hi Syan!
This story was okay, but I feel like there are so many gaps left open in the end. Who wrote the "demon child" letter? Where did the second Pop come from? Why did Sandman not protect Sophie? Why does Rob kill one child but not the other?
Okay, to be fair, I have a Pop theory. My theory is that Will sucks at recognizing Pop.
First off, he says that Pop is his best friend and he says that he stopped seeing things when he got Pop. He frames this as if it happened quite a while ago, considering he also managed to get a reputation of "that kid with a rat".
Just so you guys know, rats don't usually get much older than 2 years old. By the end of that timespan, they often start developing visible tumors. I think a really ancient rat can maybe make it all the way to four, but that rat ain't scurrying at Pop's speed anymore.
So I think that Will's Mom has actually been replacing the Pops for a while by now, and Will hasn't noticed that his pet rat was actually at least 2-3 different rats, tagteamed in whenever one died.
Keith learned this when he called Will's Mom and David and used her method to get Will a new rat.
yeah the "Demon child" letter they just dropped
who wrote it and about who? was it Davids Mum when she got sick and mean? I think I remember in the first game she was horrible to david because of her sickness and it would make sense to channel that to the child that made your husband leave you
ALSO
why exactly the whole point of "if I kill once I'll never stop" like huh? I know he's a broken kid but come on he's 14? What the hell. They even played it up in the first bad ending
In the second good end we learn that David wrote the demon child letter but it was adressed to his dad. It was a reference from a show they whatched that said "you were a demon child but you made a blessed child and migh be forgiven now" or somehing. He gave it with the card as a little puzzle to tell his father that for Will's sake he forgave him.
The rat thing I have no idea, but I think Will was just deluding himself, either that or based on how David also sees ghosts it was Pop's ghost.
No idea on the Sandman.
My theory is that Robert let Will live because Ed connected with him. Ed wasn't happy with the other murders but he only had an actual reaction with Will and Robert didn't want to freak out his brother even more.
The biggest plot hole for me within the whole Strange Man Anthology is Sophie's future. The Sandman had been shown to be willing to interfere with the real world for Sophie's sake. Such as the time he save her from the dogs and he prevented Ketih from falling asleep as punishment for teasing Sophie. To add, he still has Sophie's Love Jewel... so what happens to Sophie then? It's clear she's being set up with Will considering the bit at the end of The Hanged Man. But without her jewel, she cannot exactly fall in love anymore as revealed by her in The Boogie Man. It's a pretty big plot hole IMO and it doesn't help that it was never addressed even in the 100 facts.
@@allentayoto7387Uri confirmed there's nothing romantic between Sophie and Will. It was stated she will get the jewel back at some point in the future, that's not a plot hole... That's not even what plot hole means
1:25:45 Holy, I half expected Ed to be the guy that had the revolver like under his coat, but nope. Just the horrible brother of Ed. Who then also mercilessly shoots Sophie. Jesus christ.
YOOOO LET’S GO! I _LOVE_ the Strange Men series, and particularly how this one deals with trauma and a reluctance to let go of comfort things in order to face reality. Will was so cute and I always love how Uri places characters from their other games into the new ones!
Havent watched the video yet but I just know that pop is a metaphor for harmful thoughts/things that you can’t let go of. Might be wrong but that rat convincing the kid David will be mad enough he has to run away is a red flag.
Yeah, I love strange men, too. No, no I don't but it was funny to me for a sec
@@eldritchcupcakes3195I think Pop is more specifically meant to represent Will’s own thoughts. That’s what Will thinks so that’s what Pop is saying
I think my personal favourite is still the very first game, The Crooked Man. Although all are wonderful, The Crooked Man's story resonates deeply with me personally. In fact, your video about it came out when I was quite literally in David's shoes - my grandmother was hospitalized because of progressing cancer, I was failing academically and a long time partner had just broken up with me. David's feelings of hopelessness and depression resonated with me deeply, and still do a year later. And the message of trudging through the pain and hard times is definitely something I need to be reminded of every now and then.
I think this game is my favourite of the anthology. The story felt a lot more coherent than Boogie man, and I like that this story was fully grounded in reality. There's very slight paranormal elements, but in the end most of the fear is in Will's mind, and the villain gets to be a compelling character in their own right.
IMO the four games shows the idea of "growing up" rather perfectly. It started with actual supernatural stuff in TCM and TSM but ends with mental disorders in TBM and THM. When we were a kid, we used to think a lot of stuff that happened around us are supernatural. But as we grew older, we start to understand things, and we realize that the scary things are all inside our heads. And the things our minds create can be scarier than the supernatural (Boogie man). Yet, we still believe that the supernatural exists out there, whether good (Sandman) or bad (Crooked man).
It's kinda cool that the series started with the supernatural stuff during The Crooked Man and The Sandman, but then it slowly deviated from that and we entered the mental disorder category. All the "supernatural" stuff that happened during Boogie Man and The H***ged man can be summed up as just Keith's and Will's mental state manifesting in some way. It reminds me of what it's like to grow up.
You look at the world and thinks there's a lot of supernatural things going on. But as you grew older, you understand more, and start to realize the scary things are inside your head, not necessarily out there. Yet, you still feel like that maybe the supernatural is out there, both scary (crooked man) and good (Sandman). In a way it's like the whole anthology grew up. Regardless, I still have some questions regarding Sophie's fate since she's the one most involved with the supernatural and well, she still doesn't seem to have her Jewel back despite obvious signs that she and Will are being set up together.
Will's voice actor is killing it.
SPOILERS
I do like that the Bad Ends show that Ed, while a killer and someone who snapped, was just someone at the end of their rope and felt cornered and almost alone. His father, then Rob, then Will and Keith. He wanted happiness and was in the midst of a misguided attempt to obtain it. He needed help and guidance to move away from the world he descended into.
Meanwhile Robert was cognizant of all his actions in the other two Bad Ends. He was broken in the past by the same man who broke Ed but climbed up on his own. Yet, despite it all, deep down he was nothing but an angry man just like his father. More than ready to descend into malicious, evil means to get his way for what he considers 'good.' He was not misguided, he was simply selfish. Cruel and selfish.
Aw, I thought you would at least mention the small difference in the good ending. It's not a big change but I feel it changes the impact on how Will moves on from Pop, and how much he's grown from his experience.
Still, great review! I love this series so much, and it's been a treat to watch all your videos.
I find it weird that going after Sophie results in 2 bad endings. Will was in the wrong for dismissing Sophie. Sure, if he had intended to keep her out of harms way, I understand; but in this situation he was just having a tantrum. He was mad that Sophie was scared of the rat and thought that Sophie thought he was weird for having a rat for a friend. This kinda gives the player the message that if someone doesn't like something you like, you should push them away.
Absolutely AMAZING video! (hopefully this one doesn’t get age-restricted)
Also glad Keith returned with 100% less ‘telling girls to get bigger boobs’
TBH... I'm still curious about what Sophie's future have in store... The bad endings are actually less confusing the true ending. Because the fact that she got in danger and even died in one of the bad endings, proves that the Sandman no longer interferes with her life. But the True ending continuity doesn't reveal anything. Chances are, Sandman would still go out of his way to save her and punish people who are rude to her like he did in TBM. Plus, he still has Sophie's love jewel so she'd just like never fall in love anymore? Maybe he had given the jewel back to Sophie, but who knows? The 100 facts from Uri didn't make any mentions of Sophie's ties to Sandman.
@@allentayoto7387 It could just be that it happened to fast for Sandman to do anything. In the Boogie man, the dogs were able to get close to Sophie before Sandman saved her.
@@genericname2747 I guess that makes sense, but I still can't stop thinking about what's in store for Sophie's future with all the stuff in her story. Especially that love jewel thing. I wonder if Sandman would give it back to her one day.
Man.
Needing to let go of your childhood comforts, I feel that.
Was very hard to reach that point myself, and I remember when exactly that moment was.
I won't lie, while the story itself is solid I feel like the link between the decision points and their actual effects on the story are...thematically shaky? Like, given the strong themes of personal agency, isolation and the harmful effects of taking responsibility for things that aren't your fault, going after Sophie to apologise really should have been what lead into a good ending. And I won't lie, I have absolutely no idea how whether you go for the gun or not is supposed to have any bearing on the story's core ideas or Will's arc.
Not dealbreakers, and they mostly work mechanically in terms of getting people where they need to be, but it's still strange to me.
I do want to say this because I'll probably forget to say this at a later date; You are genuinely one of my favorite UA-camrs as of now. All of your videos are fantastic, treat the source material with such dignity, and are just a treat. Thank you for putting your stuff out there.
Something i noticed about the whole anthology is how with each game it gets less supernatural in the first game the protagonist deals with ghosts he even has his friend who confirms yup there indeed where ghosts i saw them too but don't listen to them then the second game fairies that about describes the supernatural in it but the third game while the boogyman is based on a supernatural entity that Sophie met what happens in the game us mostly just a madman's actions combined with some hallucinations from Keith the most supernatural thing in it the sandman intervention to save sophie though it could be argued that the boogyman might be somewhat manifesting through the madman still doesn't change that nothing supernatural directly interacted with Keith and here on the last game almost nothing supernatural happens it mostly just trauma misunderstandings and mental disorders the hanged man is the manifestation of will's fears no ghost is haunting him no madman is chasing him while claiming to be the hanged man he just happens to stumble into the middle of the mental disorders of another man that just so happens to involve hanging someone making it more of a personal problem rather a supernatural being like the others were or seemed like so the series was certainly getting less supernatural as it went on not that that is particularly bad just something i wanted to note
Ps for ben:if you read this i hope you try the deep sleep trilogy before don't escape 4 they are relatively short and if you don't try them you might miss quite a few references when playing de4 since they are lore heavt games and tie up well with each other
holy shit this game makes the crooked man look like a tea party
woah almost two hours! I'm so glad you continued this series on the games. Probably like most people your video on the crooked man is how I found you, and I can honestly say I was hooked ever since (well ever since I kept watching it over and over). I don't normally just subscribe to people, and I absolutely do not regret subscribing. You make top tier stuff, have a wonderful sense of humor, and you're one of the few channels I will drop everything I'm doing to watch. anyways rant aside, thanks for making this series, this video, and just doing what you do. I look forward to whatever is set for the future.
What perfect timing, I was just watching on crooked man vid a few days ago.
Same!
At the end of bad end 3, in the train you can see the old man from Mermaid Swamp, another game from the same developer...probably returning home and will be very surprise with what happened to those kids he left in his house ...
did not expect will to become flowey the flower there
The third bad ending my word that really is psychological torture for Robert to do that to a 14 year old in his eyes to protect his brother when really it’s his on justice is terrifying. The look on will face at the end really makes the effect Robert had on him hit home. This is definitely my favourite game from the series thank you for covering them all thanks to that I could experience them and I really enjoyed it the stories the meanings behind them really hit home. Keith is definitely my favourite in the whole series he can be scary and rude at points but can be caring when necessary. And I will always appreciate the art in this series it’s so godamn good. Thank you for covering the strange man anthology these last 9 months. I will definitely try them myself
I actually really like the voice acting in this game especially Will’s voice actor!
Glad you finished the series!
Watching this I was fully convinced Old Ben and Pop were figments of Will's imagination. As for the scene at the end of the game where Pop gives hints and not flat out telling him is so Will actually thinks it through instead of dismissing it out of fear.
I'm extremely late but you missed several extremely important details in this video. First: The doll puzzle where you have to cut their stomachs. The reason why you're only able to open the door with Sophie after your little ritual is hidden in the words of the little girl that made the drawing. She thinks that after all the adults aka the villagers are "dead" there will be no one to controll her, so she can go anywhere. This is similar to the other puzzles farther in where you have to appease the delusions of the other patients to be able to move forward.The reason only Sophie is able to open the door is that she is a girl just like the other patient.
The Second Point: Arguably one of the most important scenes in the game was completely misinterpreted. The reason Pop doesn't outright tell Will what to do is that Will has been living his life that way so far, only listening to and doing what Pop says. He craves the comfort of not having to think about his actions and fearing making mistakes, but that's no way to live. Pop also knows this and wants Will to gain his independence, to stop relying on him for all his life. To be a real person. This is why he drops hints and doesn't outright tell him, he wants to still help but can't make decisions for him anymore.
It was also a very bad choice to not even look up the Good Ending 2 on youtube at the very least. If you're making a video essay on a video game i understand not wanting to replay it all, but not even looking up the extra scenes and dismissing them as not worth it, and then not even mentioning them in your video is coming off as lazy? Careless? Dismissive? I usually like your coverage of games, but it really does feel like (esp after the mermaid swamp video too) that you primarily go off of your own experiences when covering games. There isn't anything wrong with this of course, but we're all human and miss important details or don't understand the reasoning behind certain decisions. I feel like if you want to improve in your video making, you *really* need to make more research and hear other peoples opinions, if only to gain more insight into the creators mind. Also for gods sake, see everything there is to see when making a video essay about any game.
Edit: Fixed some awkard phrasing
Found this channel recently because of the Hotel Dusk vid, fucking loved that game as a kid and then immediately subbed to both this channel and the longolay one, theyre both dope
Hearing you praise the artstyle makes me really want a video of you covering Fear and Hunger. It has my personal favorite art and world building in an RPG maker game
I'm only 36:25 into the video, my prediction is that Will is schizophrenic and this is a game with it's horror rooted into the real dread of loneliness paired with mental illness that just so happens to take place in the same universe where a girl saved the world by making a supernatural being that looks like Peppino Spaghetti take a nap.
LOL
I just watched the previous 3 videos last night. And when I went into the playlist it said 1 video was hidden. I figured this was the Hanged Man video I would have thought it'd have come out months ago alongside the other games, so I figured it was delisted due to youtube taking issue with the content or the name of the game. Glad to see that's not the case.
oh HELL yes, i watched all these a while back and binged them (out of order). Time to set aside a few hours again, Thanks for the hours of good content!!
Gods I hope everyone gets to interact with real supernatural stuff whenever the next installment comes around. I want Keith to eat his words a bit too lollo
it's pretty cool that the later games kept past protags as side characters.
The voice acting is absolutely terrifying I love it
As great as the video is. I do love the parallels between bad end 1 and bad end 3. When will and Robert feel cornered they become irrational.
IT RETURNS YOU ARE THE GOAT BEN YOU ALWAYS DELIVER
Keith saying it was his all his fault really shows his experience in the boogie man
1:54:51 he def is a “pops” since Will imagined dad jokes…..this kinda makes it sad coz the mom did say Will liked his father a lot….
Glad to see this episode finally came out
Kind of weird that Sophie's guardian fairy didn't reach out to protect her in this one, considering the th8ng that happened in the Boogieman.
"I need to be entirely transparent with you" *starts fading away
LET'S GOOOOO, a very thorough and enjoyable video to cap off a great rpgmaker series :'0!!
I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS SO LONG I LOVE THE STORY AND THE CONNECTION BETWEEN EACH GAME AND CHARACTERS AND THE HANGED MAN IS ONE OF MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITES
A lot of the story in these games revolve around David to some extent, so I have to wonder what happens after the other endings of the crooked man. Also, thanks so much for covering these games Ben, it’s been fun. Looking forward to whatever you decide to do in the future
Hey here another like and comment for your algorithm
thank you ben, these videos about games made with rpg maker bring me so many memories
thank you from the bottom of my heart
LETS GO BEN!!! This phenomenal game series was a wild ride to learn about, and I’m so glad you covered them. Can’t wait to see what’s next ❤
I'm glad Ben enjoyed the final game of the quadtrilogy. All the games are masterpieces in their own right. Not enough creators cover RPG horror games, I would love to see Ben consider expanding into other RPG horror games like Cat in the Box, Corpse Party, Angels of Death, Mad Father/Misao, Ann. Theres so many gems this genre has to offer. I'll be looking forward to his future content.
Another Ben another Upload, Again!
Happy 2024 Ben (I can hear abit of subtle irritation and annoyance in some scenes, so therefore, I am proud of you for completing the painful series)
Mainly the previous games
(I find it funny how the train waited for Will)
Not watching this immediately, just gonna go redo the entire series from the start real quick. Glad to see this series capping off.
Thank you so much for covering the strange men anthology! The Crooked Man was one of the first RPG horror games I watched as a preteen, and until your videos, I had no idea that Uri had made a fourth game! Your videos are so thorough and a huge treat to watch. I can't wait to see what you put out next!
I think the reason Pop seems like an irresponsible friend more than a father is because he isn’t one. Pop’s dialogue is a figment of Will’s imagination. Will never had an actual dad so he doesn’t understand how a father should act. All he knows is they’re supposed to be guiding and loving so Pop loves him and guides him by telling him what to do. The ambiguity of Pop’s final talk was Will coming to terms with having to be independent and not rely on others to tell him what to do. That’s why he only gave him a hint, because Will himself had to make the decision himself. At least that was my takeaway.
I have been waiting for this!!! For like 6 months!
Literally just found this channel and watched all the other strange man videos then this one drops. Wild times
I wished there was a good end 2 basically an alt route to bad end 3
I was looking for a long video to draw to and almost screamed when this popped up in my reccomended - it's always a good day when you post ^^
I have been binging all your videos so you can't imagine how happy I was to see that you had just uploaded a new video!
I'd love to hear your thoughts on the Zero Escape series, they are my favorite and you have become one of my favorites
Wait, if the gun blows up in Bad ending 2 due to the hammer breaking, bad ending 1 wouldn’t make sense as Will’s hands would’ve blown off before shooting Ed.
Those are just outcomes. Other endings didn't involved the hammer breaking so it depends on the impact in those endings
Its one of those "different choices creates alternate realities" kinda deal. In the other endings, the gun wasn't broken.
Will you be doing Mermaid Swamp to... I'm hoping Little Goody Two Shoes & Pocket Mirror 🙏 🙏
Damn the kid playing Will is going really hard, he's got so much energy in his performance even if his mic or set-up is clearly not great. Ed is really good too.
I beg your pardon? this video comes out on the exact day I decide to start going through my backlogs and finish your Sandman & Boogieman videos?
i get the feeling robert has a savoir complex i think thats what its called
These games were darker than I remembered, no wonder I'm like this
Wow, what a conclusion to this amazing series. Before this, I was only really exposed to the same sort of RPGMaker horror which followed the formula of: Protagonist arrives at a scary (or very obviously not innocuous) place, antagonist chases them around (with cheap jumpscares), game ends. It’s nice to see a RPGMaker horror series with such an interconnected story! Brilliant video!
amazing video as always, Ben. I gotta say, I loved the story and the characters, but my favorite has to be Ed 100%. Uri knows how to make a good fucking troubled and complicated character.
I'll be honest, and perhaps it is just because some things have been lost in transition, but these feels like a rather weak entry. Will's two main problems don't feel like they ever properly connect in the story, and the fact that going after Sophie only ever leads to bad ends feels so baffling considering it seems like something that only feeds into Will's behavior. The backdrop also feels way to heavy for Will's ultimately adolescent problems, as callous as that might sound. With Keith the sidelining made sense because of his character, but I feel like Will's story would have been better with more supernatural elements in the story like the first two entries. It's made worse by the contrast of Ed, who would have worked better as the main protagonist of a strange man entry, in my opinion.
On the topic of finishing series, will you ever do Don’t Escape 4? I remember you mentioning you wanted to do it and give it a dedicated episode.
i really. REALLY enjoyed these videos, the games have unique themes and complex characters that you don't have to dig too deeply to find. which as a at least medicre writer is pretty difficult to do
the strange men is just...great.
There isn't any more to say, cause you've said it pretty much already.
Aside from that..I'm replaying/streaming Hotel Dusk because of your use of the music and it made me want to go back to it. 🎵