IIRC, Koudelka’s voice actors all recorded their dialogue on a live set in each others presence in real time. That’s why the spoken dialogue feels so natural.
It'd be interesting to see a modern JRPG try that. Xenoblade 3 is extremely well acted but I think it would have benefitted from having its actors all together.
@@666slateran666 is Yalm like Yinz? im from Pittsburgh so some folks say yinz cuz that means yall so yalm made me think of that. & 2b fair im always wildin haha
Koudelka being voiced and performed by stage actors adds such a refined vibe to each cutscene. I love live theater so seeing that style of storytelling in a horror RPG of all things is awesome. It's such a unique feel for a game and it makes me sad it didn't take off like other RPGs. The monster designs ALONE put the game in a league of its own.
Wow, Koudelka's drunken monologue was so heartbreaking, and so well-delivered... that alone could convince me to muddle my way through slow grid-based, breakable weapons gameplay.
It's a lot longer than that little clip. She also admits to having to trade her body for food and a place to sleep on many occasions after her mother abandoned her.
Just leave Edward without weapons. His fists never break, and the more you use them the better they get. Switch to other weapons for utility, but you'll always be capable of throwing hands against demons and undead when your knuckle weapons break at least. Then you can just use magic to buff Edward until he's Doomguy and can RIP AND TEAR through any boss fight.
Yes exactly. It is honestly one of the best cut scenes in gaming, IMHO. Especially considering the time and techonology from the time, they did amazing
The reason that I love this channel is that it answers questions that I never knew I wanted the answer to, like "What font is used in Tales of Symphonia."
Yeah, I think that one hits extra hard at people who know that place --- the crossroads where "being needed/having meaning" is the hearts' true desire, plus drunk enough with a stranger in a dangerous place, saying it out loud. That was one of the top 5 "getting effed + vulnerable together" scenes I've ever seen in an artwork.
"and there's always some kid who has a sucky life but then he's visited by someone from a hidden world of awesomeness who explains to the kid that the kid is the chosen kid and everyone is waiting for him to fight and to win and to accept treasure and to accept love and to rule the hidden world of awesomeness like the handsome little asshole that he is. Happens all the time, right? I guess every one of us is just hoping to turn out to be one of those forgotten chosen ones, right?"
The fact you’re covering Shadow Hearts and Koudelka is literally a dream come true. If every JRPG went to the Koudelka school of cutscenes the world would be a better place. Those cutscenes still feel like they hold up.
No it would not be. A lot of people enjoy JRPGs for their leisure pace, and having every single conversation be unsubtitled fast paced conversation with everyone interrupting each other would just take away from that.
Can’t wait to sit here and take this one in. It’s a shame that the Shadow Hearts series has been lying dormant for like…3 generations now. Thanks for your hard work!
I miss Koudelka and shadow hearts 1 and 2 I wish it got remasters maybe a three together ^~^ Hm shadow hearts 3? Nah XD eh okay I'll be nice all four should come back
To this day the voice acting in Koudelka is absolutely top of the line. Really wish other devs had picked up on their approach of having voice actors act out scenes alongside each other. Every cutscene in that game is captivating to me.
"I'm turning changing from your ordinary bad-boy type into a real psycho" Man, the early 2000s where such a mood. When I heard you say that line I was distracted for the moment, so when I re-watched it and saw that that was an ACTUAL line, I started giggling like crazy.
Upon watching, this is the magnum opus of reviews to me. The Xenogears one had an almost ethereal existential vibe of understanding and accepting the perception of gnostic beings granted in the setting. But this one, I have played through Koudelka (and Shadow Hearts) countless times and I have never perceived the characters struggles and development as well as you have described. Absolute masterpiece my man, the only way you can best this is to interweave Covenant (Easily my favourite and most emotionally connected piece of art, of my life) and complete the trilogy with a crescendo of paradoxical introspection, a weird love triangle, a fathoming of a butterfly vampire wrestler and a farewell to some of the best JRPGs to ever exist (And be criminally unknown). You now have a new Lordly Caliber follower.
Gothic Horror combined with Turn Based RPGs are a combination rarely done, but very much appreciated! Koudelka's James is one of my favorite RPG characters ever, as he's handled with a heap more nuance and care than us usual for Jrpgs. You can tell there was a desire to explore the culture and history surrounding his archetype, alongside his personal struggles. It's a care I don't see applied as expertly as it was in this game. Thank you for talking extensively about the music. I know that it's not an easy subject to extensively include for reasons of pacing and UA-cam shenanigans, but I'm so pleased with your break downs here, it truly gives the respect that composition deserves!Gothic Horror combined with Turn Based RPGs are a combination rarely done, but very much appreciated! Koudelka's James is one of my favorite RPG characters ever, as he's handled with a heap more nuance and care than us usual for Jrpgs. You can tell there was a desire to explore the culture and history surrounding his archetype, alongside his personal struggles. It's a care I don't see applied as expertly as it was in this game. Thank you for talking extensively about the music. I know that it's not an easy subject to extensively include for reasons of pacing and UA-cam shenanigans, but I'm so pleased with your break downs here, it truly gives the respect that composition deserves! That line "the amount of time I spent gushing about it pales in comparison to the amount of time the composer spent arranging it" is so *dead on*. Shadow Hearts has my favorite system with it's transformations. Each one feels like a truly awesome exploration of "letting you play as a Jrpgs monster". The Light aligned creatures are especially my favorites, as I love being able to control a heavenly monstrosity that looks like the progenitor of a Sin Eater from FF14! A fantastic video sir! But now you know what comes next: the successor to the Judgement Ring system, and the first truly Turn Cringe RPG - *YIIK!*
Speaking of horror and RPG, have you ever tried Death End: Re;Quest? It is from the Neptunia devs but it was written by the lead writer of Corpse Party. The first game doesn't feel entirely like a horror game but its sequel goes full-on gothic horror/sci-fi. They are heavily flawed and janky but they are compelling experiences.
The one thing that this game (and series) is REALLY underrated for is the amount of heart (no puntended) they put into the inventory visuals of all places. In most JRPGs, it's just... [potion, heals 50hp] or something. Here, literally EVERY SINGLE THING, consumable, equipment, key items; has detailed art + lore flavor text to it. It honestly puts a wide smile to my face just going through my inventory and looking at the art and mini story descriptions to even something as menial as status effect curatives. So if you ever decide to tackle Shadow Hearts 2 and 3, don't forget to give these a gander. It's such a small detail that really goes unappreciated by many.
I agree - I had this in my notes, but didn't get around to mentioning it in the video. Great insight, and I'll be sure to include this in the Covenant video when it happens!
44:20 "zlato" is actually a south slavic word for gold although we do sometimes use it to refer to people as "my precious" or "my treasure". Nice attention to detail
A smaller channel I admire started a playthrough of Koudelka and never had I seen a character like her especially with such strength of voice acting. I know that it’s expensive to get voice actors together and bounce off each other but if I heard more performances like this I would pay more for games
I can't believe you would go and make yet another a video specifically for me, the person who loves koudelka and the first shadow hearts more than the rest of the series. i'm still in awe at the level of writing and voice acting in Koudelka, and Shadow Hearts' pure mixed media strangeness and darker tone (compared to the other two shadow hearts games) are an experience i've never found elsewhere. Thank you for producing the content the world needs.
Please don't misconstrue this as an insult but your videos always put me to sleep in the best way possible. I go back and find the last thing I remember to finish the video the next morning but the tone of your voice is so soothing I just slip off into dreamland every time. I really appreciate all the hard work you put into these and I actually played Tales of Symphonia because of your review and had a phenomenal time with my play-through. I genuinely get excited whenever you drop a video so please keep doing what you do and keep up the good work my man. I'll drop some love in your patreon when I get the chance and you bet your sweet tookus I'll be buying some merch when it drops. Thanks again for all the love you put into these, it doesn't go unnoticed
Aww, this is so sweet. Reminds me of my own story too! A good friend of mine and I would talk for hours on end in skype and he always ended up falling asleep. His snores were so loud. When I asked him about it, he said that my voice was too soothing and he couldn't help it. I thought he was just being cheeky, but appreciated the compliment. ...we've been dating for 6 years now. Haha!
He does have a nice voice i love his reviews too I recommend the Koudelka and shadow hearts games koudelka you can easily play with emulation also if you love symphonia Abyss is really good too ^~^
We actually DO know what happens to Edward after the game ends! He goes on to be real-life early 20th century fantasy author Lord Dunsany, aka Edward James Moreton Drax Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany, born 1878
Man Shadow Hearts is my favourite game of all time. I live in Ireland so as a teenager seeing an rpg like this having a section set so close to ireland was amazing. Thank you for this video and please please pleaae make one for covenant!
Dang, that drunken monologue... I felt that so keenly, deep inside my heart. I would never have had a glimpse into such a fascinating game as Koudelka if not for this video, and I definitely would have bounced off the glacial pacing if I tried to play it myself nowadays, so thank you, Majuular, for the work you do.
I know this vid is a year old, but it feels like the right place to post this. I work in a warehouse for an online retailer. It's not out of the ordinary for us to get things back in our returns department that aren't ours or weren't meant to come to us. When this happens, we attempt to contact the sender to see if they want it back. If it sits for long enough without a response, it gets thrown on a pallet of stuff that gets sent off to be destroyed. A little a while ago, we got a box containing a lot of retro game stuff. A sega master system with cd drive and 32x, a game gear, a 3do, the limited edition mountain dew xbox, and a bunch of games. These game included Koudelka and Vandal Hearts 2. Unfortunately, the sender did not respond in time and all of it was going to be destroyed. It was a very depressing situation. I couldn't just take the stuff as i would have lost my job and possibly worse.
Discovered your channel like 3 days ago and I've already burned through like half of your content. Your presentation is always so introspective, and your voice/cadence makes for such a cozy video.
i've very recently discovered your channel and binged all your content and loved basically every second of it so i cannot express the excitement i felt when i saw this video about two of my favorite jrpgs
All it took was one stray reference and now I'm desperate for Majuular to make a comprehensive, multi-hour retrospective vid about Anonymous Agony. Another great video, by the way!
Damnit Majuular the speed in which you make these things is utterly amazing. My absolute dream would be you showing us a step by step of both your process and editing!
Well, Magenta is often the choice for the Color Out of Space, because Magenta doesn't really happen naturally in the world around us. You don't see 'Magenta flowers', you see Red or Pink or perhaps Purple, not Magenta. So artists usually go with that.
Honestly, thanks to the tone and setting FFXVI seems to be having, I always wondered why there isn't alot of horror or more specifically gothic jrpgs outside of the indie/fan game circle. Nice to learn about a game I've never heard about until today.
I watched this video right when it dropped, and I've watched it several times since because apparently I have a problem, and you inspired me to give Koudelka another shot after having given it a go earlier in the year. I'm not sure what's different this time around, but I'm enjoying myself much more now. So thank you. The dialogue and cutscenes really do hold up. A pretty early cutscene genuinely scared me when Koudelka channeled a spirit. I'm amazed at how realized these characters and this game's horror are.
26:20 Hello! I'm enjoying the video a lot so far, but I just wanted to make sure you were aware that Gy*** is a slur against/to the Romani people. The name is derived from a misunderstanding that they come from E-gyp-t, and has frequently used to other them. I'm looking forwards to watching the rest of the video !
I love all the well deserved attention the Shadow Hearts series has been getting the past couple of years. They hold a very special place in my heart and I'm glad I snatched a copy of Koudelka before the prices skyrocketed, though they seem to be a little more reasonable now depending on where you get them.
Damn Majuula, Not only have you now covered the Koudelka/Shadow Hearts series, a series I’ve been longing for someone to properly review for years but also mentioned Sanitarium in a way that suggests you played it. You have earned my respect and sub for life! Well met! Well met!
Koudelka was revolutionary for me when I played it. I literally rented it - remember those days - because of the fact it was a four disc Sqaresoft RPG. I was blown away by its music, story and full voice acting, which as a visually impaired gamer who reads text boxes very slow, was a literal game changer. I never got the "defeat the boss" ending, but I was satisfied by the "bad" ending. When Shadow Hearts was announced, it was an instant buy, especially after they showcased the FMV cutscenes. My understanding was that was much of what the game would be. Boy was I disappointed. It was still decent - especially the music", but it lacked that feel of Koudelka. I was so excited when I got to the sanitarium and saw Koudelka ... and then she was not to the same. Despite my disappointment, I enjoyed Shadow Hearts enough to be excited for the sequel, and despite its more humerous approach, it was a much, MUCH better game in almost every way. I think your video was fantastic and I really appreciate this series being revisited. I hope you enjoand Covenant if you haven't played it yet. It's disgraseful there's no non-emulator way to play this series anymore. It needs a revival, especially after Shadow Hearts From the New World.
His content and revelation on how we are left with memories that leave an imprint of our souls when someone dies was definitely the healthier and greatest lesson to be learned for the player.
Why can't all UA-cam comments on other channels be like this? Every one in this section hasbeen on point, and seeing yours made me feel the need to say so!
Another delectable reviewtrospective from one of my favorite channels! And a double header at that! So, so happy to see you moving onwards and upwards in the YT sphere; few people I know of are more deserving of success and growth. Congrats on your ever-increasing subscriber and view counts (or watch time or whatever metric our overlords measure success by these days). All the best, and keep em coming!
I never finished Koudelka because I hated the weapon durability, it actually soft locked my initial playthrough which made me give up on it altogether, but watching this video makes me want to give it another chance. I beat Shadow Hearts awhile back, I thought it was a solid game and I think you reflected a lot of my own thoughts on the game. Anyways, thanks for another banger of a video dude, you've become one of my favorite content creators as of late, keep up the great work!
I love how deeply and detailed you cover these obscure but interesting gems. Id never even heard of either of these. Your work is a labor of love that is truly appreciated and I hope keep up the good work!
I just want to say that I found this channel and video today for the first time. I immediately subscribed! Very well done video and I look forward to seeing what else you have on UA-cam.
Wow, I had never even heard of Koudelka before clicking this video. The bit about it being a stage play is spot-on, and got me thinking... I would love for more games to take that type of approach to their storytelling. It gives the acting from the characters such an undeniable sense of weight. I know indie games can't afford to mo-cap their actors (if they can even afford voice actors, period) but that really elevated Koudelka's presentation.
Fun fact, Roger Bacon is voiced by the same guy who voices James and Meowth in the dubs for Pokemon, definitely explains the power to get super whacky with the role
Man, finally my memory of Shadow hearts is coming back while watching further. My friend and I've played shadow hearts both, extensively to the end. Im not sure if I even played the first game. Though the soundtrack and visual design look and feel very familiar to me. The music of Shadow hearts is absolutely brilliant. These dark industrial Nin Vibes and the melodic pieces.. must be one of the best soundtracks of his time and generation.
Koudelka was one of the first RPGs I ever played. My mom loved Resident Evil, and introduced me to video games, and this game looked kinda like RE in the jewel case's screenshots on the back. I agree that a lot of the joy in it comes from how unlike 90's/00's JRPGs it really is, and the aesthetics, lore, and everything non-mechanics related still resonates with me a lot. Sadly, it's difficult for me to finish it these days as I've grown out of love with these mechanics. Love to see a video essay on it (and Shadow Hearts)!
So glad you covered Koudelka! It's always been underrated in my opinion, I first played through it around 2008, replayed it a year and a half ago and beat the gargoyle. Love that game despite it's weird design choices.
Good old Shadow Hearts, I hope some day they make some kind of HD compilation You thought I was going to add something meaningful, but I'm actually Lottery member No 42. Here's some tissues!
i love your channel, i just discovered it because of the thief review and i’ve been watching everyone of your videos since then. your content is up there with grimbeard when it comes to funny long form video game reviews/retrospectives that are just long enough to scratch my video game analysis itch or keep my brain from melting when i’m busy wasting away at work without being a 7 hour long game design/philosophy lecture. Keep up the good work.
Not sure if it's been suggested yet, but I would love a video on Dark Cloud 1 & 2/ Chronicles. Most retrospectives are around 20 minutes and pretty surface level for such a unique series.
Love Koudelka! Played a lot back in the day! The item illustrations are perfection. The aesthetic is also on point. The storyline and voice acting is also very well done. Again, loved playing it 💜
Watching your videos has basically become a end-of-week tradition for me by now. After a long week of classes, sitting in my sofa under my blanket with candy in hand is the comfiest time of the week. Excellent video as always, I really vibed with Koudelka! Its atmosphere and voice acting really hooked me!
Sir, you made my day with this video, excellent retrospective for one of my favorite sagas, looking forward for the Shadow Hearts Covenant video, I still own all of them because they are excellent rpgs from that mythical era of JRPGS, thank you again!
This was awesome! Thank you for diving into Kouldeka and how Shadow Hearts continues it. I played all 3 Shadow Hearts, so much great nostalgia. Keep up the great work!
omg they said THAT VOICE ACTING WAS BAD?? shit this is the first ive heard of koudelka and that drunken monolog had me in tears already just from the delivery. i remember being in that space before your thoughts drop all elegance and its just brutally blunt. thats hard to act. they let jsut anybody review games huh
I just finished Shadow Hearts mid April. What a wild ride it was. Currently diving into Covenant and I’m already sad to see the pre-rendered backgrounds gone. I was surprised to see this video pop up and thought you were going to retrospect the entire series so I could see if Covenant and New World were worth it, but another comment in this thread says they get insane so I’ll keep pathing forward. Also, that remark about the industrial chain and Fear Factory made me feel personally attacked, hahaha
Yessssss!! This is the video I've been hyped for since you announced it on your Patreon!! I could only watch the first 30min rn but so far it's everything I dreamed it would be. Sooooo glad to see Koudelka get the love it deserves. And your editing skills are 🤌🤌🤌🤌 Thank you for this gift
Thank you Majuular, your thoughts on these two memories of my youth, will resonate long after your voice fades from my ears. Thank you for your hard good work. Stay safe
I had never heard of either of these games and this was so well done and informative and funny! Your channel is criminally under rated. Fantastic work as always!
I remember renting Shadow Hearts a lot when I was 11 or so, as I could never buy it in Spain and it was an imported rarity. Didn't know much English, but carried on using a dictionary and sheer will. Could never get past the fight against Yuri when he is in a cell and you have to rescue him. Such a good game, and so many good memories. Thank you for this video. Waiting for a video on Dark Cloud!
Koudelka is a game i remember from my child hood that i couldn't remember the name of, The day my mom finished it she sold it, i never got the chance to try it, but those scenes of the characters talking, brought the memories back to my head.
IIRC, Koudelka’s voice actors all recorded their dialogue on a live set in each others presence in real time. That’s why the spoken dialogue feels so natural.
It'd be interesting to see a modern JRPG try that. Xenoblade 3 is extremely well acted but I think it would have benefitted from having its actors all together.
@@azimulhoque1497 won’t happen these days
Psx MGS also dos the same thing. Its great to compare the performances with the GameCube version.
Primal did that with the two main characters and it elevated that game like crazy
@@SergioValmont I'll never not be bitter that they de-"Moose and Squirrel"-'d Nastasha for literally no reason
Dude, yes! I really don't get why Koudelka's dialogue gets shit on so much. It sounds great. probably some of the best voice acting on the PS1.
I have found my people!
A great contender with Soul Reaver. The Legacy of Kain games in general had fantastic voice acting in general, not just for their time period.
Because it is bad and yalm are wildin
@@666slateran666 is Yalm like Yinz? im from Pittsburgh so some folks say yinz cuz that means yall so yalm made me think of that. & 2b fair im always wildin haha
@@RedSpade37 double yoy
Koudelka being voiced and performed by stage actors adds such a refined vibe to each cutscene. I love live theater so seeing that style of storytelling in a horror RPG of all things is awesome. It's such a unique feel for a game and it makes me sad it didn't take off like other RPGs. The monster designs ALONE put the game in a league of its own.
Wow, Koudelka's drunken monologue was so heartbreaking, and so well-delivered... that alone could convince me to muddle my way through slow grid-based, breakable weapons gameplay.
It's a lot longer than that little clip. She also admits to having to trade her body for food and a place to sleep on many occasions after her mother abandoned her.
Just leave Edward without weapons. His fists never break, and the more you use them the better they get. Switch to other weapons for utility, but you'll always be capable of throwing hands against demons and undead when your knuckle weapons break at least. Then you can just use magic to buff Edward until he's Doomguy and can RIP AND TEAR through any boss fight.
Yes exactly. It is honestly one of the best cut scenes in gaming, IMHO. Especially considering the time and techonology from the time, they did amazing
It really pulled at my heart strings. 🥺
The reason that I love this channel is that it answers questions that I never knew I wanted the answer to, like "What font is used in Tales of Symphonia."
But what font is in Symphonia is it Symp-ple. Font? What of shadow hearts and Koudelka? XD okay ...I'll see my self out all good games
"I just want someone to tell me they need me." that hits in such a deep, vulnerable place.
Great video about a great game.
Yeah, I think that one hits extra hard at people who know that place --- the crossroads where "being needed/having meaning" is the hearts' true desire, plus drunk enough with a stranger in a dangerous place, saying it out loud. That was one of the top 5 "getting effed + vulnerable together" scenes I've ever seen in an artwork.
"and there's always some kid who has a sucky life but then he's visited by someone from a hidden world of awesomeness who explains to the kid that the kid is the chosen kid and everyone is waiting for him to fight and to win and to accept treasure and to accept love and to rule the hidden world of awesomeness like the handsome little asshole that he is. Happens all the time, right?
I guess every one of us is just hoping to turn out to be one of those forgotten chosen ones, right?"
The fact you’re covering Shadow Hearts and Koudelka is literally a dream come true.
If every JRPG went to the Koudelka school of cutscenes the world would be a better place. Those cutscenes still feel like they hold up.
How does one learn to create cutscenes and what kind of programs would be required?
No it would not be. A lot of people enjoy JRPGs for their leisure pace, and having every single conversation be unsubtitled fast paced conversation with everyone interrupting each other would just take away from that.
@@hoyhoy852 You mean people dont want realistic conversations like the characters are actual real people?
The voice acting sounds like a stage play more than anything, it's pretty damn good. (He put five seconds before the host said stage play)
Can’t wait to sit here and take this one in. It’s a shame that the Shadow Hearts series has been lying dormant for like…3 generations now. Thanks for your hard work!
We are getting Penny Blood so at least that's something.
I am hype foe penny blood but I would love a koudelka/shadow hearts collection
I bring up shadow hearts every time someone gets on the topic of 'games that deserve remasters'
I miss Koudelka and shadow hearts 1 and 2 I wish it got remasters maybe a three together ^~^ Hm shadow hearts 3? Nah XD eh okay I'll be nice all four should come back
To this day the voice acting in Koudelka is absolutely top of the line. Really wish other devs had picked up on their approach of having voice actors act out scenes alongside each other. Every cutscene in that game is captivating to me.
"I'm turning changing from your ordinary bad-boy type into a real psycho"
Man, the early 2000s where such a mood. When I heard you say that line I was distracted for the moment, so when I re-watched it and saw that that was an ACTUAL line, I started giggling like crazy.
Upon watching, this is the magnum opus of reviews to me. The Xenogears one had an almost ethereal existential vibe of understanding and accepting the perception of gnostic beings granted in the setting. But this one, I have played through Koudelka (and Shadow Hearts) countless times and I have never perceived the characters struggles and development as well as you have described.
Absolute masterpiece my man, the only way you can best this is to interweave Covenant (Easily my favourite and most emotionally connected piece of art, of my life) and complete the trilogy with a crescendo of paradoxical introspection, a weird love triangle, a fathoming of a butterfly vampire wrestler and a farewell to some of the best JRPGs to ever exist (And be criminally unknown).
You now have a new Lordly Caliber follower.
Gothic Horror combined with Turn Based RPGs are a combination rarely done, but very much appreciated! Koudelka's James is one of my favorite RPG characters ever, as he's handled with a heap more nuance and care than us usual for Jrpgs. You can tell there was a desire to explore the culture and history surrounding his archetype, alongside his personal struggles. It's a care I don't see applied as expertly as it was in this game.
Thank you for talking extensively about the music. I know that it's not an easy subject to extensively include for reasons of pacing and UA-cam shenanigans, but I'm so pleased with your break downs here, it truly gives the respect that composition deserves!Gothic Horror combined with Turn Based RPGs are a combination rarely done, but very much appreciated! Koudelka's James is one of my favorite RPG characters ever, as he's handled with a heap more nuance and care than us usual for Jrpgs. You can tell there was a desire to explore the culture and history surrounding his archetype, alongside his personal struggles. It's a care I don't see applied as expertly as it was in this game.
Thank you for talking extensively about the music. I know that it's not an easy subject to extensively include for reasons of pacing and UA-cam shenanigans, but I'm so pleased with your break downs here, it truly gives the respect that composition deserves! That line "the amount of time I spent gushing about it pales in comparison to the amount of time the composer spent arranging it" is so *dead on*.
Shadow Hearts has my favorite system with it's transformations. Each one feels like a truly awesome exploration of "letting you play as a Jrpgs monster". The Light aligned creatures are especially my favorites, as I love being able to control a heavenly monstrosity that looks like the progenitor of a Sin Eater from FF14!
A fantastic video sir! But now you know what comes next: the successor to the Judgement Ring system, and the first truly Turn Cringe RPG - *YIIK!*
Speaking of horror and RPG, have you ever tried Death End: Re;Quest? It is from the Neptunia devs but it was written by the lead writer of Corpse Party. The first game doesn't feel entirely like a horror game but its sequel goes full-on gothic horror/sci-fi.
They are heavily flawed and janky but they are compelling experiences.
YIIK mention just killed me. Avoid at all costs
Koudelka and shadow hearts 1 and 2 are fantastic I was enjoying this comment but Y11k Kill it with fire XD
The one thing that this game (and series) is REALLY underrated for is the amount of heart (no puntended) they put into the inventory visuals of all places. In most JRPGs, it's just... [potion, heals 50hp] or something. Here, literally EVERY SINGLE THING, consumable, equipment, key items; has detailed art + lore flavor text to it. It honestly puts a wide smile to my face just going through my inventory and looking at the art and mini story descriptions to even something as menial as status effect curatives.
So if you ever decide to tackle Shadow Hearts 2 and 3, don't forget to give these a gander. It's such a small detail that really goes unappreciated by many.
I agree - I had this in my notes, but didn't get around to mentioning it in the video. Great insight, and I'll be sure to include this in the Covenant video when it happens!
‘Please, do not be sad. Death is at the heart of God’s reasoning’
That line hits pretty damn hard.
I've always loved the fact that there is a song on the Shadow Hearts OST called "Sicking Fucking". What a title.
44:20 "zlato" is actually a south slavic word for gold although we do sometimes use it to refer to people as "my precious" or "my treasure". Nice attention to detail
A smaller channel I admire started a playthrough of Koudelka and never had I seen a character like her especially with such strength of voice acting. I know that it’s expensive to get voice actors together and bounce off each other but if I heard more performances like this I would pay more for games
I can't believe you would go and make yet another a video specifically for me, the person who loves koudelka and the first shadow hearts more than the rest of the series. i'm still in awe at the level of writing and voice acting in Koudelka, and Shadow Hearts' pure mixed media strangeness and darker tone (compared to the other two shadow hearts games) are an experience i've never found elsewhere.
Thank you for producing the content the world needs.
Please don't misconstrue this as an insult but your videos always put me to sleep in the best way possible. I go back and find the last thing I remember to finish the video the next morning but the tone of your voice is so soothing I just slip off into dreamland every time. I really appreciate all the hard work you put into these and I actually played Tales of Symphonia because of your review and had a phenomenal time with my play-through. I genuinely get excited whenever you drop a video so please keep doing what you do and keep up the good work my man. I'll drop some love in your patreon when I get the chance and you bet your sweet tookus I'll be buying some merch when it drops.
Thanks again for all the love you put into these, it doesn't go unnoticed
Aww, this is so sweet. Reminds me of my own story too! A good friend of mine and I would talk for hours on end in skype and he always ended up falling asleep. His snores were so loud. When I asked him about it, he said that my voice was too soothing and he couldn't help it. I thought he was just being cheeky, but appreciated the compliment.
...we've been dating for 6 years now. Haha!
@Hokaru11792 That's absolutely adorable!
He does have a nice voice i love his reviews too I recommend the Koudelka and shadow hearts games koudelka you can easily play with emulation also if you love symphonia Abyss is really good too ^~^
Koudelka has some of the best "drunken" voice-acting I've ever heard in a video game. Extremely impressive.
We actually DO know what happens to Edward after the game ends! He goes on to be real-life early 20th century fantasy author Lord Dunsany, aka Edward James Moreton Drax Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany, born 1878
fear and hunger immediately comes to mind while watching this some of the characterization in the second version lines up incredibly well
I played Koudelka back in the day, was a fond memory of a game I played with my kids while they were babies.
That Anonymous Agony reference made me laugh, cry and scream in pain at the same time. A myriad emotions, locked away were suddenly unleashed.
Man Shadow Hearts is my favourite game of all time. I live in Ireland so as a teenager seeing an rpg like this having a section set so close to ireland was amazing. Thank you for this video and please please pleaae make one for covenant!
Dang, that drunken monologue... I felt that so keenly, deep inside my heart.
I would never have had a glimpse into such a fascinating game as Koudelka if not for this video, and I definitely would have bounced off the glacial pacing if I tried to play it myself nowadays, so thank you, Majuular, for the work you do.
Wow the story characters and voice acting in Koudelka is extremely well done for a PSone title.
I cant imagine how much effort these things take. Its like an entire movie.
Oh boy, it's Shadowhearting time! The first series to get Koudelkillion yen on the market!
I know this vid is a year old, but it feels like the right place to post this.
I work in a warehouse for an online retailer. It's not out of the ordinary for us to get things back in our returns department that aren't ours or weren't meant to come to us. When this happens, we attempt to contact the sender to see if they want it back. If it sits for long enough without a response, it gets thrown on a pallet of stuff that gets sent off to be destroyed. A little a while ago, we got a box containing a lot of retro game stuff. A sega master system with cd drive and 32x, a game gear, a 3do, the limited edition mountain dew xbox, and a bunch of games. These game included Koudelka and Vandal Hearts 2. Unfortunately, the sender did not respond in time and all of it was going to be destroyed. It was a very depressing situation. I couldn't just take the stuff as i would have lost my job and possibly worse.
Your output atm is crazy, such quality and so often. I'd say keep it up, but more importantly don't burn yourself out!
This is the one I've been waiting for! One of my favourite series ever. Waterfall might be my favourite battle theme ever.
You just know I had to dedicate an entire section of this video to Waterfall...
Holy Crap, I had never heard of Koudelka before. What an amazing little gem. Thank you!
Never played shadow hearts myself but I do kind of wish there were more horror JRPGS to play, since it is an interesting mix
Discovered your channel like 3 days ago and I've already burned through like half of your content. Your presentation is always so introspective, and your voice/cadence makes for such a cozy video.
You know it's a good day when Majuular posts a new video.
"Metagod is dead and I have killed him." Love it!
Keep up the awesome work!
Your selection of games and subsequent videos are nothing short of an endless series of chefs kisses
Excited to watch this when I get off of work, keep up the amazing job :)
i've very recently discovered your channel and binged all your content and loved basically every second of it so i cannot express the excitement i felt when i saw this video about two of my favorite jrpgs
I thought I was the only person in the world that played Koudelka! Can't wait to watch.
I love the Shadow Hearts trilogy. I would have never known about Kouldelka if I hadn't been searching for psone RPGs for my modded PSP.
All it took was one stray reference and now I'm desperate for Majuular to make a comprehensive, multi-hour retrospective vid about Anonymous Agony.
Another great video, by the way!
Thank you! I might livestream it someday, but I doubt I'll ever top MandaloreGaming's video 😆
Damnit Majuular the speed in which you make these things is utterly amazing. My absolute dream would be you showing us a step by step of both your process and editing!
Well, Magenta is often the choice for the Color Out of Space, because Magenta doesn't really happen naturally in the world around us. You don't see 'Magenta flowers', you see Red or Pink or perhaps Purple, not Magenta. So artists usually go with that.
Ultraviolet and infrared are invisible to the human eye and those are both fairly broad spectrums of light.
This... isn't true? Magenta is based on the color of Fuchsia flowers. It's RARE but it absolutely exists in nature.
Anytime I see a Majuular video intro i can help but smile just like the old man. Cant wait to vibe out to this one tonight.
New fan but man, stoked to see an upload from you. You’re putting out great stuff, thank you!
I'm not sure why it took UA-cam so long to recommend me someone reviewing my entire childhood, but I'm glad to finally be here.
Honestly, thanks to the tone and setting FFXVI seems to be having, I always wondered why there isn't alot of horror or more specifically gothic jrpgs outside of the indie/fan game circle. Nice to learn about a game I've never heard about until today.
I watched this video right when it dropped, and I've watched it several times since because apparently I have a problem, and you inspired me to give Koudelka another shot after having given it a go earlier in the year. I'm not sure what's different this time around, but I'm enjoying myself much more now. So thank you. The dialogue and cutscenes really do hold up. A pretty early cutscene genuinely scared me when Koudelka channeled a spirit. I'm amazed at how realized these characters and this game's horror are.
That intro never ceases to excite me. Good stuff Majuular.
Hell yeah, new Majuular episode always bring a big cheesy smile to my face!
AYE MAJU YOU REALLY TOOK MY RECCOMENDATION! I am so happy to see you played Koudelka and Shadow Hearts.
love ur vids Majuular! thanks for always introducing me to new (old) games
I vibrated on seeing this uploaded. I was READY for some new Maaj. Thanks for creating this!
26:20
Hello! I'm enjoying the video a lot so far, but I just wanted to make sure you were aware that Gy*** is a slur against/to the Romani people. The name is derived from a misunderstanding that they come from E-gyp-t, and has frequently used to other them. I'm looking forwards to watching the rest of the video !
I love all the well deserved attention the Shadow Hearts series has been getting the past couple of years. They hold a very special place in my heart and I'm glad I snatched a copy of Koudelka before the prices skyrocketed, though they seem to be a little more reasonable now depending on where you get them.
Damn Majuula,
Not only have you now covered the Koudelka/Shadow Hearts series, a series I’ve been longing for someone to properly review for years but also mentioned Sanitarium in a way that suggests you played it. You have earned my respect and sub for life!
Well met! Well met!
Koudelka was revolutionary for me when I played it. I literally rented it - remember those days - because of the fact it was a four disc Sqaresoft RPG. I was blown away by its music, story and full voice acting, which as a visually impaired gamer who reads text boxes very slow, was a literal game changer. I never got the "defeat the boss" ending, but I was satisfied by the "bad" ending. When Shadow Hearts was announced, it was an instant buy, especially after they showcased the FMV cutscenes. My understanding was that was much of what the game would be. Boy was I disappointed. It was still decent - especially the music", but it lacked that feel of Koudelka. I was so excited when I got to the sanitarium and saw Koudelka ... and then she was not to the same. Despite my disappointment, I enjoyed Shadow Hearts enough to be excited for the sequel, and despite its more humerous approach, it was a much, MUCH better game in almost every way. I think your video was fantastic and I really appreciate this series being revisited. I hope you enjoand Covenant if you haven't played it yet. It's disgraseful there's no non-emulator way to play this series anymore. It needs a revival, especially after Shadow Hearts From the New World.
New Majuular and it covers the PS2 rpg I bought on a whim so many years ago. Gonna be a good time.
His content and revelation on how we are left with memories that leave an imprint of our souls when someone dies was definitely the healthier and greatest lesson to be learned for the player.
Why can't all UA-cam comments on other channels be like this? Every one in this section hasbeen on point, and seeing yours made me feel the need to say so!
Another delectable reviewtrospective from one of my favorite channels! And a double header at that! So, so happy to see you moving onwards and upwards in the YT sphere; few people I know of are more deserving of success and growth. Congrats on your ever-increasing subscriber and view counts (or watch time or whatever metric our overlords measure success by these days). All the best, and keep em coming!
Holy shit, Majuular is back. What a gigachad
Quickly turning in to one of my favorite channels! I'd like to request you please keep making videos on things I've never heard of. Thanks.
I never finished Koudelka because I hated the weapon durability, it actually soft locked my initial playthrough which made me give up on it altogether, but watching this video makes me want to give it another chance. I beat Shadow Hearts awhile back, I thought it was a solid game and I think you reflected a lot of my own thoughts on the game. Anyways, thanks for another banger of a video dude, you've become one of my favorite content creators as of late, keep up the great work!
I love how deeply and detailed you cover these obscure but interesting gems. Id never even heard of either of these. Your work is a labor of love that is truly appreciated and I hope keep up the good work!
I just want to say that I found this channel and video today for the first time. I immediately subscribed! Very well done video and I look forward to seeing what else you have on UA-cam.
Wow, I had never even heard of Koudelka before clicking this video. The bit about it being a stage play is spot-on, and got me thinking...
I would love for more games to take that type of approach to their storytelling. It gives the acting from the characters such an undeniable sense of weight. I know indie games can't afford to mo-cap their actors (if they can even afford voice actors, period) but that really elevated Koudelka's presentation.
Fun fact, Roger Bacon is voiced by the same guy who voices James and Meowth in the dubs for Pokemon, definitely explains the power to get super whacky with the role
I think I found a new channel to watch.
Love those long essays. Perfect when I have to do grinding in an RPG.
God I wish I didn’t miss out on koudelka back in the day. You really sold me on it. Now it’s asking price is very high to get it into my collection.
Great job! Such a great content for us, Koudelka and Shadow Hearts fans. Also, I'm really glad more and more people show interest in this saga.
Man, finally my memory of Shadow hearts is coming back while watching further. My friend and I've played shadow hearts both, extensively to the end.
Im not sure if I even played the first game. Though the soundtrack and visual design look and feel very familiar to me.
The music of Shadow hearts is absolutely brilliant. These dark industrial Nin Vibes
and the melodic pieces.. must be one of the best soundtracks of his time and generation.
A Majuular video on a Friday? How can this get any better ! love your vids man keep up the great work
Koudelka was one of the first RPGs I ever played. My mom loved Resident Evil, and introduced me to video games, and this game looked kinda like RE in the jewel case's screenshots on the back. I agree that a lot of the joy in it comes from how unlike 90's/00's JRPGs it really is, and the aesthetics, lore, and everything non-mechanics related still resonates with me a lot. Sadly, it's difficult for me to finish it these days as I've grown out of love with these mechanics. Love to see a video essay on it (and Shadow Hearts)!
So glad you covered Koudelka! It's always been underrated in my opinion, I first played through it around 2008, replayed it a year and a half ago and beat the gargoyle. Love that game despite it's weird design choices.
It's always a good day when Majuular uploads a new video.
Good old Shadow Hearts, I hope some day they make some kind of HD compilation
You thought I was going to add something meaningful, but I'm actually Lottery member No 42. Here's some tissues!
This was such a cool watch. I had heard vaguely about these games in the past but thank you so much for covering them in full 😁
i love your channel, i just discovered it because of the thief review and i’ve been watching everyone of your videos since then. your content is up there with grimbeard when it comes to funny long form video game reviews/retrospectives that are just long enough to scratch my video game analysis itch or keep my brain from melting when i’m busy wasting away at work without being a 7 hour long game design/philosophy lecture. Keep up the good work.
Not sure if it's been suggested yet, but I would love a video on Dark Cloud 1 & 2/ Chronicles. Most retrospectives are around 20 minutes and pretty surface level for such a unique series.
Dark Cloud 2 is the better game but Dark Cloud 1 is so relaxing to me.
Love Koudelka! Played a lot back in the day! The item illustrations are perfection. The aesthetic is also on point. The storyline and voice acting is also very well done. Again, loved playing it 💜
Watching your videos has basically become a end-of-week tradition for me by now. After a long week of classes, sitting in my sofa under my blanket with candy in hand is the comfiest time of the week.
Excellent video as always, I really vibed with Koudelka! Its atmosphere and voice acting really hooked me!
Both Koudelka and Shadow Hearts deserve way more mainstream recognition.
Sir, you made my day with this video, excellent retrospective for one of my favorite sagas, looking forward for the Shadow Hearts Covenant video, I still own all of them because they are excellent rpgs from that mythical era of JRPGS, thank you again!
And a small heads-up. While Koudelka never had Japanese voice acting, it was dubbed in French, German and Spanish for the European market.
Brooooo thank you so much for making a video on an RPG series I love that barely anyone has heard of! Hyped for the video and for Penny Blood.
This was awesome! Thank you for diving into Kouldeka and how Shadow Hearts continues it. I played all 3 Shadow Hearts, so much great nostalgia. Keep up the great work!
omg they said THAT VOICE ACTING WAS BAD?? shit this is the first ive heard of koudelka and that drunken monolog had me in tears already just from the delivery. i remember being in that space before your thoughts drop all elegance and its just brutally blunt. thats hard to act. they let jsut anybody review games huh
Amazing intro. I watch it like 5 times every time.
I just finished Shadow Hearts mid April. What a wild ride it was. Currently diving into Covenant and I’m already sad to see the pre-rendered backgrounds gone. I was surprised to see this video pop up and thought you were going to retrospect the entire series so I could see if Covenant and New World were worth it, but another comment in this thread says they get insane so I’ll keep pathing forward.
Also, that remark about the industrial chain and Fear Factory made me feel personally attacked, hahaha
This is my first time hearing about that spiritual successor, and I couldn't be more excited! Really looking forward to your Covenant reveiw!
Your content is exemplary. I especially like how you analyse the stories and gameplay of these games. Wish you great success!
Majuular makes such high quality retrospective vids. Its great to see him cover a niche series like Shadow Hearts.
Yessssss!! This is the video I've been hyped for since you announced it on your Patreon!! I could only watch the first 30min rn but so far it's everything I dreamed it would be. Sooooo glad to see Koudelka get the love it deserves. And your editing skills are 🤌🤌🤌🤌 Thank you for this gift
Thank you Majuular, your thoughts on these two memories of my youth, will resonate long after your voice fades from my ears. Thank you for your hard good work. Stay safe
I had never heard of either of these games and this was so well done and informative and funny! Your channel is criminally under rated. Fantastic work as always!
Damn. I heard about these games for the first time last year, and thought about doing a little retrospective on them. but alas, you beat me to it!
I remember renting Shadow Hearts a lot when I was 11 or so, as I could never buy it in Spain and it was an imported rarity. Didn't know much English, but carried on using a dictionary and sheer will. Could never get past the fight against Yuri when he is in a cell and you have to rescue him.
Such a good game, and so many good memories. Thank you for this video.
Waiting for a video on Dark Cloud!
Koudelka is a game i remember from my child hood that i couldn't remember the name of, The day my mom finished it she sold it, i never got the chance to try it, but those scenes of the characters talking, brought the memories back to my head.