I remember getting Kuon as a kid in a garage sale, sneaking it home, sitting down and playing it in secret late at night because my parents didn't want me playing mature-rated games. Gave me nightmares for months, but also got me really interested in the J-horror aesthetic. I don't think I'd have ever gotten a taste for horror if I hadn't played it. 110% a forgotten classic, I just wish I still had the disc :(
I grabbed it out of a bargain bin for around $15 when I was in college. Never thought it would be collectible, I just liked survival horror games. I also got Rule of Rose, all three PS2 Fatal Frames, and Haunting Ground, for around the same price, give or take. At the time (mid 2000s) they got more or less bad reviews, and no one wanted them. I still have them all, discs in mint condition with manuals. I even remember my mom getting upset because she thought I spent too much money on video games :)
When I first saw Kuon at GameStop, read the case and booklet I KNEW I had to buy it. When first heard the title screen music and watched the opening cinematic I KNEW this was going to be one Hell of a game. In my first moment of gameplay when that Gaki kept shadowing around that circular plant fixture I fell in love with this game. I still have a copy to this day. Odd that I was meaning to play it recently only to chance upon this vid.
No there was much better horror games on the PS2 around the time that game came out. I think you guys are just calling this an underrated gym because hardly anybody has played it or knows about it so therefore it's good. The typical hipster mindset
I remember when Sekiro teasers came out a lot of FromSoft fans thought it was going to be a sequel to Kuon. I wish that were true. This game and it’s lore is ripe for a sequel or remake or hell even a HD remaster so people can actually experience the game and not pay ridiculous amounts of cash for it.
Yeah, I feel ya there. I deluded myself into thinking they'd dust off this rare title of theirs and get a continuation or new entry into the Kuon story.
@@drbeeant I said "pulls a demon souls remake but kuon" of course I know. That sentence means I want someone, anyone, to pulls the surprise remake that is demon souls but it is a surprise remake of kuon.
This proves that while "professional" game reviews can help you decide whether or not to buy a game, they're not always accurate, sincere, or logical, and you should go with your gut feeling about a game
Good for you for encouraging emulation. I feel like so many game reviewers tend to discourage it or not even mention it possibly because they feel like they're taking some kind of "moral high ground" because they think emulation is bad somehow. So many gems would get lost to time without it, and I'm glad some people with a wider reaching voice can appreciate it.
If the game is readily available at a fair price, and is a good port, then you should buy it. But because that is not the case with 90% of these games, emulation is really the only option.
Kuon's sound design is really unique. It's grounded and minimal, but deeply unsettling and otherworldly. I've heard the 'monster appears, time to go insane' sting in my freaking nightmares.
@@JoeyintheAM Just emulate it on a PC. PCSX2 has pretty close to perfect emulation nowadays. If you have a decent CPU you can also run the game at 1080p or more
@All_lives_matter, reject fabricated racism by govt He could, although he doesn't play many games anymore, only casual ones. Nevertheless I do have nice memories of him playing a lot of horror games and some FPSs when I was a kid.
Another one my "cursed" games where something always happens in my life that prevents me from finishing it. From thefts, to hardware malfunctions. I've never completed Kuon for 1 reason or another. Maybe someday.
Kuon has the distinction of being the one survival horror game that has made me reel back into my chair in terror. So a bit of spoilers: There's this bit into the first campaign where you're supposed to look through a hole in a wall, anyone who plays these kinds of games will know this is a prime spot for a horrible jumpscare and indeed, the game does just that, however it only does it after *the second time you look through the peephole*. Again, this isn't exactly a rare thing as many games pull this bait and switch on the player all the time so how did it manage to get me? As I was playing, looked through the peephole the first time, got nothing as I sort of expected, and just as I was about to do the second prompt I got a phone call, which happened to last just long enough that I completely forgot what I was doing in the game, so when I came back to the game my dumbass just absent-mindedly hit X on the giant prompt that was on the screen, jumpscare unexpectedly go BOO and I go "Oh no my heart" as it skips a beat and cold sweats roll over my slump body. I'm not too keen on the game compared to its contemporaries, but by God I'm never, ever forgetting that one moment.
The title screen also is spooky if you quit mid game the girl blinks at you and I think this is the one with the spooky screen savor if you leave the game untouched for a time that's creepy. I know Fatal Frame 2 also has the spooky screen savor and if you take photos of your sister later in game bloody hand prints appear over the image. Oddly Kuon also has a nice chess game you can play after you beat the game and collect both boards too.
I got this game by accident when I was young on a garage sale, thinking that it was Fatal Frame by the cover. So I grabbed it and bought it with my dad and after getting home I inserted the disc to my PS2 and started playing and realizing that it was not Fatal Frame. I was sad and I cried out of disappointment but my dad convinced me to at least play it while he saves money to buy Fatal Frame. So I did played it (with my dad playing the difficult parts for me while I watch him) and I fell inlove with the game almost instantly. Reminding him of what happened back then after watching this video, he told me that after a month he already saved enough money to buy Fatal Frame II but noticed that I was still enjoying Kuon so he just bought the game and kept it hidden until I get bored from Kuon. He gave Fatal Frame II as a gift on my birthday and I was happy that I played Kuon before playing Fatal Frame II. I thanked my dad for all of it.
This was the great Era of horror games, and in my collection, Kuon was there. I loved it so much, and I could not stop playing until I finish the three story lines, and my God, this game stayed in my head for so long after I finished. It's so good to see nowadays the community gathering to talk about those hidden gems!
Y’know how they say if a Time Machine was invented to go back and do all kinds of wild shit? My goal would be to go get Rule of Rose and Kuon. I already have Haunting Ground, but the fact that these games are so expensive and so sought after would make it worth the effort.
I would have told my younger self not to trade them in. I know my friend has them and he's not about to sell them anytime soon, not for the price but he loves those games.
I cashed out 200 euros last year to get Rule of Rose in my collection, and I'm really tempted to save up some cash to do the same for Kuon. Emulation is one thing, but I really want to play classics like this on my PS2 and own a physical copy. Thank Odin that Haunting Ground is pretty cheap in Europe.
I've had my eyes on Kuon for almost 10 years. I guess I thought I would be able to pay for a physical copy one day. This video made me realize I shouldn't wait any longer. I'll definetly be playing this on an emulator this summer!
If you really want a rare gem on the PS2, I recommend checking out Gregory Horror Show: Soul Collector. A Capcom game based on an equally obscure anime from the late 90’s/early 2000’s, it’s essentially stealth survival horror with black humor sprinkled throughout, as well as a cartoony, geometric art style that makes GHS stand out from other survival horror games at the time. Basically think early Resident Evil meets Animal Crossing.
Dana Trick There is a version you can emulate online (which is what Joel from Vinesauce played). The downside is that there are a handful of audio glitches that with repeat certain words of dialogue, and a bigger glitch during the final boss that will cause the frame rate to lag.
Yeah that game slaps, I love how instead of being 100% hostile all the other guests of the hotel are just dangerous and unpredictable. Also the same creator did Pecola in basically the same art style which I think is a slightly less obscure cartoon.
Gargenville the same studio also creates midnight horror school (which is like a mix of pecola and gregory). Pecola also have an educational game if i remember correctly
I'm playing Animal Crossing while I watch this and the sudden Blathers cameo broke my brain for a second. Congrats on your impending big patreon milestone! That's huge.
Thank you so much for the guide!!! I've wanted to play Kuon for so long but could never even try to afford to find a physical copy. I was never sure how to emulate but now thanks to you I can try! thanks so much! It's an incredible game and i can't wait to play for myself at last!
Or just make the original available on PSN, I'd be happy with that too .but I know game software weren't really saved back in the day after they were finished 😭
@TheDiabeticGameMaster I was able to get that game from a local game store not long ago and when I got home to play the Xbox dvd tray ended up messed up 😭 never got to try it so I feel you on that one
@@danialyousaf6456 as much as I indescribably LOVE the idea. Demon souls is popular because it is the ancestor of soulslike genre, a popular genre. While Kuon isn't as popular. But my life would be beyond complete if they pull Demon Souls remake reveal but Kuon and rule of rose.
@@lonewolffang damn I'm jealous at least you got one 😂 I was trying to buy a new DVD drive at the time to try to fix it but they spiked up in price by a fair bit. But I haven't checked since.
Omg I am stoked you are doing this!! Kuon was on of my favorites. I never got to finish it because the first copy I had kept freezing after part 1. I got another copy that allowed me to play part 2 but them froze when I got to part 3. I gave up mostly because at that time, I couldn't find the game anywhere anymore. Edit: Wow I had no idea it was that rare and that expensive now. Too bad my copies aren't in better condition.
I’m so happy that someone has finally made a tribute to this hidden and unappreciated gem. It’s awesome to see someone with the same love of the amazing horror games that not only influenced my teen years - but still continue to inform my tastes and interests in my thirties.
I found a copy of Kuon in a used games store in San Diego when I was on vacation for my birthday like, five years ago. Such a great underrated classic, really glad I bought my copy back when it was still kind of affordable lol.
I bloody love Kuon! I played it a few years back, picking it up almost randomly, and quickly fell in love with it. It made me feel like I'm playing a kaidan. To this day I was sure that I'm the only one to ever play it though, great to see I'm wrong! Hopefully this video will bring some attention to this unjustly forgotten pearl.
Glad you covered this. I randomly found this on Gamefly back in 2007 and gave it a shot and loved it. Literally the only thing I didn't like about it was the lack of lip movement during cut scenes. I ended up paying $110 for it via eBay years later, around 2014 or so.
The talk of the camera angle system being kinda perfected reminded me of the "every frame a painting" episode on Kurasawa and how he would cut by leading the viewers eye to where the focus of the next cut would start. love fromsoft, never heard of this game. good vid.
Kuon has been a favorite of mine for a long time. So many strange things happened when I played it. I still own a copy. Glad to see others know about it.
I saw it on shelf many years ago when I was looking for horror games in stores (among Fatal Frame series and Haunting ground), I enjoyed it thoroughly and wondered why not many ppl heard about it. I still remember the Hashizoroe song.
I greatly appreciate how this analysis is devoid of spoilers. You have sufficiently piqued my interest in this game while leaving it vague and mysterious enough for me to still "discover it" on my own. Bravo.
This is one of the best horror games from PS2 that I never finished. I tried so hard but I was stuck almost in the end. PS2 now thinking is the best generation for horror games specially. We got so many amazing games this genedation.
You're an inspiration to me, you're so dedicated and treat these artistic masterpieces as they deserve. Also, you're one of the few I watch till the end because of your perfect pronunciation of foreign names lol.
I forgot to say thank you for adding that Google doc to help emulate Kuon! It's been hell trying to get an actual copy of it, but I hope through emulation it does get its appreciation and live on.
Kuon is SO underrated. This horror game is truly an undiscovered gem, along with Fatal Frame series. I miss PSOne and Two's eras... So many underrated games and undiscovered gems during that time...
I love that you talked about the survival horror influence on the Souls games! It's something I've noticed myself, but even after watching hours and hours of essays and critiques on Souls games, I don't recall anyone else ever mentioning it. I hope From make another straight up horror game sometime.
Great to see people taking a look at some more of FromSoft's 'aughts releases. Incredible that of the like 8 games they released in 2003 and 2004, nearly everything was gold.
I remember Kuon dearly. Sadly, I don't have the game to this day. I remember watching Kuon walkthrough in my hostel room alone with very slow internet connection when I wa taking a break from doing my thesis in 2011. I finally able to watch full walkthrough at home months after that. I was searching Fatal Frame 2, Rule of Rose and Kuon but I only found Fatal Frame 2. I can't find Rule of Rose and Kuon anywhere in my country (Malaysia). Nobody here talking about those two too. I'm really glad you made a video about Kuon. Actually, I kinda like Abe no Seimei in this game.
Never heard of this game , but i'm glad i found your video , it's 3AM and i'm gonna go have a little conversation with my ps2 now , thank you so much .
Great content, as usual! I'm thankful I bought a copy of this game back in early 2007, along with a few other now rare PS2 survival horror titles before they skyrocketed in price. I never understood why reviewers hated this game, I really enjoyed it.
great video . i´ve never heard of Kuon before . As a fan of the early survival horror like clocktower , resident evil and nightmqare creatures this gem still came out of nowhere to me :) gg.
. Blood "yup" . Gore "as is to be expected" . Body Horror "Are these warnings even really necessary anymore" . Unjustified Review Scores "I am deeply offended, who let this travesty happen? I want to speak to a supervisor."
The algorithm brought this to me (because I watch comedy Dark Souls vids, even though I didn't really love the game when I played it, and also I love Silent Hill), and I'm glad it did. The more I watched the more I realized how beautiful and flowing the character animations were. Feel a little bummed there was no plot summary, but there's always wiki for that. :) Thanks for making this video.
Kuon was a great experience, I remember playing it once at a friend's house. Scared me for very long! Fatal Frame Crimson Butterfly I have in my possession and it's my all-time favourite horror game! Can't wait for you to cover it, thanks a lot!
HE DID IT!!! He did a video on my favourite horror game evah!!! AND he included JOJO references!!! Excuse me while I geek out for the next 24 hours!. Also Thank you. This video ust made my week.
I like the timing of the release of this video, though, obviously not intended. I used to watch my father play games. Honestly, that is what brings me to gaming. And the one game I remember more than anything is Kuon. So you doing this somehow brings me to that special moments. Thanks Ragnar!
YESSS I called it I'm so happy you're covering Kuon! I played it with a friend one night, and still remember how freaking impossible that one riddle was, and the hilariously bad German subtitles, as well as a few of the jumpscares that really got me. I loved the aesthetic of that game. Love your video as always, it is so nice how you contextualize a game with the time it came out and what the industry was like then.
Kuon is one of those hidden gems with a cult following. It is a very simple game with its gameplay mechanics but it didn't need to be complex as its simplicity added to the charm of the horror. I'd love to see Kuon come back in some shape or form but unfortunately it doesn't seem very likely that it will happen as it didn't sell to FromSoftwares expectations back in the day so I think they abandoned it which is a shame. Still I hope FromSoftware will give Kuon another chance even if we just get a remaster as this game needs a lot more appreciation than it got. I know Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice took inspiration from Kuon and Tenchu which is a minor consolation but I think it would be great to revist Kuon with today's gaming tech.
I remember in like 2008 or something I was living in London Ontario and I found this game in a little used game store. I went back to my place to google it, and upon seeing the images and what the game was about I immediately bought it!
That reverb at the beginning is awesome Ragnar. The clarity was pretty amazing too. It might seem dumb to folks, but I mix vocals and I'm just impressed.
I was super lucky about 10 years ago to find a copy of Kuon used without case for 6 bucks American. I love this game for so many reasons: the Heian setting, the onmyoudo, that special secret third character for the final playthrough, etc. One thing that really affected me was when Utsuki finds herself underground. The water was full of all the little vessels that she'd used to purify herself of sin throughout the game, and now here they all floated in the stagnant water. The implications of the collected sin all just festering there in one place, and simply because I kept thoughtlessly saving when I had the chance, made me seriously uneasy enough to feel nauseated. I've rarely felt that strongly about a game. It was brilliant.
I still have a copy of Kuon on my shelf, together with Fatal Frame 1-3, Rule of Rose and, Hunting Ground. That's my dear PS2 obscure horror collection. :D
the shinto and buddhist influences on old japanese horror stories always made them stand out more to me as a westerner. and the way kuon captured that unique storytelling atmosphere quickly made it one of my favorites. rule of rose is another horror game that won me over due to its unique storytelling. the horror games that came out after the ps2 have yet to impress me, story wise, like those two games did back in the day.
A remake of Kuon would look so amazing.. I wish there could be a kuon themed DLC for Bloodbourne or Sekiro.. Bloodbourne has that mysterious hunter with Japanese clothing locked away in the tower... In Sekiro all the failed blessed children are merged with centipedes in the temple..
I bought this game randomly in my home town as a kid used because it was cheap and I was gagged, it was so creepy. Glad to see this gem isn't completely forgotten.
@@raphaeldias5502 It was right up my alley back then too. Although I totally shat my pants everytime I played fatal frame at the age of 6. Raphael, there are inbetween studios out there that do not have a AAA budget & that make video games with less market appeal, like Paradox interactive who produces Europa Universalis, Stellaris, etc. Hellblade senuas sacrifice is also not Triple A. It blew up like an AAA title because of how good it was. There are many smaller studios that inhabit the landscape of inbetweener weeners. Hopefully you can still find some stuff out there that appeals to you. I eventually did.
I played this game almost in 2007 and that shit scared the hell out of me because it has a dark and deep atmosphere, the enemies are weird and supernatural, it doesn't abuse for a script game like various "horror" games these days. Today I do not think that this game will become popular because Resident Evil 4 killed this genre, the internet and the streamers spoil every moment of fear and become viral and the people never play the game becuse they see him in youtube. In addition some today would be bored with this game because it does not use fire guns and the history is a little bit slow. I miss games like these with a good psychological horror story to be enjoyed alone, nothing online and that doesn't abuse of injustified screamers. Respect for Kuon and the development team for one of the last gems of "survival horror" era
Your intro got me thinking about how weird it is to have been alive through most advancements in modern gaming. Kinda scary how good things have gotten.
As someone who loves action games with elements of horror behind them (Games like Resident Evil 4 and beyond, Fallout, and Metro 2033 among others), it saddens me to see horror-heavy genres pushed into near-obscurity. At the same time, it also makes me happy that these nearly-once lost genres are slowly being rediscovered. If only I knew about Kuon at the time of its release. While I am happy to see games like Resident Evil 4 getting the attention and love it deserves, I honestly wish Kuon was given the same treatment. Because it really could have been something great. Edit: I honestly truly feel very fortunate to actually see quite the evolution gaming has gone through. We've went from clunky fixed-camera to over-the-shoulder in 3rd person perspective gaming. A remake of Kuon with improved animations and over-the-shoulder 3rd person perspective would be quite a presentation today. Only thing is once you get to the Kuon phase playing as Abe No Seimei (even though said character should really be a man since she is inspired by a historical figure) then the game will probably go from medieval Resident Evil to Dark Souls.
I purchased Kuon back in 2005, still own it. I never finished it. I got stuck very early in the game, and never went back to it. The same thing happened with Silent Hill 4. I found myself playing Shadow of the Colossus more, then God of War. The year 2005 was an epic year for games.
I hate to be pedantic, but the inciting incident in Kuon doesn't happen ages ago in-game. It's actually a rather recent, mysterious disease that has struck the manor and the father/master the two initial characters was summoned to the manor to treat it/stop it despite SPOILERS BELOW Being involved in the origins of the disaster.
Really loving your videos. Keep this up! I feel like a lot criticize the whole camera angle aspect when it comes to this game and others with similar. Like Crimson Butterfly. Always seems more like a gripe for many players.
Legend has it if you comment 1st ragnar will pin your comment
Your legend is wrong!
So the legend is true...
Ps Thanks RagnarRox 😊
It's funny how youtubers actually fall for this overused unoriginal manipulative b.s comment and many like it. 😂
@@clockworkNate Or, you know, they could just find it funny and/or fun?
I remember getting Kuon as a kid in a garage sale, sneaking it home, sitting down and playing it in secret late at night because my parents didn't want me playing mature-rated games. Gave me nightmares for months, but also got me really interested in the J-horror aesthetic. I don't think I'd have ever gotten a taste for horror if I hadn't played it. 110% a forgotten classic, I just wish I still had the disc :(
And I still got it.
I grabbed it out of a bargain bin for around $15 when I was in college. Never thought it would be collectible, I just liked survival horror games. I also got Rule of Rose, all three PS2 Fatal Frames, and Haunting Ground, for around the same price, give or take. At the time (mid 2000s) they got more or less bad reviews, and no one wanted them. I still have them all, discs in mint condition with manuals. I even remember my mom getting upset because she thought I spent too much money on video games :)
@@TheJackal917 me too. Found it for $25 before it churned up to higher prices.
@@MrDryqula 👍
@@MrDryqula I thought you were jokingly writing a short creepy pasta in response to Trainerblue
So happy that you finally made a video about this game. Such underrated "forgotten gem" imo
This game is so good I played it back then.
Completely agree. I bought it when it first came out and while it was difficult to play at time, I thought the story and atmosphere was well worth it.
When I first saw Kuon at GameStop, read the case and booklet I KNEW I had to buy it. When first heard the title screen music and watched the opening cinematic I KNEW this was going to be one Hell of a game. In my first moment of gameplay when that Gaki kept shadowing around that circular plant fixture I fell in love with this game. I still have a copy to this day. Odd that I was meaning to play it recently only to chance upon this vid.
@@richardjamesgallardojr.7584 please sell me it baby
No there was much better horror games on the PS2 around the time that game came out.
I think you guys are just calling this an underrated gym because hardly anybody has played it or knows about it so therefore it's good. The typical hipster mindset
I remember when Sekiro teasers came out a lot of FromSoft fans thought it was going to be a sequel to Kuon. I wish that were true. This game and it’s lore is ripe for a sequel or remake or hell even a HD remaster so people can actually experience the game and not pay ridiculous amounts of cash for it.
Yeah, I feel ya there. I deluded myself into thinking they'd dust off this rare title of theirs and get a continuation or new entry into the Kuon story.
Damn, thinking about remaster my life would be beyond complete if anyone pulls a demon souls remake reveal but Kuon
@@toxicdermyillunary4103 You know Demon's Souls IS getting a remake, right?
@@drbeeant I said "pulls a demon souls remake but kuon" of course I know. That sentence means I want someone, anyone, to pulls the surprise remake that is demon souls but it is a surprise remake of kuon.
All these developers were trying to capitalize off the success of Fatal Frame but never succeeded. Most of them were garbage including Kuon.
This proves that while "professional" game reviews can help you decide whether or not to buy a game, they're not always accurate, sincere, or logical, and you should go with your gut feeling about a game
Nah bruh, just buy The Last of Us 2 because everyone is giving it 10 out of 10s. :P
@@thecoolcario9048 (doubt) haha sure.
@@thecoolcario9048🙄
You can also watch critics on UA-cam like this one or read fan reviews of different video games.
@@warrenbradford2597 this didn't exist at the time this game released man, forums maybe would be helpful at the time but that's a shot in the dark.
Good for you for encouraging emulation. I feel like so many game reviewers tend to discourage it or not even mention it possibly because they feel like they're taking some kind of "moral high ground" because they think emulation is bad somehow. So many gems would get lost to time without it, and I'm glad some people with a wider reaching voice can appreciate it.
Game is way too expensive. Emulate is the best, until prices do down
If the game is readily available at a fair price, and is a good port, then you should buy it. But because that is not the case with 90% of these games, emulation is really the only option.
@@praisetheoak yeah I typically will buy the game if I like it enough, if it's priced fairly. This is definitely one I've been meaning to pick up.
Kuon's sound design is really unique. It's grounded and minimal, but deeply unsettling and otherworldly. I've heard the 'monster appears, time to go insane' sting in my freaking nightmares.
Found Kuon in a little Video Game store that no longer exists (RIP), played it, loved it, traded it in. I was young and foolish.
Honestly, if I could find it for $200 I would pounce on it.
@@JoeyintheAM Just emulate it on a PC. PCSX2 has pretty close to perfect emulation nowadays. If you have a decent CPU you can also run the game at 1080p or more
I still have my copy. :)
Hashi Zoroe... Hashi Zoroe...
CAN’T WAIT for a fatal frame 2 video, that’s my favorite game!
I am really excited for this!
Yeah it's really good. I have fond memories of my dad playing it.
@All_lives_matter, reject fabricated racism by govt He could, although he doesn't play many games anymore, only casual ones.
Nevertheless I do have nice memories of him playing a lot of horror games and some FPSs when I was a kid.
Another one my "cursed" games where something always happens in my life that prevents me from finishing it. From thefts, to hardware malfunctions. I've never completed Kuon for 1 reason or another. Maybe someday.
Probs the clunky ass controls.
Great game, really enjoyed it. But god damn was I hating the mechanics of the spells the whole time.
Emulation?
Kuon has the distinction of being the one survival horror game that has made me reel back into my chair in terror.
So a bit of spoilers: There's this bit into the first campaign where you're supposed to look through a hole in a wall, anyone who plays these kinds of games will know this is a prime spot for a horrible jumpscare and indeed, the game does just that, however it only does it after *the second time you look through the peephole*. Again, this isn't exactly a rare thing as many games pull this bait and switch on the player all the time so how did it manage to get me? As I was playing, looked through the peephole the first time, got nothing as I sort of expected, and just as I was about to do the second prompt I got a phone call, which happened to last just long enough that I completely forgot what I was doing in the game, so when I came back to the game my dumbass just absent-mindedly hit X on the giant prompt that was on the screen, jumpscare unexpectedly go BOO and I go "Oh no my heart" as it skips a beat and cold sweats roll over my slump body.
I'm not too keen on the game compared to its contemporaries, but by God I'm never, ever forgetting that one moment.
The title screen also is spooky if you quit mid game the girl blinks at you and I think this is the one with the spooky screen savor if you leave the game untouched for a time that's creepy. I know Fatal Frame 2 also has the spooky screen savor and if you take photos of your sister later in game bloody hand prints appear over the image. Oddly Kuon also has a nice chess game you can play after you beat the game and collect both boards too.
I got this game by accident when I was young on a garage sale, thinking that it was Fatal Frame by the cover. So I grabbed it and bought it with my dad and after getting home I inserted the disc to my PS2 and started playing and realizing that it was not Fatal Frame. I was sad and I cried out of disappointment but my dad convinced me to at least play it while he saves money to buy Fatal Frame. So I did played it (with my dad playing the difficult parts for me while I watch him) and I fell inlove with the game almost instantly. Reminding him of what happened back then after watching this video, he told me that after a month he already saved enough money to buy Fatal Frame II but noticed that I was still enjoying Kuon so he just bought the game and kept it hidden until I get bored from Kuon. He gave Fatal Frame II as a gift on my birthday and I was happy that I played Kuon before playing Fatal Frame II. I thanked my dad for all of it.
This was the great Era of horror games, and in my collection, Kuon was there. I loved it so much, and I could not stop playing until I finish the three story lines, and my God, this game stayed in my head for so long after I finished. It's so good to see nowadays the community gathering to talk about those hidden gems!
Y’know how they say if a Time Machine was invented to go back and do all kinds of wild shit? My goal would be to go get Rule of Rose and Kuon. I already have Haunting Ground, but the fact that these games are so expensive and so sought after would make it worth the effort.
My dad sold my haunting ground for like 10 bucks when I moved out a long time ago :/
I’d rather game preservation be better in general than having to horde all this old tech
My copy of Rule of Rose cost just as much as the Jordan I's want.
I would have told my younger self not to trade them in. I know my friend has them and he's not about to sell them anytime soon, not for the price but he loves those games.
I cashed out 200 euros last year to get Rule of Rose in my collection, and I'm really tempted to save up some cash to do the same for Kuon. Emulation is one thing, but I really want to play classics like this on my PS2 and own a physical copy. Thank Odin that Haunting Ground is pretty cheap in Europe.
I've had my eyes on Kuon for almost 10 years. I guess I thought I would be able to pay for a physical copy one day. This video made me realize I shouldn't wait any longer. I'll definetly be playing this on an emulator this summer!
How did it go? I hope you liked it.
If you really want a rare gem on the PS2, I recommend checking out Gregory Horror Show: Soul Collector. A Capcom game based on an equally obscure anime from the late 90’s/early 2000’s, it’s essentially stealth survival horror with black humor sprinkled throughout, as well as a cartoony, geometric art style that makes GHS stand out from other survival horror games at the time. Basically think early Resident Evil meets Animal Crossing.
I second this! You can watch all the episodes on youtube as well!
Isn't that game only available in Europe? Plus, I love the show!!!!
Dana Trick There is a version you can emulate online (which is what Joel from Vinesauce played). The downside is that there are a handful of audio glitches that with repeat certain words of dialogue, and a bigger glitch during the final boss that will cause the frame rate to lag.
Yeah that game slaps, I love how instead of being 100% hostile all the other guests of the hotel are just dangerous and unpredictable.
Also the same creator did Pecola in basically the same art style which I think is a slightly less obscure cartoon.
Gargenville the same studio also creates midnight horror school (which is like a mix of pecola and gregory). Pecola also have an educational game if i remember correctly
i bought a copy of this game when it was still new, and still have it in perfect condition. i had NO idea it was rare, so that's neat to learn
I'm playing Animal Crossing while I watch this and the sudden Blathers cameo broke my brain for a second.
Congrats on your impending big patreon milestone! That's huge.
Thank you so much for the guide!!! I've wanted to play Kuon for so long but could never even try to afford to find a physical copy. I was never sure how to emulate but now thanks to you I can try! thanks so much! It's an incredible game and i can't wait to play for myself at last!
I wish From Software would remake this but that might never happen.
Or just make the original available on PSN, I'd be happy with that too .but I know game software weren't really saved back in the day after they were finished 😭
@TheDiabeticGameMaster I was able to get that game from a local game store not long ago and when I got home to play the Xbox dvd tray ended up messed up 😭 never got to try it so I feel you on that one
@@danialyousaf6456 as much as I indescribably LOVE the idea. Demon souls is popular because it is the ancestor of soulslike genre, a popular genre. While Kuon isn't as popular. But my life would be beyond complete if they pull Demon Souls remake reveal but Kuon and rule of rose.
@@HavelsRing96 I know how you feel, I had to buy another og xbox because my first one crapped out on me. Lost all my saved data but I'm fine with it.
@@lonewolffang damn I'm jealous at least you got one 😂 I was trying to buy a new DVD drive at the time to try to fix it but they spiked up in price by a fair bit. But I haven't checked since.
Omg I am stoked you are doing this!! Kuon was on of my favorites. I never got to finish it because the first copy I had kept freezing after part 1. I got another copy that allowed me to play part 2 but them froze when I got to part 3. I gave up mostly because at that time, I couldn't find the game anywhere anymore.
Edit: Wow I had no idea it was that rare and that expensive now. Too bad my copies aren't in better condition.
Oh my, It must be so frustrating. Hopefully you'll be able to play it using emulator.
The alpha demo of this spooky game called "Conscript" a world war 1 survival horror
You should check it out it's really cool
I’m so happy that someone has finally made a tribute to this hidden and unappreciated gem. It’s awesome to see someone with the same love of the amazing horror games that not only influenced my teen years - but still continue to inform my tastes and interests in my thirties.
I found a copy of Kuon in a used games store in San Diego when I was on vacation for my birthday like, five years ago. Such a great underrated classic, really glad I bought my copy back when it was still kind of affordable lol.
Love that u have been posting more vids lately!!! They are fantastic! One of my favourite channels of all time! 🖤 You deserve more subs!!
I bloody love Kuon! I played it a few years back, picking it up almost randomly, and quickly fell in love with it. It made me feel like I'm playing a kaidan. To this day I was sure that I'm the only one to ever play it though, great to see I'm wrong! Hopefully this video will bring some attention to this unjustly forgotten pearl.
Glad you covered this. I randomly found this on Gamefly back in 2007 and gave it a shot and loved it. Literally the only thing I didn't like about it was the lack of lip movement during cut scenes. I ended up paying $110 for it via eBay years later, around 2014 or so.
I remember seeing a short gameplay of this for a countdown video years ago. Good to see it wasn’t completely forgotten.
The talk of the camera angle system being kinda perfected reminded me of the "every frame a painting" episode on Kurasawa and how he would cut by leading the viewers eye to where the focus of the next cut would start. love fromsoft, never heard of this game. good vid.
Kuon has been a favorite of mine for a long time. So many strange things happened when I played it. I still own a copy. Glad to see others know about it.
21:30 - Oh man, us God Hand fans can definitely relate to this frustration.
Loved the finisher slap on girls lmao !
I saw it on shelf many years ago when I was looking for horror games in stores (among Fatal Frame series and Haunting ground), I enjoyed it thoroughly and wondered why not many ppl heard about it. I still remember the Hashizoroe song.
I always had a feeling you'd tackle this game and I'm so excited more people will get introduced to Kuon! It's one of my favorite older horror games
I greatly appreciate how this analysis is devoid of spoilers. You have sufficiently piqued my interest in this game while leaving it vague and mysterious enough for me to still "discover it" on my own. Bravo.
I've never heard of this game but it looks great.
I love how you can just TELL it's a FromSoft game by the way the characters look.
Still have a working PS2, still have a functioning Kuon copy. I never realised how sought after this game is. I used to love it, now I cherish it.
This is one of the best horror games from PS2 that I never finished. I tried so hard but I was stuck almost in the end. PS2 now thinking is the best generation for horror games specially. We got so many amazing games this genedation.
4:45 silent hill is much scarier than resident evil
I'm really happy I got this when it came out. It really does deserve the praise and attention.
You're an inspiration to me, you're so dedicated and treat these artistic masterpieces as they deserve. Also, you're one of the few I watch till the end because of your perfect pronunciation of foreign names lol.
I forgot to say thank you for adding that Google doc to help emulate Kuon! It's been hell trying to get an actual copy of it, but I hope through emulation it does get its appreciation and live on.
That voice...it's that Ragnar molasses I crave
Can't wait for your FFII video!
Ahh, my favourite channel to listen to while drawing. Thanks for another great video, king.
Glad I'm not the only drawing while listening...
Kuon is SO underrated. This horror game is truly an undiscovered gem, along with Fatal Frame series. I miss PSOne and Two's eras... So many underrated games and undiscovered gems during that time...
I loved playing this game after playing the first echo night. It's like an evolution of their horror and gameplay chops
I love that you talked about the survival horror influence on the Souls games! It's something I've noticed myself, but even after watching hours and hours of essays and critiques on Souls games, I don't recall anyone else ever mentioning it. I hope From make another straight up horror game sometime.
Great to see people taking a look at some more of FromSoft's 'aughts releases. Incredible that of the like 8 games they released in 2003 and 2004, nearly everything was gold.
I remember Kuon dearly. Sadly, I don't have the game to this day. I remember watching Kuon walkthrough in my hostel room alone with very slow internet connection when I wa taking a break from doing my thesis in 2011. I finally able to watch full walkthrough at home months after that. I was searching Fatal Frame 2, Rule of Rose and Kuon but I only found Fatal Frame 2. I can't find Rule of Rose and Kuon anywhere in my country (Malaysia). Nobody here talking about those two too.
I'm really glad you made a video about Kuon. Actually, I kinda like Abe no Seimei in this game.
Never heard of this game , but i'm glad i found your video , it's 3AM and i'm gonna go have a little conversation with my ps2 now , thank you so much .
Great content, as usual! I'm thankful I bought a copy of this game back in early 2007, along with a few other now rare PS2 survival horror titles before they skyrocketed in price. I never understood why reviewers hated this game, I really enjoyed it.
great video . i´ve never heard of Kuon before . As a fan of the early survival horror like clocktower , resident evil and nightmqare creatures this gem still came out of nowhere to me :) gg.
Ahhh, thanks for the enlightenment, had never heard of this before; just like you said, awesome.
. Blood "yup"
. Gore "as is to be expected"
. Body Horror "Are these warnings even really necessary anymore"
. Unjustified Review Scores "I am deeply offended, who let this travesty happen? I want to speak to a supervisor."
Oh, I love Kuon and now you honored the game with one of your videos. This day keeps getting better and better.😊
The algorithm brought this to me (because I watch comedy Dark Souls vids, even though I didn't really love the game when I played it, and also I love Silent Hill), and I'm glad it did. The more I watched the more I realized how beautiful and flowing the character animations were. Feel a little bummed there was no plot summary, but there's always wiki for that. :) Thanks for making this video.
Kuon was a great experience, I remember playing it once at a friend's house. Scared me for very long! Fatal Frame Crimson Butterfly I have in my possession and it's my all-time favourite horror game! Can't wait for you to cover it, thanks a lot!
Crimson Butterfly is definitely my favorite horror game of all time.
Glad to see you'll cover it soon.
HE DID IT!!! He did a video on my favourite horror game evah!!! AND he included JOJO references!!! Excuse me while I geek out for the next 24 hours!.
Also Thank you. This video ust made my week.
I like the timing of the release of this video, though, obviously not intended. I used to watch my father play games. Honestly, that is what brings me to gaming. And the one game I remember more than anything is Kuon. So you doing this somehow brings me to that special moments. Thanks Ragnar!
UA-cam did one good thing for thr first time since forever and actually suggested a channel I'm really interested in wow
This video was a love letter to the genre
This is a brilliant video. Kuon is one of the most beautiful horror game I’ve ever played.
YESSS I called it I'm so happy you're covering Kuon! I played it with a friend one night, and still remember how freaking impossible that one riddle was, and the hilariously bad German subtitles, as well as a few of the jumpscares that really got me. I loved the aesthetic of that game. Love your video as always, it is so nice how you contextualize a game with the time it came out and what the industry was like then.
Love to see new reviewes on such great and hidden classics from you!
Kuon is one of those hidden gems with a cult following. It is a very simple game with its gameplay mechanics but it didn't need to be complex as its simplicity added to the charm of the horror. I'd love to see Kuon come back in some shape or form but unfortunately it doesn't seem very likely that it will happen as it didn't sell to FromSoftwares expectations back in the day so I think they abandoned it which is a shame. Still I hope FromSoftware will give Kuon another chance even if we just get a remaster as this game needs a lot more appreciation than it got. I know Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice took inspiration from Kuon and Tenchu which is a minor consolation but I think it would be great to revist Kuon with today's gaming tech.
Thank you so so much for making a love letter to this game!
I got to try Kuon out last year and even though I only played for about 10 minutes, I absolutely loved it.
I remember in like 2008 or something I was living in London Ontario and I found this game in a little used game store. I went back to my place to google it, and upon seeing the images and what the game was about I immediately bought it!
That reverb at the beginning is awesome Ragnar. The clarity was pretty amazing too. It might seem dumb to folks, but I mix vocals and I'm just impressed.
Yes. Finally one of these old games I know nothing about yet I'm addicted to it.
I was super lucky about 10 years ago to find a copy of Kuon used without case for 6 bucks American. I love this game for so many reasons: the Heian setting, the onmyoudo, that special secret third character for the final playthrough, etc.
One thing that really affected me was when Utsuki finds herself underground. The water was full of all the little vessels that she'd used to purify herself of sin throughout the game, and now here they all floated in the stagnant water. The implications of the collected sin all just festering there in one place, and simply because I kept thoughtlessly saving when I had the chance, made me seriously uneasy enough to feel nauseated. I've rarely felt that strongly about a game. It was brilliant.
I still have a copy of Kuon on my shelf, together with Fatal Frame 1-3, Rule of Rose and, Hunting Ground. That's my dear PS2 obscure horror collection. :D
Yoooo this episode was amazing! I'm about to share in some Fromsoft groups; I'm sure many will find this kind of mind blowing.
the shinto and buddhist influences on old japanese horror stories always made them stand out more to me as a westerner. and the way kuon captured that unique storytelling atmosphere quickly made it one of my favorites. rule of rose is another horror game that won me over due to its unique storytelling. the horror games that came out after the ps2 have yet to impress me, story wise, like those two games did back in the day.
I too am a weeb
A remake of Kuon would look so amazing.. I wish there could be a kuon themed DLC for Bloodbourne or Sekiro.. Bloodbourne has that mysterious hunter with Japanese clothing locked away in the tower...
In Sekiro all the failed blessed children are merged with centipedes in the temple..
I bought this game randomly in my home town as a kid used because it was cheap and I was gagged, it was so creepy. Glad to see this gem isn't completely forgotten.
This is a game I feel sad over having missed. It would've been right up my alley back then.
Same man... i miss the time when triple A or indie games weren't the only options.
@@raphaeldias5502 It was right up my alley back then too. Although I totally shat my pants everytime I played fatal frame at the age of 6.
Raphael, there are inbetween studios out there that do not have a AAA budget & that make video games with less market appeal, like Paradox interactive who produces Europa Universalis, Stellaris, etc. Hellblade senuas sacrifice is also not Triple A. It blew up like an AAA title because of how good it was.
There are many smaller studios that inhabit the landscape of inbetweener weeners. Hopefully you can still find some stuff out there that appeals to you. I eventually did.
I played this game almost in 2007 and that shit scared the hell out of me because it has a dark and deep atmosphere, the enemies are weird and supernatural, it doesn't abuse for a script game like various "horror" games these days. Today I do not think that this game will become popular because Resident Evil 4 killed this genre, the internet and the streamers spoil every moment of fear and become viral and the people never play the game becuse they see him in youtube. In addition some today would be bored with this game because it does not use fire guns and the history is a little bit slow. I miss games like these with a good psychological horror story to be enjoyed alone, nothing online and that doesn't abuse of injustified screamers. Respect for Kuon and the development team for one of the last gems of "survival horror" era
Your intro got me thinking about how weird it is to have been alive through most advancements in modern gaming. Kinda scary how good things have gotten.
Thanks for this great video! And thanks for inflating the value of my copy of Kuon!
MOTW is always my most anticipated serie on youtube or any other media for that matter, been stuck here since your Jacobs Ladder essay :) keep at it!
i feel strong The Void vibes from your intro. love it.
First video of yours I've seen, subbed.
This is the content I like to see.
Good work.
This game has always fascinated me. Thank you for this riveting video and that google doc, I think you inspired me to take the big leap.
Omg I loved this game so much! I'm so happy you made a video about this!
Just covered this myself, it's such an atmospheric game, so glad there are others keeping its memory alive!
🤔
As someone who loves action games with elements of horror behind them (Games like Resident Evil 4 and beyond, Fallout, and Metro 2033 among others), it saddens me to see horror-heavy genres pushed into near-obscurity. At the same time, it also makes me happy that these nearly-once lost genres are slowly being rediscovered. If only I knew about Kuon at the time of its release. While I am happy to see games like Resident Evil 4 getting the attention and love it deserves, I honestly wish Kuon was given the same treatment. Because it really could have been something great.
Edit: I honestly truly feel very fortunate to actually see quite the evolution gaming has gone through. We've went from clunky fixed-camera to over-the-shoulder in 3rd person perspective gaming. A remake of Kuon with improved animations and over-the-shoulder 3rd person perspective would be quite a presentation today. Only thing is once you get to the Kuon phase playing as Abe No Seimei (even though said character should really be a man since she is inspired by a historical figure) then the game will probably go from medieval Resident Evil to Dark Souls.
Always glad to see a new video up!
thank you for your comment on game preservation. i love this stuff and i would've played it much sooner if i have heard of it!
first time watcher observations: that voice is butter. you NEED a podcast.
Rule of Rose, Hunting Ground and Kuon, games without a sequeal and the best of japanese horror.
I purchased Kuon back in 2005, still own it. I never finished it. I got stuck very early in the game, and never went back to it. The same thing happened with Silent Hill 4. I found myself playing Shadow of the Colossus more, then God of War.
The year 2005 was an epic year for games.
Thank you for making this game more known to players, will play soon, so outstanding and different
Your videos are the best, dude, seriously. Keep up the amazing work.
I hate to be pedantic, but the inciting incident in Kuon doesn't happen ages ago in-game. It's actually a rather recent, mysterious disease that has struck the manor and the father/master the two initial characters was summoned to the manor to treat it/stop it despite
SPOILERS BELOW
Being involved in the origins of the disaster.
Just today I received my sealed NTSC-J copy of this game. A jewel worth to be played!!
Really loving your videos. Keep this up!
I feel like a lot criticize the whole camera angle aspect when it comes to this game and others with similar. Like Crimson Butterfly. Always seems more like a gripe for many players.
Another amazing video. Your voice really adds to the aesthetic. Thank you!
I played all these terrific PS2 horror games for the first time in 2016-2017, on PC with an emulator. Beautiful experience.
Superb work as usual, thank you for dedication and effort, It's good to see one of my favorite games in the spotlight