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I think there is one thing worth taking away from this story: the exploitation of women, even in death. We get told of a legend involving a supernatural woman that will curse you and lead you to your death, but in reality there never was a mermaid: just ordinary women that were abused and killed by the men of the Tsuchida family, and not even in death do they have any dignity, their bodies rotting in tanks and the outside world led to believe that THEY are the villain in this legend forged from their death. Their ghosts can't even get revenge on their own because the Tsuchida men were not only murderous scum, but cowards who refused to take any responsibility for their victims even beyond death and thus had those wards put in place to protect themselves and no one else. And even in death, the "mermaids" are blamed for what happens to our cast, when in reality it was the ghosts of the Tsuchida men. I think they're the ones that actually cause Yuka to get in that state: she's the ideal woman in comparison to the cruder Rin, so their spirits essentially are essentially trying to get another mermaid for the collection, so to speak. They possess Yuuta and exploit him for whatever feelings he might have had for Yuka before all this, and then go with possessing Seitaro to take out Rin as it becomes obvious to the spirits that she is not a submissive woman, but a threat that could ruin everything. The only thing the ghosts of the "mermaids" have done is try to plead for someone, who happens to be Rin who can hear them, to let this nightmare end and return them to the earth to finally rest in peace. As for why nobody did anything until now, think about it. The remaining Tsuchida himself admits that he didn't want to let them go. The woman who left had her own children to think about and was worried about protecting them, and hey, wouldn't that be fucked up if a simple drowning accident later was used to try to further villainize the mermaids, when in reality they probably didn't do anything? The villagers notably refer to Mr. Tsuchida's house as the LANDLORD's house, meaning that the Tsuchida family was probably considered the kind with the sway that if any villagers tried to snoop around, they were threatened with being evicted from their homes or the like. In the end, everyone was thinking about their own self-preservation or for their families until Rin and company showed up.

I think the story being cliche at the start is meant to misslead the player into believe that the mermaid curse was malicious yet in the end, what is actually happening is the 'Mermaids' trying to keep people there so they can be saved, that's why in the scene where Yuka dies you hear 'Sorry' on the phone, the Mermaids are apologizing for not thinking through and accidentally killing her. Another thing you missed is that if you read the diary of one of the Tsuchida women, you get the context it was the Tsuchida women who made the legend as they knew the men were kidnapping girls from the village to turn into mermaid, so the legend was made to protect outsiders. I feel like your criticism towards the game is valid to some extent but just people prefer the horror of a game full of jumpscares, some prefer these games where you need to put together the story. I feel the crooked man compared to this game spoon feeds you a lot of info and that's fine but its also fun to put things together.

Idk Ben, I think the plot is refreshing. The "evil mermaids" curse turns out to be just some poor women crying out for help instead of some vengeful entity targeting random college kids for some reason

Yuka states she's a hostage, right? Her bloating is caused by the mermaids to prevent her friends from leaving the swamp without returning them to the earth. At least, I'm gonna HOPE that's how it's supposed to be, because everyone was kind of already trapped there anyway

So, Yuka tells Rin in her dream that she's a hostage- the mermaids possessed her as a means to force the rest of the group to investigate what's going on and hopefully end the curse. They know it's not right, but they're limited in what they can do because of the protective wards placed down by the Tsuchida family. Obviously the ghosts of the Tsuchida men don't like that, so they take possession of Yuuta and Seitaro each to deter or remove Rin. Yuuta was easier to possess, as somewhere he might have had similar qualities to the Tsuchida men, with how he found the swamp beautiful and was entranced by the paintings of Ophelia around the house. Seitaro, on the other hand, is a lot more stubborn and strong-willed so he was fighting the possession the entire time. Seitaro and Yuuta went after Rin when they did because she was the complete antithesis of what the Tsuchidas want in their women- she was loud, rude, outspoken, defiant, and she was on the path towards getting rid of their precious mermaids. She had to go. Saeko and the children were more than likely killed by the Tsuchidas as a way to control the information about the mermaids and the swamp. If they could attribute it to the mermaid's curse, hey, why not. It gives them more power over the people in the village to not ever speak out. Tsuchida makes it clear that he wanted to end the mermaid's suffering himself, but he also could not bring himself to do it bc he had the same obsessive 'love' as the rest of the Tsuchida men, so he likely set everything up with the dynamite in the tunnel and just had to get someone else to pull the trigger. Why does he kill the students in the different routes? Because they failed to stop the curse and he needs to tie up loose ends. In any ending where someone dies, that presents a problem for Tsuchida because if the group leaves and share their experiences, that could bring even more unwanted attention to the area. In the ending where Yuuta and Yuka are alive but Seitaro and Rin are not, the only one possibly capable of ending the curse is Yuuta, but he's a no-go from the start because he is easily susceptible to possession from the Tsuchida men and would not be able to blow up the tunnel. So he has to go. In the ending where Rin is the only survivor, she was not able to blow up the tunnel and in fact ended up eating one of the corpses and having a mental collapse. Well, why did he lock her in the tunnel for a week to begin with? Again, cleaning up loose ends- Tsuchida doesn't need Rin getting to authorities and letting them know what went on, so his options are either she'd starve in the tunnel or she's left to wander about the foggy swamp until she dies. In the ending where only Seitaro and Rin are alive, Tsuchida doesn't even need to do anything because they drown themselves. Why not have non-Tsuchidas from the village put the mermaids to rest? Honestly a good point, but more than likely they might be too closely related to be able to help. The mermaids were likely girls from the village, so the villagers might be reluctant to send anymore women lest they also be turned into mermaids, and the men might be just as likely to get possessed by the Tsuchidas to even be able to help. They really just had to hope that they would come across someone(s) with the right disposition to be able to fight off the possession and end the curse. There's no comeuppance for the antagonists? Well, they're dead. Yukio is the last of the Tsuchidas, so there's no one to carry on the family 'tradition'. The mermaids' bodies were buried and their spirits were released, finally, after decades of torment. It's possible that the spirits of the Tsuchida men are also released with the destruction of the mermaids, so no one's going to be possessed and start a mermaid collection again. It's unsatisfying, for sure, for these poor college students to have to go through a nightmare of a weekend and to not get anything out of it, but it does feel in line with Japanese horror endings. The game is not without meaning. The game and its characters might be heavily flawed, but- as some other comments point out- it's about the abuse and exploitation of women. In fact, Rin's entire character is a response to that. This isn't in the game directly but rather background material released in a booklet about the setting, but Rin used to look and behave closer to Yuka when she was in high school and dealt with a lot of sexual harassment/assault at the same time. When she physically retaliated one time, she was then on labeled a 'violent woman' and changed everything about her to reflect that, as a way to protect herself and deter men from going after her. And this is exactly what the Tsuchida men find so detestable about her, that she would not be submissive and docile. It might not hit all the marks, and I personally don't care for the sympathy shown towards the Tsuchidas and their obsession depicted as something they couldn't help, but there is something there.

Fun fact: Most of the Sprites and textures from the strange men anthology and the original version of mermaid swamp are actually free Sprites from a japanese website, You can actually spot them in other RPG maker games that came out around the same time.

I remember playing this game years and years ago, and I'm a bit sad you didn't catch on to some of the themes (or they didn't hit as hard as they did for me at the time). The scene with the flashback/dream of the wife talking about her two kids and then the notes from the kids always stuck in my mind - the boy talks about how beautiful the mermaids are and how he's becoming obsessed with them while the daughter (and wife) write about how horrific and disgusting it is since they know they are potentially the next victims in a long line of murdered women. And that even in death they won't be given any dignity or peace as their bodies will continue to be exploited solely for the sexual gratification of the men around them - including their own son/brother. That was so harsh.

I think the reason this game isn’t as well received is because other Uri games state out pretty clearly what the major themes are while this one is more subjective. This could be inferred about the loss of autonomy and obsession with the perfect woman. These women were seen as larger than life goddesses, Mermaids as a way to sway the opinion of others when in actually they were just helpless woman taken advantage of by abusive men and made out to be villians. The Tsuchida family obviously has a hold over this land, the villagers listen to him and call him the Landlord. The more docile Yuka is chosen over someone brazen and rash like Rin. Also misery feeds misery, they want others to hurt because ultimately these woman cannot hurt the Tsuchida’s. Uri’s other game deal heavily with grief, loss, failure and depression but this one is more detached from the main characters- they stumbled into this crazy plot so it’s harder to emphasize with them the way we do David, Sophie, Keith and Will. This isn’t Uri’s best game but it is a different way of telling a deep story because unfortunately- men having “obsessions” with deceased women’s bodies is a true thing that actually happened and hopefully still doesn’t happen.

The best way I can describe the story of mermaid swamp is like a classic Japanese horror movie, all the story is there and you have to put it together yourself. It may not be preferred for some but to others it might be a good game for them.

Yuka tells you in that dream that she is a hostage, probably to keep the outsiders there until they free the mermaids, weird story buts its not that bad

36:33 "A ghost was doing that to someone elses' body!" ......My man was SO close to a realization there!

It's a Japanese sort of thing with paranormal things. I think that's why I don't find a problem with Mermaid Swamp. I've seen similar stories before in horror, not just RPG horror, so it doesn't seem strange or like a problem in the story to me. Ghosts are often vengeful, even in trying to seek comfort or forgiveness. That doesn't track with a lot of Western ideas on how the paranormal works for us. It's very much a story someone would tell for a Japanese audience. So this one may not translate so well for others. And yes, the plot twists are very convenient but... it's really a very standard Japanese ghost story you would be telling to scare someone. I enjoy it. I enjoy Strange Men more. This isn't a defense of Mermaid Swamp and not a hipster "OH YOU JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND!" Some things just won't translate well and that's okay! It is absolutely going to impact how you enjoy these games, stories, etc and that's something to consider when you're going to play them.

19:15 I've never seen a game LITERALLY IGNORE CHEKHOV'S GUN before. Bold choice

I think you know a game doesn’t hit when you love a developer, love all their games and even talk about the bad ones, but when you talk about them you always forget that one game

29:39 isn't it a metal door? You can't break down a metal door with an axe, unless by free herself you mean end herself, then yeah for sure. You don't hide a bunch of dead bodies behind a wooden door imo. Besides my little nitpick, I will just echo the people pointing out its about exploitation. Its not particularly subtle, even the whole original story about the mermaid rings of selkie myths. It draws direct comparisons to Ophelia which admittedly could be hit or miss. Yuuta getting off to his bloated, dying, friend was a moment that was horrifying to me when I first experienced it, if anything him being possessed then makes it less terrible. Much like a scooby doo episode, it sets up a supernatural curse, only to reveal no, its terrible humans. Which causes lingering ghosts, but is not the original cause of the horror. Losing my mind at war thunder, I only know it as 'that game that keeps getting classified docs leaked' i didnt even know they did sponsorships.

i completely disagree that the game has nothing to say, but i do understand that the game may not click with some people, especially if you don't like rin

I ADORE Mermaid Swamp and completely disagree that it's her most disappointing game, so this will be an interesting watch! I definitely feel like there was a lot about the game that I didn't fully understand until I was older, though, especially the themes of gender roles and the way men treat women.

I think Rin being abrasive is kind of the point. She's combatative, loud, the kind of woman that does not make the ideal target for predatory men. She doesn't need to 'grow' from these negative traits because those traits are what helped her survive.

I suppose the biggest issue with this game is that it's a very japanese style ghost story, the ghost of the murdered women want to be laid to rest but they can't do that until someone finds them so yuka becomes plot device to keep the cast there, rin is action girl moving the plot along by virtue of being the blond (a very punk thing in japan), while nerd boy and other guy are there for exposition and suffering respectively

you should try pedestal. it's the latest game from Uri. it will be the "best" experience you will ever have.

Kinda disappointed that you ended up playing the remake rather than the original version. The original is slightly better than the remake, with some changes that honestly make no sense? Like, why make their hair look like it's out of the Land of the Lustrous, why change the entire map and sprite set? They remade it around the same time they put their games onto steam, and one of their games they remade with no change to its graphics, so it's really weird to me that they did that. Sukima's resources sprite work is so much better that I cannot understand the change. Spoilers under the read more cut: 16:15 The wax was also jamming up the mechanism for the door in the lock, so it had to be melted, so the handle could be turned. 17:30 I think it's because in this version you can get the wood earlier, and once Seitaro says to not light the fire, it becomes an unobtainable object. Rin has no reason to pick it up if she has no reason to use it. 21:40 It's the kid's grandmother/Saeko's mother-in-law. I remember the dialogue being really clear here in both versions, so I'm not sure where the confusion happened? 35:27 This has multiple parts. 1) If you remember, it happened to Yuuta when he started acting funny around the Ophelia paintings. Looking at them is what triggered him being possessed. 2) The mermaids did nothing to Saeko, Chie, or Chiyo. Them drowning is considered a sad happen stance. 3) Saeko was the old man's wife, and it could be that her reaction to the mermaids once her children found out about them (remember them talking about the fishy fish?) is what finally put some sense into him. The weird thing is the game story implies that the old man knew the mermaids had already started to pull the group towards them for help, and just went along with it since he did want to finally give them their freedom. 4) Because that would lead to a much shorter story, plus if people knew from the get-go what was going on, I sincerely doubt their first impulse would be "we gotta help those dead women" and more like "Zoinks, we gotta get outta here!" 5) It's a weird thing of he does want to help the mermaids, but also doesn't want the secret of what his family has done to get out. Plus, I also wouldn't discount the possibility of his ancestors potentially possessing him as well. Honestly, from the sounds of it, it seems that even with two playthroughs to get all the endings, there was some of the smaller dialogue that you missed that would have helped some of the story make more sense. I am sad you didn't end up enjoying it, but I am glad you still gave it a chance.

I am not a fan of uri's game but i did like mermaid swamp just enough to play it twice. A lot of it depends on how familiar you are with japanese horror storytelling, and, well, catching the themes of the game about the exploitation of women even after death.

ben, I love your channel but I'll fight you for the honor of mermaid swamp. it's my favorite uri game

Mermaid swamp sounds like the name of a bad grunge band

It's been a bit since I've seen the game, but I really love it! I'm typically very irritable but the abrasiveness of our protagonist never seemed to bother me. She seems like a good mix of caring (with Yuka) and scared out of her mind. I need to check what I'm talking about, but I think there was an entire separate cutscene with Rin talking to the townsfolk where it was explained that there are two types of spirits that haunt the swamp: the male side (spirit of the ancestor who took the girl) affects men to want to preserve the mermaids, and then there are the women who want to be buried (yes yuka was taken hostage by the spirits, couldn't let the group leave without being put to rest). I think I've always loved the vibe of this game! The morbidness of the curse and certain 'folklore' elements (the longlivety/ madness ending) coupled with the nature of our protagonist's development (becoming too soft and being vulnerable with others is a thing that appears in bad endings with her reminding of the wives of the house with them keeping the secret), the hopelessness of it all is uniquely captivating, with the story still having a good ending! The game is a fond thing and it is deserving of love!

I can't wait to see you cover Pedestal, the game just kind of slipped from everyone attention and I hardly find anyone talk about it. Even Manly didn't make a video about it.

it's understandable that you don't like Rin, she's meant to be a japanese archetype called a Genki girl, thuggish, loud, aggressive, and some people find that endearing. i agree with you that most people won't, though.

With everyone pointing out the bits and pieces of the story, I for one wish to see a short follow up about his perspective compared to before. I think it would be interesting personally, but I get the reason why not to. In the end its all subjective.

I know you had some problems with the plot, but theres not anything inherently wrong with "horror movie plot" its classic, simple and direct. I sometimes enjoy a really straight forward horror plot

Hmmmmm I see your points and kinda agree on some. I find value in the games’ story as it’s one of the few times I’ve seen a story handle stories of SA not the worst (esp in RPG maker cause MANY RPG maker games tend to handle it terribly looking at you deep sea prisoner), BUT I do actually agree that in retrospect the game doesn’t explain stuff or justify certain actions by the characters. I don’t mind them being unlikable as much due to knowing college students exactly like this so while it was grating it’s realistic, and I do believe your idea that Yuka ended up like that cause she was possessed not out of vengeance. The mermaids possessed people to seek help but the fact the possessed couldn’t save them is why they only did Yuka. BUT the lack of clarity on what the men of the family did or intended left the realm of vague but scary to vague in a way that it makes the story confusing. I choose to believe the men somehow had connections and got his wife and her kids killed somehow and made it look like a drowning. Their power letting them get away with it, as they didn’t want someone outside the house living to tell the tale. More people used to be alive and live in the house so perhaps the people who did it are just long dead. Either way, I do agree. It’s not URI’s worse as that goes to Insanity but even URI admits how bad that game is. There’s enough value in the story of female pain and trauma for me to come back to it as someone with experiences, but I 100% see your side as well.

uris art and story for her games are honestly so beauitful

I think the tsuchidas killed the mother and the children than simply blamed the curse on it, I mean the mother must of had some idea of what was really going on, and since it's pretty obvious the tsuchidas are borderline obsessed with the "mermaids" it would make sense they would try and get rid of her since by leaving the area they woudnt have control over the mother

Ben I have a recommendation for you, play Blank Dream, it's a horror rpg maker game similar to The Witch's House and the game's story is very good. The dev also made another game, Blight Dream, which takes place a few years after Blank Dream. It's a 3D semi-horror exploration game and has some references to Blank Dream, it's pretty interesting.

If you want good RPG Maker horror games, try one of those: Headless Prisoner - First game in the series of interconnected games by tachi, along with Hello Hell... o, Moonlight Ghost and Hero and Daughter. Headless Prisoner very closely resembles Witch's House, even having a similar, but more clever, version of "keep walking no matter what" hallway. And also having a good ending you can reach. Forest of Drizzling Rain - This one is actually more similar to Ib, but with adults this time. And Garry is a mute edgelord now. Ao Oni R - A fan remake of Ao Oni with multiple endings and actual story Naraku/Purgatory and Purgatory 2 - A game that starts with generic "escape the killer" and ends with being more anime than any anime I know, including stuff like pulling "teleports behind you" on the monster, romancing a doomsday wall of flesh and pouting cutely.

Mermaid swamp was my favourite game ever as a kid, omg this brought me back

Dude, you're great, but I will fight you. It may not be every other game, but it is still a solid game. It just takes a different approach. The way that the curse effects them is pretty awesome, especially Yuka and Yuuta being mirror images of the victim and assailant. A constant retelling, not to necessarily punish outsiders, but desperately trying to force them to find the solution and understand their circumstance THROUGH it. And I resent that Rin is entirely unlikeable, she is a bit of a prick but she deeply cares for her friends and their safety. When she loses control or cannot fix something, she gets really overwhelmed and angry- leading to her busy body nature of searching until she CAN. Seitaro is about the same, but more logistical. He focuses on what can be realistically and immediately done. And they take the piss out of each other, but always DO for one another showing a longer connection. It reminds me of how every group realistically has friends who are closer to each other than the rest. Yuka likely being the glue. As for gameplay... well its an Uri. Its fine, but you know the downfalls. You overlook them for the story, you just happen not to like this one so the vicious frustration is harder to ignore

I like Mermaid Swamp, but thats because it was one of my intros to rpg horror. I will admit that it has it flaws

mermaid swamp wasn't her best game, but I HARD disagree with you. I think the Sandman and The Hanged Man were wayyy more disappointing. I quite liked Mermaid Swamp tbh, it was very unique in concept and had a bleak atmosphere.

holy shit why were the fish mewing 💀💀💀💀

Ah hell yea! Im so glad to see you covering this game, even if I disagree with your conclusion!! Mermaid swamp and witches house are what introduced me to Rpg horror as a kid and both hold a deep place in my heart (although this probably explains why i was able to overlook some of its flaws lol.) I agree that the writing hasn't aged the best, and it certainly had a different feel than other Uri games, but I do want to present why I loved this game so much! As a kid the vague ending really appealed to me. We knew that there was something supernatural happening but couldn't prove it. The horror of knowing that you went through something as life-altering as those events, but having nothing to show for it, imagining going back to your daily life and being unable to truly process it just appealed to my sense of horror. The endings where the kids decide to take their own life and Rin eating the ""mermaid" flesh really stuck with me. Because what really happened? Contrary to your opinions, I actually liked the characters! Which probably made the game much more enjoyable to me! Rin and Yuka were great foils to me. It was interesting that the mermaids would choose to possess Yuka because she fit the ideal of femininity that probably made them victims in the first place. It was also cool for both of the male leads to get different parts of the families obsession. The sexual and clingy possessiveness, that ended up going to what felt like the wrong characters, making the player on edge on what's happening. I also have to admit that younger me cheered at Rin throwing a punch. This video wants to make me replay this game with an adult perspective to see some new perspectives. Great video!

I remember there being a bit in the true ending where the women of the Tsuchidia are the ones who created the legend to try and keep outsiders safe.

This is a long video and very well done. I have always wanted to see you play Mermaid Swamp. It took me a while to muster the preparation to watch this and it's a fair commentary, but I don't entirely agree with it and that is okay. The title of the video is unfortunate, because I don't think at all that this is the most disappointing Uri game. It's a worthy experience on it own without having to compare it to Uri's other works. I think Uri does actually well with the story of Mermaid Swamp and when I try to look at the story from a more gender and culture lens(I mean Yaobikuni is the 800 year-old priestess who gained immortality because she accidentally ate mermaid flesh), it actually blooms as a narrative. A lot of Mermaid Swamp (also Paranoiac) screams classic Japanese horror. However, I think it's not so simple as that, especially with how Uri chose to go about the true ending. Mermaid Swamp's protagonist Rin is loud, emotional, reactive-- but I believe that is the point for the story that Uri is trying to convey and that is a story about women being treated purely as ornaments to the point they are taken from their homes, disfigured, and made to satisfy someone else's needs. With that said, both her and Seitaro are suited for this story. They're both outspoken and have strong personalities. Yes, they bicker, but I think that's important-- they bicker and they are talking. Behind all that talk, they are still communicating and trying to get to the bottom of the issue rather than letting the issue sink away. In a Japanese cultural context, this is compelling in it's own right. The expectation is to stay quiet, to respect those superior to you, to act well-mannered and proper even in the face of being wronged. It has led to problems that still plague Japanese society today. With this in mind, it would not be too far-fetched to understand why no one has really tried to go against the Tsuchidas. It's bystander's effect, but amplified and baked in centuries of tradition and social cues. Rin and Seitaro can lose. They can die, but that doesn't change that Uri deliberately picked these two silly fools for a reason. And it's because it makes a lot of sense that Rin's and Seitaro's personalities make them the kind who would go digging around two mysterious mansions and find the truth. As for the matter of why the mermaids would kill anyone, I think there's a mistake. It's the spirits of the Tsuchida men who are the violent ones. The mermaids aren't the ones killing. Yuka is made a hostage to push Rin and Seitaro to help them. Rin is bothered by nightmares that push her to their goals. I think the point on Rin's sanity or if it's a curse is much better left up in the air. There is nothing saying it is not a mix either. Considering what she's going through, it's no surprise when she passes out or when she shouts or is on edge. Finally, the true ending. I think it's fitting. The Mermaids are laid to rest and you and your friends get to leave. You can't undo harm that has already been done, but you can do something in the present to lessen the sting and bring some closure. And Rin blowing that place up was exactly what that was. The Tsuchidas won't be brought in, but they're all dead, mermaidless, and their last descendant is left absolutely alone. There's so much I want to say about this game and its themes! Anyhow, to anyone who read this, I'm sorry for the long thoughts. And also, hope you enjoyed the video, too. I think a good video is one that is well-made, but causes a good amount of conversation and thinking. (EDIT. I do want to say, I think what this game needed were more scenes dedicated to Rin's past, psyche, and identity. That way it would be easier to understand why she acts the way she does. I noticed Uri's other games do give the protagonist a fair amount of time to be seen and understood by the audience, but Rin doesn't quite get that, which is a bit of a shame.)

Wasn't the mermaid swamp story made up by a woman from the family to keep people from investigating the house?

You'd love the work of Harvester games The Cat lady, downfall, etc

10:24 might be the best subtle visual gag I've seen in a long time.

The fact this video came out two weeks ago really messes with my concept of time, which was already shitty lmao

Once again Ben has uploaded a video when the world needed it most. When I get financially competent Patreon will be seeing me.

For what i know, mermaid swamp was based on a story that uri made when she was in highschool, but this was something i learned from an youtuber a long time ago so maybe i miss remember it

Def my favorite game character wise. Simple and fun. Interesting how all the things that are a turn off for one, are a turn on for the other

these videos are literally a blast from the past, i remember being in high school obsessively looking up these rpg horrors!! you should definitely try hello hell...o next, that one is one of the most unique ones in gameplay imo

I like Rin! Sure she’s loud and abrasive at times, but she’s not a selfish person (as in only caring about herself). Seitaro is the serious one, while Rin is the jokester of the group. They balance each other out so that things don’t get overly serious. She’s brave enough to explore two creepy mansions and an underground bunker by herself, all while dealing with her possessed friends trying to kill her. And because she’s so headstrong, I think it adds more impact to the bad endings where she either goes insane or dies. Watching someone so boisterous falling into the depths of despair in a matter of days is chilling. If Rin and Yuka swapped roles, I don’t think the game would be as interesting. Of course, I’ve played this game multiple times as it’s one of my favorites from Uri, so I maaaay be a tinsy bit biased lol.

I love your content but i shed a tear at the title. I love mermaid swamp its the first Uri game i ever knew

I remember watching a let’s play of this a few years back and the CG with Yuka terrifying me but not remembering much else. It’s a pity to see the plot not really hold up

You should try Mad Father, that one was hitting different

Wow I remember watching John Wolfe play this game, probably back around 2013 when it came out too! Always stuck with me

Oh man I really hope this isn't too negative, cause it was my favorite when I was a teen 😅

why is kyle hotel dusk haunting two consecutive seconds of this video

The sprites they are using is called REFMAP / First Seed Material.

Been watching a few of this guy's vids, but this is the first I recall him having a sponsor. If that's the case; well done, Ben.

Tbh, first jumpscare in this game (11:41) made me not only jump, but also have a mini heart attack and shit myself at the same time... Omg. I still feel like I am not well.

Murmaider, Murmaider MURMAIDER, MURMAIDER

Oh hey! I’ve been hoping you’d cover Mermaid Swamp at some point. I’ve been meaning to watch a playthrough again since it’s been a while but now I don’t have to!

I always get excited whenever this channel uploads, something about it just catches my attention. Just something I can play in the background and vibe too

“Make me breakfast, for I am hungry” will forever be my favorite line 😭

YES ANOTHER VIDEO, TIME TO WATCH ON LOOP AND MEMORIZE IT .

The comments on the community post: omg yes!!! I LOVE mermaid swamp!! I can't wait for you to review this amazing game!! Them upon seeing the video title: [surprised pikachu face]

I love the thumbnail art for your vids

Yeah the old pixel/sprites style is made from mostly free assets they stiched together. But tbh if you're paying attention, even since the crooked man, their own custom sprites for some items ARE this colourful and fun. It's just most free assets are grey and realistic-looking than their own. It kinda doesn't fit with some of their horror games, and other does.

Honestly? Having a Scooby-Doo-Like game is not the worst thing in the world. It definitely wouldn't make the best Uri game, obviously, but I like a good campy mystery. However. This game is not that. A good Scooby-Doo-Like relies on three things. A fun cast with good chemistry, a simple but compelling or at least intriguing mystery, and a plot progression which focuses on the character interactions and the motivation for the mystery over the method (though both can be focused on if there's time). This game does not have interesting characters and the chemistry is bad, the mystery is too convoluted to be interesting and it leaves you just waiting for the end instead of trying ro figure things out, and the plot progression focuses too much on convoluted padding, mediocre puzzles, and nonsensical lore instead of letting the characters interact at all. I mean, they do INTERACT, but they don't say anything or have meaningful characterizations other than "mean," "smart," "sick," and "nice" turned into "creepy."

i love the part where the fencepiece just kinda... falls. They could have just made it so that the post was lying on the floor when you came out, and have the character mention this. Instead you have this comically convenient thing happen.

lol took a nap watching some older Ben_again videos and woke up to a new one hell yeah.

oh man Mermaid Swamp will always be a a favourite of mine, I was hoping Ben would cover it! So excited to watch this one!

i think it says a lot that i only remembered yuuta's bloated appearance and the fact there was a basement of some kind

Ben, since you like horror RPGs, I have 4 recommendations for you. The first is Hide and Seek: Story of Dorothy; the second is Hide and Seek: Story of Demian; The third is Asylum and the fourth is The Exorcist: Story of School. Unfortunately, they are not available on Steam and can only be played on smartphone. Also, I maintain my recommendation for you to play Paper Bride. They recently announced a new game, Dark Notes, and it looks interesting (and luckily it's all on Steam).

Nice! I enjoy your videos so it's great to watch a new one. I hope you cover more rpgmaker games! I used to be obsessed with them back in the day and played a bunch.

Another Ben video yippee I love the new video when they come out !

BEN'S BACK AT IT AGAIN. Just as I was having trouble editing a video. Thank you, the one who saves me from my boredom

Babe wake up, new Ben again vid just dropped

*banging on the door of your discord server* LET ME BACK IN IM REFORMED!!!!!!

Mermaid swamps biggest issue is emotional weight. We don’t learn enough about these characters to get properly attached and they contribute nothing to the games themes. Every one of the main characters in the strange man series relates to the playable character and you can see growth between games for returning characters. But they still go through growth in their own game and will have progressed as people. The main character relating or being directly involved with the main villain enhances the fear and gives more relevance. These characters learn the cause but overall have no growth and the whole game feels like filler with no consequences for any characters. The fact that the old man who has clearly keep these people in tanks for at least 50 years of his own live and gets no karma from any character is frustrating. He actively is just as guilty as his ancestors and from the bad endings just as corrupt.

Such a good video Ben, can't wait for your next video in 5 months....🤧

I’ve been binging your videos recently and I’ve enjoyed all of them. After watching them I think that you would LOVE playing the EXMORTIS series it’s a trilogy of point and click horror games that are pretty old and nostalgic for me and a lot of people!

Mermaid Swamp was the first Uri game I played. Is it perfect? No. But I found it interesting enough. The whole "slasher movie" vibe in the beginning was nice. And I thought Rin was a nice deviation from the typical Uri protagonist. That said, there's only one last horror game by Uri to cover. The remake of Insanity. That game's an interesting case, as it was apparently Uri's least favorite until she created a remake a few years back with a new storyline, and gameplay mechanics. Hope you can play it sometime soon!

Always love the twist of the real monster being man. No strong opinions on the rest of the game.

I love watching your videos they are always so entertaining :) ❤️

The bloated bodies remind me alot of Gyo.

I really love this game. It left such a huge impact on me and I still think about it from time to time. I'm glad more people talk about even in this way. I can remember how much it scared me but also fascinated and inspired me. That's probably why it holds such a special place in my heart. 🎭

8:17 is a great example of why I love this channel.

Yuuta snaps back to reality, oh there goes gravity.

Dude no way you made a video about one of my favourite uri games ❤

I actually used to love this one a lot, but a part of it is just the main characters banter dynamic LMAOO

I heard that there are 3 jumpscares in this game, I did expect to see more of em, but only saw the one though that high pitched tone wasn't pleasant, and that's what spooked me, not the sudden face appearance

Mermaid swamp will always hold a place in my heart, it was one of the first series I saw that Coryxkenshin played. It got me into all the other Uri series that they made.

Now I want a mermaid swamp movie

Just got out of work, time to relax with some ben playing some rpg horror

11:41 BRO JUST GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK OHMYGOD

WOOO LETS GOOO!! BEN'S BACK AGAIN!

I hope you won't give up on Uri. They're latest game "Pedestal" is very good !

Hey Ben! I discovered your channel quite a while ago (I see OFF, I’m clicking), and you’ve quickly become my favorite game reviewer. No pressure, but I’d love to see what you think couple of my favorite games. I’m gonna drop a couple ideas here, even though I’m sure you don’t need them! You almost definitely know about all of these, and have gotten more than plenty of other suggestions. Ib - yet another horror rpg game, more in the vein of Mad Father and The Witch’s House, but I like it better than either of those. can be played in a couple hours, so may be good for a video that doesn’t take as long to make. Little girl gets lost in an art gallery. 6-ish different endings, I think? Omori - another horror rpg game, who would have guessed? This one I would honestly consider to be the closest to being as dark as OFF, but in a really different way. It takes about 20 hours to play, but is so worth it. Really good at being silly and surreal, and super dark at the same time. A couple different endings. Smile For Me - first person 3d-ish word with papercutout style characters! Mute main character must nod and shake their head to communicate. Solve puzzles to help your fellow residents in what is essentially rehab for sad people. This one is pretty lighthearted but is still a horror game, and only takes about 4 hours to play if you don’t know any of the puzzles. I get the vibe like your friends would enjoy this one, too! Two main endings with some variation. I would say this one is the most individual and charming of the three I’ve just mentioned, and I’m pretty sure the devs are coming out with another game soon. Sorry for the long comment! -Jack