Starting with Hollow Knight as your first modern video game would definitely be interesting from a spectator's pov, but would be very frustrating on your end I think. Don't let the cute artwork fool you, this is a very hard game.

Hornet theme really isn’t the same without hearing her go “ADAAYO!” every few seconds.

"Are mantis lords an intens boss? This music is intense." 5 seconds later: "my thumbs hurt jst watching." Welcome to hollow knight😏

It's crazy that you picked up on "walking a casket to a grave" because that's a very fitting description of this portion of the battle. You're essentially fighting it to put it out of it's misery

"This almost feels like carrying a casket to a grave or something" - about the music playing at the time in The Hollow Knight where the titular character is literally killing itself because it is overcome with madness & pain, being forced to fight it's own sibling to the death. What a tribute to Larkin's composition and how beautifully it communicates and amplifies the story being told. And kudos to the Old Composer.

As a quick note about Soul Sanctum: I adore how Larkin took the soft, restful tune of City of Tears and rearranged that melody line into something so sorrowful and despairing. City of Tears is one of the most uplifting melodies in the game, and he turned it into an expression of quiet horror in Soul Sanctum.

One of my favourite OST's of all time.

The greatest part about this OST is the context-sensitive layering. It's hard to tell in a track or video, but the music will rise and fade, or instruments come in or pull out depending on what you're doing. A track will be quiet if you're in an isolated corridor, or booming and tense when you're fighting. It's incredible and the perfect way to immerse the player into the music. My favorite is the City of Tears. I highly recommend playing the game if only to experience the layering. You'll see it early in the Forgotten Crossroads when you come across a large enemy and the staccato flute comes in.

One very charming thing about the city of tears is the presence of 2 specific sound effects: The rain constantly falling, and the footsteps on the wet floor. Very calming

43:57 the sound effects in the game generally mesh very well with the music, and this track in particular is constantly accompanied by the sound of rain, which adds an incredible sense of weight to the piece, to the point where I only listen to the version of the song with the rain

51:13 Geebz calling the buffer ring a “punk ass bitch” was the highlight of my day. Glorious.

✨Timestamps✨ (finished) 3:50 - Dirtmouth 7:13 - Crossroads 14:23 - Greenpath 22:05 - Hornet 28:49 - Reflection 33:27 - Mantis Lords 39:26 - City of Tears 47:40 - Dung Defender 55:23 - Crystals Peak 1:06:31 - Fungal Wastes 1:14:08 - Decisive Battle 1:22:20 - Soul Sanctum 1:31:10 - Resting Grounds 1:38:11 - Sealed Vessel 1:47:31 - Nightmare King

"Wow, this us heavy" Every time the Knight stops to rest, there is a moment of peace, but in that moment, you feel the weight of the lost kingdom on bearing down on your shoulders. City of Tears needs a rainfall soundscape over it like in the game. The game is set in an underground kingdom, and back to the themes of "the weight of the kingdom" I mentioned before - the City of Tears is under constant rainfall from a Lake in the cavern above. It is a beautiful place showcasing the glory if the kingdom before, the sadness of its fading light, and the constant tension of the potential complete collapse of the cavern food above, that would bury and flood the city.

I really want to see your reaction to the rest of the soundtrack. Some standout pieces that you didn't react to include: - Grimm Troupe - Broken Vessel - Hollow Knight - Nosk - Radiance - White Palace - Queen's Gardens - The White Lady - Hive Knight - Gods and Glory - Dream Battle (There are other good ones, but those are some of the real standouts)

I just finished this game for the first time this week, it was such a great journey and the soundtrack is just amazing, it really sets the tone of the game really well. I'm glad you did this reaction.

Geebz...words can't express how happy it makes me to have you diving face first into this world of video game music composition and to have an absolute beast like Hollow Knight so early is a really really good sign. The game is not an easy one. Expect challenge and strategize often. Really looking forward to it.

YES! listening to it with the intentended visuals is THE WAY!

Sealed Vessel OST is so dope. Goosebumps every time the sad and somber part comes out.

I don't know why it's not loved by the HK community but Radiance is a piece I've always enjoyed from the OST.

Big shoutout to the individual that did the editing and sent this to him - this was an expertly done editing job and captured the gameplay well with the music. In particular I liked the city of tears edit, shifting from the outside to the bench with quirrel, to the hollow knight monument. So good!

As a musician and aspiring video game Composer, Larkin ticks all of the boxes. I have this whole game on vinyl. A true work of art.

Hollow Knight is a BRUTALLY hard game. I recommend Journey to start out with- you reacted to the music already, and it's much more forgiving and very chill and will let you get comfortable with a controller and not punish you for fumbling a bit. Hollow Knight will stomp you into the dirt, grind you under it's heel and demand perfection.

My best friend and I used to talk about music all the time. Whether it was anime, video game osts, jazz, or our favorite guitarists in general. After he passed it's been hard for me keep my passion, but this channel and seeing your excitement has helped me regain some of what was lost. Thanks Geebz.

44:12 I love music. When I reached this part of the game, and I heard this music start to swell in, I was just blown away. Sitting by that bench, listening to that music, hanging out with one of the few friendly faces in the game by the bench as the rain pelts against the window... it hits so hard.

Your comments around 1:35:00 the power of music and the soundtrack of life makes me write this. When I first played Hollowknight I was very depressed, with my partner on the other side of the world and feeling lost at a new job. Many very late nights were spent avoiding sleep, playing Hollowknight, much just listening to the soundtrack especially 'resting ground', and 'the white lady'. Now we are happily married, and I hum 'city of tears' to our son every night as I rock him to sleep. Also that note a 1:44:54 - That heavy resolution. We've been waiting for 20+ hours of gameplay for that resolution. All the previous notes have come up in various cutscenes and emotional pieces. Only here as the ending credits roll do we get that note.

My favorite part about this OST is that it almost tells the whole story of the game on its own. You can make so many inferences and/or connections with motifs Larkin uses. You can tell he is completely in tune with what the developers are doing.

I'm such a Hollow Knight fanboy dork that I teared up multiple times during this. I always loved the soundtrack, but never really appreciated it fully until I watched you react and point out the details and the nuances of it. Thanks amigo, great stream.

26:54 the transition to a minor feel with the shift in melody has always really struck me. It's the first indication as to the depth of Hornet's character and the tragic nature of what she has to do

You having the material the song is referencing in front of you is so great. Props to the editor.

Oh man starting on Hollow Knight as a first game might be a dive into the deep end lol. It's an absolutely amazing game, and if you were able to tough it out to learn how to play games through hollow knight, that would be huge kudos to you.

Nightmare King is actually a remix/sequel song of Grimm’s song, which I personally like better, listening to them back to back really lets you realize the similarities. Christopher knows his stuff.

Really love the Crystal Peak song from this game, great for studying

I disagree with the people who are saying absolutely don't start with this but it is harder than the person playing here makes it look. You might enjoy learning and getting better. I hadn't played anything this hard before and I really liked it! It does a pretty good job of giving you easier things to do that train you to be better at the harder ones. Maybe try it and don't be afraid to stop if it is too hard.

I don't see a lot of ppl talking about The Hive Knight theme in the HK community but I really love that song with this chevaleresque grandiose vibe, very military snare drum (I suppose) and all the wind/string section. It really captures the overwhelming atmosphere you could find in a beehive mixed with the heroism of the Hive Knight!

For Dirtmouth, the heaviness feel it evokes completely makes sense with it being at the top of the whole kingdom of Hallownest. And as you descend into Forgotten Crossroads you really feel the thick air that connects the whole map. Truly masterful.

I discovered your channel quite recently and I am enjoying myself very much here :D Seeing you react and appreciate one of my favourite game soundtracks was very heartwarming, thank you for that and for all the amazing work

Ori and the Blind Forest is another amazing OST

This was super cool. I really like these OST videos. Keep em coming Geebz!

Such a fantastic OST for my favorite game! Thank for doing this! Glad you enjoyed it!

It is so cool to see a guy like you ascend into that for you unknown world of game music. Hope you are having fun. Great content.

Thanks for this, was fun watching you react to this!

Oh wow, almost two hours! That’s great, I’ve been waiting for this :D

Was very refreshing to listen along to this during my day. A lot of super interesting insights and a very charming show! :)

Such an amazing soundtrack! I loved your breakdown

I love how for sealed vessel, he saw comments that the hollow knight dies during that piece, and just due to how sad that composition was he assumed they meant the player (which isn't completely incorrect or anything), but the reason the piece is so sad because it's lamenting the death of the boss itself, which not many video games really do. Of course that isn't to say it's not also somber due to the fate of the knight as well, but the piece is a tribute to a mercy killing of a character (the hollow knight) who had so much promise and who carried so much of the kingdom's hope, and who's only mistake that lead to this situation was simply the very "human" (or i suppose in this case bug) feeling of love for ones father. God hollow knight's lore is so damn amazing.

If you can, you should register to City of Tears as it goes into Soul Sanctum. Larkins use of leit motif is amazing. It shows a location within the City that has gone down a darker path and culminates in an epic boss battle. And the lore in the game of the Soul Sanctum reflects that. Brilliant!

Ooooh. This is one of my favorite game soundtracks. If not my favorite. Thanks for this.

These videos are so good for me! As a composer who doesn't have the time to actually study music theory or composition I have to do everything based on how it sounds to me, with no real guide on what I'm supposed to do. Watching these videos really helps. So much really useful information that I can apply to my own works. Thank you, and I'm glad you enjoyed the OST, Hollow Knight has my favourite OST of any game I've ever played, and is the basis of most of my own music.

To answer the question at 44:45 , because I didn't see it being mentioned in the live chat: The area this soundtrack plays in, is a pretty desolace city, with perpetually falling rain- hence the name "City of Tears". So the main ambient sound that plays with/over the soundtrack piece is the sound of pouring rain, which in my opinion, makes the experience of hearing it for the first time even more magical. Love these longer type of reaction + videos, great work!

I hoped you'd check this one out! I get tracks from this stuck in my head all the time. Thanks for breaking it down and pointing out things I haven't picked up on. Glad to listen to it without sound effects. It'd be awesome if you could get the composer on to chat! All the sound design in this game is super charming and immersive. Even the little character voices (not dialogue, but noises) are delightful.

I love this ost dude. Watched it over on twitch and now I’ll watch it here :)

"casket to a grave" and "mass requiem" are very accurate ways to depict the second part of the final boss track

City of Tears still to this day bring me close to tears and I've listened to that song a gazillion times. It doesn't help that I've done a deep down on the story of this game and understand what the City represents. Such an emotional piece.

Love your reactions sir! Doing great! Love from germany!

For me this is one of the best games played and music i have listened to so far. Many of this tracks are so good in provoking emotions(for me very melancholic) and are setting the tone for the world of hollow knight, being a fallen empire now mostly forgotten. Liking your videos and your reactions to the music are very entertaining and informative.

Loved watching thoughts on this. Absolutely phenomenal ost to be honest. You earned a sub. Wish the whole ost was done on the reaction though. Maybe a 2nd video? There are at least 8-10 more tracks that were not done here, and they are all worth it.

Got tears in my eyes several times all along this video. I know why know I look forward to SIlksong, (Hollow Knight 2). Thank you for the video PRGeebz

Was great watching this video as I was working, I love your comments! Hollow Knight is one of my favorite videogames of all times, so special to me... Happy you liked the music! If you play videogames in the future, I hope you record it! Would love to see that! Thank you for sharing

Great work, thank you for video

After two weeks and from other countrie, спасибо (thanks).

Hollow Knight OST my beloved. Gods, I love this game to death. I'm so happy to see you react to it.

I love how I found your channel just a few days ago, and now you randomly happen to listen to the OST of my favorite game ever :D

I love this game so much. The ost is amazing; I'll actually listen to Greenpath sometimes to go to sleep.

Love it. I have to keep recommending the Ghost of Tsushima OST for you to check out in the future! Would be even better with the visuals like it is here.

reflection is legitimately my favorite video game music piece ever, and also the most relaxing song ive ever known. was my top song on spotify for two years due to me using it to fall asleep haha

OMG. Geebz did Hollowknight? I am so excited by this.

yes! it would be awesome to see a talk between you and Christopher Larkin

omg I love this video

Hands down one of the best OSTs ever created. From music to graphics to gameplay to world design, this game is a work of art

Sir! Your reaction and analisis was amazing. It's crazy how much one can learn from a song alone. I'm sure many of us, including me, would be happy to see you play this game, but you need to know it is an extremely hard game, trust me! It takes hours for one casual playthrough. I'm on the 10 hr mark and I haven't even gotten halfway through the game! BUT, the way the game is made is so beautifully done that I can't even be mad at it for too long. It is extremely rewarding to finally do something I was struggling with. Definetly recommend this game, but it is for the strong minded!

Howzit!? Just found your channel. I love video game music and analysis/ review of it, and the fact that you're from Hawaii too is super awesome for me; not a ton of us out there! Keep it up brah!

Yay my favorite game and one of my favorite video game OSTs!!! Nightmare King Grimm always gives me some Final Fantasy vibes with those dissonant stabs. I love the use of polyrhythms throughout, and I'm glad you pointed out how gamelan-y Crystal Peak was, as that had never dawned on me but you're right. My favorite artist, Joanna Newsom, also is fond of using polyrhythms, and she worked with a fantastic string arranger on one of her albums. If you reacted to her song "Cosmia" or "Emily" on this channel, I would be in your debt.

I think one of the best thing about hollow knight is that you can clearly hear the soundtracks even while you are doing intense boss fight

When you open a game with a piece like Dirtmouth.... you've hooked me already. I mean.. i stayed in place for like 10 minutes after getting to each and every section my first time playing just to take in the INCREDIBLE soundtrack. Legitimately one of my favorite game OST's ever, period.

Im so glad you looked at Sealed Vessel, its easily my favorite song on the OST

Absolutely love this game and this video. I'd highly recommend doing a twitch session on the Risk of Rain (1) soundtrack!

Dang can't believe I missed this! This soundtrack has had a strangle hold on me for months, can't stop listening to it, dirtmouth, hornet, sealed vessel, white palace, soul sanctum and resting grounds are my personal favs, main theme is also stellar. Can't wait for the sequel and it's music.

I have goosebumps all the time I listen to some good part in music

This guy is so wholesome.

It's quite amazing how the soundtrack adds and removes layers of intensity in real time based on game state. One of the best soundtracks out there.

43:50, In the case of City of tears the Soundtrack is missing what is in my opinion a vital component of the City's soundscape. The endless rainfall. The city is built underneath a lake, and at some point the cave ceiling sprung a leak so there is always "rain" in the city. The guards also sort of sing as they go about their patrols, but you only occasionally hear that. The in game presentation of city of tears is actually extremely well done and beautiful. This video kzfaq.info/get/bejne/otd-mquG29KzqYU.html from about 2:50 to 5:20 should give a sense of how the City's music is introduced, and the overall soundscape of the City of Tears. The music does get flooded out a bit, but the soundscape is so gorgeous.

You are a great guy. Greetings from Germany.

Hollow knight is the ONLY OST I consistently listen to and never get tired of an always makes my hairs stand up. Its just amazing and heavy in its feelings which I absolutely love

You are a fun guy and you are not a mushroom. Great analysis and commentary, great game and soundtrack. Beautiful graphic style in the game. What more could you want? Maybe one day there will be a full soundtrack from Bloodborne, Dark Souls 1, 2 or 3 or Elden Ring? I will definitely be waiting because the music is amazing and beautiful. All of these games are from one developer and from what I can recall many composers created soundtracks for them and probably collaborated with each other.

Oh, the Dung Defender makes a h o l y racket, make no mistake XD

This is the crossover I never knew I needed.

So much Reminds me very much of Nathan Mcree's work on the first tomb raider. Evokes that mystery of a new open space to explore.

1:32:32 Ninten-dude!😄that’s me! Woo! Thomas Newman!

you should listen to Grimm Troup lyrics made by the channel 'Man on the internet ' on youtube. he basically just puts lyrics onto the song Grimm troup and the nightmare king and it fits really really well with the character named Grimm and what happens when you meet him

I'm so sad I missed this stream, this is one is my most favourite games

finally was able to watch this and couldn't be more excited to hear your thoughts :D Hollow Knight might just be my favorite game i've ever played. The story and world building is so rich and the gameplay so fun and the music absolutely rocks! anytime i stream nowadays it's uuusually Hollow Knight lol I simply adore it ^_^

You mention several times the idea of different parts of the tracks representing something happening in the story - the ambient tracks like "Greenpath" in Hollow Knight are actually dynamic, and so each one has an "exploration" version and an "action" version which they can smoothly transition between as fights or other moments begin and end, which is shown off in the OST version of the pieces. I'm glad you got Sealed Vessel as one of the final tracks. It's probably my favorite piece in the game in terms of how it musically tells the story of both the fight it takes place in and that character's history, especially those attack notes as the melody tries to return to the tonic but keeps getting forced back up before descending into tragedy. Speaking of the tonic, the OST version incorporates the sequences from both of the main endings to the game, with the very end of the second one being the only place in the entire game where the Hollow Knight's leitmotif, which crops up in so many different tracks, is actually allowed to resolve to the tonic instead of being left hanging. 1:44:33 to 1:44:45 is the leitmotif, and then 1:44:47 to 1:44:56 finally gives it the resolution phrase it's been begging for every other time you hear it throughout the game. Another great one is "Enter Hallownest", which is an overture that isn't actually in the game itself. If you're interested in some of the game's more bombastic sounds, you might check out Gods and Nightmares, the OST for the DLC content.

Hollow Knight is one of my favorite games and it's ost is amazing I cant wait for Silk Song to come out!

in crystal peak, when you think about the crystal bug boss fight i think the reason why Christopher used guitar part to give that feeling of a old west fight where you fight to gain something well the hero actually got the bench as a reward finally! amazing thinking Christopher!!!

I would love for you to do a video like this about final fantasy 9, i cant say enough about how soul entangling good the music is in that game.

When you made the comment about the casket I was like, "Yes, YES! That's exactly what's happening!" (metaphorically)

Omg, i have never cried over music, once Hornet theme was playing, i started crying like a baby!

This OST quickly became a favorite among our household. Not only I, but my 11yo son have beaten the game now, but even the others who haven't beaten it love this music. It's so thematically connected and gorgeously set.

crystal peak is one of my fav area themes because the when you get to a one of the hard platforming parts of the area the music adds the guitar and get more intense.

Fun fact: if the composer names the song "Decisive Battle" that means that the song will be used for many fight scenes that aren't really connected to each other.