....wait it was challenging?? Damn then I think I just ruined it for myself by finishing all the sidequests before I got to that fight. I was probably overlevelled...

@@Odovakar340 NAHH NOT “ENGAGE GIRL”💀💀💀…… I agree, it sounds like a very tall task to tie a core theme into every aspect of a story, and there is the worry that it might come off as forced if it’s unsubtle, but I think some of the most universally loved works are a result of that approach-or at least, they can appear that way. It starts off sounding like a restriction, but then becomes inspiration. Lies of P uses that to its advantage well. Thank you so much for your continued support!! :^D I’m glad I’ve managed to pique someone else’s interest in this game.

@@CamelinCD I think you hit the nail on the head with it becoming an inspiration rather than a limitation. In a weird sense, it's kind of like when you write your first real thesis at university. At first you might want to choose a broad topic that you can write a lot about, but the quality of the paper would suffer because you'd only manage to scratch the surface of what you've decided to write about. I apologize for bringing it up in like all of my comments, but what I like about Knights of the Old Republic II is how it ties everything to its central themes and the variety of in how it goes about it. Among others, I'd say the themes of that game are being able to move on from traumatic experiences and heal, something that is done in both a literal and figurative sense throughout the main plot and side quests, and something that practically all important characters are in need of. There is one primary conflict from which the trauma stems but everyone's perspective of and role in it are so different, and through the main character you also have to deal with things like institutions meant to provide some form of succor failing to do so, adding a level of betrayal and isolation to everything. Naturally, the villains are good because they, in different ways, embody what happens if you fail to heal or move on, turning the dark mirror trope into a much scarier and more personal part of the story. Similarly, if you play as a dark side character, you practically act on your worst impulses, too damaged by your past to ever turn a new leaf, a tragic failure. It's just so beautiful how it all comes full circle and how, despite being an infamously unfinished game, complete the writing feels. It's a game I look to when I write things myself, and I've tried applying the "always ask why" mantra you championed in the Engage video as well, a "test" I believe the game passes with flying colors. I hope to one day be able to write something that'll inspire people in a similar vein. ...And then I look at Fire Emblem Fates for a guide on how not to write something. Sacrificing entire themes for player pandering lessgooo!

That means so much to me 🥺🥺!! Yes, Lies of P is gorgeous, especially on PC. I never realized how big a difference console vs PC made before I committed to this project, and capturing the footage was a lot of fun. Thank you so much for watching :,^))

I’m cooking up my next script now! Thank you :-))❤️

@@CamelinCD shit, just noticed I hadn’t subbed. I am now, looking forward to the next video

Also they needed to have some conflict like verbally. Like, some of them being like “oh I forgive you let’s move on” and I was like 💀 Edit: the lack of consistency too and is just mind boggling despite me loving the characters and games 💀

Also this was an amazing review and I learnt a lot Also educated me on story writing overall which I always love to hear, well done ^^ I was commenting along while listening and I agree with it all.

That's called colonialism, and a lot of that what does historically begin after the rest of the village got used to using Pokemon. The village only being in that spot makes it so for the time being, that it doesn't feel like the villagers are trying to encroach on the tribes territory, but having them greatly expand themselves all over the area put them at war with the tribes that they claim to maintain a peaceful treaty with. We all know IRL that they wouldn't respect what the tribes would have said but portraying that would have been incredibly tricky

I am sorry but Three Houses was not a disaster or a failure in the slightest. There is a difference between disliking a game and calling it a failure. You can dislike Three Houses just as I dislike Engage because it is an opinion. However, saying that its a failure is disingenuous because Three Houses has kept itself alive and loved by the fandom even five years after its release and is still adored by a large part of the fandom. Meanwhile, Engage has had a more mixed year with both haters and likes on both sides of the spectrum and nowadays, fewer people talk about it. Three Houses has its own flaws like the graphics, map design and more but where it truly excelled was the character and story execution and writing where it tried to tell a story about the themes of loss, regret, isolation, and acceptance while also allowing the world itself to feel believable and alive. Meanwhile, Engage had amazing gameplay and graphics but the main reason why people are up in arms about it is because the story and characters' execution left a lot to be desired where the story felt flat in certain aspects of the story and the characters often struggled to grow in either the story or some of the supports. You can like a game but calling something a failure is disingenuous as only time will tell of the game failed or not.

Wow, that's gonna make people want to play Fire Emblem by acting like a jerk. How about these games have good gameplay AND good stories.

@@TheMaestroMizerous I wasn't acting like a jerk, I was just saying that calling Three houses a failure was a lie since it did so well. Besides all I want is a fire emblem game that does well in gameplay and story

🤦‍♂ Alright, let's bring out the Kaga quote (again): "I call it “roleplaying simulation.” It’s a new genre. Basically, it’s a strategy game. But strategy games typically are kind of “hardcore” and dry. (laughs) You only care about winning or losing the battle, and there’s no space for the player to empathize with the characters or story. I love strategy games like that too, but I also love RPGs. By adding RPG elements, I wanted to create a game where the player could get more emotionally invested in what’s happening. I wanted to make a strategy game that was more dramatic, something where you would really be able to feel the pain and struggle of the characters. That’s why characters can’t be revived once they’re killed, to impart a sense of gravity and seriousness. In turn, I think the result is that the more love you have for your characters, the more rewarding the game is." - Shouzou Kaga (the original creator of Fire Emblem, source: shmuplations.com/fireemblem/) The genesis of the series, from the interview with Fire Emblem's original creator that I posted above, was to merge a compelling story with characters that the player could get attached to, and strategic gameplay. The reason why permadeath even exists in the first place is to get the player attached to the characters. To put it bluntly, I think you really should not be lecturing people about Fire Emblem since you have shown that you clearly do not understand what Fire Emblem is supposed to be about, and the fact that Intelligent Systems put so little effort into the writing makes me doubt that IS themselves understand why the series was great to begin with. >People who plays Fire Emblem for the plot should stop immediately this heresy. Go for Persona or Xenoblade if that's what you seek. Or other tacticals like Ogre or Valkyria. Oh, and I can say the exact opposite here - people who play Fire Emblem solely for the gameplay should immediately stop this nonsense. Go for gameplay focused SRPGs like Advance Wars, Mario and Rabbids or XCOM if that's what you seek.

@@cyromancer7416 This is all I want, a Fire Emblem game with good gameplay and story

Oh yeah I agree with that to an extent. This may come as a surprise but I just don’t really play very many video games like that (as in, I don’t really try a new game unless it’s *really* praised by people I trust or from a series I’ve enjoyed in the past), and I don’t really devote a “fan” status or allegiance to a series like that, I’m just picky about the new games I do spend my time/money on. Barring Lies of P I have a strong feeling I wouldn’t enjoy very many if any of the non-from souls-likes that are out at the moment more than From’s *best* based on what I’ve seen from the most acclaimed ones, but I definitely don’t think From is above being challenged or dethroned, or that other souls-likes can’t be good or anything like that. Lies of P is actually only challenged by Sekiro in my favorites of this genre haha. So you can take that as me just being picky about trying a game unless I’m positive I’m going to enjoy it. Thank you for watching :^))

TRUE EXCEPT THE BLUE LIONS 3H WRAGHH 🦅🦅🗣🐗🗣🗣 WTF IS AN AGARTHAN‼️🦅

@@CamelinCD I can defiantly hit the griddy to that

Thank you very much for watching!! :^D! Hope you enjoy LoP ;)

It’s definitely true that the relationship between lying and humanity has taken on an identity of its own in recent adaptations of Pinocchio! I do somewhat disagree with that assessment of the original book when compared to newer versions, though, maybe because in the original, I don’t think lying or humanity is the focal point. I’m more aligned with the book’s most recent translators’ interpretation of Pinocchio’s message in that regard…“Get educated, get informed, don’t let yourself be manipulated”. I don’t think the book necessarily says being a “good human” is what makes Pinocchio human, and that not lying and obeying authority is what makes Pinocchio a good human. I think there’s too many instances where authorities are criticized in the book or take advantage of Pinocchio’s naïvety to his own detriment for that to be the case, like the book’s satirical portrayal of judicial systems. I think the book mostly just portrays how children’s self-interested and ignorant desires can often lead them to being manipulated, and that kids who learn who and what has their best interest in mind, even if it isn’t fun or instantly gratifying, won’t be manipulated by bad influences. In that way Pinocchio becoming human isn’t necessarily a literal take on what makes someone human as it is in our modern Pinocchios (because as you said, he was always pretty human when he was a puppet, just very childish), and instead is a metaphor for growing up and socialization. The biggest difference between Pinocchio and Lies of P then is who it is that has Pinocchio’s best interest in mind. The book makes the assumption that it’s the parents, which is a fine one to make in most cases, especially considering a parent who takes the time to read their child a book like Pinocchio likely does want what’s best for them in youth, but Lies of P switches up who it is that’s out to get Pinocchio. To me, that’s what makes it so successful in portraying that “get educated, get informed, don’t let yourself be manipulated” message the translators claimed Pinocchio was about at its core, and why I don’t think it necessarily mutates the original’s message. The player has to set aside their expectations of parents, and of the original story’s characters, in order to find the true enemy pulling P’s strings! I do totally agree though that Lies of P and other adaptations like it have flipped the script of the original to more international/adult appeal. Otherwise Gepetto wouldn’t be evil at all in LoP! I just think the game takes a lot of careful consideration to preserve the original story’s intent despite that, and that’s what I like so much about it 🥹. Thank you for watching, and for leaving this comment! :^]]]

@@CamelinCD I'll admit I'm less familiar with the original work than you are, but isn't the conclusion about him becoming a real boy because he got a job, supported his father, was responsible with money, etc.? Granted, the book was released in a serial format so this probably wasn't the plan from the very beginning, but it's arguably the most important part of the story when it comes to how it's been remembered. And even if it isn't the major point of the book, it does still have that lesson about lying being bad though, right? Maybe the more accurate way to say it is that modern takes on Pinocchio focus on some parts of the original (lying, humanity) and invert them, while ignoring a bunch of the book's other messages. Thanks for responding! I really enjoy your content, and I hope you can continue to make more of it. Also always nice to find another Joseph Anderson fan in the wild. Hope our funny dragon man comes back from the grocery store soon. :P

@@0mni42 Oh, yes, that’s definitely true! I just think the full context of the book seems to agree there’s more to it than lying bad and being obedient/“good” makes you human. Pinocchio only ever really lies-or at least, his lies are only highlighted and wholly condemned in the form of his growing nose-to the Blue Fairy, and he does so to hide things that are clearly to his detriment. And Pinocchio only becomes human, or grows up, when he *stops* obeying his own self-destructive whims and predatory advice from people that want to harm him or steal from him, and starts listening to and caring for people who care for him in return. So then yes, I totally agree with that statement; it’s more or less those secondary ideas which serve a greater moral in the original story that are highlighted by most of Pinocchio’s modern adaptations. Thank you very much :,,,))!!! Heck yeah Joe fans stay winning ✌✌

Thank you! You gotta keep playing LoP though you're depriving yourself peak 😩

On the docket...! 😈

@@CamelinCDthree houses video essay in current year?? hell yeah

I've been meaning to watch that video! I've heard the theory about Antonia before, which I'm mixed on, but never the one about Simon and Paracelcus. For some reason, that sounds really compelling to me... I'm interested to see what Paracelcus' role is going to be in the next game. That said I can't say what I think the next game is going to be about for sure since I'm only just getting around to reading the Wizard of Oz. I've always liked the idea of Carlo/Pinocchio being the Tinman of the game's universe, though. That would be so clever. Thank you for watching! :))

Agh thank you so much!! Yes, I totally love lore videos on soulslikes (I’m a total Vaati shill) but I know if I tried something like that I’d be worried about getting too many things wrong haha. Maybe I could do a video like this one on some of the fromsoft games? 🤔 Thank you for watching & for the kind words :,^))!

Thank you! Yes, I agree that lots of that sentiment finds its way into Lies of P. Like the conflict between Carlo and Gepetto in comparison to the original Pinocchio’s ending, it’s not inherently a responsibility to care for your elders that the game rejects, but rather a responsibility that’s so unrequited it becomes, like you said, just another form of manipulation through preconceived tradition. Stories like the original Pinocchio are great because of how timeless they are. Whether we’re in the 1800s or 2000s, we’re always facing the same human problems over and over again, although now more than ever it feels like younger generations are given the short end of the stick. So I think you’re totally right that Lies of P is very relevant! It’s awesome that they could revive an old story like Pinocchio in a way modern audiences can find new connection with, while still keeping its meaning intact. Thank you for watching & for writing such an insightful comment :^)!

OH I didn’t know that lmao. So I guess it might also be a pun on the part of Disney too? And heck yeah read Pinocchio there’s lots of connections/references I didn’t mention in this video and it’s just a good little read! 😎🤌 Thanks for watching :^]

LMAO Thanks 🙏

​@@CamelinCDmissed opportunity to say "Ciao Bello!"

GIA SPOTTED 🫵🫵🫵‼️

That song is-brace for it-“Proposal, Flower, Wolf Part 1 (GOLDEN)”. Very big name I know lol. Yes, very highly recommend LoP! Thank you for watching :^]!

This is also true. He has a very loaded name LOL

Thank you so much! Yes, I do understand why the story of LoP often goes unmentioned in review settings, since its gameplay is so good and is still very much its central draw. By comparison, there are a few things I’d like to see them improve upon in the future with their storytelling (more on a scene-by-scene basis, in things like the localization & some dialogue), but I really do think what they’ve written with Lies of P is remarkable, and deserves all the praise & encouragement! So I’m glad to help do that if I can. I looked into that doom mod you mention and, wow, what an interesting way to tell a story! I’ve never really delved into the world of mods for any game, and so it always surprises me what modders are capable of. I’ll have to watch that video (and maybe check out that book too while I’m at it)! Thank you for watching :^))

Argh thank you so much!! :,,,,)))) I know what you mean. I was given LoP as a Christmas present last year (the poisoned gift…) and I’ve been in the trenches ever since. Cannot get this twink out of my head. Rest assured the brainrot will continue lol, it’s just such a great game. Thank you so much for watching & for the kind words! :^Dc

Oh that is so interesting…!! In a way I think the game may acknowledge that paradox as well. Something I neglected to bring up in the video (I wish I had now) is that, when the player kills Romeo, his last words are “maybe this is what true freedom feels like”……so, even this character whose whole purpose is to be like the representation of freedom and choice for Carlo realizes that to be *alive* is to be tied to something; be that your emotions, or an ideology of “free thinking”. Maybe then the game’s truest message is not “don’t be manipulated”, but rather try, to the best of your ability, not to be manipulated, because lies and tricks (and sometimes falling for lies and tricks), are innate to human beings! Thank you so much for watching & leaving this comment :D I got to rant a little more haha. (Oh and, yes, if you can’t tell, I very highly recommend this game. I didn’t get into it too much in this video, but the combat is incredible. Like, giggling-kicking-my-feet-in-the-air tier combat, that’s how tight the action is!)

Oh yes that definitely does sound purposeful on the writers’ part… Ergo is considered by the Alchemists under Simon to be a “universal truth” of sorts. I did encounter a little of that in researching, but aside from relating Lies of P back to Pinocchio and the original story’s creation to make the point that it honors the intent, I wanted to primarily focus on the progression of Lies of P’s story in a vacuum, and how it manages to represent its ideas even to audiences that aren’t familiar with the references it makes. The lore dump is solely to introduce concepts that are important toward that end…although knowing the details like that makes it so crystal clear how much thought went into this game! Also LMAO don’t worry the dress is not a cry for help I just think her design is gongeous 🫣

Aah thank you!! I totally agree, I also see the fandom separate the two of Carlo and Pinocchio often, which is all well and good and can be cool, but I prefer to see them as one as well. Geppetto himself says Pinocchio “inherited his personality” despite apparently not regaining all of Carlo’s memories (because of the nature of Ergo?), so I think it only makes sense. To me, the nameless puppet fight at the end of the game is elevated that way; Carlo’s journey as “Pinocchio” is him experiencing the world in the way Romeo wanted him to, unbound by the hurt that held Carlo down when he was alive. It teaches him who and what he can be even without Geppetto, and so to me that final battle is Carlo finally being able to fight and kill that part of him that blinded him to everything else, now that he’s experienced and learned what’s beyond it and how it was controlling him. Such good stuff!!! Thank you so much for watching and leaving such a thoughtful comment :,,)c

I was not sure about whether or not he is Carlo till literally last week when I learned about the plot of Nier Replicant, he is Carlo.. He's Carlo's soul, thoughts, and memories. The nameless puppet on the other hand, that's interesting why it's alive and though the game doesn't delve into it, I know what that is.