A Journey Through Rule of Rose | Monsters of the Week
Rule. Of Rose is a wonderful, example that horror, games don't need excessive, graphic, violence, jump, scares and visceral, brutality. To, deliver a thoroughly, haunting, and disturbing, experience. On. A surface level this 2006. Survival, horror title, with PS 2 shares a lot of DNA with its johner peers of its time especially. Silent, Hill 2 and 3 for. Instance its psychological. Horror style, of storytelling a, dark. And menacing hidden, machine of the protagonists. Traumatic, past and, innermost fears. Manifested. As a surreal, dreamscape. Populated. With monsters, that represent, various facets of her repressed, memories, she's trying to come to terms with, this. Type of storytelling. That appears, nonsensical. And whimsical, at first glance but that lets the observant, players on earth unending treasures. Of hidden meaning, symbolism. And narrative, depth the deeper they dig it's. Textbook. Silent, Hill, the. Similarity, between these games also shows on a technical, level, controls. Camera. Angles, pans, inventory. Handling, even, font, choices the, style in which environmental. Hotspots, are presented, in focus, and especially, the combat, all, these elements are designed to, make Silent, Hill veterans, feel at home, but. Even, though it tri rule. Of Rosa's moment-to-moment, gameplay. Especially. Its combat, was often criticized, to be the game's weakest, link, it's, often unbalanced. And unpolished, and through that often, painfully. Frustrating. To play. The. Developers, themselves have openly admitted, to the frailty, of the game's combat on several occasions, in, their own words because they lacked the time and resources and, the final, stretches of development, to give it the polish and refinement, it would have needed this. Certainly makes rule of Rose tedious. And sometimes very unwelcoming. To approach especially, from, a modern players point of view but, the fact that despite, these shortcomings, it managed, to acclaim, a cult status among a dedicated, fanbase for many years to come is, a strong testament, to the developers main focus, the. Story. Runa, froze features, a cast of surprisingly, deep, and nuanced, characters, woven. Into a complex, yet coherent, network, of relations, and backstories, set. In an ambience, of mystery, intrigue, and beauty, a world. That is disturbingly, scary, and alien, yet at the same time feels. Personal. And relatable. Ruth, Rose is, a tale of abuse. It. Highlights, and explores the many insidious. Faces, of abusive, relationships, and how, they can arise from all, forms, of power imbalance. Bullying. Coercion. Possessive. Relationships, and even sexual, misconduct, child. Abuse and exploitation. Of parental power these. Are only a few of the ways this game showcases. And investigates. The facets, of abuse. It, is also an, extension, of these themes a decidedly. Political, game which. Is an aspect about its narrative that I rarely see discussed anywhere, but. In its depiction of these topics the game was often deeply, misunderstood. Especially. From authorities, that at the time of its release willfully, misrepresented. Its narrative to have it banned from the market now. Since because, of that rule, of Rose is notoriously. Hard and, expensive. To obtain these days this, video se is structured, in a way that even if you have never played the game you're still gonna be queued in on what's going on but. Be aware if you want to experience it with a fresh mind this, video will spoil the entire game, in. This. Video I'd, like to take a rule of Rose and it's convoluted. And controversial, narrative, apart, piece by piece to unravel, just how well thought-out how, consistent. And coherent, its narrative is if, you look at it up close and, how much understanding. And respect, it actually shows for the disturbing, themes of the hard of its melancholy, tale. I'd. Like to show you that, rule of Rose is truly, an underrated. Masterpiece. Of psychological. Horror storytelling. That, never Stoops, to exploitation. Of dark topics, from mere shock value but. That was written with a message, of compassion at. Heart a message. To survivors. To, those who themselves. Might. Have been mistreated. Disenfranchised. Or ostracized, at, any point in their life. A message. To all those who. Can find a little bit of themselves, in, Jennifer. Jennifer's. Story begins, in the back of a school bus that's driving, through the English countryside. Deep. At night hmm. Why at the time you'd expect a school bus to make its rounds but, that's what we got to get used to by a rule of rolls, expectations. Get routinely, subverted. And common-sense, turned, upside down at. First our. Protagonist, is a 19, year old girl who travels. Back to the orphanage, where she spent the most tragic years, of her childhood and drawn.
To Her fate like a moth to a flame, the. Only other passenger. Is a young boy who already, seems to be expecting, her Jennifer. Jennifer, read. The story please, read the story. What, happens next. The. Story chapters, of ruler rose are framed, in hand-drawn. Children's, picture, books that retailed segments, from Jennifer's past and fairytale inspired, prose. But. At the beginning of each chapter those. Booklets are still incomplete. Crucial. Parts of the story are missing so. It is upon us to find the lost pages, and fill, in the blanks, it's. A pretty straightforward metaphor. For Jennifer state of mind years, after, the event she's reliving she. Suffers from severe, memory repression. Crucial. And often troubling, details of her time in the Rose Garden orphanage. Are lost in Oblivion within, her traumatized mind, so. In order to cope with, this traumatic past she retraces, her steps to remember as unfiltered. Memories, come back to her chronologically. And contextually. Scrambled, and completely, out of order and manifested. As a grotesque. Nightmarish. Odyssey, through her oppressed past, it. Is somewhat similar to how the film memento, tells, a story of a person suffering from anterograde, amnesia, chronologically. Backwards. To dramatize, his inability to establish new, long-term memories, in. Rule. Froze the, structure, of Jennifer's past is messy, and random. With, many events feeling, like a whimsical, amalgamation. Of hardly, related, fragments. Of memories, delusions. And fantasies. Jennifer. Is a textbook, unreliable. Narrator not. Just to us but to. Herself at least as much, so. Before. She can ask the boy what's going on he. Jumps. Off the bus and bolts into the woods so. We follow, him in. The middle of the night in, a dimly lit overgrown. Path into, the thicket, if. This sounds like the beginning of a Brothers Grimm tale that's. No coincidence, rune, Rose makes many allusions, and references to, classic. European, fairy tales. At. The end of the path we, reach the eerie old mansion. Of the rose garden orphanage. It, seems to be occupied by a creepy, band of apostate. Children, wearing paper bags over their heads and through the bars of his jammed front gate we witnessed a feral children pummel. Something, lifeless, in a cloth bag as. Any, good horror story should all, our senses urge us to just turn the fuck back to where we came from and get the hell out of there wherever. We go the, game makes sure we know that the walls have, eyes and ears, here and. Once we enter the mansion, we. Can already explore, a vast majority, of all the rooms at, this early point in the game I've, heard people criticize, this because, there's not much going on but, truth be told this, is a heaven, for the observant, player because. Much, of what you can access, and investigate, now you'll, find reflected, in later chapters and it's. Also filled, with a plethora of little, details, that feel really satisfying. If you finished the game and come back to revisit this early part of the game but. Although we can explore, all, the time we're being led through the mansion by the mysterious boy until. We end up in the attic where. He awaits us sitting, atop a candlelit. Makeshift, throne and, asks, us again to, keep reading the story to him. This. Is when an announcement, is made through the houses speaker, system that a funeral, of quote, a dear friend, is taking place in the courtyard.
Jennifer, Is gripped by a dark, hunch and follows, - suddenly appearing, frightened, whimpers, of a dog. Storming. Into the courtyard and finding, a fresh grave and a shovel standing, next to it, she. Begins to dig frantically. And, unearths a large wooden, coffin, and on, the inside. It. Ominous, bloodied sack of cloth that the children were beating, on in front of the entry door. Jennifer. As if crushed, by an immense weight falls. To her knees sensing. That which he just found was, at the heart of the traumatic events, that blanked, her memories for many years. But. As strongly as the game insinuates. What might have happened here, were kept in the dark for now, the. First chapter then concludes. With the eerie children. Surrounding. Her insulting. And laughing, at her and they pour water over her head in a humiliating gesture. Of shame and. Wow. This is one of the famous scenes that was used and willfully, misrepresented. By authorities, to affect rule of Roses ban as it was claimed that the game shows and, I quote children. Being buried, alive. Now. First of all the, Jennifer we see here is not a child she is 19, years old which makes her by the laws of every country that banned the game illegal, adult, no. Thought Jennifer is now. Being, carried away and ceremonially. Buried in a coffin what. We're seeing here is not a death sentence, but an initiation, rite not. That it's not problematic, in a thousand other ways but, it's nothing that would ever warrant. A game being banned in a thousand, years it. Is the quite common, practice, in academic, and aristocratic, fraternities. Sororities or. Aristocratic clubs, to incorporate. Activities involving. Harassment. Abuse, or humiliation. As a way of initiating a, person, into the group also, colloquially. Refer to as hazing. Ragging. Or bastardization. This. Year is Jennifer's, initiation, into the so-called red, crayon aristocrat, Club the children. Of the orphanages, attempt, to form a society based on their perception, and, projection, of adult, Society. When. Jennifer comes to she. Finds herself at the bottom of the rabbit, hole of her repressed, memories. Yes. I'm using a Lewis Carroll metaphor here don't judge me okay it fits. Jennifer. Finds herself on board of an, airship. She. Wakes up tied to a metal bar in a room with cardboard, walls and the coffin in one corner dirty. Laundry, and drums, and old disposed, furniture, it's, a dark reflection, of the laundry, room of the orphanage which is also dubbed the filth room and for, reasons yet unknown this is going to be her base of operations, for the rest of the game, we. Find a mannequin, crafted, out of old cleaning, utensils, who dearly wants to listen to her and have her retell, her story it's. The games way to save and retrieve lost items, and, an indicator that Jennifer, was excluded. And ostracized, during her time in the orphanage, forced, to live in the dirty laundry room, alone, with nobody to talk to but inanimate objects, now. When we start exploring, the airship, we quickly find, many of its rooms and compartments. To strangely, resemble, the, rooms of the orphanage, if this. Seems utterly random. At this point then this is very much on purpose as. I mentioned, rule of Rose loves to make the player feel clueless. At first, establishing. The curiosity. To untangle. What's actually going, on, many. Things we witness feel like jigsaw, pieces from countless, different puzzles, scramble, together without any sins, or direction, but. In many ways the traumatic past that Jennifer, digs up makes, just as little sense to her in her own mind at that point in time it. Is a great way to put, the player in her shoes while she's trying to overcome, her retrograde, amnesia if, you're, confused, what's going on, that's. Exactly, how she's feeling. But. As nonsensical. As things might appear at first the.
More Time you spend on, the airship the more you can't stop noticing, that there's a thick red thread spun through this dreamscape, you'll. Increasingly. Notice, an overarching, coherence. That brings everything, closer, together the, further you dive into the story if, you, keep your eyes peeled, and look curiously under, every nook and cranny you will stumble, from one aha moment, to the next revelation. And the puzzle comes gradually together. The. Rooms layouts. Persons. And incidents. That we encounter, on the airship not, perfectly. But contextually. Mirror the rooms layouts, persons. And incidents, in the orphanage, mansion, and the. Aristocratic, sorority. Led by Jennifer schoolmates, gradually, unfolds to, be a dark reflection, of the society the kids created, with their sadistic games in the Attic of the manor. Another. Vital, aspect, and central. Trigger of Jennifer's, trauma comes in the form of our trusty, companion, and beloved, sidekick throughout, the majority, of the game Brown. Pretty. Early in the first airship chapter, general. Finds the heart-melting Labrador. Tied, up and hung from his legs in the luggage compartment she. Frees him and puts his collar on his neck and, for that moment on the, two are joined at the hip brown. Or more, precisely his fine nose provides, one of the central gameplay, mechanics, we. Can let him take the scent of almost any object in our inventory and off let him search for all, effect orally, related objects, hidden on the airship it, immensely, helps, to loosen the gameplay out and prevents. The players from meandering, aimlessly in, case the location of the current objective is not also, clearly Telegraph, but. Aside from just being a game play bridge, I always, also considered Brown's good nose to be a metaphoric. Device as well Jennifer. Is on a quest to uncover the, truths about her own past that are buried, within her MA and truths. That have always been right there but that she's incapable, to, access, it. Is the help of the loving innocent, Brown that ultimately enables, her to literally see things that she's often physically, unable to perceive, and in. Addition to that he's, just a delight to have around you the only character, in the whole game who was exclusively. Altruistic. In nature and loyal, with no other ulterior motive, than being, a good friend, he, needs Jennifer, just as much as she needs him the. To form, a symbiotic, bond, of mutual selflessness. Which. Also serves as a perfect counterpoint, to the game's main antagonist we're. Gonna get to that later in fact. The developers himself stated, in interviews that Brown was actually, a rather late addition, to the game with, the intention, to give Jennifer and through, that the players something, positive, and wholesome, to balance out the perpetual. Suffering, she's exposed to throughout the game and in, my opinion it was a fantastic choice Brown. Adds a big element of uniqueness to the game and not only gives the tried-and-true survival. Horror game play a fresh twist, he's a wonderful emotional. Anchor, that makes it easy to get invested, in and care for him by proxy, for Jennifer as well there's. This established, storytelling. Trope known as to kick the dog moment, which, serves, to immediately, villainize, a character. In. Rule, of Rose this is employed in even, worse ways than just kicking, you, might have a hunch. But. As I've said Brown, comes in more than handy because for the majority of the game we pretty much play FedEx, for the self-absorbed, and ruthless, red crayon aristocrat, Society, Jennifer, has no choice but to reluctantly, become, a new low, ranking, member of the group and the club's rules demand that a gift of the rulers choosing, has to be delivered to their gift box every, day if. We should fail to, accomplish this their. Law states, that we have to be severely, punished, for it so, to comply, with the aristocrats self-serving. Taxation, laws we, scavenged, the expansive. Airship, in the attempt to turn, up the things we hope can appease the whimsical bourgeoisie. For a day but, it. Quickly becomes, apparent that the odds are unfairly, stacked, against Jennifer while.
We Explore and interact with the other orphans scattered, around the airship we get scornful, Commons, from all directions get, excluded from groups through perpetual. Silent, treatment, and over. Here vicars and sneers, from behind our backs pretty much every step of the way and whenever. We bring a gift it becomes pretty obvious that the leader is whimsically. Alter the rules in order to turn against us in every way they want. From. Time to time we, also find ourselves Chay's dan attacked by hordes, of disfigured. Instead. Look, like Edvard Munch The Scream came to live and charged at us with a broom the, ghastly, little pests, swarmed, Jennifer from all sides and tried to batter her down and Lee better throwed in an attempt to pull her down into. The void there, was innocent most of the enemies in general, are predictions, of how Jennifer, remembers. Her schoolmates constant. Harassment from. All sides and how. Ugly it made her feel in, the midst of it an, inner, quest for truth she, fights tooth and nail to not let them get through to her. To, not let the trauma get the better of earth and. Over. Time we. Realized that the adults, that once were in charge of the orphanage, are. Obviously, not in charge anymore. Life. On the airship is a brutal, and merciless dog-eat-dog. Society. Disguised, as an innocent, game of imitating. Adults, you, know it's all just a game it's. All just pretense, but, all just being ironic aren't, we but. In reality what. Jennifer faces, is a callous, authoritarian. System, led, by the children, of the orphanage. In. Most, horror media, the, sense, of menace imposed. On the audience is. Hypothetical. Traditionally. We get stories where a danger, is embodied, by all kinds, of monsters, ghosts. Zombies, demons. Aliens. Serial. Killers and, the likes and most. Of them are at the very least highly, unlikely, to ever become a reality for the vast majority of the audience, meanwhile. In rule of Rose we face a band, of kids playing, grown-up, games on. The surface it really feels tame, in comparison doesn't. It the. Reason why this game is often considered so intimidating. And lastingly. Haunting, whether, it crayon aristocrats. For some players can be far more terrifying, than, most traditional horror, antagonists. Is that, the damage they're inflicting, is psychological. Grounded, in reality and very, relatable, for many people because. Literally every single person, watching this has at some point in their lives be. It as a victim a perpetrator, or a bystander, come. In contact with their means of power. Bullying. The. Aristocrat, Society, employs, many textbook, methods, of systematic bullying, to establish, and maintain their, power yes. We experience, a lot of the physical antagonism, the form of grotesque, monsters, but this is merely a distorted, projection.
Of Jennifers, traumatized, mind this. Is how she experienced. The ongoing, abuse by her school mate and our minds toward those painful memories but. Above all that rule, of Rose portrays. The insidiousness, of, bullying, and social, ostracism in, surprising, detail and depth. Bullying. Is an imbalance, of power that. Is often manipulative, Lee created, or willfully. Exploited, by an individual, or a group over an underpowered, individual. Or group it, can, be expressed through mistreatment. Of any form, including. Verbal, abuse, like, name-calling, in, song, yelling. And shouting. Physical. Aggression, like hitting, pushing, tripping. Slapping, or also. A theft or destruction, of the victims property. Emotional. Mistreatment, like exclusion. Marginalization. Silent, treatment. Psychological. Distress like, blaming, a person for problems, they did not cause, discounting. Their integrity or unfavorably. Comparing, or describing, a person in spreading rumors and also. Sexual, misconduct in, any form. Schools. In general especially, the secluded, Rose Garden orphanage, serve as a perfect breeding ground for a hierarchy, of organized, harassment. New. Schoolmates are by, design Outsiders, of the established, social order by enforcing their oppressive, rule of law on any newcomer, as a condition, for acceptance, they force their pecking order on everyone. Compliance. Is mandatory there, is no escape you either play or you'll, face score in an exclusion, you cannot. Not participate. In society even if it treats you personally, unfairly, in. Many. Cases, bullying, bonds, those above, a certain power threshold. Humans. Are social creatures and when facing, the choice between avoiding. Harm and siding, with those on the receiving end most people are too worried about their own skin to speak up on behalf of the victims which. Is a reason, why many initial, bystanders. And of participating. In the abusive spiral, it's. The principle of scapegoat. Ism the, systematic. Disenfranchisement, of. A minority to, serve as a common, foe for the rest to join forces against, in rule.
Of Rose all, of this is depicted, openly, and explicitly. The. Threshold, between oppressor. And oppressed is, visibly, indicated. By a thick line on the club social, hierarchy billboard. Separating. The members, into, refined, and lower-class, Jennifer. And Amanda at the bottom of the pecking order. The, bourgeoisie, here shares a bond of superiority, and camaraderie and, crime against. Jennifer which. Highlights another important, aspect about the insidiousness, of bullying. Bullies. Commonly, feel justified. In their behavior, the. Laws of the aristocrat, club are completely, arbitrary and, exclusively. Designed to appease those who hold power over, others even. If their system is built on open inequality. Obviously. Designed to benefit those in power it is the, law and that's. What the law is right because, it's the, law it's. The self justification, and circular, logic of the quote unquote rule of law which, is what the game's title directly, alludes to in, real. Life it often, doesn't even have to be as explicit in. A social structure that preys, upon a, scapegoated. Minority, the, judgment call of what is right and wrong is ultimately, made by those in power if. A bullied person, gets accused, of anything, even. If it isn't actually true it, really only needs to be confirmed by some Mutual's in power to substantiate. The notion that punishing. That person, below the power threshold, is righteous. It's. A vicious circle that's very hard to break just, like it's shown how Jennifer is constantly, wrongfully. Accused of lying of, being dirty of stealing. Or breaking, things that she didn't even touch, but. When her word stands against that of the self-appointed, aristocracy. It, always falls flat. Mob. Mentality is, what promises, the reward of not, being on the receiving end and that, is enough, for most accomplices. To justify, increasing, participation in, abusive, behavior, Alan. Times that work subconsciously. Deep inside of them they know that what they're doing is, wrong, but the social pressure is strong enough to serve as a letter of indulgence, to tag along on this downward spiral, of abuse.
Bullying. Manipulates. Bystanders. Into complicity. It. Makes categoric, use of the fear of an individual, or groups power in. Rule of rose this is especially, embodied, by Amanda's, transition, from a frightened, mistreated. Victim into a maniacally. Spiteful, aggressor. When. Jennifer joins the aristocrats, she's assigned the rank of beggar the, rock-bottom of the red crayon social, ladder at. That time Amanda, has already endured their abuse for an unspecified, amount of time and everything about her body. Language her, timid, demeanor and well the, things she utters underlines. How she's living a life in fear among her peers, but. Our arrival. Marks the first time that she's ever been elevated over someone, else but. At the end of day one when, we deliver our first gift to the bourgeoisie, and the powers that be decided, that you're. A, disgrace. The. Rule of Rose states that punishment, must follow and. To initiate her new rise from the bottom of the pack it is Amanda, who is instructed. To carry out that sentence. She's. Visibly, appalled, by the prospect, of torturing, Jennifer but her fear of those in power is ultimately much, greater and she, does what she has to do now. Many. Years ago when I was doing my mandatory, military service I distinctly, remember how, a lot of new recruits boasted. How they would never bow to anyone, shouting, orders in their face no, one's gonna tell me you are a terror but. Every single one of them folded, pretty quickly and. It was achieved with a very simple yet effective manipulation. Trick, whenever, somebody refused. To follow a direct order the, drill instructor simply, punished. The entire platoon. Everyone. Except, the perpetrator, themselves. They, just, stood around and did, nothing while every, single one of their comrades, were doing chores push-ups. Or some other form of punitive, labor the. Combined social, pressure, of 40 to 50 Mutual's, directing, their scorn, towards, them weakly, made anyone with revolting, tendencies, fall, in line quietly. Within, the first day the. Strategy, here was to manipulate the soldiers, into policing, and surveying, each other and, yet military, training employs. Bullying, dynamics, to establish, a hierarchy of dominance, always, has been like the afton it's not even really a secret. Bullying. Systematically. Manipulates. People to, justify, abusive. Behavior, over there empathetic, impulses. And, that is exactly what, the aristocrats, do with Amanda because, very soon after, Jennifer's, punishment, their roles get, reversed when. They realize, Amanda's, reluctance, to be cruel they instigate. A situation. In which Amanda. Gets, punished by Jennifer, and, demote. Her back to rock bottom in Canada this. Of course was, never Jennifer's, intention, she just tried to survive and live by the rules, it's. The bourgeoisie, who frame it like Jennifer is the one to blame for a man as predicament, they, scapegoat. Her and. From that point on amanda, begins to gradually, grow more and more hatred, towards jennifer until, she becomes the sole target, of all her, frustration, and scorn in. Her diary we, can read how she slowly, dives, down a spiral, of projected, anger, until she feels nothing, but unfiltered. Hatred, and contempt, towards, the mere idea, of Jennifer. She. Starts telling lies, about her scheming. Behind her back and eventually. Becomes, a willing evangelist, of the aristocrats, mob mentality against. Her what's, so spine-chilling about, the way rule of rose depicts, these social, dynamics, is that, this is literally how bullying turns, initially, well-meaning. Bystanders. Into accomplices. And active, participants. And, that's, not even the most brilliant, part about it the. Game even pulls the rug from under our feet and uses, those same tricks, on us the, player, during. My research for this video I've asked a handful of people for their impressions, of rule of Rose and most, of them mentioned, how scary, Amanda, was to them and, how they gradually, began to despise, her more and more towards. The end even, though the game makes it abundantly clear that, she is a victim, herself it. Puts the players through, the same spiral, of dehumanization. And scapegoating. And systematic. Withdrawal, of empathy, that turned Amanda against Jennifer to. Me this always made Amanda enjoy so much more effective and intimidating, antagonist not. Only does she have a believable. Reason, for her manic, behavior the. Players, are also made, to walk a mile in her shoes and. It gives them blisters. I. Believe. By now it should be clear, that the aristocrats. Don't just use their bullying, purely. Out of sadistic, pleasure but, that they've established a, system that, preys on the weak for their own benefit, on the.
Surface It really does appear, as if the aristocrat, society is just a silly kids game with. Terms and expressions blindly. Copied, from adults and tossed around to make the pretense feel fancy, but. At times their laws and hierarchy, shows some surprising. Parallels, to exploitative. Inequality, in actual, adult society, of their time yeah. The red crayon aristocrat, society is if you look closely and almost, on the nose imitation. Of a Marxist, view of exploitative, societal, structures, and. If you feel that this is shoehorning. Politics, into a game where you don't want it to be you, haven't been paying attention rule. Of Rose is openly, political, it's all there, in the writing, in the design and the world building and, it's so rarely talked about so let's have a look first. Of all rule of rows is set in 1930. In the UK an era, in which right-wing, reactionary. Demagogues, and socialist, movements, heavily, clashed ideologically. The. Aristocrats, used Marxist. Terms to label, and designate, their feudalistic, hierarchy. Like, separating. Bourgeoisie, and royalty. From the working-class, the, beggars the poor the proletariat. Their. System is openly. Designed, around the exploitation, of the lower-class, daily. Gifts, taxes. That have to be delivered to serve the desires of those in power it. Requires a social, class to put an extensive. Effort for something that is of no inherent, value to them except, avoiding, legal, punishment. For non-compliance, their. Labor is being, exploited. The aristocrats also, put up the illusion, of a utilitarian. Meritocracy. Something, that's often brought up in defense of oppressive, systems, the, prospect. Of advancement. In social, rank for anyone who just puts, in enough elbow grease. Amanda. Is adequately, dubbed, the, rag princess, which is a nod to the popular, from rags to riches myth, and that fuels. Her illusory, hopes to one, day break, out from the lower-class, but. While this is hypothetically. Within the range of possibilities, for individuals, an advancement. In social, class mandatorily. Requires. The failure, or increased, poverty, of others, in the lower-class in exchange, a system. That distributes large, amounts, of wealth and power to only the few who thrive by, design, has, to keep the vast majority below. A threshold or, it, won't be profitable, enough for those above the power line anymore, this, threshold, is portrayed, explicitly. In the rule of Rose it, is a visible, thick, line, Jennifer. And Amanda formed a lower class while repeatedly, given the prospect, of advancement. If they, just prove their worth how. Much fairer could it be huh but. The odds are of course always stacked. Against, them this. Game is rigged. We. Like the little bitches on a chessboard. Pawns. As. Described. Before when, Jennifer actually gets, promoted in rank of course within the confines of the lower class it automatically. Makes Amanda, lose status, in the process, none. Of the members of the refined class of course give away any of their status the struggle, happens, exclusively. Below, the power threshold. The rule of Roe's redistributes. Power among, the social class to inside artificial. Friction, among them we've. Talked about bullying, dynamics, and specifically, the manipulative. Coercion, into complicity, among, the weaker and how, that's also, deliberately, exploited. In real life examples. Artificial. Incitement. Of animosity, among the lower classes to, distract, the focus, away from those in power who, fabricated. The system of inequality. For their own gain in the first place. Redirecting. Frustration. And alienation. Onto a fabricated. Adversary. It's fear-mongering. In, adult. Society, this is the number one strategy of demagogues, to rile people up against, a made-up threat, and it, keeps being so effective, because fear and hatred spread. So much easier, and faster than. Compassion. And empathy. So. If, playing by the rules is designed, to, only lead you in circles than, is. There even a way out, well. Jennifer. Faces, ongoing, sadistic. Abuse from the aristocrats, but cheap takes it she's, unhappy but, she still keeps following. The rules she. Suffers, but she still has something, someone. That, makes life bearable. Those. That abuse power of, the tendency, to never get enough they. Always want more and more until, one, day they inevitably, go. Too far there's. Always a, breaking, point. This. Is. Revolution. It's. No. Coincidence that, this pivotal, moment of the game of Jennifer's. Violent. Uprising. Against the self anointed royalty. Is graded, in the blue white, and red. Of the turf war trickle or this. Is, not evolution do, turbulent, this, is the social, class overthrowing. The bourgeoisie. Think. About every. Political revolution. Happens, because a people's, oppression. Has reached a crucial breaking, point in. The early 20th century for instance the Russian, people under, the reign of the Tsar had already been exploited.
And Mistreated in. The harshest, of conditions imaginable, for. Decades, but. It needed, a catalyst, a breaking, point in this case it was the neck breaking demand, for resources and, Russia entered World War one that, finally. Tipped the scales and led to open, revolution, against those in power. Jennipher. As we said hadn't you're an awful, lot of mistreatment, over a long period, of time but. For her to finally snap, the, aristocrats, have to bend her past a breaking point with. The aristocrats, murdered. Brown they. Are hunger, for ever more power took the one thing from Jennifer, that had made life, under oppression bearable. For her until that point and her. Act of open, defiance unlike. Everything else she tried before immediately. Dismantled. The aristocrats, in one fell swoop because, she directly, went for the ruler Wendy. The one who was secretly in charge of the aristocrats, all along, and by, that she disrespects. And bypasses. They're made of hierarchy. I think, myself look very most, stupid. Games. There's. Also no coincidence. That to, fill the newly emerged power vacuum, she, gets immediately, elected, as the new leader of the aristocrats, even though it doesn't really even show any desire, to participate, in their petty game of power at all. One. Of the most common, comparisons. Drawn, when talking about rule of Rose is William Golding's, 1954. Novel Lord of the Flies which. Tells the story of a group of boys stranding. On an uninhabited, island the, horrendous attempts, of governing, themselves and, while. The two stories have a lot of themes in common, a group. Of kids suddenly, left on their own without adult supervision that, ends, up in an abusive, totalitarian. Society rule, of Rose delivers, something that Lord of the Flies largely. Omits, it. Doesn't, just show the how but. The why as well. Dynamics. Of power abuse. Can theoretically, arise, under all kinds of circumstances, but. External, factors such as social, upbringing family. Background, and pedagogical. Practices, employed, by teachers, and parenting. Figures have a tremendous, impact on the development of social values, and behavior, of children growing, up in rule. Of Rose there are many different antagonistic. Figures among the kids but, no matter how misguided and, vile any of those kids turn out in, a greater sense all, of them are victims. If. There is one decided. Root cause for all the developmental, disturbances, and antisocial, tendencies, the. Orphans develop, its, mr., Hoffman, the, headmaster, and teacher of the institution, and the children's. Legal guardian. Hoffman. Is a typical, pre-war, father figure, stereotype, he, is emotionally, distant, and cold and, he embodies the principle, of discipline, and tough love he's.
Accordingly, Dubbed the strict teacher by the orphans, and he punishes failure, and insufficiencies. Swiftly, and mercilessly. And. He makes unbridled. Use of both physical, and verbal abuse. Jennifer. Repeatedly, gets directly, insulted. And degraded, by him throughout the not, just visa V but also in front of other schoolmates and, he's known to regularly, scold, the children with this wooden chalkboard, pointer a disgustingly. Common, traditional. Educational. Practice, of that era. Strictness. In and of itself can, be very valuable for establishing, a sense of direction and, children growing up but, that's only the case of its exercise in, a benevolent, and fair manner. Hoffman. Is the polar opposite, of that he, openly enacts in favoritism. For some children without, attempting, to disguise his disdain, for others whenever, he speaks to the orphans over the mansion's speaker system, he reads the names of the children in the order of his preference, and not surprisingly, it is directly, analogue, to the hierarchy, of the aristocrat Club and, Jennifer. Is always, at the bottom of his list. His. Perpetual, unbridled. Disdain, and his verbal and physical harassment. Of Jennifer carried. Out openly. In front of everyone, to witness, directly. Empowers, the aristocrats, and to them serves, as a justification, for, their bullying behavior. Now. There's one person Hoffman. Always lists as his favorite, girl, Diana. No. When I was in high school we, had a gym teacher boys, and girls were separated, for PE in my school and this guy would exclusively. Teach the girls classes, he. Always arranged, his students, in four to five groups ostensibly, sorted, by performance. If you performed, well enough for a while you'd rise out to a better group until you've reached the ACE team now. One day he accidentally, forgot his ledger in the sports fall and some students found it and read through it and it came to lie that it contained his mental, notes for every single one of his students with, detailed, descriptions of, their outer appearances, in disturbing, detail we're. Talking about how good, or cute, looking a student was their, hair color and cut body, shape height skin, complexion, legs breast, size and literally, a rating, of their looks on a numbered, scale and what, a surprise, is hot-or-not meter was pretty much identical with the class's performance, groups if, your teacher didn't. Find you fuckable, enough you'd never get an A in gym class, this, was brought to the school administration and, you probably think the teacher was fired effective immediately right, but. No the school irrelevantly. Pointed, out jet like his past as a distinguished, athlete, and how he had been a model teacher for such a long time and they pretty much brushed the whole affair under the carpet they, directly, protected, an F F I'll late fifties, man who verifiably. Rated, his female, underage, students, by how attracted. He felt to them and he faced zero. Consequences. Rule. Of roses Hoffman is basically, what happens when you take such a pedophile, slash Heba file and make him the supervisor, of a remote orphanage, full of forsaken, children, and made him their legal guardian, his. Attraction, for, underage, girls, is the main motivation, behind, his favoritism. And there are at least two, cases where, it's aggressively. Hinted at that Hoffman, exploited. His power and parental, guardianship. To sexually, abuse children in, his care Clara. Is the most visibly, depicted, case of Hoffman's, sexual misconduct and, rule of Rose she's, around 1516, years old and at, the time before, Diana reaches, adolescence she, was known to be Hoffman's, favorite, the. Game strongly. Implies that Hoffman, raped and/or, sexually. Abused her repeatedly, over an extended period of time she. Is commonly, found in a sick room sitting, on the examination caught, with Hoffman, right next to her in the room, her. Body language conveys. Insecurity. Fear, and shame when talked to and, when Jennifer attempts to open drawers in that room she stops her in panic, quite, likely hiding evidence of Hoffman Smith treatment of her often.
Himself, Just nods and hums and silent, agreement. In. A later chapter we find Hoffman, leading her into a secluded room with a bed hunched. Over and sluggishly, shuffling, her feet as if she's suffering, from abdominal. Pain. At. That point in the game we face the mermaid, princess boss, which. Is a grotesque, manifestation. Of how Jennifer's, young mind, made sense of Clara sexual, misconduct that she witnessed one. Of the main attacks, of Clara's, mermaid, form is an acidic vomit, hinting, at heavy morning, sickness and vomiting, as a symptom of an unwanted, pregnancy, we. Can also find a large scar, on her lower abdomen pointing. To an abortion through, c-section. Her. Fish tail is actually the tail of Hoffman's, koi which, Jennifer comments, on is floating, freely but never able to escape the. Koi is a recurring, symbol, of the kids wishing, to flee the orphanage, and be free of their imprisonment. There. Are more indicators, for Clara's, pregnancy, and Hoffman's, inappropriate, affection, for her we. See her scrubbing, the floor with the headmaster looming. Over her gazing, at her body and instructing. Her in a disgusting, sexually. Suggestive tone, or. When. We find her cleaning the examination, caught right in the crotch region, suggesting. That this is where the c-section took place and that she was made to clean it up herself, during. That chapter, we also repeatedly, hear loud music, being played over the speaker system and, since Hoffman and Clara in the same room the entire time this, is likely meant to be an acoustic, distraction. To cover up any troubling, noises, caused by his misconduct. Clara. Is said to have disappeared. At some point in time in several, details, such, as the gills on the mermaid princess's character, model not, just on the body also, on her wrists hint, at the possibility that. Clara might have in act in self-harming. Behavior, or even taken. Her own life she saw no way out of her situation. I've. Always regarded her role in the game as open, and direct proof for Hoffmann being a sexual predator and heavy file, and. When. She reaches, adolescence. Hoffman's. Eyes eventually. Fall on Diana. Hoffman's. Sexual, abuse of Diana is never displayed, as explicitly. As with Clara but. It's strongly implied, that he followed, a similar coercive. Pattern, with her aside. From repeatedly. Listing her as his number one student in front of all touting. His infatuation, for her out for all to witness he, seen on numerous occasions, to caress, her touching. Her in a manner that vehemently. Crosses, the line for a teacher-student, relationship. Diana's. Body language, reflects, that she, shows confusion. Fear and, repulsion, at his inappropriate physical, intimacy. She's. Also commonly shown to have her thigh wrapped, in bandages. Insinuating. Bruises, or other bodily violations. That might have occurred by often and posing himself on her.
Diana. While coming of age and facing, her already confusing, sexual. Development felt. Her sense of right and wrong aggressively. Violated. By the only Father fair in her life who, exploited, her parental dependency. On him to satisfy his personal, desires these. Experiences. Along, with the already existent, possible, trauma of being orphaned, in the first place triggered, a deep set lingering, disdain, for adults in Diana and Anna Coren fear of growing up herself. Witnessing. How she inexorably. Turns into the very thing she despises. Terrifies. Her to the core the. Process, of becoming a woman elicits. A raging, conflict, in her on. The one hand her evolving. Physical, appeal, is what caused Hoffman's. Sexual, interest in her he made her end up in this hellish situation at. The mercy of a sexual, abusive, teacher and mentor. But, on the other hand her, maturity, grants. Her power of the other kids of the orphanage, and in her alienation. Confusion. And angst she. Begins to abuse that power for herself to, establish, a sense of belonging and purpose in. Her life. She. Shows signs of grave developmental. Disorders, because of that diana, emits strong tendencies. Towards, sociopathic. Personality. Disorder, impaired. Empathy, manipulative. And anti-social, behavior and, a, very classic, tell enacting. An animal, cruelty and murder for instance. She killed the bird of her friend Elinor simply. To bet on how she reacts, to it and of. Course she, directly, captain's, the kidnapping, and murder of brown and. If you're wondering why nobody ever called the police or did, anything against Hoffman's, behavior. Well. Whoever. Believes the victim. Survivors. Of abuse and, sexual misconduct in. Any way speaking, up and accusing, their perpetrators, face the problem, that it's a case brought up by a less powerful against. A more powerful party. And in many cases those who use power have little to no effort in covering, their tracks enough. For any accusation. To fall flat the. Game even addresses, the issue of police neglect, when we read through letters written by Martha Carroll the orphanages. Housekeeper, and cook who attempted, to inform the police about her suspecting. Child mistreatment. In a different case with. The police despite, continuous. Bleeding showing, zero interest, in looking into the affair at all in, this. Case the saying is true the. Bully really is the victim. Hoffman. Is the seed that fostered, and grew into what eventually became the dysfunctional. Red crayon aristocrat. Society. We've. Talked, about a band of bullies, and, the effect their actions, have on their victims we've. Talked about the blatant, parallels, between a social hierarchy of, organized, harassment, and real word politics, and, we've talked about the impact of child neglect and exploited. Parental, power on the children of the rose-garden orphanage. And. All of this without even tackling, what could be seen as the games central, antagonist. I'm. Talking, about Wendy. Jennifer's. Savior, best, friend and supposed, love, interest, in big air quotes who, is eventually revealed to be the ringleader of the red crayon aristocrats. Bearing, the rank of princess, of the red rose, she. Was the one who orchestrated. All the wrongdoings, jennifer has been subjected to during her year in the orphanage, and, she, embodies another type of abusive, relationship. Rule of Rose addresses, in its narrative. But. To understand, her role in a story is. Vital, to untangle. The scrambled, paths of Jennifer so. Let's, see what really happened, to her during her time in the Rose Garden orphanage. Without. The filter of delusion, through which her story is presented throughout the game. Jennifer's. Tale begins, in 1929. A few months before she entered the orphanage at the. Time she was traveling, with her parents on board of a luxury airship on a fly from karting Tintin to India. But due, to technical. Malfunctions. The, airship crashed. This. Disaster, was inspired, by the r101. A real-life. Experimental. Long-distance. Airship, that crashed, in France in the same year, and killed, nearly, all of its passengers. In. Rudolph, Rosa's case Jennifer. Was the sole, survivor of the catastrophe, that made, her an orphan and this tragic, event is the reason why the hazy, recollections. Of her childhood conflate. The year she spend in the orphanage, with her memory onboard of the ill-fated, airship. Before. Salvage, and rescue teams arrived, Jennifer's, unconscious. Body was found by a poor pea farmer, named Gregory, Wilson, he.
Brought Her to his little farmhouse where, he lived in solitude sometime after, his son Joshua, had, passed away for reasons unspecified. Gregory. Took care of the injured Jennifer nurtured. Her two health found gave her a new home but. His, son's recent, passing, had made him unstable. In the, wake of Joshua's. Death Gregory. Had turned to alcohol, and developed. Strong suicidal. Tendencies, and, he. Gradually, developed something like a replacement. Complex. Through Jennifer, he. Began addressing her with his late son's name cut, her hair short like Joshua, used to wear it and dressed, her in his old clothes until. He started, believing that Jennifer, in fact, was, Joshua, and that his son had never died after, all he. Became increasingly. Overprotective. And eventually. Permanently, locked in her in the basement to, make sure he would never lose his son ever, again, Jennifer. Grew increasingly, afraid, and repeatedly, tried to escape but she was not able to on her own, but, one fine day a young, girl who lived in an orphanage not too far from Gregory's, house discovered. Her through the dirty basement window. Because. Of the clothes Jennifer, was wearing the girl Wendy, mistook. Her for a boy and from that point on dubbed her her prince the. Two began exchanging letters, in secret, and quickly. Became infatuated with, each other, longing, to be together and. Then one day Wendy. Took up the courage and broke Jennifer out from her imprisonment, and they, escaped to the rose-garden orphanage. Where she was reluctantly, adopted, by headmaster, Hoffman in, the, beginning of her time in the orphanage Jennifer and Wendy were inseparable. Friends, Wendy. Introduced, her to the red crayon aristocrat, Club and being. The group's founder, and leader, she made her member, even, though Jennifer never agreed with their games from the start and only played, along because it made her friend happy, but. Over time Wendy's, affection, for Jennifer grew increasingly, obsessive. Breeding. Through their letters, that can be found in the gingerbread house and in the epilogue chapter of the game we can observe how our language becomes, gradually more, manic, and possessive.
Even. If at the time things. Still appeared to be fine from an outside perspective, but. As long as Wendy got what she wanted that, is having Jennifer all to herself she, was appeased, but. As it is common with abusers, it usually, needs a catalyst, that tips the scales from simply, being a caring, friend into, her turning into the obsessive control, freak that would turn Jennifer's, life into an everyday hell. For. Wendy this, catalyst, was brown. One. Day Jennifer. Was, wandering out and about and discovered, a lonely, hungry. And helpless, puppy, abandoned. In a dilapidated shed, near the orphanage, she couldn't, leave the poor thing to starve so driven, by compassion and, love with a little baby boy she, took him in nursed. Him to health and, the two very, quickly became, inseparable, friends. Jennifer's. Fondness, for Brown, immediately stirred. Jealousy, in Wendy she. Repeatedly. Expressed her dislike, of dogs call, Jennifer's, friend filthy, dirty, and made, it clear that she wants to never offer herself. But. Jennifer of course didn't want to part with her friend and frankly, she didn't even see a problem, and despite, her attempts, to befriend when in brown overtime, Wendy's, jealousy, turned into spite, which. In turn made Jennifer, recede, more and more and favor Browns company, over hers a cycle. Of power and balance the. More wendy pulled the, more it made jennifer want to distance herself, and. At some point wendy. Snapped. Around. That time Hoffman. Alongside the housekeeper, Martha Carol and Clara had, disappeared, from the orphanage, leaving, the remote mansion, without any adult, supervision, and. Even though it was technically, only meant to be a game in this leaderless, vacuum, of power the, red crayon aristocrat, Society stepped, in to seize the power through, their twisted sense of law and order over the children that were left behind they. Became, the de facto leadership. Of the Forsaken, Rose Garden orphanage. Wendy. Increasingly, abused, her power to, rile the aristocrats, up against Jennifer and, inciting, the group to harass and bully her in. Her, own mind she, always acted, in Jennifer's best, interest, coercing. Her into giving up her friend and committing, to their love and friendship. A very common justification. Used by abusers, I love. You so much and my love for you is so righteous, that your suffering, is necessary. And deserved, if you're unable to see the truth my. Truth, I'm, only mistreating, you because that's what you make me do, the. Spiral of abused by the hand of the aristocrats, is depicted, in many of the game's chapters, and, it eventually culminates. When Wendy, declared, filthy, Brown as, the gift of the day the. Aristocrats, trapped Jennifer's, friend tied him up stuffed, him in a bag and. Beat. Him to death. This. Is the bottom, of the abusive, spiral, of Wendy's attempts, to coerce Jennifer, into coming. Back to her and this, is where things all Tamara, went too far for Jennifer, witnessing. The murder of her dear friend maid Jennifer finally, stand up against, Wendy's bullying. As. We said before the, aristocrats, immediately, dethrone, her and declare Jennifer their new leader, now. After, that things, turn a little bit over, spectacular. If you ask me Wendy. Runs away from the orphanage after this incident and pretty much immediately plots, her revenge, for. Much of the information the game presents during the gingerbread house chapter, and final, encounter was the epilogue chapter, Wendy, goes on to exploit Gregory, the lone P farmers weak mental, state and his obsession with his deceased son Joshua, by, dressing, up as a young boy and impersonating. Him. During. The games big reveal, at the end it, turns out that the boy who had been leading Jennifer, and players, around throughout most of the game it, was a cross-dressing, Wendy, all along.
Wendy. Systematically. Manipulated. The gullible Gregory, and trained him like an animal among. The kids he became the legend of stray dog a boogeyman, story the children of the orphanage whispered, about fearing. Stray dog would come and eat them one night and. Well, can I say turns out they were right one. Night in December Wendy, actually, brings Gregory, to the orphanage, and orders, him to, Massacre. Everybody. Kappa guess, she went a bit farther dingy. This. Is the final boss fight of the game depending, on how we deal with him he, reached the good or the bad ending, in, the bad ending Jennifer outride kills him in combat and, loses her memory for good, while. In the good ending she hands him his revolver, and Gregory, ends up taking his own life, following. Through the suicidal, urge he had ever since he had lost his son. Jennifer. Leaves the orphanage, once again being the only survivor, of a mass tragedy. And subsequently. Represses. All the memories of this tormented, period, of her life until. She returns, at age 19, didn't. Come to terms with his troubles past. Full. Circle, now. Let's. Talk about Jennifer. And Wendy's, relationship. Now. Especially in the context, of the games ban it's, often been suggested that their relationship, is an underaged. Lesbian, romance and, if. You judge by the language they use in the letters and by their body language and some of the cutscenes well, I won't deny that the game definitely heavily, plays with this notion but. The truth is it, doesn't really matter the entire purpose, of Wendy, X Jennifer, in the narrative rule of Rose is that it is another type of abusive, relationship, the game addresses, one, that is phazon unhealthy, entitlement. And position, and for, this that, type of relationship, is, completely, irrelevant. Romantic. Partners, friends. Parents. Of the children, possessiveness. In relationships. Is a common, cause for emerging. Abuse patterns in any type. Of relationship no, matter the nature. The. Way this game portrays, Wendy, and plays, with the player's expectations. Is comparable, to the story of Amanda, in her. Case players, get to witnessed, the abuse she suffers, from her social circles, firsthand making. The players empathize, with her situation and, form a bond through mutual suffering, with her. Only to flip her so drastically, that she becomes a threat that forces, the players into fearing, and despising, her in the same way she did, with Jennifer in, Wendy's. Case the game uses the trick of leaving, the player in the dark she's been the one behind all the sadistic mistreatment. Of Jennifer all along, until. A real nature is revealed to us every. Encounter, with her is amicable. Among. The large cast of characters, that act pretty much unanimously. Vitriolic, Lee towards Jennifer, all the time, interactions. With Wendy in contrast, always feel like a fresh breeze a Quantum, of Solace, she's. Gentle kind, and caring, her, character is deliberately, set up to feel like a relief in a world of bullies, this. Is how Wendy's affection, for Jennifer felt to her after, she lost her parents and after being locked in a basement by a terrifying madman. For months, just. As it was for Jennifer it takes us a long time to, understand. That her affection, was guided, by deep personal, issues low, self-esteem and jealousy, and that she's the root cause behind all Jennifer, had to suffer. Wendy. Is like, all the other kids in rose-garden and orphan, the, and, although we never learn about her exact personal, circumstances. And how she ended, up in the orphanage she, at some point in her life lost, her parents the. Lack, of a parental figure was. The already established complete. Failure, of the headmaster, in being one and in.
Addition To that her frail health had often doomed, her to stay inside alone. In bed for days at a time, it makes whinnies intense fear of abandonment all, the more plausible the. Friendship with Jennifer managed, to suppress, this constant. Feeling of loneliness and abandonment in, her in the beginning possibly. For the first time since she was orphaned and it made, her feel more complete, which. Is in and of itself a wonderful, thing. Possessiveness. In early, stages in our culture is very often interpreted, as something inherently, positive is, read, as a sign, of affection and, fondness. But, as soon as it becomes a persistent. Negative trade, as soon as one person bases, their entire happiness and, self-esteem, on, the compliance, of the desired and, as soon as they develop a sense of entitlement, over the desired person, possessiveness. Quickly, reveals, its toxic, nature, it's. Comparable to the behavior, of an addict, as soon as the desired person, shifts their attention, away from the, possessive, person it, invokes fears, of abandonment. Suspicions. Of betrayal and mostly, irrational, jealousy. Jealousy. Is inherently tied to the idea that a person in, some capacity belongs. To you and this, notion can, very easily spiral. Into abusive, behavioral, patterns, as, it is the case with windy ones Jennifer adopts brown. Possessive. Relationships, are unlike. Our society, often likes to frame it not, about love but, primarily, about entitlement. Control. And power a pent. In Jennifer's case for instance is never a competitor, for a friend, any. Healthy, relationship is, built on the desire for the happiness of the other which, necessarily requires. Space, and, freedom for both persons, a healthy. Relationship of, any kind is built on trust and altruism. In. Possessive. Relationships, on the other hand one, party regards, the other primarily. As a means to their own happiness with. Little to no regard, for that person's, boundaries, or individual, freedom. There. Are many subtle and not so subtle ways possessive. People attempt to control relationship. Partners, as a means to calm their own emotions, yet. Feeling. Connected as someone never, means, you are entitled, or allowed, to exert power over them. Wendie goes down that spiral where genuine, affection turns. Into a chain reaction of, possession, and domination, where. The happiness of the person, of interest becomes, irrelevant. While the desire to control, or, takes, her thoughts and actions, we. Can see her increasingly, controlling, behavior, towards Jennifer as symbolized. By the growing amounts of rope the airship gets wrapped up in over the course of a story. With. Increasing jealousy, Wendy's, destructive. Path becomes, equally, more intense, she. Systematically. Isolates, Jennifer's socially, by, having the aristocrats, demote her to the lowest rank and spreading, lies about her, not, just to the other kids but even, to the effect that the adults, perpetuate. The notion that Jennifer, constantly. Lies in bed she reeks. In, turn. The more Jennifer feels alone, and abandoned, the more she seeks solace in her friendship, with town and, in responds. The more when he doubles down in her destructive, behavior. Brunel. Grows portrays. How possessiveness. And relationships, eventually. Always, damages. Everyone. Involved and inexorably, takes over everything. Devoid. Of freedom, trust and tranquillity, everybody. Ends up suffocated. By the erratic, controlling, behavior, of an abuser. After. Months of suffering through, the bullying, of pretty much every, person, in Jennifer's small, world after feeling, how her actions have only driven Jennifer, further and further away from her Wendy, finally, resolves, to take the one last thing that brings, Jennifer, solace, from, her it's.
The Moment when Jennifer finally, can defend, her abuser, anymore and at, the same time the ultimate, symbol for how possessive behavior. Ultimately, damages, everyone. Once. The game reveals Wendy's true face it, tears, the facade of love down and, exposes, it for the toxic, entitlement. It really is and always has been every. Previous interaction. With her suddenly, becomes tainted so much so that plays with the game a second, time was, her kind and caring demeanor, in a far darker light. Wendy. Acted. Like every, abusive she. Never backed down never. Second-guessed, her selfish motivations, and always, felt justified, in her hurtful, behavior because. She was convinced, that the end to her means was, ultimately good that. Her acting, was righteous. For. This video I've, now, literally, spent months, with, Lula Rose playing. Researching. Writing replaying. Rewriting. Recording, editing more research playing, again and so on and so on and so on and. You think that by now I really, can't stand to look at the game anymore right but. It's the opposite really the, more I dig into this game's incredibly. Deep and multifaceted. Characters. And lore the. More I analyze, it and take it apart into its atoms, the, more I try to connect dots and, decipher, its symbolism, and metaphors, the, more I adore, the authors, for what they achieved with, rural rose, it. Is at heart. A tale, of power imbalance. A story. That rejects, the traditional. Simplistic, notion, of pure good, for, his pure evil, but that instead, showcases. Many different, forms, of abuse and, how they can arise, from all, kinds, of circumstances, it. Constantly. Plays on your perception of wrong and right and the, deeper you venture, into its rabbit hole the. More you find that, everybody. In here has been through some shit really. And. I think that's what I ultimately respect, the game the most for then. It goes to the lengths, to explain, the why behind, all, the horrible stuff that makes its characters, go through without. Ever telling you and, here, is how you should feel about it, that. It doesn't serve you its lessons, on a silver, platter but. That it makes you work for it. Justification. The. Better you understand, that's characters, the, harder, the game makes it to cast. The first stone. If. Anything. It hammers, home that things are, always. More, complicated than, they seem at face value. Rule. Arose shows how in most, cases those. Who views, often don't, even realize, what exactly. They're doing how. In their own way they are convinced. That what they're doing is the right thing and how, they're often utterly, unaware, of, the power imbalances. They profit, from. Wendie, for instance just like every person who becomes increasingly. Possessive. In a relationship, they feel is slipping, away from them in her, own way acts because, she believes that manipulative. Ly taking, Jennifer's, freedom, away is in Jennifer's best, interest.
That She. Just, doesn't, know what's good for her this. Is the methodology. Of abuse. When. Jennifer revolves, against the aristocrats, that, is the moment when the power imbalance. Is shattered, and, it shows how often social. Structures, like these only work if. We allow them. If. There is one thing to take away from role, of roles and it is the importance, of learning to recognize power. Imbalance. That. Is if you're on the r
2018-12-20 16:58
Hey ragnar. long time no see. Thank You so much for the video.
I think YouTube can’t understand your art
Youtube doesn't give a crap no more, this video is unbelieveable, to me it kinda reached on a personal level, the way you described the characters behaviours, it pointed at things I now need to look into, thank you RagnarRox, bless you for your work, the most underrated channel on Youtube for me at the moment, more people should be watching your content man!!!
Do you know why exactly it got demonetised ?, i noticed you have a clip from "interview with a vampire". The scene in question has brief nudity... might have been enought for you tube to bring down the demonitisations hammer ?
I was about to suggest releasing videos like this in episodic format as a way to fill the spaces between episodes and to generate a bit more income. Then I saw your comment. Sigh... I'm in a bad spot in my life, so I can't even think of getting a credit card at this moment. But when I fet out of this slump, I will be sure to add myself to your patreon list. This video deserves that at least.
Awesome video, as always. :)
Patreon's been giving me the stank-eye when i use it, but i should still be able to help just fineif you got Paypal. I mean it's either support some of the most intricate and affectual art i've seen on youtube, or buy more bits for digital tips on Twitch. I think the choice is clear, lol.
That must sting man... This video essay was incredibly well put together and seemed to cover pretty much everything around the psychology behind the actions of all of the characters. They definitely screwed you out of some very well earned ad revenue
I'm so sorry, and you deserve so much more. You're doing such a great work exploring all these forgotten masterpieces from the past. Flawed as they often are - and Rule of Rose is one deeply flawed game, albeit one of my absolute favourites - they deserve so much more attention. Keep it real. I hope I'll be able to support you as soon as I get some degree of economic indipendence.
+Grand Gaming Channel yes and it's very shitty of youtube because they will still shovel ads on and then just not give him any money for it. If everyone watching youtubers worldwide somehow didn't watch a single video for just ONE SINGLE HOUR i think they would get the point that we are all they have.
Youtube being youtube again with killing creativity and originality.... Sigh!
Sorry to hear that. It was probably the best video about RoR I've seen so far. Maybe you can put up an edited version later?
That means you are doing it right. Youtube hates well presented well thought out ideas.
Yeah, you aren't allowed to talk about interesting things now on this site.
Fuck 'em. Real art won't ever be monetized anyway, unfortunately. Never have I ever commented on youtube before, but it's time to show some respect for your arts. Thank you so much for your thoughtful, eloquent and psychologically always worthwhile analyses (as a clinical psychologist I may dare to try to flatter your work). I really hope the ways of youtube will never get to your motivation for exquisite video content. The least we can do is back you up a little through Patreon.
And this is why Patreon exists ❤️
+Grand Gaming Channel wow. That's extremely scummy of YT. Also I'm on the half hour mark, so I guess that explains why I haven't seen any ads. Thanks for the explanation.
+TheRibbonRed it's a little bit different from what you imagine. You see, the author is able to add time marks where ads are supposed to pop up. But since it's not "advertiser friendly" 99% of the ads that are supposed to be shown will not appear. It's not like it's forbidden to add ads into the video, but the outcome is extremely (!) low. But sometimes YouTube can change its mind and make this or that video "advertiser friendly" with time. But since it doesn't notify you about this decision it's better to keep those ads turned on, just in case...
Great video !! Merry Christmas !!!
That's odd. I'm seeing like 6 ad tags on mobile. Maybe it got fixed now? Hopefully YT or someone else don't claim it for themselves.
Eh, what can ya do sometimes. :(
Sorry to hear that. Thanks for your exceptional work on this analyze of a no less exceptional game.
Good God this video is beautiful
Truly a amazing video thank you for making it
This sucks, man. It's not much, but it's high time I supported you on patreon. Take care!
why youtube is fucking his own content creators, it's like trying to sink yourself
Really a crime, after you've put so much effort in it. I hope this video of yours, gets enough attention, that it will help you in other ways instead!
well....about time i supported you on patreon anyway. Amazing job as always!
Absolutely incredible video. Thank you so much for making this kind of content.
dw my dude I'll patreon ya
This is just absolutely idiotic . You put so much effort into creating these videos the least you should get is some form of income imo.
Make Rule of Rose great again
Splendid work. Back in the days I didn't finish this game. Makes me wanna do it now despite the spoilers.
One of your best works and by far the best Youtube video I've seen this year. This is some next level shit! As soon as I can afford it, I will support you on Patreon. Thats a promise.
Oh yes. Thanks, papa Ragnar, I love this game to death.
Wow. Women are scary.
Just wonderful, well worth the wait.
This, along with other psychological horror games, need more attention and praise.
Thanks dad.
OwO the main villain was all too real
Almost halfway there, but your points about metaphors regarding Jennifer's past are just constantly blowing my mind. Never thought these things the first time I see them.
geez did they base the first boss on your teacher lol
This was well worth the wait as usual, another video essay on an old but gold game. The detail you put into these is insane and you deserve every penny given. (also thanks for pronouncing my name right)
Thank you, Dace! Glad to hear I hit it spot on with the pronunciation - I spent some time figuring that out actually. ;)
Great Video as always!
You are doing a damn fine job here. Also a slowly middle finger to youtube for what happen to you.
Yes bitch!
lol i dont know about that combat comparison. i thought neither of those games had stellar combat design and it didnt really need it, but rule of rose was definitely more irritating to control.
I love how in depth and how much hard work you put into these videos!!!
love the video. i must have played too many horror game because nothing in this game was surprising and the ending was the biggest disappointment. it was too obvious and bland to just have the *little boy* actually be a girl and of course they were in love. personally i only like the art direction of the game but it quick wears on you because of the difficulty.
Never heard of this game, but now I’m very interested to know more.
This is what a YouTube video should be. Ragnar, you keep raising the bar.
Oh my god Christmas came early is real
Rag I love you and all your vids but WHEN ARE YOU GONNA TALK ABOUT BLOODBORNE? I feel like it’s perfect for your rather insightful mind and channel
He already did...
Rule of Rose is such an underrated game. At least in the aspect of story and style. And this music... Damn, it is so beautiful. Definetely one of the best soundtracks in the history of videogames. It is calming and kind of horrifiying at the same time. Too bad the gameplay feels clunky and rushed. If it was more polished, the game would've gotten a cult following like Silent Hill. These games are similar in many ways, which is obvious. For example, it's better to watch, than to actually play them. And both of them are not about monsters, but the dark corners of the human mind. Rule of Rose takes this idea even further by making main characters children, who see the world in a whole different way.
Beautiful video, thanks a lot for the dedication. Rule of Rose will forever be my favorite underrated horror game.
I remember watching my uncle play this game when I was very young, this game sparks some sort of dreadful nostalgia in me. Its a beautiful work of art.
Oh my God. I remember after my friends and I rushed through Silent Hill 2, 3 and 4, and after beating RE4, we were in thirst of more Survival Games, we came across this one. By reasons unclear we were just unable to finish it. I've always wondered what happened further in this story, and we thought it was just a pretentius game at the beginning, being too edgy and tryhard wannabe of SH. Man, what I missed. Though at that age I would have probably not understood much of it. Man, I was really hesitant if waiting for how many more years to replay this or go ahead and watch the full video. As always, outstanding job. Your videos always give me so much sense of nostalgia and amazement. You truly remind us all how videogames can be such a wonderful expressive, artful and reflective piece of media. Whole Art, in my standards.
Still waiting for Siren Blood Curse...
this video is a masterpiece. and so is this game.
hearing you read out the patreon supporters just does something to me.
This video is clearly a work of love and dedication, thank you for making it. Edit : love your voice btw
Well this was awesome.
Exceptional job as always.
Hey man, just wanted to say you're doing phenomenal work. The amount of research and understanding it must take for these videos requires a certain type of person, someone who is patiently empathetic. Even though what you cover is thematically dark I always walk away from every Monsters of the Week feeling like I learned something or have a deeper appreciation for a topic. Thank you for all that you do. You touch peoples lives more than you know.
Loved every second of it , thank you !
Man.......deep i can’t say any thing more
Another great piece of work!
I greatly appreciate the work you have put into making this horrifyingly beautiful story digestible to others! I wish I had got this game before it was so hard to even get and play it. Thank you for this!
this was amazing to watch, thank you!
*spoilers* I'm not entirely clear about the sexual dynamic of this game, specifically in relation to the pea farmer. So, his kid dies and that's his motivation for keeping Jennifer. That makes a modicum of sense, for a trite plot device, but his kid is also a boy. So, he dresses Jennifer (and later Wendy) like a boy. Here's the part I'm confused about; Wendy is the one that finds Jennifer in the pea farmer's cellar, and seems to become infatuated with Jennifer dressed up like a boy. From that it sounds like Wendy is a straight young girl with a crush on a young girl dressed like a boy. But, she's also got affection for Jennifer when she's just normal Jennifer. My question is why didn't the developers just make either Jennifer a boy or the pea farmer's kid a girl? Mind you, this could be something that's explained in game, and I'm not aware of it because I'm stupid. But if it's a story with an aspect of two young girls learning about their gayness (for lack of a better term) then it would make more sense for the first time Wendy to get a crush on Jennifer for her to be a girl. I guess it's possible that she's bi/pan-sexual, but in my mind, that makes the pea farmer into a really creepy villain (as opposed to someone more sympathetic) unnecessarily. The other thing I thought of was that Wendy finds Jennifer, and is just curious at first when she thinks Jennifer is a boy, but when she learns "Hey, I could fuck that..." that's when she becomes obsessive, but that honestly isn't the impression I got. TL;DR Why from a narrative perspective, does the pea farmer need to dress Jennifer up like a boy, other than to just be shocking?
John Smith One reason could be to keep the various twists (the Prince was never a Prince, Wendy is the ‘big bad’ and that the game is Jennifer’s repressed memories) hidden for a bit longer. The Prince as a character stands out because he appears to the only boy in the ‘main cast’. The Prince is also the first character Jennifer meets and ‘he’ guides her to the orphanage; had it been Wendy or Wendy in the disguise of another girl, the character of The Prince would have been less ambiguous. That’s the meta reasoning, From a narrative perspective, it could just be the writers trying to show how people ‘alter’ reality to fit their needs. Despite the truth bring different from what Wendy thought it to be, She still obsessed over Jennifer and wanted her ‘prince’ to herself and believed Jennifer to be lonely enough to only need her; despite Jennifer not being a boy, the farmer willingly ‘changed’ reality to fit his needs. Jennifer herself never sees the corpses as corpses, but instead as discarded clothes and a toy dog, because having to actually see the corpses might be too much.
RagnarRox I think you missed my point. It could have just as easily been his daughter that had died. I’m asking is there a thematic reason why it would need to be his son, or a thematic reason for him to dress a little girl up like a little boy, or even a cultural reference I’m not privy to, or did they just do it because.
"Why from a narrative perspective, does the pea farmer need to dress Jennifer up like a boy, other than to just be shocking?" Because he pretends she's his son
The level that this Channel Is reaching. Hope for you the best probably your best one, but i am too into this one to be fair. Make me reflex about my last relasionship , didnt spect that. My respects to you , you truly are a artist
Ever thought about making one of these videos on silent hill origins, I feel that it doesn’t get the proper respect it deserves.
I realized when I saw this video pop up on my feed today that nothing gets me more pumped on YouTube than seeing a new RagnarRox video. You’ve earned my Patreon support.
RagnarRox video on my birthday? what a great day
I'm not going to lie. I do not want to play this game. I'm not sure I could handle it. But dammit I find it fascinating as hell and will probably watch this video a thousand times. Great work Ragnar!
I adore your videos RagnarRox. Your passion for the material you create always shines though. A true delight to watch, sir.
Damn, your work keeps getting better and better. I just can't believe how much more you made me appreciate this already loved game for me. Thanks, man, you're just in another level.
Review was on Point! Those FMV were really gorgeous.
YES A NEW VIDEO!
I ahve the goose bumps! I absolutely loved this analisys. I love this game, and this video only made me love it even more. Thank you
This video has partly left me with a certain kind of gloom, because it almost feels like i can't believe that it's even possible to really surpass it anymore, if you can get behind what i mean.
Fascinating and interesting deconstruction of this gem of a game. Keep at it, RagnarRox :)
Good stuff. As always.
Time to bring out ps2 again.
7/10 needs more Eleanor No but seriously, excellent job (I admit I was expecting an analysis on all of the main orphans, but this was still excellent)
+RagnarRox oh, that sounds interesting, maybe you can release it as little extra video sometime?
I had started to cover her, and Meg - started writing parts, but the script, as it is, is already 12.000 words long, so I really had to focus on the main parts of what I wanted to convey. Still regret that I didn't have the time to cover her. She's also exceptionally interesting.
Fantastic job. I never got very far in the game because of the combat. A game I did finish was Haunting Ground. I know that also had a girl and a dog. Don't know if that would be worth doing sometime too. I don't think there are a lot of other people who've looked at it with much depth.
Wow. This is definitely the best video so far. It was amazing. It was awesome to revisit this awesome game again, and see all those subtle themes that slipped away when I played when I was young. Keep it going, it was amazing.
Love this. Haunting Ground needs to happen.
Damn amazing video. I went through all the throes of bullying like this in school, including being an accompalice and bully to my shame. I really hope that gym teacher got what was coming them eventually. If I was the parent of one of the girls I would have flipped out.
simply sublime
Btw i was rewatching the video and in the minute 20 with 40 seconds you could edit you video so it get monetised.
I am sorry to hear that man, you deserve to be paid for this.
That's not really how it works. The demonetization comes because my script contains words like abuse, rape, etc. It was always unlikely that this video would get monetized in the first place because of those topics, but hell if I censor my script for that shit.
The mermaid fight still gives me PTSD, i never got to finish the game because of that.
I know you said it was mandatory but I still have to say respect for taking part in your country’s military, it builds character!
Thank you and please keep it up! I love your deep dive into these games psychology
An hour of Ragnar? Proof God exists. Checkmate, atheists.
This was rather masterfully done, just like your Love Letter's of the past regarding certain games, this is simply put, amazing ! I'm not sure if you talked about it before but any plans to do Haunting Ground? Regardless, great work RagnarRox !
Been asked that a lot in the context of this video. It's definitely very high on my list of games I'd love to cover! :) Thank you for the kind words.
It seems that the authorities don't realise that _exploring_ a topic is not the same as _endorsing_ it.
There was definitely also a strong political agenda of EU minister Franco Frattini behind this. Rule of Rose was a great scapegoat for his campaign against the insidiousness of video games. Quite ironic, considering how the game vehemently portrays and condemns scapegoatism.
Thank you for the journey
Hearing soundtracks from my favorites - The Void and Pathologic in a video about another my favorite - Rule of Rose nearly caused tears in my eyes) Thanks for such elaborate analysis. and I've never thought about the political aspect, now it's evident to me
Oh, I knew some tracks felt familiar, but couldn't remember from where. Thanks for reminding they were from those great games (I would love a video on Pathologic too).
I will make a video on Pathologic, one day. I really really want to.
Wow, another great video, this is one of my favorite channels. That PE teacher you were talking about... He taught at my high school. He's still head PE teacher and teaching today. Where did you read about that?
Stuff like that is far more common than people think. Sort of my point.
Just wow!
43:45 Holy fuck, you met a real life "Kamoshida".
Great video. Your channel is one of the few I really look forward for an upload because of the themes you talk about and the quality over all. So thanks and have a happy new year.
This MOTW was worth months of waiting, a delight to watch and listen to. This is in my opinion the best work you've done, bravo!
37:00 One of the best cutscenes in videogames.
Fastest hour of my life.
This video is a masterpiece. Amazing job.
Ragnar... you seriously out did yourself this time. I'm not kidding, this may be your best video yet. I actually cried during curtain moments. This was amazing. Seriously glad I found your channel.
the dog being murdered definitely hits home. really heavy stuff. :(
Thank you so much for your amazing work! I truly enjoy listening to your thoughts about issues in the world and how you showcase the lore of these rare but amazing games. As always I'm looking forward to the next one.
I would've bought the game immediately if ebay wasn't selling $400
Damn it. I really want to watch this, but I have this game waiting in my backlog (and horrors are definitely not something I want spoiled)... Btw. have you ever played original Clocktower on SNES? It's great horror game IMO.
WOW! Thanks so much for making these videos, and this one in particular. I believe I've seen them all and while they were all great, this one shines above them all in my view. I feel like playing the game in this hurried world, I would give it way less attention than it deserves. May I ask whether you studied psychology academically? I admire the fact not only you understand all the underlying motives, but that you can also explain them in an incredibly approachable manner.
43:58 - You can thank the teacher's unions for that. Unless a crime has been directly committed that teacher can be the CREEPIEST piece of filth to ever walk the earth, EVERY parent can make formal complaints, the students can even 'strike'; you fire that teacher and the unions will blacklist your school, many if not all of your staff will/will be made to leave and the school will inevitably close.
This was an outstanding analysis, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you!
Superb!
Overall this video was very well put together, though I'm not sure the part where you talked about Marxism was particularly clear. I'm not sure if you were trying to communicate that the way the Red Crayon Society is depicted in-game is representative of all hierarchies within society, or only of abusive hierarchies. Besides that the essay was fantastically put together and your choice of subject was as refreshing as your coverage of the themes therein was tasteful. Top work, my dude. I would gladly support you monetarily if I wasn't at the bottom of the totem pole myself so I'll just share it around as best I can in the meantime. I look forwards to more work of this quality in the future (though the quality could half and would still be well above average so I'll probably be happy regardless.)
What a great video to end 2018! I'll see you all next year!
There's something about your voice and script that always have me eager to learn about whatever new topic you put out. I've never heard about this game, but this was still a treat to watch. Now I know about Rule of Rose, Thanks!
Thanks to uncovering this masterpiece. Love your work since started watching, keep it on
Amazing work. Thank you.
I'M SO HAPPY EVERYONES TALKING ABOUT THIS GAME. THE STORYLINE IS SOOO GOOD
I've seen this game in action in a few videos and the combat system definitely does look pretty awful. But the storytelling done masterfully and really gets to me. Definitely a beautiful piece of art
I have been watching you for a while now, but i think this is the first time i actually put down on words just how much i appreciate your Channel and the absurd amount of care that goes into your videos. I have never really played "rule of rose", psycological horror but has always been so interesting to me that i had to at least Watch it on YouTube. I've regretted not playing it for myself for years, you did absolute justice to the masterpiece of intricate characters and analisis of society that this game is. So thank you for your work and fuck YouTube for demonetizing such an amazing piece of art analisis.
Thank you so much for this!
Thank you.
Fucking Ragnar. Now I have to explain to my wife why I squealed like a little girl after seeing this upload. Seriously though, A++ conent as usual.
Excellent as always, sorry about YouTube not caring about the only people keeping them alive and all :(
I love being your patron. Your videos are deep, thoughtful, and magnificent. Always worth the wait. I also love that you pronounce my name right :) thank you
You forgot child lesbianism and pedophilia in your trigger warning. XDD
Didn't realise how relevant these themes of social webbings were. Thanks for reading into the work and doing the work to put it into words
Nicely done, sir.
youtube does not care about it's content creators
This was a beautiful essay, thank you for this content
Now you able to reupload director's cut version and don't fear anything!
YouTube's censorship is bullshit so is censorship most of the time to be honest infuriatingly. (I know those experiences myself to a ridiculous degree animal dead in a bag included)
Screw YouTube.
You may want to consider adding some censorship here: @20:42 Not saying it's right or wrong to have that, just trying to help with the demonetization situation.
literally 3 hours before this video came out, watched another youtubers video about this game i never heard before, Rule of Rose. this is my 3rd time watching this video. it honestly still gives me chills down my spine on certain parts. your delivery and editing is really, really good. your channel is still criminally underrated my dude. as always, i thank you for bringing us this great and informative video.
A day with a RagnarRox upload is a good day
We need a remake
Thank you; didn't expect to get a christmas gift this early.
fantastic vid, well done
This video deserve more views, high quality video ❤❤❤
Thanks a lot for your work
Thank you for this amazing video, Dude. Made me love this masterpiece even more. Just one curiosity: is there any chance that Wendy and the children had not in fact killed Brown? I ask because 1) we do see a stuffed dog at some point in the game, that the children could have made to trick Jennifer, and 2) we never actually see what's on the bloody bag. To me, Brown showing up at the last boss battle was a sigh that they did in fact fake the entire thing, maybe for not being able to restrain him, and he break free from the shed to help Jennifer when he heard her screams. That was my impression, anyway.
I am very certain that this is not the case - *but* I love this interpretation. Any interpretation that saves Brown is a good one in my book. ;)
Wendy is one of the most disturbing villain ever
Thank you so much for covering this rare gem, I saw Nitro Rad's video few months ago it was amazing but this is more in depth about the abusive relationship and I really enjoyed it through the end. The revolution part was really well edited and you caught me off guard when you showed Jojo HAHA. I didn't noticed the story has came to a full circle and also why she's all alone again. Also, the gym story was disturbing and frustrating at the same time.
This is fucking disturbing.
Man, what a video
This game truly deserves praise for taking the risk of using such heavy subject matter like sexual abuse. I hope they once remaster it with better gameplay. I hope we see more games were creators are willing to take risks and not be afraid of backlash.
That orphanage severely needs a visit by cool cat.
Gym teachers are the worst
Wait, so in the military - every time you don't do what they say, they punish everyone else? ... ... ... Mu-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!
Ok I completed the whole thing. At first I was curious as to why you called it Monsters of the Week. I remember RoR had interesting monsters but I don't remember them much. After watching the video, I understood what "monsters" you were referring to. Also that who section about bullying, the types of it, and how it's carried it among adults (even though we thing it just happens between children), was very informative. This game was certainly far ahead of it's times. Great video! You are a master at audio and I really loved how you fit the music while explaining your points.
+RagnarRox Oh haha, got it! I kinda of had an idea what it meant, but the page was lot more informative about this. Thanks.
Thanks Hemang, glad you enjoyed it! I'd like to point out the common (and understandable) misconception that 'Monsters of the Week' does not refer to "This show covers a monster every week" - but it's a reference to the TV show trope. So a MOTW can easily talk about something that has nothing to do with any factual monster - but... there's enough monsters, both literal and metaphorical ones in Rule of Rose that it would qualify for both. Only that I will never be able to churn these out on a weekly basis. ;) https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MonsterOfTheWeek
What a meaningful 1 hour spent right. This is a wise interpretion and give a vibe of story-telling instead of choosing a side. It is up to us to decide what we are to do with the information you gave. Thank you very much for a fun ride!
This game breaks my heart
Aaaaaaaaa rule of rose ❤❤
This is gonna be on my videos-I-love-so-much-that-I-need-to-watch-them-once-a-month list, isn't it?
The scene of Jennifer beating down Wendy after knocking her down looks like the Russian flag!
This was excellent. While I've never played it myself, I've watched full playthroughs, and it's always struck me as Silent Hill seen through the lens of Haunting Ground. With of course its own defined, and disturbing themes.
This is so interesting! Kind of calls a bit to your horror isn't fun video. This game was so stomach churning to play, and so miserable, but you've brought up some points here I never even considered. Thanks for the great content!
I was in a position like Wendy once. It was horrifying to be now aware of the emotional manipulation I did to my friend and justifying it as "love" or "true friendship". All I did was hurt myself and the people I love. Like what you said, "possessiveness in relationships eventually, always, damages everyone involved." Thank you Ragnar for making this analysis for this amazing game!
Thank you for this very insightful look at an underrated game. I remember playing this circa 2007 just after highschool when I started to get even more interested in Psychology and Sociology. The ways it showed and uncovered the themes made the whole experience heart wrenching instead of terrifying. Aside from the frustratingly bad game controls, it is a very well woven story. I wish developers these days would have the balls to make something like this again.
Oh great!
QUALITY. THOUGHT-PROVOKING. FUCK.
Didn't know that this game was banned in many countries. Just thought it was criminally underrated.
This made me think of a ps2 game I played years ago where you're trapped in what i can only assume was a massion or castle and the only thing you had to protect yourself was a doggy and ever now and then this big ass dude would chase you and have to hide from him or hell kill you you can use the dog to slow him down but he was a hulking monster (Possibly mentally handicapped?) And he'd follow you from one area to the next untill you successfully hide from em game scared the shit out of me and the lab in this game reminded of it's gameplay
ok so basically communist silent hill
this one specifically is quite dark Ragnar lol happy holidays my friend! love ur work!
Oh my god this was amazing
I can listen to you all day. You could probably talk about plastic bag and I'd still be interested. I don't personally play horror games because I am not a brave person but i really enjoy watching or hearing others about it. This was an amazing video!
Literally one of my favorite youtubers ♥
>Actual horrific concepts handled tactfully and thoughtfully in a game Demagogues: DEY CORRUPTIN' OUR CHILDRAN! *Financial flop* YouTube: DEY DON' WANNA ADVERTISE ON REALISTIC THEMES AND CONCEPTS! *Demonetized* Wheel in the sky keeps on turnin'...
This was a really wonderful video, it obviously had a lot of effort and heart put into it. I'm so sorry it was demonetized. Thank you for making it.
Oh, I've been desperate for this kind of video!! Rule of Rose is always a game that I've been interested in, in spite of the face that playing it is nearly impossible. I've only ever been exposed to the first few levels, and this is a fantastic look into everything about it. A fascinating game, thanks for the video essay!!
i love this game, to BAD I SOLD IT NOT FOR IS SELLING PRICE NOW REEEEE but i need this game again
I bet those politicians never took any critical thinking classes and were mostly econ, math focused...
This needs a remake
I usualy dont bother commenting on youtube, but i'll make an exeption this time so i can thank you, Ragnar. Because of somethings that do not need to be stated here i was really impacted by the meaning behind Wendy's actions and behavior. In other words, witnesing your analysis of her mentality made me understand somethings about myself, wich will help me tighten some loose bolts in my head, so, in all honesty, thank you and keep on with your stellar work! And sorry for the grammar ;)
all one needs is a saw cleaver in the right hand and a pistol in the left.
...another game of my old cosplays ;)! Well done, as always.
Damn. Great job. I made a very similar video 3 years ago but mine was only 30 minutes long. I felt that was too long and ended up remaking it this past october to be only 10 minutes long and cutting out a lot of the conjecture lol. 3 years back it seemed nobody was talking about this game. Happy to see it's finally getting the recognition it truly deserves. This video pretty much hits everything I feel about the game, but in so much more detail than I'm capable of. The hoffman stuff is so messed up, but it gets worse once you hear the deleted audio from the game. They stripped so much out that Hoffmans story is almost just theory at this point, but I feel like it's a strongly supported one.
Hell is other people - Jean-Paul Sartre
there was many things that I missed out about the story, thanks to this video essay now I can appreciate more this game. maybe next time try Fran Bow, its dark, short and pretty sweet
Sat through *ALL* of it. Never played Rule of Rose before, I no longer had a PS2 at the time, but I've always heard great things of this game, despite it's mechanical flaws. Loved it, amazing work as always! :D
If I have to point out one criticism, and it’s only a knit-pick, it would be the little stabs at humor and memes. You do it only a few times and it’s only a small thing, but your voice is to mature, deep, and calming to pull off such excitable jokes.
Love your video you almost lost me with the rusia thing... do not shoot yourself in the foot
Wonderful video as always ragnar you are by far one of the best creators on youtube
Man, I love this video, this is really one of the best things that happened to rule of rose.
99% of browsing internet is crap you forget in 3 seconds. 1% is what shapes you and affects you. This video is definitely the 1%. Next morning after watching the first thing I thought about was this video. Excellent!
after 4:30 of this video, I immediately paused and am currently looking for a copy of this game! I'm surprised I've went this long without knowing this game even existed, thank you for making this video and as soon as I play and beat it I'm coming back to watch the rest! Keep up the good work!
This is the best video I've seen in a long time. I knew nothing about the games content, only about its reputation and it maddens me to see now, what a masterpiece was lost to a wider audience. Which makes me even more grateful for this wonderful essay. It gave me a better appreciation for Rule of Rose and made me reflect on my life and past relationships. Thank you!
Oh I'm very happy to see this. For all that Rule of Rose is such a rich tapestry of meaning and imagery, it's a crime that there are so few videos actually analyzing and discussing it! This game, for all its mechanical flaws, has an important place in my heart, and spoke to a lot of experiences of mine. Helped me feel like someone out there understood. Diana's depiction in particular was always poignant for me, reminiscent of my own screwed up adolescence; an abused girl, vindictive and bitter to compensate for her own fear and powerlessness. It's rare a piece of fiction depicts a victim as neither an innocent sympathetic waif, nor some broken-minded monster. Between this game, Silent Hill 3 and Haunting Ground, the PS2 had some incredible gems of horror centered around the anxieties and trauma of being a young cis woman.
This video would have been more effective if the record of history did not perfectly showcase how Marxism destroys societies and has gotten millions of people killed under communism. (in b4 IT WASN’T REAAAAAAAL COMMUNISM) otherwise, good video.
Jennifer slapping Wendy to the ground was the most satisfying moment in a video game I’ve ever experienced
47:17 I just realized that her "Fish-part" is not made of scales but of rope... the details everywhere...
Wow the gym teacher story is so disturbing... can't believe he got away with it... Thank you for the amazing video ❤ The Clara/Diana part is so good.
Rule Of Rose is so a good game i want a remaster or a remake to modify the battle system...
You're good, Rag. Really good. I believe you're among the few content creators whose work strikes a perfect balance between being well documented and well scripted, aesthetically pleasing and brimming with atmosphere through the narration and choice of music. Seriously, when it comes to your videos, I just put them on the living room TV, turn the lights off and enjoy them comfortably on my couch. Videos like this genuinely make me want to move my lazy bum and have a crack at it. Beyond that, I'd also like to commend the fact that you managed to remain fairly objective and balanced (albeit a bit vague) in your assessment of the political parallels the game draws. Part of me expecting some underhanded blanket statements to be thrown around, but I'm glad that part was promptly put to rest. Oh boy, looks like I've reached my dick sucking quota for the year. Looking forward to your next feature film, Rag, and thank you for your content.
Oh my, this is a real holiday treat. Daddy Ragnar realeasing an amazingly narrated, well structurated and polished 1 hour plus video about an underappreciated game! Holy cow! That's why this channel is so incredible.
Thank you, I really love this game. Time to replay it again and cry rivers as usual . Also awesome takeaway about power imbalance.
Ill be honest this video hit home in ways I haven’t really thought too much about before. I subscribed to you for your bloodborne analysis but I pretty much stayed for everything else, youre a great YouTuber, honestly I think they should hire you to help make a game’s story itself but besides the point of that, keep up the great work!! It’s really solid and you explain things really well!!
+RagnarRox Oh shit my bad!!! I meant the Silent Hills one!!! though I thought you did a Bloodborne Cthulhu thing too. Oh well either way still a good episode and youre still a good youtuber
Thanks so much :) (But I've never done Bloodborne analysis, you must confuse me with someone there ^^)
Not with the headmaster part or any of those themes ofc though it didn’t hit home there but for the others yeah
It's been so long that I've experienced this game! I am to this day absolutely fascinated by it's presentation. Thank you for really digging deep and bringing it to everybodies mind's again! The video is fantastic
I had watched a play through of rule of rose perhaps three months ago and I honestly didn’t see what all the fuss was about (in glorifying or vilifying it) but after watching this I understand why people like it even if I do not (I felt a lot of things where contrived but that doesn’t seem to come across to others) so thank you for showing where this game works for others even if it didn’t for me
I just watched Nitro Rad's video on Rule of Rose, so this was an even more pleasant surprise!
Just discovered your channel, and literally fell in love with it. This video is so, so well done! I´m so happy I found it, and your channel along. Cheers, keep up the good work!
You rock RagnarRox, although you clearly avoided the fact that this game would have been made better by microtransactions and in-game adds.
Still kicking myself for not getting this game for $20 when I could.
We live in a society
God damn, this makes me wanna go out and eat some bourgeoisie. I mean burgers. I mean rich people squeezing the windpipes and treading on the hands and faces of the working class. I mean burgers.
Wow, what a great way to put all of myscambled impressions about this game into one video. I've always thought Rule of Rose to be thoughtful, complex, and engaging, even though it was underdeveloped in its mechanics. I enjoyed all parts of this analysis on it, thank you. Sorry to hear it got demonetized.
i really enjoy your videos. you always construct your ideas methodically and present them in a way that's accessible and interesting. thanks for sharing your work with us
We never got this in the UK yet surprisingly got Haunting Ground around the same time which covers entirely different concepts of vouyeurism, envy and sexual abuse but both seemed to come out at a strange period where the threat and fear was not based on death or some form of body horror. Which looking back were two monstrously rare standouts in horror games. We can watch Issac Clarke get turned into flesh soup without batting an eye as violence is so normalised but concepts like abuse and betrayal remain such strong agents of disturbing reaction and i have to wonder if part of that is the rarity of them. They are the type of games i don't think would or could get made in todays climate and i don't think we will see something like them again. Often psychological horror is taken as 'be the armchair guy reading into what this imagery means or represents' but these were two cases where they specifically make you feel something more than a jumpscare or simple shock and revulsion. You feel for the characters in a way beyond 'i cant let the player character die' and thats very, very rare.
I'd argue that emotional and psychological horror use doubt as means to deeply disturb the viewer. We normalise violence by thinking it a "mere exaggeration". When it comes to murdering hordes of enemies, we really can't relate since that sort of experience isn't common. When it comes to abuse, use, manipulation, lies and bullying, I'd say we all know them as parts of the human experience. We can empathise with Jennifer because we've been her, we've seen her or we've damaged someone like her. We doubt our own experiences and a game like this, too, forces us to introspectively analyse our life and figure out if we've wronged or been wronged. After all, most examples of mediatic abuse, show us that the victim is unaware of the power imbalance they suffer or benefit from. We dread being the victim or realising we are the perpetrators.
Fun fact: The game's main theme "Love Suicide" is actually about Wendy.
Another fun fact. If you use that song in a video without distorting it in some way (The version with vocals) Atlus will copy claim your video... Happened to me 3 times. I got the video back every time, but it's kind of annoying lol.
Havnt even watched the video but THANK YOU FOR COVERING THIS GAME ❤️❤️❤️
Always wanted to play this when it came out but I never got the chance : O( Thanks for making this.
I usually don't comment on videos, I just have to say this is my favorite video you have yet done. This anaylsis is, pardon my french, top-fucking-notch. I watched this before having a long conversation with my abusive ex and realized I suddenly could see how much your commentary on possessiveness and Wendy paralleled my own experiences, down to the mistreatment of my pet. This is some really quality content and even though I have now had this game spoiled (worth it), I have to own it! As soon as I get a new job, you have a new patreon supporter Ragnar
Wow! Honestly, it's amazing to read this. Thank you so much for taking the time to write this, I really appreciate it. I hope your dear pet is fine, give them love.
Excellent video! I really appreciate you bringing this gem to my attention. I've always been a fan of survival horror and the designs in this are top notch psychological nightmare fuel.
Awesome work, please consider to make one video about the game houting ground from Capcom
I've been asked that a lot in the wake of this video. I have recently replayed it and the many comments definitely have influenced me. I am pretty sure that I'm going to work on something on Haunting Ground some time in the future. Thank you, Raynan!
I never had a chance to play this game, but I remember when it came out. It stood out to me because the magazines gave it such punishingly low scores because of its combat but everything else they used to describe the game seemed so interesting. This video gave me a chance to finally understand what I missed. So even though I haven't played it, I can still recognize that this is an incredible video and just the kind of game analysis I want to see from YouTube! Great job!
Great stuff.
I still own this game and it's still a masterpiece and my treasure
Ok I've been looking to get this game but it's so expensive, is there any way to get a PC port for cheaper?
Hands down this was the best video i've seen this year. You could write an academic paper with this stuff and that's amazing.
Great video essays as always. Although I agreed with the power hierarchy structure up until the part where you compared wealth as a zero sum game. As both perpetrator and victim of bullying, you have a very accurate and harrowing description of the power imbalance one experiences as a kid. How do you teach a kid empathy and yet to be able to discern actions from pure bad faith?
Also, what happened to Wendy? Doesn’t matter what ending you get, she just disappears. One of two things could’ve happened: Jennifer killed her out of revenge or Wendy left after realizing she was never going to get what she wanted and is either dead or living elsewhere.
Stray Dog killed her, after she unmasks herself, because she does not look like Joshua anymore. There's an animation right after her reveal when she gets pulled into the mansion by Gregory. Jennifer really is the only survivor.
Wowowow!! This is the absolute best video on Rule of Rose to date!! I’m so mad that it’s demonetized... Keep up the great work, Ragnar!
Another well done video, Ragnar! I really appreciate the effort you put into this one, and I think you released something of this subject matter at a perfect time. The themes of Rule Of Rose hit a lot of familiar notes for me (well minus the extent of the sexual abuse topic). Your discussion also made me think not just of how people have been abusive/manipulative towards me, but how I myself have unfortunately fallen into the tendency to be possessive of another person. It’s important to self reflect on how we treat other people around us, even when we don’t intend to cause harm. We always have to be open to fix our harmful tendencies and learn to grow from them. Further more, it’s definitely important to understand how abusive people get set in their tendency to abuse others. And I definitely feel like you hit the nail on the head with this analysis. Overall, thank you very much for this video.
I wholeheartedly agree, it is extremely important to open oneself up to the possibility that everybody, oneself included, is capable to enact in abusive behavior.
what a phenomenal video, holy shit man. this game is brilliant, but absolutely horrific. this just makes me furious that it was never given the respect it deserves, its one of the absolute best stories in the medium
Just a comment to push this greate piece of Art.
God I adore this game. I used to dive into Rule of Rose Mysteries (and the youtube chanel) just to absorb every facet of this beautiful game. Thanks for making this
Oh, BTW, could you tell the config with which you did the capture? It looks better than any other capture I've ever seen. Looks really sharp and in widescreen.
+RagnarRox Cool, thanks, it was totally worth it, it looks simply beautiful.
I've recorded the gameplay with the PCSX2 Emulator, using a widescreen fix and on 1080p resolution. It took a little tweaking to get it as sharp, but I think it was worth the effort. The only thing that mildly irks me is that the widescreen stretches the onscreen text captions, so it looks a little fatter than it's intended to. But that's a price I'm willing to pay.
Boi that was... deep and uncomfortable ._. I never managed to get my hads of RoR so it's nice to get such an in-depth analysis. I really love how much time and care you put into these videos.
Watching Cryaotic need to get shit faced to finish this game was fucking h i l a r i o u s! The fighting mechanics are soooooo bad and out of shape
I hope Rule of Rose gets remastered, it's in dire need of it.
I love this game so much, while the combat is clunky and unfair, the story makes up for it. I knew you would cover it sooner or later, and im so glad that you did. It really bugs me out how youtube is punishing creators with so much potential and style. As soon as i get my credit card back i'll make sure to become your Patreon. Love ya dude. Also... IS THAT A JOJO REFFERENCE?¿?¿
It's like google only wants it to be accessible to mutinationals... #FuckCreators I guess...
I'm guessing you got the idea for this from Nitrorad considering he was the only one to create a highly viewed video analyzing and talking about this game in years and he released his only about a month or two ago. My problem is I played this game and holy HELL it was *NO* masterpiece. The gameplay was awkward and the battle system is borderline broken. The enemies were horrid and contrived, save for one or two bosses. Nitrorad made a huge point of all of this. It just simply was not well-made, and battles were so poorly structured they became maddening as you often become stuck, or your poorly-designed hit-box makes it nearly impossible to avoid slugging through entire boss battles and level-sections. This was by no means a fun game to play, the only reason one would fight through is to see what the story has to offer. Did you really play it or just watch a lets play? Be honest lmao because I can't believe anyone who actually got through to the end could call this game a masterpiece. Successful and unique storytelling, sure, but not an enjoyable nor well-made game in any conceivable sense.
A masterpiece demonetized becouse the AI doesn't understand anything, neither the press of the time of the game. The moral superiority of them is the only thing of importance here. The study and the hard work must be praised. Thanks for this great video. :)
Excellence, my friend, Excellence
my main, purely subjective, problem with this horror is, that as haunting as it is, I cannot relate. Despite having being bullied as a child, I never stood passively by, I always reacted and lashed at those who harassed me. Thus to see Jennifer, an adult, not kick those filthy children into behaving, or simply disobey them, is not like they have any means to physically harm her, she is just too... passive.
What happened to the adults?
Mandatory military service? Story-time please!
This was an absolutely fantastic video. This has really brought me insight into certain aspects of human behavior that I was not capable of understanding before. Thank you so much for your enormous effort into making this video. I will be supporting you on patreon.
I know this will sound stupid but I learned a lot of English words with this game when I played with my grandmother, is funny how even with the language barrier we knew what was going on and I got chills just from remembering our theories and discovering key points to the plot, solving puzzles....Thank you so much for this video, this game was so important to me that when you played the "A Love Suicide" song it gave me so good memories, I can't wait to tell her new things I learned from this video.
The controls were really wonky but I loved the story of this game. Still have it too. Can't believe it's worth so much now.
I've always wanted to play this game but I can't afford a $300 ps2 game atm
I can relate to the bullying aspect. I had a very bad time at middle school and have built up many complexes and anxieties due to this,haha... I'd love to play this myself but I hate emulation and as you mentioned the game is way too expensive for a 10 hours playtime. x_x I love your analytical videos of horror games & similar stuff. :) Do you know other classical horror games besides Silent Hill, Resi, Clocktower, Haunting Ground, Siren, Dino Crisis, Deadly Premonition, Fatal Frame and this one? I am in need of something new but most modern horror games are just too action oriented and thus "boring" for me.
Try *The Void* and *Pathologic* They're not really traditional survival horror - but they're phenomenal
By the way, what what's the music track in the end?
A Love Suicide from the Rule of Rose OST
Please more Marxist analysis of video games
Your writing style is so elegant and professional, and your soothing voices really compliments it. I’ve been trying to find a good video of someone actually looking into Rule of Rose for a while now since it’s such an under-looked masterpiece and voila, here it is! As usual, I’m blown away by your effort and passion for these subjects.
You have really outdone yourself with this one, a topic I had been patiently hoping you'd cover. This video exhudes so much emotion and I consider it the best of all those about Rule of Rose I've seen. Considering this gem will likely never see a re-release or remaster, I think the magic you've captured here is as beautiful a way to share it with the uninitiated as we could hope for. Thank you for all your passionate work. Bravo!!
I disagree this game was about politics. Yes you do show the parallels but you overlook the fact they're kids and kids don't understand politics, I'm speaking in general terms and not absolute terms. Kids have a tendency to copy what adults do as way of being adult themselves. It seems to me this is what's really going on in the game the girls are using the various titles, such as Duchess, and tribal designations, such as Lower Class, and using them as a way of being adult. Having said that I do want to point out I'm not trying to convince you of this, in fact I'd wager you'd still disagree, what I am saying is this is my opinion, your opinion differs, so let's agree to disagree.
+RagnarRox lol See? Called it and you don't understand my argument as evidenced by your false comparison with Animal Farm. You're only assuming it's about politics because that's what you see not because that's what it is. Whenever you're doing an analysis you have to ignore your beliefs and desires, assume you know nothing, and the other tenets of scientific methodology which you didn't do. But like I said we should just agree to disagree.
That's pretty much like arguing 'Animal Farm' isn't political, because they're animals and animals don't understand politics. Yeah, as I said - the characters themselves don't understand politics, they just mimic what they see. Their terms are inaccurate, etc. But the thing they manage to mimic the most accurate *are* the actual power dynamics of adult society.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS VIDEO AAAAAH I love this game, and it sucks that it got banned in a lot of countries because wow, the story and characters are interesting, not to mention the aesthetics haha What it lacked in combat mechanics it made up for with a pretty intriguing story
"Hate spread easier than compassion(kindness)" this is easily struck to the point, yet some people shows compassion to others than self-compassion. then some people easily plays the "victim" role, and some just simply plays the "ignorant" role. senses of insecure what fuels the senses of power and belonging. there is no hero irl
Thank you for making this well thought out video. Rule of Rose is a hidden gem of a game and deserves more acknowledgment in the horror gaming community. It's lore is very thoughtful and touches on various subjects that is similar to Silent hill.
This game is so underrated, definitely one of my top 5.
A love letter to RagnarRox's approach on every subject. Every time this channel releases the video I know it's going to be something born out of extreme attention to details and care, lulled by a passion for doing something that's being done. In every part I can hear an intention to understand every bit of the subject and tell the audience about it. And the soothing voice, of course.
Somehow this made me think of Sucker Punch. Like, traumatized girls using escapism to deal with a fucked up reality. Also, the whole abuse as a power thing it's being a big deal in Brazil rn, since we got this religious leader guy that "healed people through spiritual surgeries", and he just got accused of sexual abuse by more than 300 women during I don't know how many years... It's REALLY SHITTY. But extremely real.
This has got to be easily one of my favorite channels. I'd definitely donate if I could. Hopefully someday I'll be able to. Another outstanding video on one of the best video games I've played.
Really really awesome video, so awesome I felt like becoming a patreon. I'm looking forward for the next upload.
I dug the soundtrack a lot honestly. I bought this legit when it came out and never realized how much it was worth until now.
I love their choice to not use any percussion or any electronics in it. It's a purely orchestral soundtrack and it gives it such an original feel to it. (Even though it repeats a lot during gameplay since it's a rather short OST)
I just got an idea from this: a video about the different ways societies could potentially use "for the greater good" as an excuse to perpetuate abuse of power for those with and without it in order to create the "ideal" across different media. Here are my suggestions. Video games: Rule of Rose, books: Lord of the Flies, comics: Transmetropolitan, manga: Assassination Classroom, and movies: Hot Fuzz.
Many thanks for including optional CC’s!!
It's my pleasure, really.
I'm always so happy to see more and more people appreciate this game. I Loved it so much and still play through form time to time. I got lucky and bought it on a whim when it first came out so I didn't have to pay the big bucks
Beautiful video about one of the hidden gems of gaming that deserve to be put on pedestal. Rule of rose is probably one of my favourite titles ever, because it’s capable of scaring me beyond the capability of any silent hill or clock tower. This game struck cords from the past, from when I was the outcast and the underdog as a kid, there was another kid who bullied me a lot, beating me to shit and constantly telling that I lied, this until I made friendship whit the cool kid in class and now I was respected and on the opposite side, I was exercising power on him. He became the subject of scorn, he was mocked and laughed at by a lot of kid, and now the ones who was beaten up daily was him. The kids who laughed at me and saw me as the outcast now where my friends. At the time I was feeling so good about it, but now I realize how much kids can be cruel and how we acted wrongly on the bully. Kids can be truly demons, whitout even realizing it. And not only kids, I was recently in a relationship who turned abusive and oppressive, I turned that person down and she began spreading rumors and acting as an immature brat. Thanks to her I lost some acquaintances, but who care? When you are in a relationship whit a power imbalance the best thing is to break free. Yeah it will be a painful road, that will lead to hardships, but hey, it’s the only way to rebuild yourself and get ahead.
I really love listening to you, you have such a calm and beautiful voice!
game speaks of marxist revolution in a relate able ways is banned by ruling class video speaks of said game in positive light is demonetized Coincidence? I think not!
Great video
This game i never got to play which is sad i really wished i could've snagged a copy back in the day, i always saw it on store shelves at the time but the game was always overshadowed by the next silent hill or resident evil game that was out at the time. I feel like i should definitely seek this game out and play it. Thank you for uploading this video, i love the content you put out its very well done and it's all quality over quantity which i love the most. I would love to see you do reviews of some current survival horror games.
17:18 Ah,I can see you're also a man of culture.
Can I just say that I love your editing and commentary, they work really well together.
thank you for putting so much effort in your videos, I love watching them :)
One of the best game i play when i was a kid. Eleanor is bae, i like the character because she have similar personality as me. I'm consider Introvert, lack of emotion, like to day dream and very quiet. I always get scolded by my mom when i don't talk much. Sound like I have a mild Autism or something but i dont believe in autism. I learn a lot of things in this game when i was a kid but i dont have a word for it. I never get bullied in school before but i believe that you need some kind of strong aura like ego or something to not be a "target" for bullies. Parents can be very abusive at times but i dont blame them, they are the victim within the system after all. Anyway thank you so much for making a analysis video on ROR, hidden gem.
I hope that one day the game gets a remaster
As someone who subscribed and participated in the Rule of Rose Mysteries forums/website by PokerNemesis since 2006 where we've analyzed, shared insights and dug through game files and data until the site's end at around 2015. What we all accepted as passionate ramblings from a bunch of nerds that'll never come to light back in those days.... well, now this is a dream come true for us! Thank you very much for this video essay!! It was our wish for more people to see the depth and majesty of Rule of Rose and I'm glad that it had finally happened! I'm sure wherever we members are, we will always remember the love we have for this game! P.S. I like the Political Aspect you discussed very much. Damn government conspiring against video games!!
I was actually also frequently digging through Rule of Rose Mysteries back in the day. It was such a good time. :) Reading this makes me really happy, so thank you!
nice song choice when talking about your mandatory military service.
Hehe ;)
This was amazing
The way you pieced this video was amazing , good job. Also I liked your choices of musics , especially the Monster OST that I've never heard anyone use up until now.
Finally someone recognized it! :)
I have been looking for a solid explanation of this game forever. You did, amazingly. Honestly, thanks so much for taking the time to make this.
Feel like I've been waiting for this analysis for a good number of years now. Ever since I discovered the love suicide trailer and became thoroughly intrigued with the rule of rose concept but unable to obtain a copy to play for myself. Absolutely brilliant. Thank you.
When I was in high school we had a gym teacher that physically shove as well as push students. The school would put them on leave for a few days and then they'd be back, again.
literal headmaster
0:05 Annnnndddddddd Demonetized.
An excellent essay and video. You've rightfully earned my subscription and thanks.
I usually love watching your videos and I sometimes rewatch them, like the jacobs ladder or I have no mouth and I must scream. But this one hit too close to home with me. I cannot say if this video is good or bad, I’m sure it carries your polish but the whole entire story just made me feel pain. The entire video hurt me. I feel I know way too much about abuse and bullying that this video was just a reminder of my own past. Now I’m not going to spill my guts or hate your video, but I don’t think I would watch this video again. It’s not your fault, but it’s the game and stories fault, you just told the story to me.
Those cutscenes are still so gorgeous. Also your editing is fantastic, great work!
Awesome analysis!
You are a genius! Thank you for your research :)
All of the main antagonists (wendy, hoffman, gregory) justified their abuse with ""love"". And yet, the purest of all loves happened between the poor jennifer and brown. That's why she decides to lock him up in her memories. To always have him safe, before the nightmare happened. But this could be tragic, since it kinda implies that jennifer still can't manage to accept what happened. Truly, a story too cruel, too beautiful, to go untold. Thank you for telling it, ragnar. Thank you.
This was a fucking phenomenal video. Your videos are always worth the wait. Keep it up man.
Amazing video, you can see how much love went into it!
Have you ever thought about doing a podcast? Maybe as a stretch goal for patrons or for everybody. Your voice is awesome.
I have one! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCgGbnoxbyi12FZlOkiyRQQ or here https://soundcloud.com/blastfromthepastpodcast or here https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/blast-from-the-past/id1256148184
Sooo cool thx!
You forgot to include Azumanga Daioh in the video's description under "Movies/TV Shows in this video." Sorry I just thought I should tell ya. Anyway, you have an amazing video here and I love your editing style. You have earned a new sub from me OwO
Ah right, fuck, I forgot. Thank you, fixed!
Brilliant analysis Ragnar. I never actually thought about the political aspects of Rule of Rose Mostly because I was too freaking traumatized and emotionally broken by its ending. I swear, this game just gets more and more beautiful every time I look back at it. Its psychological horror unlike any other.
Can you do one on Folklore? It's an early PS3 hidden gem that not many people have even heard of.
Awsome job with the details of the game, worth every second
Those violins give me chills. I keep listening to this game's OST to this day
Amazing job, Ragnar!!
This was great! I feel sad I missed this gem
I know, right!? Maybe I had this interpretation because of my love for my dogs, and I coudn't accept his death at the time. Shame it is probably not the case... Thanks again for the video! :)
Actually it might have been because you said the word lesbian No I'm not kidding Yes YouTube does that
For what?!
YouTube is discusting, It keeps cutting the real creators of content from that platform.
Where do you live that you have to serve in the military?
Fucking ridiculous, I am so sick of this shit.
Absolutely fascinating, dude.
I remember how this gave me nightmares as a kid.
Brown is best boy.
"sociopathic personality disorder" doesnt exist. over all this is a really good video but sociopathy is not a personality disorder and has no commonly accepted diagnostic criteria. sociopathy/psychopathy are not interchangeable with anti social personality disorder (dsm v)/dissocial personality disorder (icd 11). also at this point in her life diana would be diagnosed with conduct disorder. i hope this doesnt come across as too hostile because i really like this video and the amount of work you put into it really shows so i wanted to provide you with information correcting the only thing i noticed to be incorrect. the best way to avoid dehumanizing real people suffering from personality disorders is to stick to describing the disorders using clinical terms if you dont plan to learn more than surface level information.
Savion Cuzzort thanks u for ur insightful criticism. Can u expand upon psychopathy?
+RagnarRox its totally ok. As long as youre aware and do better in the future its nothin to worry about. Thank you for taking the time to reply to me
You're absolutely right about that. Good to point it out! (Wish YouTube didn't remove the annotation feature, then I would remark that)
I`ve been always curious about this game but never found a good video or gameplay that would interest me enough to help me to understand the story; now that you`ve done it, I can finally get the whole spectrum, since your video essays are always the neatest, well polished and so well explained! Thank you
My goodness, Rule of Rose fascinated me ever since I first saw a playthrough of it. I poked around the internet for more information, more lore, but I never found enough (it isn't the most talked-about game, after all). But this, this was wonderful! It makes me want to learn more again.
the only reason i cant play this game is because i just love dogs so goddamn much, i get too upset when anything happens to them in media
I think someone else theorized that the Stray Dog was actually Brown initially, Wendy spreading rumors about Brown being a child-eater to turn the other children against him. Gregory ends up taking the title from Brown because he was intended to serve the same purpose: to be a boogeyman to scare the other children into line. Unfortunately, Wendy misjudged just how unstable Gregory was, and Gregory ended up killing everyone in the orphanage including Wendy.
Rule of law List Rows Rule of Rows
I've waited for years since playing RoR for an in depth analysis of the game. This was just BEAUTIFUL!
In this game and your commentary are both extremely hidden jems
YES THIS IS WHAT I CAME HERE FOR. Especially the “I won’t censor myself for advertisers.” Girlfriend, much respect.
such a good video
This dog IS the Real Monster. Too Cute to be innocent..
A request(if i may): make one for Killer 7, now that's finally released for PC. Thnks in advance!!
Just fantastic man!! Love your work!!
This was a beautiful and tragic video. I've always loved the story in Rule of Rose, and I thank you for highlighting it so perfectly. I commend you on the tremendous effort that you've put into this video, and will definitely be re-watching it (when I'm crying a little less over this game though).
Just finished this game for the first time today and I'm about to start up another playthrough after watching this. The presentation of this game's story and themes is done so meticulously that it's deserving of this kind of analysis and you did a fantastic job. I'm not sure if you meant "over-spectacular" as a bad thing in reference to the Stray Dog fight, but if so, I was leaning in the same direction and it was the only thing that I felt seemed out of step with the rest of the plot.
So your High School basically the one from Persona 5?
Why dosen't she hit the kids with that shovel
Thank you so much this is great. Man I loved this game when it came out despite the janky combat. That video length doe
do pathologic already,,, we all know you want to
I want to, I really want to
I loved the "The Wire" reference. Also, I loved the whole video. I don't know what is the BROWN thing everyone talks about, but I can only recommend RegularCarReviews and LGR channels to (for the first one) expand your writing horizons and (for the second one) enjoy some comfy 90's things. Merry Christmas my friend. I admire you immensely.
Amazing video, since your video about VTMB you hooked me up and im glad that the wait between videos is well worth.
Societal dysfunction, emotional abuse, authoritarian misconduct, and the decay of morality in the interest of survival. This game is horror at its most real, because there are more monstrous humans than fantastical ones. We played this as a group back at home because it stirred plenty of discussions and debates on just how justifiable each person's actions truly were. Thank you for putting a voice to our gaming.
Finally, a good Rule of Rose video.
i absolutely love this game and i wish we had some port on steam
Rule of rose had horrible controls but boi ohh boi i can asure you that is an exquisite piece of survival horror, modern horror games can deliever the same lvl of quality this game has.
Absolutely amazing video. I've never played this game, but you've definitely convinced me that I need to. Truly one of the best, if not the best, analyses of a video game I have ever watched. Worth the wait.
Fantastic analysis! I love seeing people appriciate this game. I wish they would released it on steam with fixed combat or something
I could listen to this man all day
I love how you used SH: Homecoming ost when talking about death of a kid named Joshua. Briliant analysis
I finally know how to pronounce Borgias. Bouillabaisse. Bayou. B
As soon as I heard kick the dog I knew a *JOJO reference* was near.
Dio: the biggest threat to dogs since the invention of manga
Haven't watched the video yet, but this month I got a little income boost, so I finally became a patron! Been planning on doing it for a while because you're probably my favourite YouTube content creator and I know you struggle with monetization, so, there you go! Cheers from Brazil
Thank you so much! :)
It definitely helps on both accounts. Much appreciated!
This video really fucked me up. Jesus Christ.
+RagnarRox Oh my god this is the happiest day of my life!
+RagnarRox No problem.
This. SO much this. Ah, except with just better controls and no censorship of course.
But THANK YOU for keeping the video up for everyone to enjoy still. I notice with more greedy+whiny channels (won't name), they immediately remove any video if they can't make ad money off it. selfish. Shows where their passion really is. and it's a long one too! need popcorn..
+RagnarRox Ragnar... you put out work this good, let us know you aren't getting paid... and we will make sure you are. Thank you so much Ragnar. This is my favorite video of yours yet and it effected me in the extreme. I couldn't put a price on an experience like this but I should at least try. Things like this help us grow as people... You've done a great thing here and I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.
+Rachel Sarah K I've played through this game numerous times, all these recordings are done by myself. I didn't get the idea by somebody else, as stated in the video, I started working on this one about 4-5 months ago. We just have a different focus. I don't mind the combat; 95% of the encounters you can just bypass by running past - the few frustrating boss-encounters can be easily cheesed and circumvented. I don't care much if the buttons feel right; I love this game for its presentation, incredible coherence and boldness in the portrayal of its topics.
Such a great video. Hate that for you. YouTube is going down the drain, they will regret this decision.
I love the soundtrack of this game it's a kind of dark alice in wonderland that I love
Big and long, just how I like it! ^_^d
According to YouTube, I watch/listen to an average 14 hours of YouTube every single day, so I don't say this lightly, that this is the best video I have seen all year by a pretty wide margin. It's probably the best video I've seen in the last 5 years.
I've watched almost all your videos, but this video, and it's spot on analysis, is the one that got me to "like, subscribe, and comment." Congrats. This video is exactly what I always imagined YouTube should/could be. I'm duly impressed and can't wait to see what's next
This game is the definition of amazing. It helps even more that you explain the subjects. Things I didn't even think about, connect the dots so fluently, ah! You are amazing. I was focused for the whole hour, falling in love with the game and eating it up all over again. The gameplay can be complete shit, I wouldn't care. The story is so beautiful, the characters, it never ceases to grab me back into the abyss by the balls. Thank you!
AMAZING VIDEO, I always love long videos that delve into Rule of Rose. I love (and took notes on) you analysis of possessive behavior, bullying, and each of the (main) characters and what their deal is. After nearly ten years there's things about this game I never even realized. Thank you.
You thought it was a comment after watching the whole video, but it was me, DIO!
What a fantastac piece of art you make with this video... Man, I would love to see you make a video in-depth (like this one) about P.T. Silent Hills. I know you already have some videos about it, but not in this incredible format! Keep up the nice work!!
Now then....PLZ do some kind of analysis in Haunting Ground
Thank you for highlighting the political/class themes of this game. That stuff gets left out of nearly every analysis despite being not that rare and it's always frustrating to me. I've yet to see a YouTube video essay on Nier: Automata that mentioned it for example, despite Marx and Engels being in the game as the first two bosses you're ordered to fight by YorHa. The division between "android" and "robot lifeform" is 100% a parable about the powerful setting the weak against themselves. The main antagonist even tried to justify their manipulation in the name of "competition"! Yoko Taro is definitely a comrade or at least a fellow traveler, and seemingly nobody notices it.
what the holy fuck, i played this game when it came out, i thought it was only a spook tale like hauting gronds or clock tower, at the time i didnt understand anything of this ahahha
my god, i was so surprised to see this in my subscriptions! Rule of Rose was one of my favorite games i played when i was a teen.......such a beautiful game , you truely did it justice in this video essay!Bravo!
Man.. you're work is literally like it's own Class. I feel like taking down notes and insights, sharing them with my friends.
This video was great, made me really love Rule of Rose, even if I have never played it. I just don't understand what happened to Jennifer after the events of the orphanage. Did she continue to live a normal life, or can the last scene where she locks the dog in the shed be interpreted as that she is now the controlling and possessive personality?
Great video as always ! Thx for the hard work ! ...but to be honest. I 've no idea how "game mecanics" work in this title. Guess i need to take a look at a playthrough next :)
Awesome video, as always! :)
48:18 Maybe Diana has bandage on her legs because she does self harm to cope with her abuse, I knew a girl who had scars of self harm on the same spot of her leg
Also a possibility.
This game was certainly ahead of its time. Perhaps another reason for its (stupid) ban.
I've seen videos about this game in the past, but I nearly forgot about it. I don't think I will ever forget about it now after watching the entire video. An incredible video essay, I was captivated from start to finish.
Fantastic analysis! I've never gotten the chance to try the game myself, but it does seem to have an outstanding story. In many ways the game reminds me of Alice: Madness returns in how the game deals with child abuse, power imbalance and exploitation but in a serious manner, and especially in how both games uses symbolism in the level design and enemies to convey the story, in the case of Alice by the constant motif of broken dolls and an evil doll-maker as the heroine's representation of her abuser in real life. It'd be very interesting to see a video analyzing the game and comparing it to Rule of Rose.
I personally think they should re-release this game
How do I like this video more than once?
why don't she just kick the 10 year olds in the face till she is atop the class ladder?
This is so masterfully well done! I never had a chance to try this game and this video not only give me the in-universe insight, but also a wonderfully written look on pattern of abuse and abusive relationship regarding the game's own exploration on the subject matter through it's cast and their relationship to each other. What a wonderful video I stumbled upon Christmas month!
You might have been demonetized, but this review is so good you're getting attention everywhere. This is the video that will make your sub count explode.
Honestly, I'm getting a lot of feedback from people who tell me that this interpretation of the game's themes was extremely meaningful to them and and helped them with their own struggles. This is worth a million times more than monetization. The response to this is absolutely heart-warming and I haven't been this motivated about making content in a long time.
The commentary was good, but you know what was even better? Putting the music in the background. Even after all these years I still remember this game. And I remember I quit my first playthrough when I had to stab those ragdols with the fork. For some reason, the use of cutlery as a weapon against what seemed to be disfigured children was a little too much for my pretty young self. And it looks like the second time I got the good ending somehow? Although I don't even remember how, the latter half of it is a foggy mess.
so psychopath and sociopath are terms that have traditionally been used pretty much interchangeably and i feel like thats important to note. the difference between the two terms changes entirely depending on who you ask. psychopathy was at one point a term used by members of the psychiatric community who like calling their patients mean names but its currently considered unprofessional. what the public would consider a psychopath is a fictional caricature you see in horror movies. in the 1940s harvey cleckley wrote the diagnostic criteria for anti social personality disorder (aspd) and stated that the disorder has been called psychopath/sociopathy by others. it was later repopularized in the 70s by robert d. hare when he released The Psychopathy Checklist which is still in use by some law enforcement because it seems all sorts of credible to the layman. the checklist has two major groups of symptoms that correlate to the symptoms for narcissistic personality disorder and anti social personality disorder. however it does not require that the patient/prisoner have both personality disorders. its just a big ole mish mash of bullshit that ends up being more like a god damn rainbow ruse. many of the symptoms are also signs of mania so just doin a salad toss with these two distinct disorders can result in false positives left and right especially when you consider that prisons are the biggest mental health care provider in the anglosphere. the checklist is not grounded in any of the current standard practices for psychology/psychiatry. also good ole robert threatened legal action to keep his checklist from being peer reviewed. theres a whole host of additional problems with the checklist but this paragraph is gettin way too big. thanks for coming to my ted talk.
Masterful.
Thank you for making it regardless! This was such an interesting video, your content is always so thought provoking ❤
Such Power Imbalance™️. Clearly the orphanage needs a Great Leap Forward™️.
This is an absolutely amazing and immersive look into one of my favorite indie games. I am a passionate fan of Rule of Rose and I feel like I love it even more now that you’ve put my connection to it into words.
good sir can you do a monsters of the week(or Month lol) The Suffering and eventually its sequal the ties that bind us
Thanks for putting me onto this, anything remotely related to early the Silent Hill atmosphere.. i will play. Actually speaking of that there's a little gem called 'Detention' for PC/switch/ps4, a very nice, simple survival horror experience. Released last year, highly recommended.
This video is amazing. I'm an avid fan of RoR and seeing an hour long essay on it just made my day, especially seeing as that it's well written. You understand and delve deep into the messages and metaphors of this games wonderful story and characters farther than most do. The part about the revolution and political messages of this game was great! Not many touch upon it so it's refreshing to see. Really cool stuff. The part about Wendy's abuse was also well done as fuck. All in all this video was super well done and engaging to watch. Keep on doing what you're doing my dude.
What’s the movie at 25:13?
Holy shit, this was goddamn fantastic.
BROWN. GOOD DOG. BEST FRIEND.
Isn't hebephilia just pedophila?
One of the best Rule of Rose videos I have ever seen on Youtube, actually scratch that, *THE* best Rule of Rose video I've ever seen on youtube, absolutely loved it and I appreciate the time you spent making this, it really shows in the quality of the video!
Studies have shown that smells are one of the best way to trigger memories as the olfactory bulb is connected to the hippocampus in the brain. I don't know if it was the developer's intent but I thought it was interesting that Brown sniffs out clues to help unlock forgotten memories similar to how a scent could trigger a repressed memory.
Wow, i actually watched the whole thing! Nice video man!
This video was a feat. Absolutely great work. This is the definitive Rule of Rose opus. Can't wait to see what you bring us next.
As someone who has loved and admired this game for years, I cannot begin to tell you how amazing and satisfying this video was to watch! It always made me a bit sad that apart from the complaints about the poor game mechanics (which were admittedly true and valid), Rule of Rose earned a reputation as an exploitative and edgy game, when it was, in fact, a game with a rich and interesting plot that dealt with themes of abuse in one of the most respectful and nuanced ways I've ever seen, so it is wonderful to see someone bring attention to it's qualities in such a detailed way. Also, this video brought new perspectives on this game that despite my admiration for it, I had never considered before, such as the political aspect of it, and I thank you for that! The symbolism seems even a bit on the nose when you point it out, so much so that I felt stupid for not realizing it before. Though there's another thing about this game that really moves me and that wasn't discussed much in here, and that is the theme of remembering (and the significance that simple act holds). On the final chapter of the game, Jennifer comments that the orphanage massacre ended up being completely ignored in favor of the more 'glamorous' tragedy of the airplane crash, once she was found. That leaves Jennifer as not only the sole survival of the orphanage, but also as the only person to even acknowledge that these children, with all their desires and their flaws, ever existed in the first place, as they were completely forgotten by the rest of the world. And that extends to even Brown himself, Jennifer's dearest friend who was just a stray puppy who had no one else to remember him but her. I find the ending very poignant as it is essentially about Jennifer realizing all of that, and choosing both to never forget the precious and pure memories she had in there (putting an end to her need to honor 'the promise she forgot' , something that had been tormenting her throughout the whole game), and choosing to look at even the children who made her life miserable with merciful eyes, as she can realize that they were victims too. Anyway, I really just wanted to thank you for your insightful and well researched work! I look forward to future analysis coming from this channel :)
Great video RagnarRox, as always
Good work man. Keep at it!
Oh boi! They Need COMMUNISM!
This was way more than I expected, Rule of rose is one of my favorite games along with Silent hill. I hate that this game is often overlooked and people judge it on this whole "underage lesbian love story" (which I dont think it was even about that in the first place, they were just two kids forgotten by everyone who only had eachother cause the adults coexisting with them were crazy and fucked up). Anyway, loved your video so much! Its a bummer you couldnt monetize the video :( ...seriously, great work!
I think one of the most haunting aspects of this game is probably it's biggest antagonist/villain - Dr. Hoffman. Out of anyone, he could be argued the "villain" of the entire story and the sort of "root of all evil" in the children and yet he never gets punished. He just up and leaves with little to no consequence. It's such a brutal yet realistic portrayal of how some events like this end - the bad guy doesn't get his just punishment and the heroes/victims don't find peace and have that happily ever after. They are scarred or worse - dead. And even more so, what makes him genuinely terrifying is that at some point he was mentioned to be a "kind and admirable teacher " by Jennifer which shows that any good and morale person given power always runs the risk of turning to abuse it and becoming a monster like Hoffman if they aren't careful. Or on the flip side, how our perceptions of people can hide their dark intentions because it's quite possible that Hoffman was always this way and Jennifer just never saw it because it was either before the Club started to bully her or because she wasn't a sexual target like Clara or Diana.
Saying thanks is just not enough please keep doing those videos and good luck to you. And please do a video about haunting grounds some time. Thanks again
I really enjoyed this in-depth look into the game. I learned things that I haven’t heard anyone go into. I love this game and it hits very close to home in a lot of ways and I appreciate how you covered this. I like how you approached these subjects in a way that was respectful and responsible, but not overly sensitive. Thank you.
HIS NAME IS GREGORY WILLSON?!?! THATS MY DADS NAME WTF
Good video, but I would add bullying/peer pressure never work as entail in this game because you can never win against reality.
I love that you used Låt Den Rätte Komma in (let the right one in) at around 25:40 to demonstrate bullying. Its one of the (IMO) greatest films to come from my homecountry of Sweden and is definately one of my all time favorite movies. It really got me emotionally!!!
Amazing ! Thank you so much!
Great video.
Rule of Rose is basically Lord of the Flies but with little school girls... Oh wait Edit: I made this comment before the 39:42 mark I guess I'm smart now yaaaay
im goign to make 50000 youtube accounts to give this more likes. amazing video!!!!
Brown will join Huey from Haunting Ground as being the best of boys who make the goodest decisions.
Absolutely well crafted video. I never played the game and you've done an amazing job describing it's themes. It was really hard to watch at times for someone who was on recieveing end of bullying for good number of years and who supressed memories about it, just like the Jennifer.
Well done, sir. Well done.
DDDIIOOOOOOOO
Exceptional video, congrats ! Wish there were more games like this...
Amazing video but i have one complaint with your presentation of the game, i have never played it or heard of it and i dont know what heppeneds first in the story, i understand that it starts with jennifer going on a bus but after that i have no idea so i wold like that you mention what heppens next what comes first what comes second
+RagnarRox lol I guess next time I want be playing warframe while watching...
I literally go through it step by step.
I haven't played this, but i never will. I feel very uncomfortable. And angry.
Fantastic Video.
I'm not the least bit disappointed, thank you for the amazing, and beautiful video
Probably the only hour plus video I actually watched start to finish.
Did I just hear music from the anime Monster? I'd definitely like to hear your analysis of the show, as it has some deep psychological stuff in it as well. :)
I have a lot of thoughts on that one. Considered it for analysis more than once. Might happen one day. :)
Nice one!
Savion Cuzzort have u studied psychology? It seems like you are really knowledgeble about the subject matter :)
if you can find a different way of support money wise, patreon or something else. then you could post without fear of this censorship.
youtube -> creates a long waited plataform for very specifics niche contents that people can enjoy them on demand youtube -> get popularized by this youtube -> STRAIGHT UP DECIDES TO DESTROY THE MOTIVATIONS OF ALL THE PEOPLE WHO BUILTED THIS man, youtube could simply branch out a "Youtube black" i dont know, with content for adults with very directioned ads for these specific publics
Thank you so so much for covering this game, even though the controls of the game play are wonky as all get out, the story and lore of the game is beautifully tragic. I hope they re-release this game with better controls one day without diluting the story.
This is an amazing video, thank you for making it.
This game and his soundtrack always gonna have a special place in my heart.
fawk yeah! Ragnar is back!
This is the first video I see of you (Thank you video recommendations.) And just with this, I'm subscribing. I really like how well written it is and the points you show of the game's narrative, you also explain some interesting topics others would choose to leave. I love it!
Trying to find the words that could even begin describing how truly brilliant the script alone for this video genuinely frustrates me. Now, having this level of an emotional reaction to what could be considered a pretty small part of the bigger (moving)picture(heh) seems...pretty silly, but with how rarely you use personal/possessive pronouns (I, Me, My, etc.) made the whole experience so much more impactful because the focus remains on the actual content without feeling like we're being force fed a bunch of recycled nonsense by someone's ego. Good Lord, it took me Ffor-Eh-Vurr to write that comparatively tiny response trying to do the same thing! Gonna stop that and move on, tho, as I am a quitter; I honestly clicked this thinking it'd be some nice background noise but ended up deep throating my iPad while leaning in closer and closer to listen #someregrets "Jokes" aside You. Are. BRILLIANT.
That moment when you normally can't make it through a 5min video and you've been entranced for an hour and 15min. Great video!
>me last week Huh, why's this in Monster of the Week? >me having finished OH. Ohhhh. thegreatestmonsterisman.jpg
17:18 iz dis a JoeJoe referendum?
Dude... Why did you have to show us Brown's corpse being dragged away like that over and over again? My heart can't take it! This is a great, poignant video and you did great I actually subscribed but I gotta go hug my dog now T_T.
Hug the good boi til kingdom come!
Wilson just with one *L* You're safe!
Hehe :D
Savion Cuzzort thank you for the answer. Your comments was an Really interesting read since even my psychology teatcher got the whole psychopath and sociopath thing wrong and it always bugged me quite a bit.
Not formally. But ive been in the mental healthcare system for most of my life and ive spent many an hour reading the dsmv. I looked into psychopathy cause i wanted to know what it was supposed to mean. The amount of misinformation online is staggering.
This was such an amazing video!! I teared up at the end and rediscovered my love for this game
Knowing the full plot makes the game's feature song more painfully poignant.. ('Love Suicide' for anyone curious, it's on youtube)
I don't know who you are or how i ended up here, but this was remarkable.
Taxation is bullying hahahahah
One day, I hope my luck will hold and we'll get something similar for the Obscure series. Never hear anyone talk about them.
I’ll be damned if this is not some of the best content you could ever find! Perfection
One of your best works yet on this channel. About what you said concerning the gym teacher in your school. If either he (doubt it) or the school board is still around (possibly), it might be worth it to push this a bit further.
+RagnarRox Found your patreon too! It's not much but I hope it helps. Keep your chin up!
+RagnarRox Thank goodness. But if he starts calling me Joshua I'm gonna bounce
I'm sorry to hear that :(
this video is amazing
I'm completely cool with the wait, because your videos always knock it out of the park.
Holy shit, that gym teacher of yours sounds like he needs a visit from the Phantom Thieves.
as an old gaming generation i played this game on ps2 and im glad someone spoke about it in these days ❤️❤️
Can you please analyze the evil within?
First, I watched 3 minutes. Stopped and the I found the game. Finished it and came back to see the video. I can tell for sure, it became one of my favorite games of its kind. Thank you Ragnar for showing me another awesome game.
Now that I call dedication!
Even though Wendy's actions at the end are very "out there," I feel like it's pretty in align with the rest of the violence in the game. I feel horrible for Gregory and I think the game does a very good job of painting all the antagonists as humans even though at first glance you can write them off as crazy villains. There's a logical reason for all their actions, and the level of sympathy the game makes us feel for all the antagonists, because everyone was a victim in some way or the other, made it an amazing story. And shockingly, all the subjects were handled very thoughtfully without scummy exploitation for the "shock factor" which I feel like a lot of games do not do well in horror genre especially...
Great video I love all your videos. Your insight into the themes of all these different games and other media, some of which are pretty obscure, are always on point and easy to follow.
Gosh I loved this game so much. This and Haunting Ground were the first playstation 2 games i received.
Really amazing video Ragnar! I have watched many of your videos and they really serve to inspire and put things into perspective! Can#t wait for the next one!
My favorite favorite game! Thank you so much for the vid
Ah fuck theres a dog in the story AHHHH FUCK
Can you play eternal darkness and chulip
Why Youtube always do it? Demonitize Quality content but Support the garbage thats being uploaded on daily basis.
I just love the video and the comment section. Thank you.
As someone who has never heard of the game, i was left speechless at the end of this video... Just thank you.
The part about your gym teacher reminded me of Kamoshida, from Persona 5, maybe not that exagerated, but a lot similar. Even the part abou his past as an athlete "shielding" him. Which makes me think:how comom this kind of thing is to be shown in a japanese game and for you to witness is? A really unsettling thought. But in regard of the video, simply amazing, every second of it was worth it, and i'm sorry youtube is such a, pardon my manners, bitch about anything slightly more serious than, i don't know, dora the explorer, and demonetized such a marvelous work. It's really unfair to be honest, but everybody here recognizes your talent and quality of everything you post, me included of course, please keep up the great work! I i will gladly watch, like and share every video to support you, because you definetely more than deserve it.Sorry for rambling so much, and any possible grammar mistake, english is not my mother language.
wow what an amazing analysis of a very underrated game.... Love your work man. Keep up the good work. You definitely deserves more subs.
Of all the videos you've made, this one is my favorite. Your script was incredible. Thank you for all the work you've made on this one. I'll support on you on Patreon due to the YouTube ad thing. Cheers!
CONTENT WARNING: This Video contains depictions and / or discussion of: - How to get demonetized All Jokes aside, Youtube probably didn't even watch the video, they demonitized it after the first 10 seconds.
Quite likely
After playing Haunting ground and Clock Tower 3 in 2006 my next game of choice was Rule of Rose, I really wanted to play it but it wasn't available to buy anywhere.
One little thing I really liked was how in the cutscene of Jennifer standing up to the aristocrats she becomes her younger self, probably because this was her actual play-by-play memory of something that happened and not her later interpretation of the events. I dunno, I just thought it was pretty neat
This is the first video I have seen from you and watching was a blast! I'm sure I'll be enjoying your content more!!
Great video! RoR is one of those games that deserves more attention, but it's subject is difficult and off-putting for many. It's also not a very pleasant game to play on a couple of levels. Well done on digging deep into it. You had some music from Silent Hill in there too - mostly from Origins and Homecoming, I think, definitely from the Akira Yamaoka compositions. I loved it and it was a great fit, but you should credit it in your notes. (Sorry, I'm a diehard SH music fan.)
I'm so upset that this video was demonetized, because your execution was absolutely brilliant and very much portrayed the ideals of the game splendidly. What a shame! I loved this video and I have been a huge fan of this game for some time now. I recommended it so many times. It's a undervalued game for sure! Would you ever be open to doing a video on Haunting Ground? It's pretty similar in style, and another game I deeply appreciate. Thank you for the hard work you put in making this video despite it getting demonetized.
I just love the video* and the comment section. *I've had the impulse to like it 3 or 4 extra times and I feel it healed me a little bit. Thank you.
I will be so happy when i am finally financial able to support you!
This game was like a fever-dream of my childhood with my "best friend". It really freaked me out at first, but finally making it through the game was very cathartic!
amazing, absolutely amazing
this was really well done!
This was an amazing video!!!
Hot damn. I was 11 when we got a disc of trailers and demos in the mail and it had the trailer for this game. It piqued my interest but of course...never got to play it. Never saw it in stores. I thought the project had been dropped or something. It sucks that it got banned for all the wrong reasons. And watching playthroughs of it, I would've been insanely frustrated with how repetitive and mind numbing the combat and exploration could be. Thanks for this outstanding analysis. I never even noticed the character design for Clara's 'mermaid' had self-harm injuries and didn't piece together that she might have been pregnant. The reviews they did on X Play obviously dids't finish the game, others thinking 'wtf, you're 19 and these are a bunch of little kids!!' come on, it's basically a flashback. The story is an absolute masterpiece. If S.Enix ever realizes there's a market for this type of game and reboots, I'd be one of the first to preorder hahaha
Rule of Rose has lowkey been one of my favourite stories told in a video game; and with that, this video has to be the best analysis of the story, the characters and the underlying themes the game has to offer. I was glued to the screen without pausing for the entirety of it. Thank you for such an amazing video, it's obvious that it came from a place of both fascination and love for the game.
I just stumbled upon this channel, and I'm already loving it! Rule of Rose had always been one of my favorite games, and I'm always happy to find vids covering it.
I can't believe I tossed this game so many years ago. I just couldn't get past the "combat".
This is a fantastic video. Now I understand the game so much more! Thank you for this
44: 00 thats messed up. what is the name of that school that allowed such a teacher they need to get some online feedback
You are an artist. Thank you for all the amazing videos you have done.
Thank you so much :)
SKY fitsHEAVEN Try downloading the ROM for PS2 on coolrom.com?
Check out Rule of Rose Mysteries . com on the Wayback Machine. It has many things hidden in this game you haven't even touched in this video. It's amazing, and I wish many of the files were still there.
I had never heard about this game but this was thoroughly fascinating. I wonder if this game was what inspired Hunting Grounds...
So pleasant to discover an analysis of such quality for this game so recently! I applause your video's graphic style, which perfectly fits RoR's own style (there's even the drawings animations!). No need for you to tell you worked hard on this, for this is quite obvious, as well as your passion. I may have a different interpretation of some elements you pointed out, like the ropes for example. I saw those more like a sign of how repressed some of Jennifer's memory episodes are, and thus how hard they're hard for Jennifer to access (I think that because ropes disappear of some locations as the story goes on or just not appear at the same places). But I also think such a thing is quite common with this kind of story telling and your video is definitely coherent and instructive. The political side is indeed absent in most of RoR's analyses. I think it's the first time I hear someone talk about it actually. Personally, I kind of noticed it myself at some point (but not in such a complete way though) and it's good to see I wasn't over-interpreting the game's message. It would've been boring for a RoR fanto watch over 1 hour of video only to hear things they already knew, so again, an excellent surprise :) Your work definitely needs more views. Funny I never made YT subtitles before and you just made me want to add a French traduction. By the way, if you like games with 'hardly acquired lore comprehension', allow me to recommend you the Dark Souls and Bloodborne games. Have a very good continuation!
An outstanding analysis crafted with such care! It makes me so happy to know that there are still people thinking and talking about this masterpiece of a story. Thank you for this!
This video was fascinating and super well done.
Goddamn. Not an easy sit, but important nonetheless. Not surprised it got demonetized, given the non-child-friendly material being covered here.
The game heavily hints at Gregory being a cannibal, and somewhat shows the murder of Hoffman and the maid.
I really liked the way you started with the video. Never heard this game and it caught my attention. However half way through, you screwed it really hard. Are we talking about Rule of Rose or the concept of bullying? I want to learn about the lore and characters not what is bullying and its key points.
Love how you do these dead dives into these games , they're so interesting to listen to!
Wonderful video. Keep up the good work
This is an amazing video, thank you so much for such an incredible explanation of Rule of Rose! Extra points for not even complaining about the horendous combat system that much...
I hope you do more of these deep journeys with games like this. I don't even mind that it was spoiled (I attempted to play Rule of Rose way back when and the stilted mechanics put me off, unfortunately), it's utterly fascinating how you broke it down. Especially with the actual medical research included- I really enjoyed this.
Forgotten gems ep for Anachronox?
If ever they make a "Female Version" of Lord of the Flies, they should just make a Rule of Rose movie. For real.
OH, nostalgia.... I was a very depressed edgy teen back in middle and early 2000's and this was one of my favorite games.
I wanna give this video 10000 likes!!
IMO, frustrating combat in games like this feel right... The protagonist is a small girl, Jennifer can't wield a pipe well. The many other facets of this game... Are surprising, and I love what I see. Will try to pick it up if I can, I want to feel all the feels. This doesn't fell 'all' the feels, considering not every scene is played out. But this look awesome....
Thank you for reminding me why I love this game so much
Dude, I watched cry play this game YeeARs ago and rewatched it last year because i have bad memory, and immediately forgetting it again, but seeing this come up rekindled my fondess of the game and the desire to know what the game was about and the message it was trying to potray. So! I honestly loved this so much, you did an AMAZING job explaining everythnig while going through the plot again, cause if your like me, may have forgotten the plot or if you watched someone else play it, may not have seen or gotten to all the clues that talk about the full plot. I Love thiss so much and im so happy I found this channel !!!
I want to sightly criticize the way the power dynamic was described, as everyone is being abused by each other in every level but the scapegoating makes all the blame falls on Jennifer so the incredibly fragile state of their society doesn't fall apart. It's not so much upper class vs lower class as it's a bunch of abusers who have been abused themselves in some way by the rest making an artificial society above one scapegoat so the entire thing doesn't collapse by in-fighting, all headed by one truly evil bully. It just felt ever so slightly off, and the use of the strawman comic doesn't help.
Hello, I must say that this video is just awesome and i can see you put tons of love doing it! I`ve never finished this game, but there was something disturbing, mysterious and beautiful about it! It`s like a rare gem and it takes time to appreciate its complexity and beauty! You did a really good job with the analisys of the game . Specially, the abuse part! I was victim of psychological abuse by a really dark psychopath/predator in my "friend`s circle" and it was like a nightmare! They are just monsters and manipulate everyone around them ! But, i was able to stand up for myself and leave that horrible situation! Sadly, i ended up with a trauma , but im working on it! ;D i wish a had a friend like you to talk about weird stuff , movies and videogames hahahaha! Anyway, thank you so much for the hard work and by the way, i like your voice and the way you narrate your cool content! Take care dude! ill be waiting for more videos from you! Adiòs
You have a very soothing voice Pox.
Beautiful video and great analysis of one of my favorite games of all time. Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts.
Rule of rose is such a beautiful game that is seriously hindered by gameplay. I couldn’t finish it because of the awful combat system but continued the story through a let’s play. It’s one of my favorite stories in a game, and it’s really so sad that it hardly ever gets a chance to shine because of what it lacks. Love the game and the video!!
Awesome video like always, something about his voice and the way he communicates all the information just makes these videos so damn interesting , I can’t be the only one that feels like that lol ... anyways great job on this piece can’t wait for the next one!
Good video and I appreciate the effort.. the only one thing that bothered me is that you repeated certain ideas a lot. You paraphrased one idea over 4 times probably
hebephilia? you mean being a pedophile
I sincerely hope the 'joined at the hip' comment about the dog was a misunderstanding of the phrase, buuuut given the game's themes...
Yeah I expected it as well, but fuck it, right?
Yep, agreed. I considered talking about both of these elements when writing the script, but especially with Hoffman and Martha Carol, I kept being 50/50 torn between "The adults were actually murdered" and "This is just a metaphor" So hard with this game. So I left it out (also didn't *really* add anything to my thesis)
if you really did all of this by yourself you need start pitching your videos to any and all networks you can find, that includes netflix. i've seen professional documentaries done with only a sliver of the narrative quality and passion you're pouring here. and if we take into account how gaming is worth more than the entire cinema and music industries combined i think you have a pretty strong case for a professional pitch
I love this vid and how you talk and explain the game, one of my favorite games ever! thank you for the effort
Woah! I'm glad I found you talking about Rule of Rose.
do an episode on omega boost
This is incredibly well done
RagnarRox I think you would like the Game called "Lisa" for pc on Steam if you have not tried it already. It might be to your tastes and worth your time.
Amanda's look reminds me of Eddie in Silent Hill 2 xD
Just thinking of it now, In the light of the part about abusive behaviours, the final cutscene, in which Jennifer binds Brown and leaves him in the shack, makes me envisage the girl at this point might have become an abuser herself. Like she didn't want to lose him again but acts unconsciously the same way Wendy acted with her. The victim becoming the bully. It also gives more sense to the disturbing moment the camera follows Brown's point of view. I know there is some flaws in this theory/interpretation (Brown is just a memory at this point, and locking a memory is very different from locking a person) and I actually don't want it to be true, but I can't help but think about it however. Does anyone have any opinion about this?
That scene depicts the first time she ever meets him. Her smile at the end says "I can't take you with me, yet, but I will be back for you" That's how I always read the scene - I honestly don't think it insinuates any kind of abuse towards Brown from Jen.
My opinion on Rule of Rose is pretty conflicting. While I do love the game, I also hate it because everything about it especially the atmosphere, is very unsettling for me. The whole bullying was so real and depressing, it upsets me to even think of it. Even all that, I still love the story and the directing, it's so depressing it's good.
jennifer opening the coffin at the beginning and seeing the cloth bag is not just her discovering the body of her dear friend, it is, at the same time, her discovering that there is something buried deep inside of her, something horrific that she has just opened and that she cannot look away from now when she's pushed into the coffin, she is thrust into her subconscious, forced to face what she has unearthed deep within herself
Yes, this game works on so many layers. I love this kind of storytelling.
what i value most about rule of rose is its ability to be very direct and precise without spelling things out for us or dumbing them down, it's almost intuitive the way it knows just how much to show us so that we will know how to put the pieces together ourselves: this is also often how repressed memories themselves behave in trauma survivors, seemingly obscure glimpses just detailed enough that when they are put together, paint a clear picture. rule of rose always demands you to put in the mental work, but it does so while guiding you through it so you never feel completely out of the loop. the trail is always there for us to follow.
Yes, I totally agree. I've made that point in regards to Silent Hill 4 in the past (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaPNuBK4UNM). I think it was deliberate that the combat felt very unresponsive (you can see that in Jennifer's very weak and sluggish movements when she swings a weapon for instance). Which is great for the story the game wants to tell. Would be ridiculous having Jen run around with a rocket launcher at some point. The only thing that is unnecessarily frustrating is that it's just sometimes quite buggy. And I can definitely empathize with those complaints. I personally never really minded the combat that much, save for some boss fights, because you can really avoid 95% of the combat situations by just running away. Which is... really the best strategy for any situation where people gang up on you. Just run. ^^
Holy shit, I'm kind of speechless. This was so beautiful in so many ways, I feel so many emotions right now. Im horrified, sad, inspired and overwhelmed. Truly an incredible story told with such affection and clarity, it makes me very happy.
Goddamnit, now I can't watch one of your videos because you are covering one of the games that I want to play more badly and don't wanto to be spoiled. Until I play it, I guess
I've never played Rule of Rose, but I absolutely love its story, characters, and themes it explores. This was a great analysis video!
Thank you so much for this stunningly in depth video about one of the most underrated games. I've loved all of your videos over the years, and never been disappointed by a single one! I'm sorry Youtube has been such a pain to deal with, but I hope you don't stop making videos.
The rat thing, really fucked me up. hamsters, rats, rodents. anything in the rodent family. holds something really close too my heart. there comforting and they are so cute! They did not have too add that in! I know its too disturb others and or make them upset. but really?! you chould not find some other way that was not animal cruelty?!
What a refreshingly comprehensive video on such a forgotten gem! I miss the days when we got triple-A horror experiences with psychological, character-driven stories. I hope this game gets a re-release some day, perhaps with gameplay tweaks to improve the mechanics. I never got to play this one or Silent Hill 2, which feels sinful for a horror fan. By the way, I think you forgot to credit the Monster OST in the description. Definitely sounds like "Part" at 7:05 and 1:04:30. I'm not complaining, just thought you'd like to know. Great taste in music!
Did you re-up load this video? I could have sworn I watched this in late summer 2018
A silent hill fan, i really need to play this game
This game feels entirely too appropriate right now. An excellent choice and perhaps a cautionary tale for 2019.
omg just started to play this game last week and you just made this gift! tysssssm
This game traumatized me so much (BROOOOWN! Ç-Ç) that I'm actually afraid to watch your video and cry for a week. (But I will, just trying to get some more courage lol Already gave my like anyway :D)
+RagnarRox Hmm yeah why not. I always thought Jen started playing with the bucket knight after enduring silent treatment, but why not. It still bugs me somehow that she claims she'll protect Brown until she dies the very first time she meets him. I also find Brown's POV disturbing, along with his barks as Jen attaches his collar and the loud lock sound at the very end. But again I literally thought about this sense of lecture yesterday ^^ I've also read on many sites (both french and english) that this final scene was kind of metaphor of Jennifer ''locking Brown in the shack of her memories so she would never forget him''. It is also explained this way in Jennifer's bio on the game's wiki. Just to say it looked like a global consensus to me.
1:01:40 For legions of people it doesn't matter. Gay is good no matter what form it takes.
Beautiful game. Beautiful break down. Beautiful video.
it's an amazing video, absolutely brilliant.
Thanks to this video, I discovered your channel. Hours later, I'm running out of videos. You remind me to go back to old gems with renewed vigour. Thank you.
As much as I love and will remember this analysis (to the point where I think it changed the way I would view things for are rest of my life), there's absolutely no way YouTube let pass video in which such dark and disturbing themes are so carefully and thoughtfully researched.
I wonder if it's the lack of censorship in the Interview with the Vampire clip. You know what they're like about any implied nipples, despite it being a beautiful clip to have used. Your videos are always great works of art in themselves!
MY NUMBER 2 FAV GAME
Rule of Rose has always been one of my favourite horror games, just its incredible use of symbolism and showing not telling makes it one of the best out there in my opinion.
Such a beautiful soundtrack.
This is the second video on this game (first being nitro rads) and loved every minute of it
Wow this is truly a masterpiece of a game narrative, if not story telling as a whole.
Now I can never look at Azumanga Daioh the same way again..........Not like I've seen the anime in the first place...
Played through this game and somehow completely missed the point of putting the gifts in the box :(
The effort you put in this is astonishing. Presented themes are very distinct but also shown in a way that even person who never heard about this game is able to connect pieces. What I can't believe is that it took only one game to include all of these complex ideas.
The music was phenomenal, it was cheerful yet creepy at the same time.
great job, man
This is seriously such a good video, seriously this is so well made, well written. Thank you so much for making this. Especially on a such good underrated game
the void ost is so good
Christ... When you started describing the power structure halfway through the video I was pretty sure you were talking about the United States.
Ah this reminds me of those good old days when I watched videos and playthroughs from people who managed to unlock everything, sharing theories, debating over if Gregory was kidnapping and killing other kids before finding Jennifer. This made me regret exchanging my copy all of those years ago because the combat was so terrible and unpolished I couldn't make it far. One theory I did like was the idea that in some strange way the children were responsible for the 'disappearances' of the adults. That what happened with Clara was the children's breaking point. Or possibly Wendy testing her control over Gregory and having him kill Hoffman and Martha. But one thing never really made sense to me, the rabbit Peter being the monthly offering. The offerings are made to the Princess and Prince, knowing that the rabbit is Wendy's how could the others demand she give up her rabbit? I'd get it if it was one of Wendy's ploys where she wanted Jennifer to feel sorry for her and abandon Brown for the sake of comforting Wendy. But if everyone was aware that Wendy was the princess at the time it's still weird to call for her to give up something that's an offering to herself.
Subbed
I am going to find this game! Thank you for a new gem to look into.
This is only the second video I've seen tackle this game. This game needs more love
Excelent work!
damn its not often you see abusive lgbt relationships in media. props to rule of rose for that.
@RagnarRox Idea that you may like to discuss about. The Metro video game series (Metro 2033 and Metro Last Light) The game has very interesting monsters and has very tedious moral points mechanics to obtain good or bad ending. Plus, if you haven't played these games I strongly encourage to get em and give em a try. They are inspired by Metro book series.
I will never forget this game.
Deeply disturbing, when you can make personal connections with the game
i was watching this and i had a moment where i thought "dang, this video is a bit longer than i thought." and i realized i watched 50 minutes of this while feeling like it was only 15. great video!
I applaud you for making a magnificent review and analysis of the Rule of Rose! I cant believe you are this dedicated in making a video about one of my all time favorite ps2 classic game! im soo happy! Thank You tremendously for this! Love u soo much @RagnarRox !
If these little ass kids tried anything they did to the Mc in this game to me ,Especially killing my dog, I would legitimately kill everyone apart of it.
Just impressive. I think it's the best essay on a video game I've ever seen, heard or read in my life. It's people like you who help video games mature into the art category. My sincere congratulations and keep working so damn well.
Also, I suffered bullying in middle and high school. It wasn't until college I found a safe space. The thing is, I studied journalism and I left school halfway through because I was "recruited" by a well-known video game magazine in my country, Spain. I was working on it when we received a pre-release copy of the game from the publisher (I really don't know if the game was officially released here). The staff writer assigned to RoR was fascinated by it. I would sometimes approach his desk and look over his shoulder for a while. I didn't think it was an interesting game at the time, especially when I saw how clumsy his combat system was. How wrong I was... Also I wanna kill Wendy. Again.
I'm not one to take the time to comment on the internet usually, but I have to say, though you'll likely never see this, that this was absolutely brilliant. I'm always impressed by this channel's content. It's very hard to find a primarily horror-themed philosophy and mythology channel, and certainly next to impossible to find one with such professional content. I don't know how you'll one-up this one, but I certainly look forward to seeing your future endeavors. Perhaps a dive into the endless ocean that is Planescape: Torment, or a nip into the oppressive, nightmare-like world of Argento's Suspiria? I feel this may very well be the only place on the internet that could do those any sort of true justice. Keep up the good work.
Shit dude sorry that happened. Fucking YouTube man...
The BEST video about Rule of Rose on YouTube. WOW. I LOVE YOU. ♥️
This video is so well made it makes me sad that I probably won't ever be able to play this game. Though I have to say... that story about your EP teacher is horrifying. And sadly unsurprising...
Agreed. The fact that it's so unsurprising is the worst part about it.
Coup de grace!
Damn You know the video is good when you've never heard of this guy and stay for whole of his narrative. Is this the stuff you usually post cause this is top quality like you could go head to head with game theory
Imagine a complete re-mastered version of this game with better controls full HD and in the way of a graphic novel
Omg this video is just perfect, I’ve been looking for one video about rule of rose, and this video is more than perfect! Thank u for this, really. I very happy that I found this Chanel
Don't act like communist ideology doesn't promote the same behavior in a different medium.
That was absolutely incredible. Thank you for your energy and thoughtful analysis.
Google is a tool of the capitalist aristocracy. No wonder they do not want to make life easier for those who spread insight on the actual state of affairs.
it still came up in my recommendations. its how i found it.
"Eli's Blimp" from The Void? This is the last thing I've expected to hear in the video about Rule of Rose! It's really very unusual how different people from different countries find and like the same hidden underrated treasures among games in the same time.
What movie clip is that on 20:42 ?
This is Beautful!
Nice analysis. Some years ago there was a blog called rule of rose misteries you probably would like to read
20:46 what movie is that I have never seen it
This was so beautiful. Well done.
Where is your video about Dark Soul? The one that you explain how Dark Souls is Zelda for grown ups, can't find it anywhere.
Holy shit... The whole conversation about possessiveness made me realize that I tend to get like that myself... I've never gotten crazy out of hand but I know I definitely showed some of those traits until people started to distance me and just started my vicious cycle of loneliness... Honestly, this was pretty eye opening and I will work on fixing my issues. Thank you Ragnar. I needed this.
THANK YOU for using the proper terminology in 'ephebophile', everyone uses pedophile for anyone under 18, and it's inaccurate. i'm so glad you know your proper terms!
This, is girl game
Just found this channel, and man, this was exquisite. Thought provoking, poignant, and well thought out. Good job! Thanks!
I was growing intensely depressed as you continued on about bullying and abuse of power, until you said "Revolution" and I was like "Vive la France!"
Great work Sir. Thank you and good show!
I remember when I first heard and received Rule Of Rose from a friend. She gave me her copy back in high school over 9-10 years ago, at first (I thought), simply to borrow the game. But in the end, she told me to keep it, that it was a gift and that she didn't want it anymore. Upon playing it, I immediately thought, "Oh boy! This is giving me some Haunting Ground feels!" It made sense at the time: both games starred a 19 year old girl traversing a castle/mansion (zepplin for Jennifer mostly), and both had a dog companion - albeit different breeds, but still. I was ignorant on my first run, constantly comparing it to Haunting Ground... at first. It was upon quitting the game (the combat was unbearable at the time for me at the mermaid fight), and returning to replay the entire game from beginning to end later, did I realize the differences between the two. While some tiny details were still similar, Rule Of Rose still had its own original story, a story that - by the end with Brown's fate - literally broke me to pieces. I couldn't believe the betrayal, the manipulation, the agony, the utter disgust for these girls, but it was within this story I found this... compel to complete it. I needed to know what happened next, almost had to know. Looking back on it now, seeing all that this game's themes had hid beneath it's surface... it is almost saddening that most people who attempted to play, never got far enough to actually see it through to the story's end. But then there's videos like this, that allow people like me to relive it again with another's perspective and dive into the game's themes and narrative, as well as for others who were not fortunate enough to see it through to the end. I applaud you for taking the time to create this video, to allow us to relive this game's narrative as well as educate others on its core themes, especially those who didn't seem to quite entirely understand it the first go around (which is understandable for a lot of people - myself included). Excellent video, my dude. Excellent video, indeed.
It's ALWAYS the lesbians
One of the best videos I've ever seen. Great job!
This video was in my suggested tab and I’m so happy it was since I absolutely adore this game and it’s not very often people mention it. I have now watched nearly all of your videos and have subscribed, keep up the wonderful work and content!
this is the best video i have seen in a while
great video. my favorite thing about your videos is the tone. most gaming videos' narration is too "in your face" while ARG/horror/webseries people are too long winded and slow talking. your pacing is fast but the video doesn't feel rushed. the content is interesting and you're not trying to sell it too hard. great job, good stuff. I really like your videos. enjoy my redbux.
Brilliant...just brilliant! This is, hands down, the best review/analysis of this game that I've ever seen. This game...it's stayed with me for a long time. Because at first, I didn't get the game, just like most of the players. But after many years, I've decided to give it another chance, and it was a huge surprise - the soundtrack, atmosphere, story and it's themes - it was so unique and frightening in it's own way, but fascinating at the same time. I know, that the game is not for everyone, not everyone's going to tolerate the "not so perfect" controls and gameplay, which can be tedious at times. However, those, who value the story and atmosphere more than convenient control scheme and can tolerate mild monotony of the gameplay will discover an experience, that will stay with them, that they won't forget or recapture anywhere else. Truly a one of a kind game and it deserves to have such thorough analysis like this one (btw I've seen other videos on this game, and some of theme were good, but your video is outstanding! I even reviewed Rule of Rose myself a few years ago, but didn't analyse it as well as you did. Don't bother checking it out though, it's not in English or French). Well, I have nothing else to add. I express my greatest gratitude to you, RagnarRox. Keep up the good work!
I played Rule of Rose during the past week (with a physical copy nontheless) for the first time. I have to admit, the combat was absolutely atrocious, but it all feels just so... addicting. RoR is so cohesive in it's vision and scope that it becomes impossible to resist, even with the abysmal combat and repetitive missions. I decided to speedrun the game yesterday (cause i wanted to gain the Octopus and Rag Doll costumes that I accidentaly missed), and even with the broken combat i probably felt more invested in the game than when i did my first run, maybe because i had the Knight Rapier equipped; I almost cried when I discovered that you can't carry it to ng+ T_T. I almost thought of doing a third Run to get the Rusty Sword again, but I told myself that it was kind of overkill, and I couldn't go back to use just the master weapons. Still, I am still kind of obsessed with the game, at this point in time at least (maybe i'll snap out of it sooner or after). Playing this game, this semi-unknown, broken, glitchy game was like a religious experience, like walking on a hidden and dangerous mountain road just to find at the top a breathtaking, yet melancholic, view, if that makes sense. I was searching videos with a more "complete" look on the game, and saying that I found it here is just outrageusly reductive. This is a friggin' masterclass of video essays. I am astonished by the quality of this video, and it's even better that i'm not the only one who got fixated on such a low-radar game. What else can I say? Loved every second of it. Everlasting true love, I am yours...
Thank you, ive always loved this game and related to Jennifer pretty deeply. You did a wonderful job and this was an hour well spent.
Thank you so much. Glad the algorithm pushed you here
Fantastic work! What an amazing analysis.
Remember when video games werent art
Seriously all your videos are so good and well written and edited and your voice is so calming and your content has personality. Please never stop these video essays
I agree - the most beautiful and horrible piece of video game storytelling ever made. The environment of the zeppelin is magnificent and the soundtrack is sublime - probably my favourite of all video game soundtracks. The characters are superbly drawn and the plot is absorbing without being explicitly explained. I had an Italian import to play on my PS2 as it was banned in the UK and had to use a plastic widget to get it to load every time. I still have the game in mint condition along with the original soundtrack from Atlus. I tried to play the other year through my PS2 and hi rez TV and it didn't look great. I've heard it looks great on a PC. If anyone knows how to get the game to run easily on a PC and where to source it please reply! Good work RagnarRox!!
Astonishingly brilliant video RagnarRox. Just about the best video game documentary / analysis I've seen. And my favourite game. I am going to watch again of course. I only originally played through it once...as my Italian import needed an awkward plastic widget to work on my English Playstation....something as fidgety as the game's combat system. I always thought the combat made me feel helpless...but kind of more like Jennifer. The cut scenes in the game were some of the best ever, as was the wonderful re-creation of the antique luxury airship. The soundtrack is sublime too...easily my favourite game soundtrack and listening to it puts me straight back in the game. I thought you nailed a lot of things on the head...including things I missed. Not sure about the abortion theory, I always thought the poor girl was meant to be around 12 years old...and the green puke was meant to represent her disgust...but although uber-dark, still an interesting theory. The later parts of the game are literal memory aren't they rather than dreamland? I'm still not sure what the (spoiler alert) ending meant, when Jennifer locks Brown in the shed...it's like she is abandoning him. Did Wendy actually kill Brown in real life in your opinion? I like the references you use and use of pictures and video from other sources, which are all apt. I even like your accent - a cultured old-school American voice somewhere between Vincent Price and Orson Welles I thought (?) - I must work out how to obtain and play this game again on my PC, as it doesn't look fantastic on my HD TV - except in your video gameplay. I even have the official soundtrack as I wrote to Atlus in 2007 and they sent it me (Even though I already had the full unabridged soundtrack from the internet.) If only they would remaster this game (rather than reboot it.) As if!
This was a wild ride, but I learnt a lot. Thank you.
just stumbled on your channel but this was an absolutely spectacular video. the effort that went into it is evident and the result was so incredibly enjoyable and in-depth. thank you so much for your work!
Your videos are amazing as always and never ceases to make me say "OHHHHH!!!!" heck it even made me stop studying for a few hours XD. Keep it up!
I'm sorry but... it's rule of rose. Unfortunately I can't blame youtube for that.
I´ve waited years for a video like this. This game surely deserves it. Thank you a lot!
We truly don't deserve your amazing commentary on these games. It's incredible, thank you so much
When I was in primary school, a group of children (More like a crowd) surrounded me, screaming at me and throwing rocks and bits of bark at me. This continued until I screamed and began to strangle one of the boys, I only stopped so I could strangle another one. Except, one of the boys was trying to help. In my rage I hurt someone who could have been an ally. I have not had any friends since. I am almost nineteen now, and I have almost completely removed myself from society. I only interact with my family and those I buy food and other things from. If I ever had children, I would not know how to protect them. Do I remove them from society and watch them grow into the miserable, withdrawn creature I have become? Or do I let them become part of society, risking that they become the persecuted or the persecutor? Maybe they will become like the boy, someone trying to help but ultimately hurt by the one they wanted to protect.
It was a thoughtful and comprehensive analysis of a game that really deserved it. Thank you.
I know I'm late, but just wanted to say psychological horrors are absolutely underrated
That's pretty cool
The little grotesque creatures were based on the stories that were told to the children of creatures that would come “get them” if they didn’t do their chores. Since the headmaster was always accusing Jennifer of trying o get out of work, she naturally probably had a fear of these creatures. I don’t think they represent the other children, at least to the extent of their existence.
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
This says alot about society. But for real though this honestly was one of your best reviews in a while.
You did a good job Ragnar, I should thank you as many of these behaviours are present in my life, and this helped me put them in a different perspective. Keep up the great work
I've never spend so much time watching a video, really good quality content. I did browse through your content and I was wondering why haven't you talk about Bloodborne, that game is like a love letter to what most people relate to when talking horror, fear to the unknown. Well grate work I'll totally keep and eye on your up coming videos.
I click like before I see the videos - and I never had to make it undone
YouTube only promote content for the degenerates, all that nudity (almost porn), all that pedophile content get promoted, but not this type of accurate content getting demonitized, it's sad, very sad. Sorry bro, that can't help you, but I hope one day I'll become your Patreon. Appreciate your work very much. Your narrative, the amount of effort you put in researches, is just amazing man. Thank you for keeping it real! And shout out to your current Patreons, thank you guys for your preference!
Having been a victim of that type of bulling at the hands of a hierarchy rule of rose is honestly some of the most sickening horror to me. Its, so spot on well done. The way the things stick in your mind. Its kind of amazing how well they did
Wtf you went to school with kamoshida
a game Im desperately trying to get...great video,also great use of the Silent Hill soundtrack!
Dear god that was GREAT BOI! I always wanted to play this game but couldn't for economic reasons. Now i'm ultra hyped and just blown away by how deep and beautiful it is, and how much effort you put in your stuff.
I wish they remaster it or remake it or just make games like this.... we miss these type of games :(
Amazing video. I love this game but rarely see it talked about, definitely never heard it discussed to this degree. Subbed :)
Thank you for this video, it was amazing seeing such a great in depth review of one of my favorites games from when I was a teen. I didn't understand a lot back then and sadly my ps2 is broken so I can't play it anymore and watching this video made me remember how good it was back then. Anyway Gratz on this great video I am subscribing. P. S. The soundtrack is also amazing with those violin song and everything.
I think after 4 years I finally understand this game.
I will still be ruminating and stewing. Just like the game, your video has left a haunting impression on me. I don't quite have the words to do justice to what I want to say and describe my reception. I will tell you I sincerely hope you create more content like this. You are one of my absolute favorite YouTubers. Anyone can create videos here, but it takes a special kind of creator to make work that stays with a person, is lasting and takes on a life of it's own well after the fade to black.
This game is a hidden gem imo, beautiful music, amazing story, great characters and great visual presentation even tho the combat wasn't the best, its still a really good game. Oh and did I mention about the MUSIC?
I can't believe someone made a freaking DOCUMENTARY about my favorite game of all time. This was amazing to watch. I was too young to understand anything about this game when I first played it, but everything you said makes so much sense and puts it all together!! I can't wait to play it again and really analyze it for myself :)
This game isn't survival horror, it's survival torment
Amazing video! Although it spoiled the game for me from start to finish I'm so going to play it on emulator some time.
Very intelligent social commentary
This is one of the rarest ps2 games it costs around £700-£1000 lol
This vid was NOT in my subscription tab, but showed up in home page featured today.
❤
This was wonderful. I never get tired of people breaking down this game, and you did an amazing job!
Brown, the goodest of boys. I'm glad to find such a well done video about this game, thank you for this! It's such a beautiful masterpiece that I wish could get remade - absolutely with better controls.
This video finally made me subscribe to you channel. One of the most interesting videos about a game I've watched so far!
I've been a subscriber for years. And this video is one of your best works. I've always liked Rule of Rose and wanted to play it while dissecting It for it's secrets. But this video covers most of my curiosities about the game. I can't thank you enough for all your hard work for this game, the silent Hill series, and the monster of the week series as well. Thank you!
This is an excellent, well-made video that pays great tribute to such an underrated game. Thank you for this
Rule of Rose was bordering on a traumatic experience for me. The themes and even some specific scenes were incredibly reminiscent of my own experiences growing up and when I played through the game, I was sent on a trip through my own memories. It forced me to reflect on the person I have become since. In that sense, the game was a formative experience to me. I genuinely wish gaming would delve into such real, relatable and incredibly cruel topics more often - the potential within it is so unbelievably great an can serve as a means to help people evolve in a very real sense. Fantastic video, I really enjoyed hearing your thoughts and analysis on this fascinating piece of storytelling. Thank you.
You are making me uncomfortable. I will have to hurt you.
Thank you for all the great video's!
This was ridiculously well done.
I love this game's story so much... it really deserved to be remade and given a better combat system. It'd be simply perfect like that.
Adore this game. Seeing my favorite street fighter character getting a reference to this , was awesome.
Amazing video. I havent played the game and Im ashamed to admit that I happily let the video spoil the entire game. Also I love that you used "the good soldier" from Nine Inch Nails in one of the segments.
Apenas salio el vídeo y me descargue el juego, lo he estado jugando desde entonces y ayer fue que lo pude terminar. Llore con el final :'( y cuando descubres lo que le paso a Brown. Después de jugarme el juego fue que decidí ver tu análisis completo del juego y debo decir que ha valido la pena, ya que este ha sido uno de los mejores vídeos que has hecho hasta ahora. Gracias a ti me dieron ganas volverme a pasar el juego diez veces mas :3 Si pudiera te apoyaría en Patreon pero por ahora lo menos que puedo hacer es ayudar a traducir y compartir tus vídeos.
Am I the only one getting a strong Kamoshida vibe with the PE teacher story?!
An amazing vid O.o
I love this analysis, the only thing is that abortions are almost never performed a c sections
I remember when I was in junior high and I was bullied so badly I inflicted self-harm and even entertained thoughts of suicide. When I brought it up to the principal all I got was, "Well, what do you want us to do about it?" This analysis really hits home. It's by not means triggering, but perhaps it's a clarifying experience. It's definitely a very interesting video.
Outstanding!!!! I'm so in love with this game and now I am more
I would never understand revolution reference on my own. I would also probably never get hints that mermaid girl had abortion. Amazing video, impressive research! Thank you very much!
This game was absolutely terrifying, and it is so rare to have such a compelling, profound, and meaningful narrative attached to a horror title of this caliber. Thanks for letting me revisit this experience in its whole.
I remember playing this as a young teen it was pretty good, also youtube is being weird on monetization it might be time for a switch to another site if they keep it up.
@RagnarRox I will still be ruminating and stewing. Just like the game, your video has left a haunting impression on me. I don't quite have the words to do justice to what I want to say and describe my reception. I will tell you I sincerely hope you create more content like this. You are one of my absolute favorite YouTubers. Anyone can create videos here, but it takes a special kind of creator to make work that stays with a person, is lasting and takes on a life of it's own well after the fade to black.
@RagnarRox I'd love if you were to make a video about American McGee's Alice (2000)! A former friend of mine introduced me in high school but I never actually played the game or listened to the soundtrack which she swore a masterpiece until this past year. I wish I had listened to her sooner because it is a gem.
ye I will never play these game its to sick for my liking. poor dog that girl is an evil sick bitch for what she did to that dog and bulling her friend in just an evil way, is sick and wrong, I do feel sorry for the kids in that forester home do, I mean come on there teacher is sick rapist for god sake. and that man that help Jennifer, locking her away like a cage animal is also sick and wrong. yes it is sad that his son died but that does not give him the right to do just an evil thing. I am glad that Jennifer get away from him and I am also glad that she stand up to that ex friend of he too. but I am wandering something do? how on earth did that bitch train that man to act like a dog and train him to kill people for her do? I mean she's a kid and he is a grow up man for god sake? I know that he wanted to kill him self and all but I am jure that he was you know smarter then that? well I gas not? if that's the case do?
This game is extremely intense. It brings up memories and feelings in me. I've only seen let's plays because I can't buy the game, Your video is AWESOME! It really explains the game better than anything else I've waatched about it, thank you for creating it!
I already watched this video like 5 times, I really like it, the months of work you put in to it were worth it I think
That really means a lot :)
Splendid analysis ❤
Impressive video! A shame the game isn't on Steam, for example.
Honestly we should make a petition for a remake of rule of rose
It's too bad you depict Gregory as "a pea farmer" and skip over the fact that "peas" are a metaphor for killing children for their meat. The peas "kick and scream" and Gregory "puts peas in the ground" at the same dates than children disappear in the area. (cf Gregory's diary, newspapers clippings, and the Stray Dog poems)
This analysis or rather discussion is one of the very best I've seen of rule of rose
Best rule of rose analysis ever!
Wow is this game available on the psn store?
Ooof, what an emotional video that has been. You're a master storyteller, Ragnar! Cheers!
Such a gem I hope gets a reboot, that mermaid boss reminds me so much of that abstract daddy boss from silent hill 2
Holy macaroni, my mind is blown
The symbolism in the game seems like a 13 year old writing an essay on why communism is good
Nobody's probably going to see this, and that's probably a good thing, but... this video and the heart and soul that clearly went into it are absolutely stunning. As someone who, just very recently, discovered your channel- and by extension, this game- I was trembling by the end of the video. Because, well... the last relationship I was in was with a Wendy. And even now, months after I managed to muster the courage to put my foot down and walk away, it took hearing you describe her calculated, possessive abuse of Jennifer to acknowledge that what I went through was, in fact, just that: abuse. Abuse that I was too scared to acknowledge, because enduring it made her happy, because I don't value myself, and because, deep down, I was afraid that no woman would ever "love" me, another woman, again. hhghghgh melodrama aside................ thank you ;; you treat topics like this so damn respectfully and your production value is insane!!! please forgive my emotional spillage i'll be going now
Tremendous work, probably your best yet!
Look at how they massacred my boy
thank you for bringing it this amazing game to the light. it honestly has been one of the most influential narratives in my life
This was truly an amazing analysis, sir. You've brought a tear to my eye, and easily earned my sub. Will be watching more of your vids for sure.
i have this game :)
John Wick is on the way
Have you ever done the video game haunting ground?
What a beautiful video. It shows it was made with care and tact for the topics the game addresses. Thank you very much for this.
This. is. amazing. This is an amazing video, I am absolutely enamored with it, how you approach everything and how it is formatted. Sorry for the disjointed comment but good lord, you went Off and I loved every second of it. The sensitivity you show to the subjects, and sympathy you showed towards victims of abuse, was really touching and I kind of cried the whole way through for good reasons. You did a good job, and I am Slamming that subscribe button. Also, hell yea, workers rise up!
Though being an excelent video as a whole, it still always stays cringeworthy if americans start to include political analasys and try to apply it in comparison to real world politics. It really shows how discorse has been distorted troughout society. But yeah for the rest, AAA video and i'm gonna see if i can get a copy and give this a go. Never heard of it but i want to play it now.
_fucking hell, Ragnar_ this is so beautiful!!!! i love how you also edited the transitions without breaking the theme of the topic you're discussing! *_ALSO_* breathing fresh and new perspectives to this gem! i've been watching some of your content in the past but has never made me think that i should subscribe to you. you got me hooked, my dude. thank you so much for showing so much love and attention to all these details just as much as the creators put all their heart into making Rule of Rose. looking forward to more!!
I'm sorry about that man, regardless thank you so much for the effort you put on your videos; it does not go unnoticed, at least for me. Keep up the good work, it really is amazing, I hope you can continue doing this despite the obstacules youtube puts on your way (sorry if I misspelled something, this isn't my native tongue)
Haunting Grounds was a survival horror game that had a hot female and a dog too.
"The revolution is not happening because poor people want to be rich!"
what an amazing in-depth analysis of this game and the horrible, dark themes associated with it.
funny enough i got my ps4 by selling my copy of Rule of Rose. i only played it once, and had no intention of playing it again, honestly i'd rather someone else who wants to play it has it, and i got a ps4 out of the deal.
Thank you for the tremendous effort of relating the whole story of the game I'm highly unlikely to come across. Having watched reviews and analyses of it, I still thought it went overboard on shock value without much of a coherent storyline, because those reviewers portrayed Jennifer as a mere bystander and a random outsider. Also the Mermaid boss is the most brilliant thing ever, I've been looking for such a design for a long time
I remember watching cry play this game and I loved the story
That was a very beautiful and informative video. I liked how you legit broke down the entire game and the story. I was hooked from beginning to end. Well done!
44:00 God so the coach from Persona 5 was real. I mean, I know it happens all the time but to be so cartoonishly blatant, that’s terrifying
the creepiest part imo is a scene where you peek into a keyhole and the little monsters are whispering to the adult that end up being a boss fight and can be easily missed
I never really get on the difficulties of the gameplay and combat, all I ever do was just let Brown find the items by sniffling and move in the corridor as fast as I could without letting those imp catch me. You won't really got anything defeating them after all. Even the boss fight, I never had the problem fighting with them, despite that I did died multiple times but I never see the combat that weak. Only my skill.
This game desperately needs to be adapted into a film, or a miniseries. Preferably a miniseries, so that each character and subplot would get the proper exploration it needs. I'd like to see a more in-depth exploration of the relationship between Meg and Diane, and Jennifer and Wendy, and the exact ramifications of them (seeing as, this being the 1930's, a look at how the lesbian characters would handle their budding sexuality in such an intolerant time, and how it also affects them at such young ages) But DEFINITELY the incredibly morbid, disturbing, and fascinating slave-master dynamic of Wendy and Gregory after Gregory completely goes insane.There's something extremely dark and unnerving about a child manipulating an adult in such a way (rather than the other way around, since, while that kind of manipulation would be sick also, it would at least be common and feasible to understand. But the reverse of a child dominating an adult and turning them into a mindless killer seems so surreal and even perhaps fetishistic) and seeing the kind of state that man would have to be in to be susceptible to the manipulation, and the child for being able to do it, would be great. Kind of like the relationship dynamic shown in "Lolita" but inverted. That being said, it would also be a good chance to better examine and express the themes of bullying while also having a stronger moral message. RoR as it is, while very unique and interesting, doesn't really say enough about the themes it contains commentary-wise. A story can have many different themes, but without a strong "message" as to the story's stance on these themes, it doesn't feel as poignant or purposeful.
Omfg i just realized is an hour long video! It didn't feel like it!
I don't regret watching this entire thing at all~ Your video is absolutely beautiful and I'm glad I found this. I took it in from start to feenish. This game is a beautiful piece of art, in fact, I'd argue that it's too good to be called a mere 'game'. It's ... a masterpiece. It belongs in a museum, not a shelf. I do feel a whim of guilt, by association with that breakdown of Wendy & Jenn's relationship. There was a point in my younger years where I was *that bad guy*. But the ending was fortunately different, and me and my best friend managed to work things out before crossing that border of madness. (| Too real. This game is too real. I'm sure all people can pick up something they relate too. By not censoring itself, it really makes we, as adults (or teens at the time who played this and neglected the ESRB system) reflect on who we were and what monsters one could become if they stay on these roads, unchanged, with childish thoughts.
Thank you so much for making this love letter to one of my favorite games of all time, and my favorite story of all time. I don’t have a PS2, nor do I have the game. I’ve only seen the game, never actually playing it for myself. I dream that I’ll be able to play this and experience it firsthand. But this video is the closest I’ve gotten to playing it yet. Thanks again. This is a special video for a special game.
You have earned my subscription.
I think, at this point I've watched this video 4 times. I think it's the best video you've done
I hope everyone can see this but I started a petition to have Rule of Rose remastered or re-released for modern consoles. I don't know if it will amount to anything but I would love to see this happen. I greatly appreciate everyone's support! https://www.change.org/p/atlus-games-re-release-remaster-rule-of-rose
I seen this at a used book store for $30 years ago. Yes I do hate myself.
thanks for sheding light for this game, I really loved it as a kid. I would invite a friend over just to accompany me to go through this game because how creepy it is.
really, really impressive video essay! This game holds a special place in my heart. I don't think any other game or movie ever got more under my skin than this game did.
Brown and Hewie for best boys
I hate horror games, but I loved this game. It was fascinating aesthetically and horribly dark and heavy. Being a cop fighting zombies is one thing, but a child at an orphange (or boarding school or whatever, idr)—it just made it all the more visceral and upsetting.
Pff a vid that touches an important subject like bullying gets shunned because of it's theme while mindless junk is being promoted. And they wonder why society is in such a rotten shape; only rottenness is getting promoted. Shame on them.
I actually found this game through Strawberry Nightmare...as usual a very good review...
Damn what a great video
HEROCLIT Lmao
Does anyone here still have the game?
Very haunting grounds.
While at a convention a few years ago, I won a raffle and ended up getting this OST. It's the most brilliant thing. I was so happy to hear it. The game was just a treat. I watched some people play it. I no longer have a PS2, but if I ever get the money again, I'll pick this game up for myself.
You wouldnt happen to know where your old gym teacher lives do you? Purely for scientific research, of course. I wouldnt dream of slamming my bat against his head. Of course not.
This video is truly amazing! I watched an LP of this game and it was pretty hard to follow. You got the idea of the themes but your video really made the horrible truth of everyone’s suffering clear. It’s awful that it was demonetized.
Like si viniste por dross
To Rule of Rose fans and those interested in joining the community, a Discord has been set up yesterday https://discord.gg/WvXRZam And of course the video was awesome, but I already commented on that.
I see what you did there.
This was an awesome game, and very hard emotionally to get thru as a player.
I know I'm late to the party but whatever I feel like I needed to say this, while I've never played this game this honestly hits close to home on a few counts namely the isolation and being victim of bullying in the worst way....I honestly can't describe everything because honestly I can't remember it, I did the same thing that Jennifer had done and repressed the memories because they were too painful, and unlike Jennifer I do know that I had endured it for 6 years as opposed to one, but this game is extremely terrifying because it hits so close to home, and I thank you for bringing it to my attention.
Wonderful seeing someone making a video about this awesome masterpiece. I always loved "Rule of Rose" even though the combat system is trash. Also, the music is just beautiful.
I watched Rule Of Rose about 3 times and i really really enjoyed your video it was so well done, good job and thank you!!
this game changed my life, I think rule of rose is a must play for all the people, I even dare to make my childs play it even if you dont have enough mental capability to understand at all what´s going on, there´s always something you can teke from this game somehow every time you play it there´s something inside you that change
I'm sorry that they wont give you ads but thank you for this. I love this game and I can relate to stuff in the game like being abused bullied adults not doing what's right people not believing because someone above you in power and power in banlce
I always wanted to ply this game but alas I missed the boat , now this game is like 300 $ .. I really enjoyed this video and I feel like I got the beat overview possible !
What an impressive, thought-out analysis of an underrated gem! Thank you for giving Rule of Rose the love it deserves, and I look forward to your next video!
This along with Haunting Ground are some of the best underrated games of all time. Speaking of have you thought about doing a analysis of Haunting Ground?
I love how you break down the games you played. Thank you for making good content
17:29 That wasn't a kick. That was more of a falcon knee to a dog.
Great video. I unsubscribe just to subscribe again.
Creepy, from 58:00 on, we also hear US politics against immigrants. "Look what you made us do!"
Wow... I really how you didn't shy away from analyzing literally evereything. This game really is a gem when it comes to storytelling. Thank you for making this video, I loved it to listen to you, and I hope you will keep up the great work!
Gorgeous video despite the monetization. One of the coolest journeys I've had in YouTube since I've came here for the first time. Thank you so much.
Holy shit. This video is amazing. Glad I found your channel. Instant sub
I know this video is a few months old but man am I glad YouTube wanted me to watch this video. This game is so grossly underrated that it personally hurts me...Of course, the combat isn't the best thing out there and needs polish, but it does not matter...the game does everything else right and it's almost depressing how almost everyone can relate to the story portrayed. I hope someday this gets either the HD treatment or best case scenario...a remake! Can't wait to binge watch all of your other videos :)
31:52
Abortions are not done by c section
Fits more than you know-lewis carroll was a pedophile
Oh man, I played this when it first came out and I had no reason why the game was so creepy and unnerving, since I had a hard time getting past the combat and some of the back and ofrth quests. But before I watched this, I watched an entire playthrough for reference (ouch my feelings) and jesus man, you hit the nail on the head. You unraveled this old game like a ball of yarn, and beautifully so. Thanks for covering this game!!
I always wanted to play this game. It's so interesting. You never find a game like this
Oh gosh, that game has had such a huge impact in my life I started shivering on the first notes of the theme song. Amazing video for an amazing game. I hold on to my copy of the game like no other.
Ragnar Rox go on Chapo
Even under communism there's an heirarchy. Who's redistributing the wealth and who isn't?
This is why I don't have an Instagram, or get into social media. Strangely, I view it as an ugly construct depicting human nature and social hierarchy. The people in it seek some sort of fulfillment, or praise for their pics, despite their pictures not having any real value. 'Crowd mentality' is the exact reason why I try not get too close to people, and the reason why I never stop asking questions. I question everything and am skeptical of all constructs.
"This...is revolution..." 36:48 Me: This is...MORTAL KOMBAT.
That’s not fair! This video is really well made it deserves the money.
You know? This video is so soothing that I like playing this video in the background while I do my own work. XP your voice and the Rule of Rose soundtrack is nice xD
I can here the Monster anime ost, beautiful.
I don't think I ever watched a video on youtube that lasts more than 1 hour. You had my attention at every second of it. This was top notch. You earned a new sub. I hope your new videos are on the same quality as this one.
I'm so proud I got to work on this game.
I’d never bother watching a video longer than 20 minutes but you managed to captivate me within the first minute. You’re an amazing writer and your analysis was so intriguing. Subscribing right away!
Damn, it's been a while since I've seen this game...and I tell you, after all this time this *still* makes me feel that melancholy and horror from the first time I watched Cryaotic play it. It's really interesting how much of an impact this had on me, and just revisiting it alongside you put into a thinking mood. It's a real shame that this game never got a reboot or something... Honestly the only other game I could think of at the moment that gave me a similar feeling of sadness was "What Remains of Edith Finch" and even that game ended on a hopeful note. (kinda) P.S. I might be wrong, and I might just be speaking for the last video I watched from you (the Cat Lady one) but did you just use the Luteces theme from Bioshock Infinite?? xD
To Rule of Rose fans and those interested in joining the community, a Discord has been set up yesterday https://discord.gg/uWnCQBg And of course the video was awesome, but I already commented on that.
oh man this is such a great video. Love the analysis and love your look at Amanda. RoR always reminded me of SH (unsurprisingly) but resonated with me more and it's such a treat to get a long good video about it.
There are so many games in need of deep analysis like this from fans, Rule of Rose was one of them. Beautiful video
This was a really good fucking video good job man
I never heard of this game before but I am so glad I watched this. Although I would never want to downplay Jennifer's past with mine cuz my experience in boarding school was not as extreme and traumatic as hers in the orphanage; I, as well as most people, can relate to her to some degree when it came to bullying. Kids, especially those that aren't properly cared for, can turn out to be complete monsters. As cruel as those children were, I do feel sorry for them cuz they were all victims of an abusive adult, who either abandoned them or died by their own hands (Death from the product of his own creation). If I ever played the game and there was a way to save all of them, I would but the damage was already done and their innocents lost. A beautiful, emotional, and insightful tragedy this game and video is. A real hidden gem and I thank you for sharing with us
Okay.
Fucking a man. I need to hunt this game down. I really enjoyed your take. Do you happen to be involved in any outreach programs in your area? You just seem pretty knowledgeable on mental illness. I got to see some of the shittyness of state run facilities when I was trying to keep track of and take care of a homeless schizophrenic friend. Any hoo viva la revolution!
That part about your gym teacher though, that’s shocking they did nothing about that
Rule of Roses deserves a remake, like Resident Evil 2 Remake! And you, sir, deserves lots of subscribers for your effort in making of the video. Thank you! This video really helps me understand more about the game and appreciate it a lot more!
It's such a beautiful game. Glad I got to play it
Well, what irony there is of those in power deeming this too heinous for the eyes of the public.
Wow, I'm super glad that YouTube's recommendations pushed this video for me. An incredible breakdown of a game thst I've honestly only heard be shit on. Thank you for making such a great video!
It's such a beautiful game. Glad I got to play it. One thing I don’t understand is why we see Brown again when Jennifer has to fight Gregory in the final boss battle if Brown was, you know...
the whole thing with your high school reminded me of something and it took until almost the end of the video to finally click - it reminded me WAY too much of Kamoshida, the first antagonist of Persona 5, especially the way that the teacher bringing the school prestige for his own time in the athletics spotlight led to the authority figures just straight up not caring about the danger to their students and covering it all up FOR him good god its despicable
I'd never heard of this before! Thanks for the video!
You beat me to it.
42:39 *HMMMMMM*
If Rule of Rose was novelised... it would be goddamn great. Imo, anyway
I remember really liking the game, despite the somewhat boring/frustrating gameplay, because of the subtleties in the plot.
This video was fantastic but your first mistake was showing an uncensored breast. YouTube instantly demonetizes stuff like that
as someone whos had a wendy in their life, this game was very meaningful and important to me. i agree entirely with your ending point. i want to work with children and teach them healthy patterns to deal with their peers and even their own emotions so that things like this dont happen as often. this game is incredible and youve done good by it. thanks for doing this.
Wonderful video. Thank you so much for all the care you put into this project
Hoffman reminds me of a computer teacher we had in first year of high school (catholic all-girls school) he always made up a reason to always touch our shoulders and rub them, or to stand behind our chairs and get horribly close, while using this weird sweet-creepy tone of voice at the time we were too stupid and young to see how sick it was, so we said nothing can't imagine how horrible that sort of shit would be to a poor elementary school kid, absolutely disgusting it's really good that Rule of Rose does not romanticize that sort of shit at all
This was great, man. Well done.
Great video, keep up the good work!!
Hey just started watching the video but, there's no inventory management on silent hill. edit: great video though.
A great review; the best one I saw all year. You did a damn good job.
This game was honestly a master piece, yes the mechanics were a bit off but the story and cutscenes more than covered for that, this game was really ambitious and it’s a shame that it got put off stores for “burying a child alive” even though she was 19, rip.
Lmfao the faint “gaslighting” flashing
I’m finally almost as old
Saludos me quedo espero y pases por mi casita y te guste me quedo yo con la
Saludos
Interesting tidbit, I'd never found the pistol when I played my copy of Rule of Rose (which I regret to say I had to sell to make ends meet during a bad time). Near the end of the game, though, right before the Stray Dog fight, I found a gun with a single round. This clued me in on what to do. In a way it was a nice easter egg method to throw in what the player may have overlooked. Absolutely fascinating game that didn't deserve the censorship it got. It's something that always comes back to me, even more than the big four Silent Hills.
+RagnarRox Oh shit seriously? I assumed from some gameplay footage that I just happened to miss a room. The revolver was in the instruction manual too if I remember right, so when it finally showed up near the end I guessed I'd need it for more than just combat, and missed it at an earlier point.
No, the pistol you find before the final fight *is* really the only pistol in the game. (You can get one in later playthroughs, but you're only meant to have that one bullet in the entire game -- and you're not meant to shoot it)
Awesome video, i can´t believe you made something so good this long, i love your content so far, you´re gonna be very succesful if you keep this quality man :D
This scares me to death... as we are stop and Smell the roses... lol
Brown and Huey will always be two of the best dogs in gaming. Loyal and willing to put themselves in danger for the sake of their companion. I also have a soft spot for Fable 2's dog. I just like gaming dogs, they're good boys/girls.
Great work dude, eye and ear candy :D
this.... kinda relate to my early life as a human. it hurts so much that when I watch this video I realized this raised up my anger so much. but thanks for the detail explaination it helps me a lot with the game :)
at somewhere around 1:04:45 to 1:05:20 I came to realize that I was jealous to everybody because they were talking to my ex-friend and she gave them the attention unlike me because I was being so clingy to her, I guess she made the right decision to stop being friends with me before I become a toxic jerk.
Then she tried to apologize via a dm and she said "I'm sorry" but I had two options is to forgive her but stop being friends or forgive her and stay friends again and I chose the first option. I made the right call because if I kept being friends with her I would not change
Amazing video!!!! I been waiting so long for a deep analysis for this game !!!
Excellent work
I truly wish the worst for the owners of Youtube. I hope that when all this cowardly demonetization, triggered by the people that want the platform dead, ultimately destroys the site, that they all end up starving in the streets. I want the most awful fates for all of them, prostituting themselves for their next meal, falling into hard drug addiction and suicide. It's what they all deserve.
This was the greatest video ever.
It was the best video game ever ! it was deep and very intelligent .
can you do a monster of the week about forbidden siren
As far as I'm concerned, censoring artistic interpretations that avoid any form of explicit language is taking away free speech. This video is done as much as humanly possible to tackle serious elements in an extremely respectful way. I agree with censoring offensive, exploitative content but a content creator who makes the effort to deliver a point gently and poignantly shouldn't be punished for a few "key words". I realise my comment may come across as being vague but I really hate writing comments via phone touchscreen so I can only apologise...
damn. this loola straight outta shoujo manga from the 70s. pretty good video there mate
Ok
Do a hunting ground review
I was thinking about the meaning of this horror game the entire day now i am starting to get the message behind it
I remember taking a train home from a party. I was trying to get to the front to meet up with my friends, but it was packed, and the train rocked hard every few minutes. At one point, I was thrown and grabbed a handhold to stop myself. I accidentally grabbed the hand of the guy holding on. I apologized, but he was drunk and nodding out and didn't notice. A second after, the train rocked again, throwing me across the aisle to another handhold. This time I grabbed it well below the guy holding onto the pole on that side. I hadn't touched him at all but he began to go "Thanks. Thanks pal. THANKS" I apologized (for no reason) and he kept going, getting more angry. I pointed out that I hadn't touched him, and then he exploded, threatened to knock me out. He was huge, well over 6ft, his buddies where behind him laughing and cackling, and I had drugs (Adderall) that I had brought at the party. I couldn't fight him, and I couldn't threaten him with the law in risk of the drugs being found. I scurried forward to my friends as quick as possible and sat down as he still hurled threats and insults at me. Not long later, he began to bully someone else, a short black man. The black man wasn't having it, and talked back to him. The train stopped, and the black man went to leave, and the large bully sucker punched him right in the back of the head. They fought for a few moments, but the larger man won and beat him down. Someone called the cops, and the train halted at the next station. The cops came, and interviewed the ones nearby. They all took the large man's side. Then the cops "found" meth on the black man. [all white cops btw], and hauled him off. As the doors shut, everyone on the train clapped for the large bully. I have never more hated people in my whole life for that, and even myself for not sticking up for the black man in what was an obvious injustice.
This is the first video I've watched of yours and I must say I loved this. This wasn't a game I played but I saw it being done by Nitro Rad and came across this in my feed. Rule of Rose is an ironically beautiful game that never got its time to shine due to its rather ugly themes. I definitely think it should be remade or remastered with more serviceable gameplay because of that story it tells, subject matter and all. But I think we all know that won't happen sadly because twats these days would want to censor it to pieces. Again though: this was an amazing and well done video. It did a great job at allowing someone like me to get the whole picture. It's definitely something I'd rewatch and I must say, good luck" on your other stuff. If someone made a novel of this book, I'd seriously would read it. Shit, even if it was Fan Fiction in a sense, that'd be better than nothing.
I wish i found your chanel earlyer, the video was really fucking good. Not only is it educational but also a really really good review for the game. It also brought me back to the time were my mother abused me in more then one way,without realizing that it was aboused ... It makes me more proud that i disconected to her and that i'm moving on and working in my self. Thank you.
This video is so fantastic. I love Rule of Rose dearly and I have spent time dissecting it and reading theories, but you put everything together very well and made me realize some aspects of it that I hadn't even considered. I'm a victim of severe bullying myself. I developed Complex PTSD because of it, and as a young adult I got into therapy and started deciphering suppressed memories, which is why this game speaks to me personally. But the more I look into it, the more I see myself in not just Jennifer, but also the other kids. The way you explained power dynamics and possessiveness really spoke to me. There is a little bit of Diana, a little bit of Wendy in me, a dark side that stems from trauma and easily takes over. Wanting power because you never had that before. It has been my personal struggle to overcome that. Thank you for making this beautiful analysis of the game.
I love this game and your video which did it justice. I never understood how someone could ban this game. I never saw what they claimed was in it when I was 17 and now. I was watching and noticed about 20 minutes in, you put in clips of various films and I recognized most. But one I didn't recognize and caught my eye enough to think 'hey I'd like to watch that movie' popped up on screen at exactly 20:44. What movie is this? Please tell me. I left a like on this video and subscribed to you btw just for this video :)
Thank you! That film is Interview with the Vampire :)
+RagnarRox You're welcome. And thank you to you too :)
Would you ever do another video like you did for Rule of Rose for Clock Tower games, Alice Madness Returns, Haunting Ground or Remothered Tormented Fathers?
You see this kinda social ostracism and pitting of class warfare constantly these days. All these riots and squabbles are being orchestrated to keep us from realizing the real shitshow that’s going on right under our noses. And the media is doing no favors by fanning the flames
YT has completely sold out long ago to corporations. Like many, they became what they were trying to change. While the game definitely touches on some gritty and even uncomfortable topics, I didn't see anything wrong with your video. I can't wait for the next service to come around that will dethrone YouTube. They're no longer about the users.
subtitulos en español... te amo :)
This is an excellent video essay on a little known video game. I adored the analysis, particularly how you placed it within the context of SH 2 and 3. You've raised so many fascinating and well-thought out points! I can only hope that there is more to come! If I could make a small correction, it is that that game was not banned in either the UK or Europe. It was actually found suitable for older teenagers and adults by the respective video game rating boards, but it was pulled from the shelf at the last moment due to an incredibly biased reporting from UK media and potent moral panic. See the amazing scholarly article: "'He Who Buries the Little Girl Wins' Moral Panics as Double Jeopardy: The Case of Rule of Rose." Again, I'm amazed by the level of care and thought that went into this video essay, and I've subscribed for more brilliant content like this!
Quite a naive view thinking revolution happens when the lower classes revolt. Good video regardless of that.
What always makes me sad is that the game might not get a re-release, not because of banning (the game would almost certainly do better in that sense in today's industry) but because the devs aren't around anymore. IIRC the company that made the game went bankrupt and disbanded. Presumably though someone has the rights to it even now, I guess you can't totally give up hope.
off topic but fuck the military man
Damn! Never thought the game was this deep. Played this years ago but quitted bcs I was eventually tired from wandering and didnt know what to do. The bullying and sexual hints made me really uncomfortable, but the story itself was very interesting. Just couldn't play it for long time bcs the gameplay became boring for me. Thank you for the brilliant analysis. You just earned a subscriber
So a game that indoctrinates retards into communism. Got it. Glad I missed it.
I love you so much for making this video. Rule of rose has been a staple in my life since 2007 when I purchased the game. It’s rare to find people who not only know of the game but praise its unconventional ability to tell a captivatingly haunted story of despair, abuse, horror, and resilience. Quite often I find myself wanting this new era of horror to innovate the genre. Games the pushed boundaries like rule of rose, silent hill, resident evil (earlier series), parasite eve, and haunting ground are needed today. I think the genre has become so over saturated with first person horror, gore, and jump scares that we forgot how much a story that is based on psychological trauma (and the affects thereof) can leave us open to fear of the things that go bump in the night. Also this is my opinion I don’t claim to know more than I feel but nevertheless I’m so happy you uploaded this video! Thank you!
37:05 is an incredible level of analysis, I never would’ve noticed that.
@RagnarRox Ragnar... you put out work this good, let us know you aren't getting paid... and we will make sure you are. Thank you so much Ragnar. This is my favorite video of yours yet and it effected me in the extreme. I couldn't put a price on an experience like this but I should at least try. Things like this help us grow as people... You've done a great thing here and I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.
@Rachel Sarah K I've played through this game numerous times, all these recordings are done by myself. I didn't get the idea by somebody else, as stated in the video, I started working on this one about 4-5 months ago. We just have a different focus. I don't mind the combat; 95% of the encounters you can just bypass by running past - the few frustrating boss-encounters can be easily cheesed and circumvented. I don't care much if the buttons feel right; I love this game for its presentation, incredible coherence and boldness in the portrayal of its topics.
@Grand Gaming Channel yes and it's very shitty of youtube because they will still shovel ads on and then just not give him any money for it. If everyone watching youtubers worldwide somehow didn't watch a single video for just ONE SINGLE HOUR i think they would get the point that we are all they have.
@Grand Gaming Channel wow. That's extremely scummy of YT. Also I'm on the half hour mark, so I guess that explains why I haven't seen any ads. Thanks for the explanation.
@TheRibbonRed it's a little bit different from what you imagine. You see, the author is able to add time marks where ads are supposed to pop up. But since it's not "advertiser friendly" 99% of the ads that are supposed to be shown will not appear. It's not like it's forbidden to add ads into the video, but the outcome is extremely (!) low. But sometimes YouTube can change its mind and make this or that video "advertiser friendly" with time. But since it doesn't notify you about this decision it's better to keep those ads turned on, just in case...
@RagnarRox You're welcome. And thank you to you too :)
@RagnarRox Oh shit seriously? I assumed from some gameplay footage that I just happened to miss a room. The revolver was in the instruction manual too if I remember right, so when it finally showed up near the end I guessed I'd need it for more than just combat, and missed it at an earlier point.
RagnarRox amazing and eloquent video. When you showed the clip of Jennifer reaching her breaking point and how she stood up for herself it absolutely brought me to tears. Best analysis video I’ve ever seen
ATLUS should remake this game. This will save us from Konami's mishandling from Silent HIll, especially the cancellation on Silent Hills.
Those faceless children are very reminiscent of the same school children in the film adaptation Pink Floyd's The Wall. Where through the tyranny of the headmaster and the suppression of any individuality, they just become faceless puppets jumping into a meat grinder.
I want someone to remaster this game with better combat, updated models, but keep the story. Don't change it for the SJWs or anyone, keep it please
excellent job!
Holy fuck! the layers you gleaned from this game are absolutely amazing. I love all the social class dynamics you discuss about. Amazing analysis!
I had hoped to get around it, but this video got demonetized by YouTube (not advertiser friendly) right after it was released. *sigh*