It's curious that at first glance Dark and Demon Souls seem similar, but deep down they are completely different, and I didn't realise it much.

@yurinoworry

7 ай бұрын

But on the other hand! Bloodborne filled the role of successor to Demon’s Souls quite nicely. In my opinion.

@tinydicksenpai449

2 ай бұрын

@@yurinoworryhonestly I still feel like bb and demon souls are connected

This is gonna be a good one

@batchagaloopytv5816

Жыл бұрын

meh

@shindig9000

11 ай бұрын

I'm surprised that some of these ideas are really cool in a creative way.

You are by far my favorite and the most underrated video essayist on youtube

Been waiting for this since your Dark Souls one. Which still stands tall as the best philosophical reading of a game on this platform.

@slayerofsouls1182

11 ай бұрын

This one hits the mark too

@eliasbonafe9236

2 ай бұрын

Seriously. Is there any other this well detailed philosophical analysis of a game on the platoform?

I've learned more philosophy from these Souls essays than I ever did in college. Your videos are horribly underrated, man

Ok, now this is right up my alley, Demon's Souls is my favorite game of all time. This will be lovely. Hell yes

Wow. The assessment of the World Tendency mechanic was mind blowing! I need to play again just to experience the mechanic through this lens!

This video is ridiculously insightful, in-depth, well written and well produced. 9k views in 6 days is a criminal level of underexposure for content of this quality. Leaving a like and a comment to appease the algorithm. Keep making more!

@TheGemsbok

Жыл бұрын

Thank you very much for the kind remarks, and for the algorithmically pleasing comment. But regarding the views . . . everything is relative! This video reached 10,000 views faster than any previous video on this channel. I'm very happy about that.

@Sleeper_6875

10 ай бұрын

@@TheGemsbokglad to see the video is doing well, it’s a great one

He's simply the best to ever do it

Consider me absolutely pogged up in viewing anticipation

Babe wake up! A new Gemsbok video!

This man achieves things with the hud turned off that I couldn't do if the game ran in slo-mo and told me whats gonna happen next

@pyatig

Жыл бұрын

Hud? Have you played a Souls game before?

@franklinshure960

Жыл бұрын

@@pyatig en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HUD_(video_gaming)

@barliechrown9994

7 ай бұрын

I feel like demons souls is already wayyy too slow. Trips me up.

@BloodandlatexFX

3 ай бұрын

@@pyatighealth and stamina bar. Items, spells, right hand, left hand. Souls. Those are hud elements. Why be so condescending?

@lumethecrow

22 күн бұрын

​@@pyatig Have you played a videogame before?

YES! Another fromsoft analysis! Absolutely loved your video about Dark Souls and I can't wait to finish this one.

God. Damn. Pretty sure I learned something new bout the game or the phil every 5 minutes through the whole fkn thing. Amazing work!

The Algorithm has blessed both of us this day. Umbasa.

Another masterpiece

This has become my favorite video on the platform. I come back to watch this all the time😊

So glad to see you made another philosophical analysis on these games. I don't see many people put in as much research and work into this type of content as you do. Thank you for your work.

Fucking thank u this explains so much demon souls dosnt get enough lore explanations and is largely overlooked lore wise.

WOW Gemsbok back to Soulsborne And it's a big one, Thanks for the hard work Mate I'm sure this is gonna be Good, Cheers! ❣️

WE ARE SO BACK

2 hour analysis on the original Demon's Souls. Literally the best thing that could show up in my recommended. Definitley gonna check this out when I have time😊

What an excellent video essay. I felt like I was auditing a college class while sitting through this. 😅

Instant classic.

Why and the hell did KZread just now recommend me this channel? I am an avid soulsborne sekiro fan and this is the long form content I crave. Take my sub, my likes, and my time. Great work! (I also like the other games you've done like this but souls games are my favorite)

This game is a master piece

I’m so excited for this. I found out about you through the dark souls video, and I just finished demon souls not too long ago!

I finally started playing Demon's Souls at the same time this video was uploaded funnily enough.

Thank you for all the hours you spent on this project, as someone who is dipping their toes into philosophy for writing and creating purposes your efforts will not be forgotten any time soon.

Another fantastic video!

Thanks a lot for sharing this work with us. Absolutely one of the most consistently high quality and thoughtful essayists on this platform. I especially appreciate the conclusion section's strong reaffirmation for the value and meaning of our lives as I felt was also done in your video on Dark Souls. And what a beautiful choice of quote! Looking forward to your future works and hope you have an excellent weekend.

Might be my favorite video on demons souls I’ve ever seen! Buying this game on a whim back in 2009 has forever changed how I view video games and their potential. Great work!

Oh boy! Love your take on things

Just finished my first watch. Loved it, though I didn't understand totally everything... but that's what the second watch is for!!

I don't say this often. But this is my favourite video ever at the moment. And yes, I only finished it now because I went very slowly on it, analysed every word since english is not my mother tongue.

Hey, just wanted to write to let you know that I (and im sure a lot of people too) really appreciate the closed caption in this video!

@TheGemsbok

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for saying so! It's nice to hear, as the preparation and editing of the caption track can be a large amount of work at what would otherwise be the end of a project---especially for a video of this length. Nevertheless, you can rest assured I'll always strive to provide high-quality captioning on all of my videos.

Super interesting video, and very charming sketch of my boy Peirce!

@TheGemsbok

Жыл бұрын

Thanks. I will pass your compliment along to the artist.

You have no idea how excited I was mate when I saw this on my page. Your Dark Souls vid was a masterpiece.

Thank you for making this video. Nobody does it quite like Fromsoft, and nobody captures the wisdom and thought that goes into their games quite like you. Fucking great stuff.

Fellas time to sit back and enjoy :)

This dudes a book. I fucking love it and these videos.

This is the type of video I gotta stop myself from watching at 3am, because I won't be able to appreaciate it in my slumbery state. Makes you do the big think and it's too big for me RN.

I usually have questions or something to add, but after 3 watches I can only drive engagement by saying: great video as always!

Incredible, simply incredible Please let this game one day come to PC it does not deserve to be the forgotten origin of Dark Souls.

I love your video on the philosophy of dark souls so much, insanely happy you made this

Thoughtful and provocative, I love bringing Kant into this as well, as he is quite appropriate here. I get a bit too narrowly focused when I play these games sometimes, as I try to get all of the achievements instead of sitting and meditating on the lore and world and the deeper meaning of it all. I appreciate this video, as it reminds me to go back to my philosophical studies and explorations, and to look at things more deeply. Thank you! Umbasa :P

Wow i have never wanted to play demon's souls until now

I love these vids!

Perhaps today's work day will be good after all. Thanks for the content!

Thank you for using og Demon's Souls

studied a lot of this at philo uni; fun to go back to this material in a different frame

Beautiful. Made me gain more clarity about my thoughts and the way i think to formulate my actions. Thank you so much for this, amazing reflections.

I really appreciate your academic-like format, genuinely made me reflect on concepts in dark souls previously, I'll enjoy this :)

Omg please do Bloodborne next. Lovecraft's influence on it would be interesting to explore.

incredible work, I am very grateful that you've spent the time and effort to produce such amazing content :)

Out of the modern From phenomenon of games, I played DeS last (after ER), and have recently wondered what sort of impact it would have had in me in 2010, when I first noticed some 360p clip about this "brutal" medieval fantasy game recommended only to "hardcore" gamers. It looked obtrusively dark and cramped, and the fear with which game journalists spoke of it was rather odd. The fact I never forgot that clip, including the imagery of blueish light-haze about a quaintly armored neo-knight, speaks to the impression that remained. This one and Aesir's "luck" video are now my favorite examples on DeS and its capacity to inspire an unusual degree of lucidity when attempting to approach and then summarize what DeS "is about". Thank you.

So happy to see people give Demon's souls ps3 its deserved attention, I felt the remake, ehem, tarnished its image. 🤭

I love these videos so much. Thank you!

These videos are a treat. Great as always

Thank you! Amazing work

Do the philosophy of Bloodborne or Elden Ring next. These videos are seriously amazing and underrated with how many views you're getting.

Excellent video.

Your videos are the only ones that can fill the void of Matthewmatosis not making content (often, and specifically not about FromSoftware games) anymore. I can see some spark of inspiration from his Souls commentary videos in your content so that makes sense. You are making great stuff. Demon's Souls is my absolute favourite game and you did it justice! Cheers.

@TheGemsbok

6 ай бұрын

Thanks very much for saying so! Coincidentally, in about a week and a half I'll be publishing an analysis video about another game highly praised by Matthew in the past---Journey.

@redemption7249

6 ай бұрын

Glad to hear you are working on new stuff. I also really liked your Dead Space 1 and Elden Ring videos, will keep an eye on anything new you upload, success is imminent for your channel with the quality and work you put into your content. Hope you stay inspired!@@TheGemsbok

Dude I would always come back and rewatch the dark souls video you made! Thank you so much for making another great video to watch over and over again! \[T]/

I only recently got around to dusting off my ps3, buying a used copy & playing this game. Just finished it last week and it has become one of my favorite games ever. Thank you very much for taking the time to make this incredible video. I’m starved for more Demon’s Souls content but this vid is easily the best one I’ve watched yet!

Wow, just an incredibly interesting and insightful video. I would call this the top 0.001% of gaming content on this platform.

This was great. Thanks for the work you put into the video.

I'm so in

Im sorry that I missed this when it came out jefe gemsbok, but I’m 1000% excited for it

Ultimate example of video essay

This was absolutely stellar. I learned a few things listening to this video, about perhaps my favorite game. And hearing some echoes of things I have also contemplated. I was surprised to not hear a comment about the Talisman of Beasts. It adds context I think to THE god of Demon's Souls while of course not being conclusive, it would have been interesting to hear your thoughts on how it fits. The duology of being able to cast both Miracles and Spells while also supposed to depict an image of God, but instead is the image of the Old One. In the Beast Soul we learn that the word 'Beast' at least refer to the Old One. But the Talisman has a dual nature, and is called 'Beasts' which begs the question who are the other Beast(s)? It's within reason I think that the beasts are aspects of the one God. There's another interesting bit in how the loss of souls lead to madness, and the amassing of souls lead to becoming a demon. Sort of indicating that the 'gray' or middle area is frictionless (perhaps characterized by Soul Form?). One of those carry truth for the player experience where death can certainly feel maddening(Especially in body form). But finishing the game is exactly the choice of heralding the Scourge or disposing it. Something about that being in your power as you amass souls carry something profound for what it means to part of the world. Is giving up knowledge equivalent to giving up your amassed power? If so, how can you protect anything? What was even the meaning of it all? And with the power. The world has told the story over and over, that the nature of knowledge is the nature of stepping into the unknown. While it may reveal great things, it just as likely, might consume you.

@TheGemsbok

7 ай бұрын

Thank you for the comment! I agree that it's interesting to contemplate the meaning of 'beasts' being plural there. But I'm not sure it provides a strong enough basis to say anything definitive about the gameworld's God. In general, my personal take on the Talisman is simply that's it's one of the strongest pieces of evidence we have that the temples of Mird were worshipping the Old One rather than the Old One's Creator (the Creator that planted it on earth on 'the second day'), and that miracles and magic are both just soul arts (with no _real_ distinction). That's a big part of why I take the former for granted throughout this video, and that's also why the only specific mention of the Talisman here is in a quote from Lokey where he says the latter.

I'm in love with this video!

I cant believe i have never given this game a chance

This is such a fantastic video

This is amazing. Thank you for your videos

I'm so glad this exists and I get to enjoy it

what a brilliant analysis! this game keeps me up at night....

Brilliant video, thank you for putting in the time and effort it no doubt took to produce.

All we need now is an episode on bloodborne

This is excellent, much like your Dark Souls one. Are you planning on tackling any of FromSoftware's other titles in the future?

@TheGemsbok

Жыл бұрын

Yes, I am definitely planning to make at least one more video in this style about a FromSoft game! But my very next long-form philosophical analysis of a game will be about a game by a different developer.

This is fantastic! I'll probably rewatch it like 6 times like I did your Dark video lol

this is really a work of art, brilliant! it made me reflect deeply on various complex topics through the lens of a beautiful game and detailed explanation, well done!

Now this is my kind of video, thank you.

This was a great video.

2 hour analysis of From Software Philosophy? Yes

Over the years Demon's Souls has become my favorite Miyazaki project-- both as an interactive experience and as an artistic statement. One of my favorite aspects is its adherence to making game mechanics diegetic. Like you did in this video, the exact implementations can be interpreted as intended statements. How they're implemented and conveyed is as close a representation of its in-world existence as they could feasibly develop, and treated seriously. World tendency, souls, bodies, etc. While I love FF9, a comparison between its mist and Demon's Souls' colorless fog is exemplary of how Demon's Souls pushes the medium forward. I would love for you to analyze Berserk in a similar manner, since you've made it apparent you're aware of its deeper layers. There's a great lack of understanding and appreciation for its philosophical and metaphysical elements and usage of influences. Would be nice to have something to point people to to prevent myself from going on overwrought tirades!

HOLY SHIT

another great video! Wouldn't expect anything less. Just waiting to get a job to start supporting the channel. I like the thesis. Guess we could hold that if Demon's Souls is kantian, Dark Souls is hegelian haha! The epistemological barrier of Kant being that that later becomes an ontological state of things in Hegel. Thank you for the effort. It's a gem(sbok)!

As far as youtube channels go, you are the quickest to rise amongst the highest highs of my own favoritism. I am humbly hoping for a video from you regarding Morrowind, especially considering concepts like CHIM and Dragon Breaks. I truly hope you find the success that my perception tells me you deserve.

@TheGemsbok

10 ай бұрын

Thank you very much for the kind words about my work. I have actually never played an Elder Scrolls game, although I do intend to play them in the future.

I'm amazed at how good this game looked for it's time

@leithaziz2716

Жыл бұрын

Models look very dated and some animations are somewhat stiff, but the art direction is still strong to this day.

@snowblind9551

Жыл бұрын

It really didn't. Arkham Asylum came out the same year and looks 10 times better. Fromsoft games have always had cheap, outdated graphics. Compare Bloodborne to MGSV or Arkham Knight. But the art direction is always 10/10.

@QuantumTelephone

Жыл бұрын

​@Snowblind I didn't mean in terms of graphical fidelity. In the age of washed out browns and greys, it stands head and shoulders above everything else

Letttts fucking go demons souls is the goat

Incredible video again. I fell like I learn so much and I get to appreciate the game in a new light. Thanks for this! Quick question have you played the remake? If so what do you think of it since it removes some stuff like the weight limit?

@TheGemsbok

Жыл бұрын

I have not played the remake, and have no current intentions of doing so. While I'm sure it's a nice experience, Bluepoint's Demon's Souls, like most remakes, is just not a game that I care about. For a longer discussion of this topic, see my article on Half-Life and Black Mesa: thegemsbok.com/art-reviews-and-articles/half-life-black-mesa-valve-original-comparison/

I've always felt like the philosophies of Demon's Souls would only be tackled again in Bloodborne. Bloodborne of course, has its own thing going on, but a lot of the themes of both games are closer than their respective links to any other games made by Fromsoftware, yet aesthetically, are both in stark contrast to one and other. I've always preferred the story to Demon's Souls over pretty much every other From Software title, with Dark Souls III, specifically as a culmination of the trilogy and what it represents narratively, being a close second in that regard! Glad to see a game I hold very dear get such a compelling and thorough analysis like this, in which I enjoyed watching greatly! Brilliant work!

There's hope for a "Philosophical Analysis of Bloodborne" in the future???

I really enjoyed this video, thank you :D

really enjoyed this video, very interesting dissection of the themes of the game. Good work.

@TheGemsbok

7 ай бұрын

Thanks! I tend to ignore content mods, but will be making an exception and playing through your take on the Northern Limit when it's available. No rush, though; take your time. Look after yourself. My videos on Dark Souls and Demon's Souls have found an audience 10 and 14 years after the release of their respective games. The community will welcome your work with open arms whenever it is ready.

@Aria_DemonsSouls

7 ай бұрын

@@TheGemsbok Thank you. Genuinely that made me feel a lot better about the project as a whole. Thank you again.

This video rocks

This video is a fucking masterpiece

awesome work

okay I'm 11 minutes into the first video of yours I've watched, I gotta say, I like it, it's pretty good, and also, please do anything with kingdom hearts. I feel like you could not only have a field day with it philosophically but also have a weird time placing it in terms of theories of fiction and that sort of thing.