I still remember driving my seamoth through one of the safest sections, where the only threats are the tigerplants and leeches (and those darn spadefish) when my cat meowed. Despite knowing I was safe, the tension was strong enough that my cat asking for food made me jump.

@stellanovaluna

26 күн бұрын

Spadefish? Do you mean biters?

@JediSteve-J3-

26 күн бұрын

@stellanovaluna I did mean biters instead of leeches, but if I remember correctly the spadefish were the ones that would drain your seamoth health when you ran into them. Didn't help they made quite the noise when doing so.

@stellanovaluna

26 күн бұрын

@@JediSteve-J3- oh really? Aren’t spadefish the ones that you can just cook and eat?

@dnr-vs1lk

26 күн бұрын

Yeah, even otherwise harmless fish are dangerous when you run into them with a seamoth.

@stellanovaluna

26 күн бұрын

@@dnr-vs1lk oh ok that explains it

One of my favourite moments in the game was when I hid in the roots of the tree where the ghost leviathas were and after a tense 10-15 minutes managed to complete a scan. "Ghost Leviathan Juvenile" .. .. "JUVENILE?!"

@Otherversian

26 күн бұрын

Oooh boy, yeah, those things are tiny babies, and the realisation of that is terrifying. Did you ever see the mamas? If not, they're still out there. You can scan them. If you can brave the abyss.

I remember hearing one streamer say that Subnautica wasn't a horror game, but rather a terror game. There's no gore, very little that would horrify someone, it's just tense, dark, and full of the terrifying unknown.

@jorgecarvajal5385

26 күн бұрын

naah thats not true, terror its when the feeling of dread and anticipation that precedes the horrifying experience. horror is the feeling of revulsion that usually follows a frightening sight, sound, or otherwise experience, for example if some is shooting and you run for your life thats terror, the atmosphere of the game its horror, for my subnaitca its just a explration game XD i dont feel any type of horron when i play that well some jump buuut not terror i want to know more about the creature XD

@Ignisami

26 күн бұрын

The word you're looking for is probably "dread", a subtype of the horror genre.

@saffral

26 күн бұрын

@@Ignisami I dreaded discovering the terror of the deeps.

@SheepLiver

19 күн бұрын

@jorgecarvajal5385 that point of horror is rarely reached, whereas terror is very, very common when playing

one must imagine sisyphus happy

@victzegopterix2victorindem895

27 күн бұрын

"I leave Sisyphus at the foot of the mountain. One always finds one's burden again. But Sisyphus teaches the higher fidelity that negates the gods and raises rocks. He too concludes that all is well. This universe henceforth without a master seems to him neither sterile nor futile. Each atom of that stone, each mineral flake of that night-filled mountain, in itself, forms a world. The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy." A full quote is always a bit fancier. X^) And the full quote in VO is always even more fancy. 👀 "Je laisse Sisyphe au bas de la montagne ! On retrouve toujours son fardeau. Mais Sisyphe enseigne la fidélité supérieure qui nie les dieux et soulève les rochers. Lui aussi juge que tout est bien. Cet univers désormais sans maître ne lui paraît ni stérile ni fertile. Chacun des grains de cette pierre, chaque éclat minéral de cette montagne pleine de nuit, à lui seul, forme un monde. La lutte elle-même vers les sommets suffit à remplir un cœur d'homme. Il faut imaginer Sisyphe heureux."

I don't want to go near the glowing mushrooms. A mostly non-threatening noodle with teeth might jump out at me.

@hajilee4539

26 күн бұрын

That's actually where I stopped playing the game. I already struggled everywhere else, constantly cheating to get over my fears, but being trapped in that cave was too much.

Ceave: "Luckily, the area we landed in are very safe and shallow waters." I see what you did there.

Subnautica came up in conversation recently and I remenisced about the evolution from super cool futuristic but simple crafting game that had one or two scary monsters, to the full blown game with huge areas and varied wildlife and a full base builder with a story and deep lore. Like remember when they first introduced an island and it was just kinda... There? Then everyone was like 'nah this sucks I'm going back to the ocean'

for me its almost the opposite; subnautica is the only horror game i could ever play. it scared me the same way it scared you, but it was playable in a way horror games that try to scare you arent for me

@xomvoid_akaluchiru_987

26 күн бұрын

Same here, I can get used to the subnautica's horror. It's the fear of the unknown, and the fear of death. The horror in subnautica mostly died off when I realized that even the leviathans won't one shot me, and at that point I knew I could survive even if I sacrificed a sea moth. Once I knew that, I had information, the leviathans became known threat, and I was really disappointed. Subnautica has a whole aesthetic that gets me nervous and jumpy, then you put my resources on the line to build pressure, and if I was about to lose it I would absolutely be a nervous reck. Yet the known threat of leviathans that don't kill me ruins it, I can get my nerves under control, my brain kicks into a logical high gear, and I'm calm and collected.

@mrmeep2047

15 күн бұрын

⁠@@xomvoid_akaluchiru_987You can outrun leviathans in a seamoth by strafing left and right. This also works while swimming. I also know of other stupid tricks. For example if you stop piloting your cyclops while it’s being attacked by leviathan’s they will leave it alone. It works like 85-90% of the time. But yeah leviathans are mostly just an annoying nuisance. Also I wasn’t ever really truly afraid of leviathans because I’m not afraid of open water. If anything I have the opposite problem where I have to stop myself from trying to just rush into the lava zone with the prawn suit. Because I get it stuck. Lol

@xomvoid_akaluchiru_987

12 күн бұрын

@@mrmeep2047 if the setting is right, or I happen to be in a particular mood, I can be really jumpy. I am afraid of the unknown, and I am afraid of the dangerous. Leviathans weren't scary after my first encounter because: 1. They don't kill on hit. 2. They deal consistent damage. If the damage was random I would have felt like I barely escaped, if the damage could kill I would know to be cautious. Subnautica is a great setting for that kind of fear and pressure, the environment, the sound design, the visuals, the depths that conceal information. It makes me ecstatic! I don't want to lose my progress, I don't want to die, I don't know what's down there! In my opinion the consistency and predictable behaviors of leviathans kills the whole mood. It's such a waste. I enjoyed everything about subnautica, but there's still so much I could nitpick about it.

Really loved your analysis of Lovecraftian aesthetics as opposed to Lovecraftian horror. What's interesting is that although I agree that Subnautica is genuinely terrifying, I would argue that it doesn't quite meet the criteria for true cosmic horror: a big part of Lovecraft's horror is not just the existence of forces that you don't understand, but the inescapable truth that these forces CANNOT be understood. In Subnautica, there are logical explanations behind the mysteries: the cannon is quarantining the planet, the disease is caused by the alien Kharaa virus, the big sea monsters want to eat you because they are hungry, etc. As you said, once we understand the threats that face us, the game loses much of its fear factor. And yet, while I think the ultimately comprehensible nature of the world makes Subnautica fall short of "true" Lovecraftian horror, I think you are right about how it evokes the FEELING of cosmic horror better than just about any other media in existence. Staring down a sheer cliff into the unforgiving blackness of an unknown abyss is one of the most terrifying experiences in any game ever, not because of any visible danger, but the feeling of helplessness and utter insignificance in the face of a world that doesn't care about your survival. THAT is the exact sort of existential dread that cosmic horror should elicit, not an explicit fear of eldritch tentacle monsters covered in eyeballs. A big part of Lovecraftian horror is not just fear of the unknown, but that which is inherently unknowable. Simply exploring the cosmic truths that govern reality is dangerous due to the inability of our fragile human minds to deal with what we might discover. And this is the feeling that Subnautica really nails in my opinion; it brings about the feeling of standing on the precipice of understanding, knowing there is more to discover and yet unwilling to risk searching for it. We aren't afraid of the deep because we know what lurks in the depths below, we are afraid because we fear what we might find if we dare to venture there.

@Sigmund_Froid

26 күн бұрын

Hard agree! I think this video is great, and correctly identifies the reason Subnautica, as a Horror Game, just works. But I think the reason it's not brought up as an example of Lovecraftian Horror is that it doesn't really qualify for it. I think a better word for it is Dread. A lot of Horror Games only rely on Shock Value to scare you, making any encounter quick, while great Horror Games make you feel Dread. A great example I like to use for Dread is, ironically, Metroid Fusion. For most of the Game, you are helpless against the SA-X, so all you can do is hide from it or run. The Tension can never really dissolve, as most encounters end in a Stalemate, if the SA-X even notices you. Similarly, Subnautica does an amazing job to never let its Tension dissolve. Reaper Leviathans will shout at you from across the Map, and chase you, but never quite kill you to avoid giving that Tension any release.

@bgeniij

25 күн бұрын

​@@Sigmund_Froid I think the term "Dread" is very appropriate. I think that maybe there should be a distinct genre for Subnautica's type of horror called "Lovecraftian Dread", which could describe games that elicit the same feelings as Cosmic Horror while lacking the truly incomprehensible forces at play in Lovecraft's fiction. Sort of like a "Roguelite" as opposed to a "Roguelike"; they are similar experiences, but differ in certain key elements. Also, I like how you point out how Subnautica constantly maintains tension, which makes me think of another thing that contributes to the game's tension: the oxygen meter. It becomes less of an issue in the late game when you get the final oxygen tank upgrade and start to spend most of your time in vehicles, but for much of the game you have a very limited air supply, which adds this constant low-level tension to every moment spent in the water.

What makes Subnautica really interesting to me is that, unlike a lot of other Games in the Genre, it gives you a lot of Agency while keeping you at a low Power-Level. Because of that, a lot of the progression is based around learning more about the Game and it's creatires, and simply finding the Courage to move on despite your fear... It also makes the Scary bits scarier by forcing you to think about your next steps. Because it isn't a pre-determined path, it's just your choice. It also nails the feeling of Dread, ironically by letting you get away with a lot. Because barely getting away with your life is way scarier than dying and seeing a game over screen.

Ceave: "The lack of lethal weapons means we never make it to the top of the food chain." The prawn suit's drill and grapple combo strongly disagrees with you, Ceave.

@Comeputergeek

26 күн бұрын

Or stun gun and poison torpedos, or even just stun gun and Knife. Anything can be deadly in this game, you can kill fish by crashing into them, everything has a set heath, and all the creatures can be killed.

@kylegonewild

24 күн бұрын

Who needs guns when you can kill things nice and up close and personal inside a mech suit?

@AS34N

23 күн бұрын

​@@kylegonewild Armored Subnauticore IV 😂

@shiuaslake

16 күн бұрын

Can that kill a leviathan?

@Comeputergeek

16 күн бұрын

@@shiuaslake yes.

Fun fact about the blue whale. There is an ichthyosaur species discovered that is believed to be a juvenile (well, it's fossil). Said juvenile is 82 feet long. Ichthyotitan severnensis is possibly the largest animal to ever exist, since it's juvenile stage is almost blue whale sized.

Never have I clicked any faster in my life

I relate to finding this game incredibly anxiety-inducing. I got shivers in the first 2 minutes of this video, and I've beaten the game 3 times. One of those games you wish you could wipe your memory of so you could play it fresh a second time. I do however take issue with saying there are no lethal defensive options as your mechanical fists will defeat any nasty sea serpent, if you for some reason find your knife inadequate. Prawn Suits are a one-dosage-fits-all solution to deep sea related anxiety.

I cannot for the life of me remember the name of it anymore, but over 15 years ago on Kongregate I came across a Flash game with light-and-dark mechanics. It was a 2D puzzle platformer with the mechanic that only the visible (lighted) things were real. So you had to play around with light sources in order to both discover the level structure (and its exit) and to get there. And the funny thing is - the author didn't INTEND for it to be a horror game - it was just a cool light/dark mechanic. But what people commented on it was that it was one of the best horror games they had recently played. This video made me remember the game and finally it clicked WHY it was such a terrifying experience. Because there was literally nothing else scary there - no enemies, no jumpscares, nothing. Just a lot of cold, dark unknown....

ive spent a lot of time in Subnautica...not 'beating the game', the story probly only takes me about 2 hours to get through...but rather, i "exist" in the game, for hours on end...i putt around in my Seamoth, look for spots with nice views, bring my Cyclops over to the spot, and build a base there, so i can enjoy said views...i eat/drink when my meters get low, i sleep to pass the gametime, and the "real me" wishes to actually live in a similar underwater-base environment...

@davialmeida4442

15 күн бұрын

That’s crazy, you basically made Subnautica into your animal crossing

@rtyuik7

15 күн бұрын

@@davialmeida4442 sadly, the only thing thats missing is a 'debt' to repay...i mean yeah, the PDA jokes about some trillion-credit balance (when you pick up a Diamond) but theres no way to actually 'work it off' in the game... ...well, unless you Mod it, but thats a-whole-nother can of worms lol

I think that as far as horror is concerned, Bloodborne is very much Gothic (human centric) horror, since basically all events in the game are caused by humans (Byrgenwerth and the Church, mostly.) The game has a lovecraftian setting, however, as the events they caused attracted lovecraftian Great Ones, which rarely truly interact with the humans. Bloodborne is about the extreme and egregious lenghts humans will go to ascend to the level of these great ones, with the horror not lying in the great ones, but rather the horrors of humanity, or in other words, Gothic horror. I think this is why the most terrifying parts of the game, such as upper cathedral ward and the research hall, have mostly classic horror elements, like the jumpscares.

@iheartblock3792

13 күн бұрын

I think the gothic horror is very much the focus, but it still certainly has aspects of cosmic beyond aesthetic. It builds such a sense of dread, of wrongness, of hopelessness and helplessness in the wake of such unknowable entities, even as you fight on through the nightmare.

Cant tell how much I love your videos. Its unironically my highlight of the entire week

@cheezylettuce3360

27 күн бұрын

same, love this content

@TheodorSt-tb1vm

27 күн бұрын

@@cheezylettuce3360 and to this day I’m still happy he continued after his break otherwise we wouldn’t get to experience the joy of watching a Ceave perspective video again

@cheezylettuce3360

25 күн бұрын

@@TheodorSt-tb1vm yes

I just want to say that I totally LOVE the whole segment comparing the true essence of lovecraftian horror and the horror of subnautica. It was so well written and I was engrossed the whole time

Haven't even had a chance to watch the video yet, but just reading the title, I feel the urge to add an "(so far)" behind it.

@TrainWreckYT

26 күн бұрын

Clearly he hasn't played sucker for love

@SheepLiver

19 күн бұрын

@TrainWreckYT clearly you haven't played subnautica

Ceave please keep up the good work. I’ve been watching since your Mario maker videos and eventually found your perspective channel. I see that you put a lot of work into these videos and hope you will be able to hit it big and succeed with your new type of videos.

The fact that creatures similar to the ones in this game COULD exist in our ocean is absolutely terrifying.

@LinearAztec

27 күн бұрын

. What are you saying

@monogreen

26 күн бұрын

I find this idea more fascinating than terrifying.

@Emiliussss

26 күн бұрын

@@LinearAztec what I’m saying is since humans still haven’t discovered all the different types of fish in the ocean (mostly in the deep ocean), there is a possibility that some of the ones we haven’t discovered yet could be similar to the creatures from subnautica. (hopefully that made sense)

@Emiliussss

26 күн бұрын

@@monogreenI was mainly considering the leviathans. Aside from those it is more fascinating to think about

@jafd239

23 күн бұрын

The reaper leviathan is based off of a real creature down in our oceans (in part), the oarfish! So, uh, rip

I adore this channel and in general your videos. I kind of really like the way you talk and play with words. Furthermore I get always sucked in by your astonishing explanations and intresting storyline, often just jumping to a totally different topic, just to connect it perfectly into a grand, great puzzle. I love it!!

a wonderful analysis, as always! i still haven't finished my first playthrough of subnautica; i had to watch someone else play it. i vividly remember needing to stop shortly after i learned that everyone else was dead and the sunbeam was shot down. it was such a serious and genuine evocation of loneliness and dread that i could barely handle. i had encountered a ghost leviathan on my last session of playing and could simply not handle the stress. i went into the ecological dead zone after feeling the heavy weight of knowing there would be no help from other characters in this game. i had my jaw set with determination. i WOULD find a way to survive! then the computer asked me if what i was doing was really worth it. and then the ghost leviathan appeared directly in front of me, materializing out of the abyss suddenly, making that god-awful sound. i made it out alive, but i genuinely had to take 5 minutes to just assess what had happened, and decided i couldn't do it anymore.

I lost it with your remark on top of the summary of the French Philosopher, Camuses’ stance: There is no god, no afterlife, everything we do is utterly meaningless, there is no point to our actions or values, and the only philosophical question worth asking is why we don’t kill ourselves… He was quite fun at parties. That cracked me up. Fantastic perspecitive thus far. I’ll get right on vontiuning from this point, after just one more repeat.

As a polish oceanographer and mammologist-in-progress, I have to say, that Subnautica contributed to flourishment of my curiosity so much you can't imagine. It was one of many factors, which drove me to apply for my first international project (FINWAP) and to write my first scientific article about the state of salps in the Antarctic (I'll edit the message, when I finish writing).

Ceave you are still helping me in gcse English the horror genre is what my next assessment is on and your videos always get me grade 9s seriously thank you you're the only reason I'm doing so well

"We never get lethal weapons in the game" The thermal blade would like a word, it'll cut chunks off of ya and cook em before they hit the ground. Seems pretty lethal to me

Subnautica was amazing horror game, unfortunatley below zero failed to replicate. I recnetly played a bit of Rain World that seems to replicate a lot of the fear of the unknown of subnautica, but I didn't play it that much yet.

This is such an interesting discussion, as someone who's never really explored subnautica or lovecraft horror before this was a fascinating watch, thankyou Ceave!

I love it whenever Ceave uploads. I haven’t played so many of these games, so it makes my day every time I get to learn something new!

Subnautica is my favorite Survival/Horror game (not to be confused with Survival Horror), along with Below Zero, absolute masterpiece. Well, favorite unless you count Rain World, but I think I may be literally the only person ever who considers Rain World a horror game lol

This is very quickly becoming one of my favourite channels to listen to! All the love ❤️

I usually am absolutely terrible with horror games and Subnautica was no different but I still tortured myself through this game (together with a good friend sitting next to me, we took turns while playing lmao) and it's one of the best games I've ever played. I wouldn't want to play it again but I love watching videos and streams of other people playing it. tl:dr This game made me shit my pants but I felt like a cool marine biologist while doing so. 10/10. Edit: Just finished watching the video. Absolutely amazing. If Ceave ever gets into the Xenoblade series that'd be absolutely phenomenal. Don't know whether JRPG's would be his style of game but having such long form and in-depth analyses on the Xenoblade games would be something I'd love to watch. Just giving some recommendations :). I'll have to go and check out some of the other vids now!

The one thing I will never forget is the first time I deceeded into the bloodkelp zone. The place alone is scary enough but add in that deep booming heartbeat that consumes the music and you get pure dread.

Boost for the algorithm Love your work Ceave!❤️

21:35 yeah there’s violent encounters, just with melee weapon usually the knife or the drill arm. Combining the drill and grapple arms on the prawn suit I’ve killed at least one of each hostile leviathan in both games minus the ice worm because it doesn’t actually exist as a creature.

I feel like a broken record at this point but this was another incredibly well-made video. Discussion of why Subnautica is just so damn scary is still the kind of KZread content I will eat up every time. I also think your "thesis" I suppose about Lovecraftian horror requiring a departure from Lovecraftian aesthetic is a really good observation that I haven't really heard before. I do think that when done well, a Lovecraftian aesthetic can still evoke feelings of cosmic horror, but I very much agree that it is an incredibly difficult feeling to evoke. Side note, but I'm getting a well-paying job soon and will definitely be supporting you on patreon, which makes me very excited. Thanks for continuing to unapologetically make the kind of content you like to make, and which just so happens to be the content I love to watch as well :)

@skonndinasir

26 күн бұрын

oh yeah there it is

A few thoughts on Lovecraft 1 I feel like his overwhelming racism was really overlooked in the essay when it was a large part of why he found the world terrifying and incomprehensible as well as an aspect that feels disingenuous to miss out when talking about him to this extent (it is a large aspect what makes his work age quite poorly as it is genuinely more horrifying in cases to hear his descriptions of people than monsters or gods). 2 Shadow over Innsmouth while published earlier than many of his other works was written later since most of his books were published after his death (hence why the writing is slightly better).

@kylegonewild

24 күн бұрын

Is there like, concrete evidence that had anything to do with him supposedly finding the world terrifying and incomprehensible or are we just psychoanalyzing dead people because they had dog shit opinions when they were alive? Just kinda feels like showing up to a panel on the evolution of animation techniques and grinding everything to a halt when Disney's name comes up to point out Walt was an antisemite and how that isn't getting enough focus. Does it actually add anything constructive or is it just an over corrective attempt at critical analysis through a progressive lens? I could be wrong though, it's not like I've combed through every word the man ever wrote so I'm sure it's possible he scribbled something somewhere concretely tying his prejudice to the literary and philosophical concepts he was attempting to explore and wouldn't mind being pointed towards such writings.

@geoffreywilson7008

24 күн бұрын

He does end it with a poke at how ridiculously racist Lovecraft was, so I'm retracting my prods at the essay.

@Alex-ms6ku

24 күн бұрын

@@kylegonewild his racism is far more pronounced through his work and minorities are repeatedly used both directly and indirectly to convey evil and corruption, we also know he found the world terrifying but especially minorities through his personal writing and those who met him, so i would say that it is not the same as walt disney.

Aww a new ceave video love your content... Especially when i watched your hollow knight video for the fourth time yesterday... And then i bought the game as a 32 year old nintendo gamer... And yeah i got stuck with the first boss for about 1 hour before i defeated him... I still love your videos, but i guess i'm not as good as a gamer like you or probably 95% of your viewers.

@CeavePerspective

27 күн бұрын

Beating the false knight took me over an hour the first time as well. But don't worry, I got even more stuck later on. (:

@tomt7621

27 күн бұрын

@@CeavePerspective thats nice to hear😊 And at least noticing that i get better after each death is still a nice feeling worth getting frustrated for some short moments. Thanks for sharing your opinion about "older" games and making me buy hollow knight after it was out for so long. Really enjoy your Videos on this channel.

@laytonjr6601

27 күн бұрын

The first time I played Hollow Knight was when my brother asked for help against Hornet. It took me 3 tries and I fell in love with the game. To this day I still haven't completed the 3rd pantheon, yet alone the 4th, or even regular Radiance (I beat NKG but not regular Radiance…) Never be ashamed of your skills

Subnautica is one of my absolute favourite games ever. I love how damn scary it is, and it is probably my most replayed game. It. Is. Peak. I wish I could forget games like this one so I play them for the first time again. I'm also really glad Ceave still makes content.

Great essay and video. The other game, I feel like completely follows the Lovecraftian horror without aesthetics, is "Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs". Although widely regarded as inferior to the predecessor, the "machine", with its incomprehensible size, origin or purpose, the constant sense of the continuously deeper reaching apparatus and conspiracy and the main character going insane while trying to figure out how everything connects only to reach an absolutely devastating conclusion in the end, to me is another example of this Lovecraftian concept.

Alter, Outer Wilds, Elden Ring, UND Subnautica?! You have impeccable taste.

Really interesting disscussion as always Ceave. I think you're ideas about how the more the planet becomes known the less scary it becomes can be extended to the sequel Below Zero. Many people, myself included, found Below Zero to be a bit dissapointing given how it failed to get those same emotions of terror out of me that the original did. It's still an amazing game, but now that we understand the planet better it's just not as scary the second time around.

The single scariest moment I've ever experienced in gaming was that small alcove before seeing the strider leviathans, hearing them moaning and grumbling, quaking the ground beneath my feet with their size and ferocity, but all I could see was a black void. I was so immersed, my heart was racing at the terrifying noises coming from the unknown. I finally mustered the courage to crest the hill and swim out into their domain... and they're just a bunch of friendly guys.

A ONE HOUR VIDEO ON SUBNAUTICA

CEAVE!? That I was just clicking because I love subnautica, thay voice is such a shot of nostalgia! I haven’t watched your videos since at least 2020.

Hey Ceave! I love your videos and was worried when you disappeared for ages. I really like this new channel and all the content on here. Your Outer Wilds video inspired me to play the game and it's my favourite game ever now! I can't wait for the retrospective on the DLC. Edit: I did play the game before I watched the video

I got a hero wars ad before this, and it is a very different kind of horror

Haven't finished watching yet, but I appreciate the fact that you show footage of Metroid Prime while talking about the philosopher and his belief in an absurd universe, since both are presented as alternate works by different creators that share surprising amounts of similarities to the primary focal points of their sections.

Even though I have played Subnautica before and know all of the dangers of all of the creatures, there is still one place that terrifies me. "Entering ecological dead zone. Adding report to databank."

Thank you Ceave! I love how you share the way you play games, it really adds to the experience.

Thank you, Ceave, for allowing me to understand one thing that always was at the back of my mind until today. It's time for a little story. I don't consider myself a horror fan - not a lovecraftian one, not gothic or any type. But I am an avid roleplay-lover, and the systems like Dungeons&Dragons are my jam. And yet, there is one horror system and setting that left me with this deep feeling of a new and exciting discovery in my inner self, that I failed to replicate since my first time playing it - the system is called "Don't Rest Your Head" (or DRYH in short). The world of DRYH is your typical urban environment (or any other realistic one, honestly), but only on the surface. If someone suffers from insomnia or has other reasons not to sleep for far too long - they "wake up" and realize that the world around them isn't at all what it seems. They find themselves within Mad City, a true world that only has a facade that we naively call "reality" for those who still sleep. The Mad City itself is an endless, psychodelic, dreamlike evershifting place that includes all eras and places, both existing and non-existant. Like Silent Hill cranked up to eleven. It features people who are not really people but mere props that are here to play roles. Nightmares, who are incomprehensible monsters that each have their unique look or lack of it - and abilities that manipulate reaility or twist the very essense of human nature itself. But also the Mad City has awaken - people like you, the player, who happen to find themselves in an utmost confusing and dangerous scenario in the world where they are constantly hunted by Nightmares... And the world that can't be explained or understood. The stories within this setting are the opposite, as they mostly rely on personal character trauma and them either learning how to live with or succumb to it. But when I looked around me and saw the Mad City for the first time - it left an impression on me. Exactly because it was incomprehensible. Because I knew nothing of the weird rules by which this world worked. I was constantly filled with the sense of danger and uncertainty. It was THE lovecraftian horror - and it was my first time experiencing it as a person, hence leaving me begging for me but it could never come again from this exact setting. And now I understand why - because once my first story in this world was complete, I already knew the basics, and now other scenarios would be just chaning the color of the lighting in the room where I would want to enter a completely different and uknown one. So thanks again for making me realize what I wanted all this time. What nudged me from the back of my head. Now I can articulate this to my friends with who I played DRYH - and maybe, just maybe, we can concoct a similarly unforgetting experience once more.

Another great video, Subnautica is one of my favorites, so it was fun to see you break it down

Fantastic video as usual! You do a great job of making me interested in games that I had previously ignored. I think I might have to try Subnautica now!

I’m so excited to see you cover Subnautica! Great video!

I'm really enjoying these videos! Your well thought out explinations, examples, and comparisons drew me in for a very satisfying journey through your thoughts on the game. Really got my mind running through my own experiences! Thank you for all the hard work you put into this.

Your story writing is genius, watching it for a second time and only now realising how you pointed out how we dont understand anything bevor talking about lovecraft

The horror you described is why I'm always nervous before starting a new game, watching a new movie and even sometimes a youtube video from a new creator. It's the reason why I read through like half of the wiki for Satisfactory before launching it for the first time. And the reason why this and The Outer Wilds videos were essential for me. The only game I ever played blind (and not in my childhood) was, paradoxically, Doki Doki Literature Club. But even then, I knew that it was a visual novel and to.. I don't know.. expect something? I knew that there's something in there, and it made me less anxious, and now I finally know why. And what to discuss in my next therapy session. Thank you.

Truly amazing! I started playing Subnautica because of this video and i am very hyped to watch the video fully after playing the game. Good stuff!

I love how Ceave says something super psychologically horrific, and then follows it up with "awesome".

This really does feel like it'd make a nice thesis presentation for some sort of writing degree.

your recent videos are so good. I stopped playing subnautica around the same time as you for the same reasons, but watching this made me wanna pick it up again! such a cool game

Ceave, you have been an inspiration to me for SO long! I’m so glad that even though there were a few long video gaps, you aways came back. I found your channel around the old Mario Maker videos and I love them. I think the first one I watched was the train themed levels video. I’m very happy that you’re still uploading to this day. Keep on trucking!

“Detecting multiple leviathan class lifeforms in the region. Are you certain whatever you’re doing is worth it?”

I love your delivery and writing flow

Really loved this one. Keep it up!

Jumping on to hit that like and add a comment, but I gotta deuce cause I haven’t played this game yet! Cant wait to watch once I do - cheers, Ceave, you rock!

i have such fond (and panicked) memories of this game. I remember when i first got to the volcano zone in my cyclops, and the dragon attacked me. my ship caught fire and i didnt have a fire suppression system at that point (im dumb) so i had to run in my prawn suit to find crystalline sulfur to make it- and then wait for the dragon to pass before realizing my PRAWN SUIT COULDNT MAKE IT BACK INTO THE CYCLOPS. so i had to get out, grab the sulfur from the prawn inventory, swim while panicking (i was already low health from a warper that JUMPSCARED ME)the 30m or so to the cyclops, all while praying that the dragon doesnt turn its attention to me and that i can fabricate the suppression system in time. so yeah. fond memories.

This was one of my favourite videos that you have made, it's so interesting and I have never played the game before, but you explained it really well, and you've made me want to play it so badly. I really enjoy your new style of videos, and hope you continue making them and don't burn out. We all support you!

One of the best video essays I have ever watched. I have to say, you might be the best video essayist to ever have video essayed.

you successfully evoked the feeling of dread even in the viewer, and I now question my decision to have watched it before going to bed on this fine evening. Excellent video all around. The discussion of Lovecraft's content felt a bit lengthy, particularly as we got to watch the Metroid Prime cutscenes over it (I had to rewind a little because my thoughts drifted off during it), but the points you've raised are amazing and it turned out to be a great, cohesive retrospective. I haven't played the game, I probably never will, but it's taught me a lot about atmosphere playing its role in game design.

One thing that was very significant for me that in the end after building the rocket I didn't even really want to leave the planet. Somewhat early on some message tells us that all the material we use belongs to the Altera corporation by contract and by using them for our survival we are basically accumulating debt. While the planet encompassed all the described horror in the first 2/3 of the game, until the end you just know all the environments, creatures and how to navigate around their spaces that the planet really feels like home. Leaving that home to return to some civilized planet and living the rest of your life in debt was a very real horror that I didn't want to commit to. The only reason I actually went on the rocket was because I wanted to see how they designed the end of the game, not because I wanted to leave, quite the contrary. Funnily enough the developers kind of picked up on that by (iirc) having the last thing you see be the enormous sum of debt you have on return.

This may be my favourite channel on yt

oh im so exited for this, the last couple videos have been certified bangers

It's insane that just the big PASSIVE creatures make sounds that can terrify me enough to not play :D

OML CEAVE, ONE OF MY FAVORITE KZreadRS, HAS MADE A VIDEO ABOUT SUBNAUTICA, MY FAVORITE GAME YES YES YES YES YES YES

OH! YOU'RE CEAVE! I was using this to go to sleep- I was like "Aw. This sounds like Ceave.. I miss him." Then you did the reveal right after the HOOray and I literally shot up out of bed to check my phone!!! I missed you so much! I didn't know about any new channel you had, last I knew you were playing with mario maker 2. I'm so happy to hear you again!! T~T

You know, it’s funny that you brought up Metroid Prime in the beginning because Metroid Prime was what made me want to try this game. The Metroid games also made me try Shinsekai: Into the Depths, which is kind of like Subnautica meets Metroid 2. Unfortunately I never finished that game because the combat/boss gauntlets towards the end of the game frustrated me to no end because of how claustrophobic the arenas were. Plus having to fight multiple annoying enemies at once drove me insane. I kinda had the same problem with Hollow Knight. I loved exploring the world in that game but the souls-like combat just ruined the experience for me with how infuriating the later bosses got. Screw that second Hornet fight.

1:00 don't think I've Heard the Name Soma In years. The Game is soooo underrated.

subnautica is terrifying. every time i pull it up, i feel the same sense of dread. Going into Jellyshroom Caves? scared. Going to the Aurora? so tense that a knock on the door caused me to freak out. NEAR a warper? running away at the speed of sound. I have beaten the game many times and it is still terrifying.

I believe Lovecraftian horror is a combination of eldritch horror (the otherness and incomprehensible and unknown) and cosmic horror (confronting our insignificance and powerlessness) with this aesthetic he established. I am personally completely indifferent to cosmic horror, so I hadn't even noticed what Ceave points out here when playing the game. But the eldritch horror of Subnautica is definitely on point: you don't know the rules, things feel wrong, and you don't know what awaits you in the depths. I remember how off-putting it was to notice how the size of the alien facilities was *wrong* when walking through them. We just aren't at the right scale to interact with it.

🎉🎉🎉 thanks for the video Ceave!

1:04:12 I was thinking about this the whole video ngl. Great video though and you really well explained how subnautica fits those tropes!

Lovely video, Ceave. Subnautica really captured my attention when it was first coming out, but its not a game that I could ever play myself (too scary for me)

In my humble opium: Amazing analysis of how contemporary video games use (or don't use) lovecraftian horror!

Even though the base game is plenty terrifying, watching footage of early build "far lands" just hits me like a deer in headlights. Gigantic blocks of irregularly shaped land with repeating textures stretched over them, disappearing into the depths of the ocean. It's like the experience is hacking your brain to imagine Things That Should Not Exist hidden just out of sight. Even modded-in leviathans aren't as terrifying.

I have had four nightmares about Ghost Leviathans. I am glad to see my fears validated

Interesting and well made video. I'm loving it.

I love how you sneak in a bit of bloodborne lovecraft as well, since you said you didnt have time for that in the Bloodborne video

This was a really really excellent video!

I haven't been this excited for a youtube video in years

Thank you for containing the heavy spoilers to the last chapter; like you I got to a certain point in the game, was really enjoying the game itself, but was too scared to explore further 😅 I'm looking forward to the discussion & maybe the motivation to go back to the game 😁

This is a wonderful analysis of the horror of Subnautica!

Very cool video, I loved the lovecraft part. But I would have loved some examples of the lovecraft tropes apart from aesthetic, since I’m not familiar with them. Still really entertaining video!

Once again a great video. Hooray

Whatever you do, don’t look up the name of Lovecraft’s cat 💀

First, if you haven't played Subnautica in VR, do it. Even if it's in creator mode. THIS GAME WAS MADE FOR VR. You have no idea the actual scale of the world and its occupants until you do it. OMG, I'm getting chills down my spine just thinking about it. Second, one mild disagreement: there's no problem with the Lovecraftian aesthetic. The problem with the media that uses it is that when it is trying to be horrifying, it fails for one specific reason: it gives form to the shapeless horror just beyond your vision. You can use whatever aesthetic you want and it will be terrifying if you have the will power to not give shape to the Big Bad Guy. In fact, the Lovecraftian aesthetic is still a great medium for horror -- the idea of a doomed society occupied by people driven quietly and mysteriously insane is an amazing setting for horror. Just leave the final vision of the enemy to the consumers' imaginations. They'll do a better job than you ever can. And, as you said outright, that style of horror can be used with many different aesthetics. Heck, I'd venture to say even games like Five Nights at Freddy's draw from it. You obviously see the bad guys, but what animates them is the Real Mystery (tm), to say nothing of not knowing when they'll pop out. And that game takes place in a pizza joint with fluffy animatronics! This also shows that scale isn't important in Lovecraftian horror. The game takes place inside of a restaurant, basically, and still achieves that tension of the unknown.

Finally a video I can watch with no fear of spoilers lol, it’s been 3 in a row, sorry Ceave for not watching the few last ones 🤭

As always great video