Noah Caldwell-GervaisThis video is a critique and retrospective of all eleven Call of Duty games released for the PC between 2003 and 2014. It's often said that all Call of Duty games are the same-- they're far from it. Journey through the series chronologically and critically with this sprawling retrospective. Major spoilers throughout!
____TABLE OF CONTENTS____
Call of Duty 1-- 0:48 Call of Duty: United Offensive-- 13:55 Call of Duty 2-- 18:10 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare-- 26:14 Call of Duty: World at War-- 36:40 Modern Warfare 2-- 47:11 Black Ops 1-- 58:00 Modern Warfare 3-- 1:08:11 Black Ops 2-- 1:23:50 Call of Duty: Ghosts-- 1:34:29 Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare-- 1:47:43 Special Thanks-- 2:04:40
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The Complete Call of Duty Single Player Campaign Critique (For PC)Noah Caldwell-Gervais2015-04-03 | This video is a critique and retrospective of all eleven Call of Duty games released for the PC between 2003 and 2014. It's often said that all Call of Duty games are the same-- they're far from it. Journey through the series chronologically and critically with this sprawling retrospective. Major spoilers throughout!
____TABLE OF CONTENTS____
Call of Duty 1-- 0:48 Call of Duty: United Offensive-- 13:55 Call of Duty 2-- 18:10 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare-- 26:14 Call of Duty: World at War-- 36:40 Modern Warfare 2-- 47:11 Black Ops 1-- 58:00 Modern Warfare 3-- 1:08:11 Black Ops 2-- 1:23:50 Call of Duty: Ghosts-- 1:34:29 Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare-- 1:47:43 Special Thanks-- 2:04:40
If you enjoyed this video, please post it where others can find it!
Also, please consider donating to my Patreon to help me produce these sorts of videos. patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisReturning to Elden Ring for Shadow of the ErdtreeNoah Caldwell-Gervais2024-07-29 | This full-spoiler video essay and critique of Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC delves deep into how the game makes a puzzle out of all its interactive elements. It covers lore, landscape, and many other points of interest across the Land of Shadow.
Audio editing by Nate Greene.
======================================== If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider donating through the crowdfunding website Patreon: patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervais10th(ish) Anniversary Patron Q&ANoah Caldwell-Gervais2024-06-30 | To celebrate 10 years and over 100 videos, I answer 22 questions from Patrons who support the channel.All the RAGE: A Franchise RetrospectiveNoah Caldwell-Gervais2024-06-30 | RAGE is one of the least discussed, least memorable big budget modern game franchises. How did that happen? Are the games really that bad? This video essay looks deeply at Rage 1 and Rage 2 along with heir DLC to dissect how bad games happen and what goes wrong to make them that way. I hope this retrospective critique saves someone the hours I put in.
Audio editing by Nate Greene.
___TABLE OF CONTENTS___
Rage 1-- 0:00:00 The Scorchers-- 0:28:05 Rage 2-- 0:38:19 Rise of the Ghosts-- 1:14:43 Terrormania-- 1:25:52
======================================== If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider donating through the crowdfunding website Patreon: patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisHow Many Clicks Does It Take To Get to the Center of Diablo? [A Franchise Retrospective]Noah Caldwell-Gervais2024-03-31 | This is a video retrospective and critique of the Diablo franchise, by Blizzard. It looks at how the games invented an entire genre of RPG, refined it, and then monetized the hell out of it. It reviews the games through the lenses of narrative, development, and psychology. Spoilers throughout.
____TABLE OF CONTENTS____
Intro-- 0:00:00 Diablo 1-- 0:00:25 Hellfire-- 0:30:24 Diablo 2-- 0:42:23 Lord of Destruction-- 1:20:09 Diablo 3-- 1:27:14 Reaper of Souls-- 1:59:27 Darkening of Tristram-- 2:07:37 Diablo 2 Resurrected-- 2:10:22 Diablo Immortal-- 2:18:54 Diablo 4-- 3:04:02
======================================== If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider donating through the crowdfunding website Patreon: patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisPlaying Quake for the Story (A Franchise Retrospective)Noah Caldwell-Gervais2023-12-24 | What is Quake, anyway? This video retrospective of the whole Quake franchise looks at each title and their expansions to see how the series evolved through time, if there is a story or not, and if any of it makes any sense in the end. The video considers the story of Quake from both a fiction and nonfiction perspective in its critique. It pays particular attention to the new MachineGames campaigns included in the Quake remasters. Spoilers, I guess, for both history and lore.
This video made with production assistance from Nate Greene.
____TABLE OF CONTENTS____ Intro-- 00:00 Quake 1-- 00:15 Scourge of Armagon-- 27:31 Dissolution of Eternity-- 36:05 Quake 2-- 45:31 The Reckoning-- 1:06:23 Ground Zero-- 1:10:56 Quake 3 / Team Arena-- 1:18:48 Quake 4-- 1:24:19 Dimension of the Past-- 1:41:42 Quake Champions-- 1:45:14 Quake 2 for Nintendo 64-- 1:48:48 Dimension of the Machine-- 1:52:52 Call of the Machine-- 2:05:08 Credits / Special Thanks-- 2:22:49
======================================== If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider donating through the crowdfunding website Patreon: patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisA Thorough Look at Fallout [Revised/Expanded/HD]Noah Caldwell-Gervais2023-08-30 | This is a video review and retrospective of the full Fallout franchise, from its '90s isometric roots to the Pitt Expeditions update of Fallout 76, with everything in between. It looks at how Fallout 1 established the tone and iconography of the series, and then how each subsequent game interpreted those elements in its own unique way. This video essay doesn't seek to rank the games, instead looking at each in terms of its individual strengths, weaknesses, and fidelity to what came before. FULL SPOILERS THROUGHOUT.
This video made with production assistance from Nate Greene.
____TABLE OF CONTENTS____ Intro-- 0:00:00 Fallout 1-- 0:01:12 Fallout 2-- 0:50:34 Fallout Tactics-- 1:56:41 Fallout 'Van Buren'-- 2:39:31 Fallout Brotherhood of Steel-- 2:43:13 Fallout 3-- 3:06:42 (F3) Operation Anchorage-- 3:53:47 (F3) The Pitt-- 3:56:45 (F3) Broken Steel-- 4:03:04 (F3) Point Lookout-- 4:08:10 (F3) Mothership Zeta-- 4:15:00 Fallout New Vegas-- 4:20:37 (FNV) Dead Money-- 5:16:15 (FNV) Honest Hearts-- 5:27:31 (FNV) Old World Blues-- 5:38:45 (FNV) Lonesome Road-- 5:49:11 Fallout Shelter-- 6:05:59 Fallout 4-- 6:11:09 (F4) Automatron-- 7:21:33 (F4) Far Harbor-- 7:24:46 (F4) Nuka World-- 7:37:55 Fallout 76-- 7:56:10 Patron Thanks-- 9:03:04
======================================== If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider donating through the crowdfunding website Patreon: patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisThe Real Life Landscapes of Fallout 3, Fallout 4, and Fallout 76Noah Caldwell-Gervais2023-05-10 | This is an experimental travel project where I tried to assess the similarities and differences between the Bethesda Fallouts and the places they're set. It covers Washington D.C. and the Capital Wasteland, Point Lookout in Maryland, Fallout 4's Commonwealth, Far Harbor in Maine, and the great state of West Virginia. It's not completely comprehensive and includes some best guesses and mistakes. Nevertheless, this represents my best possible attempt to find the intersection of fact and fiction in the Fallout universe.
___TABLE OF CONTENTS___
Introduction-- 0:39
Fallout 3-- 3:30
Point Lookout-- 49:05
Fallout 4-- 1:06:46
Far Harbor-- 1:59:10
Fallout 76-- 2:12:44
Credits-- 3:12:12
============================ If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider donating through the crowdfunding website Patreon: patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisThe Lincoln Highway: Across America on the First Transcontinental Motor RouteNoah Caldwell-Gervais2023-02-02 | This is a video travelogue about the first ever coast-to-coast highway in America: The Lincoln Highway. The video traces the history and the path of much of the original 1913 route across 14 states, from the Pacific to the Atlantic, by way of a road trip in a somewhat-restored 1978 Ford Thunderbird. Instead of a vlog or a documentary, it is written and produced as an old-school travelogue, which incorporates both opinion and nonfiction into one unified narrative. It is not meant to be viewed in one sitting-- like a nonfiction book, you can pick it up or put it down at your leisure and also browse by chapter. However, like the Lincoln Highway, I wanted it to be a continuous experience from coast to coast, illustrating the landscape and its history all the way from the Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco, to 42nd and Broadway in New York City, and beyond. I hope it's a trip you enjoy.
CONTENT WARNING: Scenes of animal suffering as part of a vintage news report from 1:50:49 to 1:53:24.
_____TABLE OF CONTENTS_____
1) Intro-- 00:00 2) The Lines of History-- 00:21 3) Roads Before the Automobile-- 03:45 4) A Name With Which to Conjure-- 10:23 5) A Fixed Perspective-- 15:54 6) Border of the Unfamiliar-- 20:53 7) Let Me Tell You About My Boat-- 26:21 8) Final Preparations-- 32:00 9) Western Terminus -- 35:28 10) The Hills of Altamont-- 40:28 11) The Air-Conditioned Nightmare-- 42:26 12) California Legacies-- 47:36 13) The Pioneer Branch-- 51:33 14) The Three Goals-- 59:33 15) National Automotive Museum-- 1:02:11 16) Shore of Lake Lahontan-- 1:04:26 17) The Loneliest Road in America-- 1:07:37 18) Effie's Hamilton-- 1:20:41 19) Ely, Ike, and the 1919 Army Convoy-- 1:23:57 20) Highway to the Danger Zone-- 1:27:51 21) Fruit of the Poisoned Tree-- 1:36:06 22) The Stubbornest Cuss Who Ever Lived-- 1:44:42 23) The Dugway Sheep Kill Incident-- 1:49:44 24) Gael Hoag's Final Vigil-- 1:59:43 25) Mormon Propaganda Pleasure Palace-- 2:02:30 26) Echo of the Past-- 2:07:05 27) Greetings From Eagle Rock!-- 2:10:10 28) The Bones of Piedmont-- 2:13:33 29) From the Petroleum Wasteland to Trucker Heaven-- 2:17:19 30) The Great Work of Degradation-- 2:22:58 31) Human-Skin Shoes-- 2:28:28 32) Refined Tastes-- 2:34:09 33) Relics of U.S. 30-- 2:37:25 34) 8800 Feet (The Height of Ambition)-- 2:40:28 35) Giza of the Rockies-- 2:44:38 36) The Plains of Cheyenne-- 2:49:32 37) A Discomfort with Space-- 2:53:21 38) The Denver Disagreement-- 2:59:02 39) The Big Flat & North Platte-- 3:06:34 40) The Geometry of America-- 3:12:27 41) Seedling Mile-- 3:24:49 42) Middle America-- 3:29:49 43) Rolling Out the Red Brick Carpet-- 3:33:41 44) Iowa Welcome Center-- 3:36:54 45) Manufactured Eden-- 3:41:24 46) Winds of the Derecho-- 3:51:36 47) Henry Ostermann & The Diamond of a Life-- 3:56:21 48) The War on Mud-- 4:02:53 49) We're at Now, Now-- 4:07:03 50) Intersection With Route 66-- 4:12:16 51) Indiana Dunes National Park-- 4:15:52 52) Downtown's Changin'!-- 4:23:06 53) Final Days of the Packard Plant-- 4:27:28 54) Notes From Piquette Avenue-- 4:37:13 55) The Symbols of Station-- 4:42:02 56) Ford, Freedom, and Framing History-- 4:44:58 57) Ticket to the Moon-- 4:49:53 58) 1st Circle of Mansfield, Blood Prison-- 4:55:28 59) 2nd Circle of Mansfield, Bible Walkin'-- 5:05:39 60) 3rd Circle of Mansfield, Vitiated Judgement-- 5:12:38 61) Wind of the Open Road-- 5:15:19 62) Porcelain Empire-- 5:24:09 63) Kind of Like a Strand-Type Travelogue-- 5:29:50 64) One-of-a-Kind Kind of Days-- 5:34:46 65) Into the Alleghenies-- 5:40:48 66) The Lincoln Highway Experience-- 5:46:10 67) The Turn of the Pike-- 5:51:25 68) Tower of Voices-- 5:56:22 69) Roadside Pennsylvania-- 6:01:25 70) Ghost Freeway-- 6:08:56 71) National Battlefield-- 6:14:26 72) Seat of the American Revolution-- 6:24:10 73) Boner Forever-- 6:39:17 74) The Roads Washington Travelled-- 6:44:11 75) Skyscraper Shoreline-- 6:49:36 76) End of the Road-- 6:54:33 77) American Tourist-- 6:58:50 78) The New York I Know From Television-- 7:06:03 79) Zero Milestone-- 7:11:07 80) Reflecting Pool-- 7:14:36 81) Credits-- 7:19:47
_____CONTENTS BY STATE____ Introduction: Chapters 1-8 California: Chapters 9-13 Nevada: Chapters 14-20 Utah: Chapters 21-26 Wyoming: Chapters 27-36 Nebraska: Chapters 37-43 Iowa: Chapters 44-48 Illinois: Chapters 49-50 Indiana: Chapter 51 Michigan: Chapters 52-56 Ohio: Chapters 57-62 West Virginia: Chapter 63 Pennsylvania: Chapters 64-73 New Jersey: Chapters 74-75 New York: Chapters 76-78 District of Columbia: Chapters 79-80
Trip and video a collaborative effort between Nate Greene and Noah Caldwell-Gervais, with mechanical assistance from Mitty McVay.
======================================== If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider donating through the crowdfunding website Patreon: patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisSouls Inheritors: Bloodborne vs. Sekiro vs. Elden Ring [Spoilers]Noah Caldwell-Gervais2022-06-29 | This is a comprehensive video retrospective and critique of the three follow-up games From Software did in the wake of their iconic Dark Souls trilogy-- Bloodborne, Sekiro, and Elden Ring. It looks at each game through the lens of both how they construct their unique artistic identities and how they all connect back through the legacy of their inherited systems. FULL SPOILERS FOR ALL GAMES.
This video made with production assistance from Nate Greene.
___Table of Contents____ Intro-- 00:00 Bloodborne-- 00:15 Sekiro-- 1:23:49 Elden Ring-- 2:41:17 Special Thanks-- 4:18:17
======================================== If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider donating through the crowdfunding website Patreon: patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisI Beat the Dark Souls Trilogy and All I Made Was This Lousy Video EssayNoah Caldwell-Gervais2022-04-03 | This is a full spoilers critique and exploration of my quest to make it through all three of Dark Souls action role-playing games. The video focuses on how much more open, free, and fun these games are than I was led to believe based on everything I ever heard of 'Git Gud'. Over the course of five hours, the video tries to figure out how the games support or detract from one another, the ways they're connected, and how a clumsy fool like me can find not only victory but comfort in their strange, sad little worlds.
This video made with production assistance from Nate Greene.
___Table of Contents___
Dark Souls 1 Remastered-- 00:40 Dark Souls 2 Scholar of the First Sin-- 1:42:14 DS2 Sunken Crown DLC-- 2:13:20 DS2 Iron Crown DLC-- 2:33:15 DS2 Ivory Crown DLC-- 2:45:42 Dark Souls 3-- 3:05:05 DS3 Ashes of Ariandel-- 4:00:14 DS3 The Ringed City-- 4:10:08
======================================== If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider donating through the crowdfunding website Patreon: patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisGears Through the Years: A Gears of War Campaign RetrospectiveNoah Caldwell-Gervais2022-01-01 | This is a video retrospective and critique of the Gears of War franchise, from its initial trilogy on the Xbox 360 to the latest DLC for Gears 5. The video tries to use a lot of fancy words to get to heart of why these straightforward and simple games are so creatively fascinating. Spoilers throughout.
___Table of Contents___
00:00 Intro 00:14 Gears of War 1 (Ultimate Edition) 30:17 Gears of War 2 52:02 Gears of War 3 1:14:37 Raam's Shadow 1:21:33 Gears of War: Judgement 1:39:33 Gears of War 4 2:11:30 Gears of War 5 2:45:41 Gears Tactics 3:06:35 Hivebusters 3:20:23 Patreon Thanks
This video made with production assistance from Nate Greene.
======================================== If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider donating through the crowdfunding website Patreon: patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisAutomotive Fantasyland: What Makes Forza Horizon 5 So Compelling?Noah Caldwell-Gervais2021-12-01 | This is a video essay ruminating on why Forza Horizon 5 resonated with me so much, and speculates about how some of those things might have led to it being XBox Game Studio's biggest hit of 2021.
This video made with production assistance from Nate Greene.
======================================== If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider donating through the crowdfunding website Patreon: patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisA Thorough Look At Resident EvilNoah Caldwell-Gervais2021-08-09 | This is a video retrospective and critique of 18 different Resident Evil games and their DLCs, covering a span of twenty five years of game development. It tries to track the peaks and valleys of their triumphs and disappointments, through mainline and spinoff titles both. Full spoilers throughout.
======================================== If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider donating through the crowdfunding website Patreon: patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 1 & 2 Vs. Joseph CampbellNoah Caldwell-Gervais2021-05-04 | This is a focused retrospective and critique of both of the older Knights of the Old Republic CRPGs from Bioware and Obsidian. It looks to how they interface with the Monomyth template as originally laid down in 1949 by Joseph Campbell in The Hero With a Thousand Faces, one game conforming exactly to it and the next game violently rejecting the entire premise. It also discusses how Campbell's monomyth influenced the philosophies of the Jedi and Sith more than George Lucas might care to admit. Spoilers throughout.
Knights of the Old Republic 1-- 00:15 Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords-- 1:01:12
======================================== If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider donating through the crowdfunding website Patreon: patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisA Thorough Look at Star Wars: Dark Forces / Jedi KnightNoah Caldwell-Gervais2021-04-26 | This is a video retrospective and critique about the five games of the Dark Forces / Jedi Knight series, released from 1995-2003. It looks at them as part of the broader legacy of the now-defunct Legends timeline, trying to hold on to what's meaningful about them in a time when Star Wars is so much more polished than it used to be. Spoilers throughout.
___TABLE OF CONTENTS___
Intro-- 00:00 Star Wars: Dark Forces-- 00:42 Star Wars: Dark Forces: Jedi Knight-- 18:47 Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith-- 40:26 Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Jedi Outcast-- 58:03 Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy-- 1:22:30
======================================== If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider donating through the crowdfunding website Patreon: patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervais2021 Patreon Update: Future Plans, Where Does the Money Go, An Enormous BirdNoah Caldwell-Gervais2021-03-06 | This is an update to try and explain where the channel is going this next year as I prepare for a new slate of travel content involving a new vehicle.
If you're interested in learning the Lincoln Highway route in advance, the planning tool I'm using to create my guide is this: lincolnhighwayassoc.org/map/. I'm hewing to the original 1918 route as much as possible, which is marked in blue.What Kind Of Game Did Cyberpunk 2077 Turn Out To Be, Anyway? [SPOILERS]Noah Caldwell-Gervais2021-03-06 | This is a video review and critique of Cyberpunk 2077, one of the most infamous flops of recent years. A lot of what went into it flopping that way was impossible or misguided expectations of what the game actually was, what areas it would creatively focus on and even what genre it was. This video analysis attempts to see the game for what it is, good and bad, warts and all. Spoilers throughout including every individual ending.A Thorough Look At Half-Life [Revised/Expanded/HD]Noah Caldwell-Gervais2021-01-31 | This is a full spoiler retrospective video review and critique of the industry-defining Half-Life franchise of games. It looks at the arc of development from 1998-2020 that took Gordon Freeman from the popularizer of mouselook to the herald of virtual reality. It also covers Half-Life associated and adjacent games, like Portal 1 and 2, Source Multiplayer titles, and some iconic single-player mods. This is a remake of a video I'd done in 2013. That video has now been delisted in favor of this updated, tidier edition. A link to it has been provided below for anyone still curious, as well as download links for mods. Again, spoilers throughout.
_______TABLE OF CONTENTS_______
Half-Life-- 00:18 Opposing Force-- 16:57 Blue Shift-- 21:50 Decay-- 25:43 GoldSrc Multiplayer Mods-- 27:39 They Hunger-- 29:50 Half-Life 2-- 32:43 Episode 1-- 54:41 Episode 2-- 59:29 Portal-- 1:06:56 Source Multiplayer Mods-- 1:12:02 MINERVA: METASTASIS-- 1:16:29 Portal 2-- 1:18:30 Black Mesa-- 1:28:52 Long Time to Wait/Lost Coast-- 1:39:09 Half-Life Alyx-- 1:41:01 Credits/Special Thanks-- 2:09:12
_______Changes From 2013 to 2020 Version_______ -Edited the whole script for clarity, cohesion, and substance. Kept about 40%. Replaced a lot of the rest. -Added some extra paragraphs where I'd plain forgotten to put them before. -Added a section on Decay. -Did a Half-Life universe focused segment on Portal 2 from scratch. -Expanded the Black Mesa section. -Added a full-spoilers Half-Life Alyx section. -Slightly retooled the old Lost Coast transition paragraph but kept it, mostly. -Much greater clip density throughout. -New voice work. -Just tried to make it better. Make it, you know, less garbage to watch.
======================================== If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider donating through the crowdfunding website Patreon: patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisA Thorough Look At Watch DogsNoah Caldwell-Gervais2020-12-31 | This is a video critique and analysis of the Watch Dogs trilogy of open-world hacking-focused GTA-alikes. It looks at the how the extreme tonal changes each game goes through clash with its lack of interest in changing its mechanical structure from game to game. Spoilers throughout.
======================================== If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider donating through the crowdfunding website Patreon: patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisJudicial Opinions: What Makes Disco Elysium a Modern Classic? [Full Spoilers]Noah Caldwell-Gervais2020-11-01 | This is a full-spoiler review, analysis, and critique of ZA/UM's triumphant and unforgettable experimental role-playing game Disco Elysium. It looks at what makes the game so unique and memorable while engaging with its politics and themes. Content warning for a discussion of suicide.
======================================== If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider donating through the crowdfunding website Patreon: patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisNotes From Along Kentucky Route Zero [Spoilers]Noah Caldwell-Gervais2020-09-09 | This is a video review and critique of Cardboard Computer's groundbreaking work of surrealist Americana, Kentucky Route Zero. It attempts to describe a game that makes a herculean effort to thwart description. To do so, I try to go through some of the main themes and artisitic methodologies present in the work and try to argue that even the weirdest things in this game deserve to be there. Maybe especially the weirdest things. Spoilers throughout.
======================================== If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider donating through the crowdfunding website Patreon: patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisRevisiting Tom Clancys Ghost Recon WildlandsNoah Caldwell-Gervais2020-07-04 | This is a lengthy deconstruction and critique of Wildlands, one of the most ambitious, beautiful, and deeply flawed games I've ever played. It contrasts the game's technical skill with its narrative shortcomings and includes the two major DLCs, Fallen Ghosts and Cartel Road, along with all the major post-release missions now that the game is no longer being currently supported.
___TABLE OF CONTENTS___
Wildlands Base Game-- 00:16
Fallen Ghosts-- 52:43
Cartel Road-- 59:26
======================================== If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider donating through the crowdfunding website Patreon: patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisHow Does The Last of Us Part 2 Compare to the Last of Us Remastered? [Total Spoilers]Noah Caldwell-Gervais2020-06-28 | This is a video critique, analysis, and review of the entire Last of Us series from Naughty Dog. It goes through each game to look at how the character work and worldbuilding done in Part 1 is woven into its sequel and how The Last of Us Part 2 creatively diverges from the original in many fascinating ways. There are total spoilers for all games and the majority of plot moments in them. Includes Left Behind.
___TABLE OF CONTENTS___
The Last of Us Part 1-- 00:15
Left Behind-- 48:41
The Last of Us Part 2-- 58:45
======================================== If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider donating through the crowdfunding website Patreon: patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisHow Does Doom: Eternal Compare to Previous Dooms? (Feat. Doom 64)Noah Caldwell-Gervais2020-04-02 | This is a full spoiler critique and review of Doom: Eternal, a soft remake of Doom 2 with more guts and guns than the '90s title dreamt of. It looks at how Doom: Eternal fits in with the rest of the franchise and the games landscape at large. Also features a full review of Doom 64.
Doom Eternal-- 00:14 Doom 64-- 48:20
======================================== If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider donating through the crowdfunding website Patreon: patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisElements of CONTROL [Spoilers]Noah Caldwell-Gervais2020-03-15 | This is a video review and critique of CONTROL, a mind-bending third person action title from Remedy. It looks deep into the uniquely strange vibe of CONTROL's world, along with its uncanny similarities to Max Payne and F.E.A.R. Spoilers Throughout.
======================================== If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider donating through the crowdfunding website Patreon: patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisHow Does Wolfenstein: Youngblood Compare to Previous Wolfensteins? [Spoilers]Noah Caldwell-Gervais2020-03-13 | This is a video review and critique of Wolfenstein: Youngblood, a co-op spin-off from the main trilogy of modern Wolfensteins. It tries to look at whether it's gained more than it's lost when by pivoting from a linear, story-driven shooter to a nonlinear casual shooter with a social emphasis or whether that shift drags it all down. Spoilers throughout.
======================================== If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider donating through the crowdfunding website Patreon: patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisThe Outer Worlds in Close Critique [Spoilers]Noah Caldwell-Gervais2020-03-12 | This is a full-spoiler critique of the Outer Worlds, a dark corporate satire wrapped up in a bright RPG package. It looks at the contrast between how the world treats its characters and how the world treats its players, as well as asking how different the game is from Fallout 76 anyway.
======================================== If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider donating through the crowdfunding website Patreon: patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisTrying to Untangle Death Stranding [Full Spoilers]Noah Caldwell-Gervais2020-01-31 | This is a video critique of Kojima Production's first major release, Death Stranding. It looks at the strange creative choices the game makes and tries to consider what they mean and how they might've come about. It ties Death Stranding into a number of other pieces of media in different genres with which it resonates. If you want an analysis or a full-spoiler review, this is your video.
======================================== If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider donating through the crowdfunding website Patreon: patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisHome, Home on the Console: From Red Dead Revolver to Red Dead Redemption 2Noah Caldwell-Gervais2019-11-10 | This is a video critique and analysis of all three of Rockstar's Red Dead games, along with GUN by Neversoft. It looks at the evolution of the video game western and tries to place these games in context with other Western media that inspired and surrounded them. It looks at them thematically, mechanically, and with a particular eye for what makes them special as a Western. SPOILERS THROUGHOUT.
======================================== If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider donating through the crowdfunding website Patreon: patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisHow Does the Blair Witch Game Compare to the Movies? [SPOILERS]Noah Caldwell-Gervais2019-11-01 | This is a video critique of the 2019 Blair Witch game. It looks at how it interacts with and draws from the trilogy of movies that came before it, and what the Blair Witch aesthetic might be all about. Full spoilers for all movies and the game itself.
======================================== If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider donating through the crowdfunding website Patreon: patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisA Thorough Look At God of War [Spoilers]Noah Caldwell-Gervais2019-10-03 | This is a video retrospective and critique of the seven major God of War games for Playstations 2-4. It looks at what made them so remarkable at the time, how much of that feeling still comes through, and how the 2018 reboot fits in with their legacy. TOTAL SPOILERS THROUGHOUT.
______TABLE OF CONTENTS______
God of War (2005)-- 0:20 God of War 2-- 28:55 Chains of Olympus-- 46:52 God of War 3-- 57:05 Ghost of Sparta-- 1:25:20 Ascension-- 1:37:28 God of War (2018)-- 1:51:19
======================================== If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider donating through the crowdfunding website Patreon: patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisManic Pixie Dream Worlds: A Critique of American McGees Alice GamesNoah Caldwell-Gervais2019-08-04 | This is a video critique and retrospective of American McGee's platformer adaptations of Alice in Wonderland. It looks at how they deliberately diverged from the Quake aesthetic while still using the Quake engine, and how Alice's perspective shapes the game world. It goes in-depth trying to examine how this off pairing of artist and subject brought out some of the best of both of them and how the sequel fared in living up to it.
American McGee's Alice--
Alice: Madness Returns--
======================================== If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider donating through the crowdfunding website Patreon: patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisMonster Mash Horizon: Zero Dawn vs. Days GoneNoah Caldwell-Gervais2019-08-04 | This is a comparative video critique of Guerilla Game's Horizon Zero Dawn and its Frozen Wilds expansion with Sony of Bend's Days Gone. They're both PS4 exclusive open world titles that are, on a surface level, extremely similar but on closer examination show themselves to be diagonally opposite games. What elements allow them to achieve such difference in such similar formats? SPOILERS THROUGHOUT.
Horizon Zero Dawn-- 00:18
Days Gone-- 37:51
============================ If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider donating through the crowdfunding website Patreon: patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisAtomic Pilgrimage: Ghost Towns, Nuclear Relics, and Lost Civilizations on the Road to Trinity SiteNoah Caldwell-Gervais2019-06-07 | This is a video travelogue about a 40-day, 40-night road trip to the Trinity Site, where the first atomic bomb in history was detonated in the summer of 1945. It goes much farther than that, covering many other atomic destinations and driving deep into the natural and social history of the American southwest. If you'd like to see a simulated nuclear missile launch, a forest of stone pillars, Oregon's only geyser, and a 60-foot tall neon cowboy all in the same video, this would likely be your jam. The trip was done over 6500 miles in a 1973 Volkswagen bus in the spring of 2019.
___TABLE OF CONTENTS___
1) Cold Open-- 0:20
2) Cattle Crossing-- 6:47
3) Berlin/Ichthyosaur-- 9:44
4) Stokes Castle-- 14:01
5) Legacy of the Pyramid War-- 17:17
6) All-American Concentration Camp-- 21:00
7) Doomsday Weapons-- 27:05
8) The Quest for Project Gasbuggy-- 31:20
9) Simulated Armageddon-- 37:51
10) Casa Grande & Cochise's Resting Place-- 43:25
11) The Town Too Famous to Die-- 49:11
12) Wonderland of Rocks-- 53:44
13) Border War-- 56:31
14) Trinity Site-- 1:01:48
15) Across the Malpais-- 1:06:54
16) Lost City of Chaco Canyon-- 1:10:30
17) Battle for Bear's Ears-- 1:20:49
18) Parowan Gap-- 1:26:42
19) Wendover's Leftovers-- 1:31:23
20) Getting Bombed in Atomic City-- 1:36:42
21) Dog Birthday-- 1:45:47
22) Hanford Nuclear Reservation-- 1:49:43
============================ If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider donating through the crowdfunding website Patreon: patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisThe Real Life Landscapes of Fallout 1, Fallout 2, and Fallout: New VegasNoah Caldwell-Gervais2019-05-03 | This is an experimental travel project where I tried to follow in real life the maps and landscapes I'd digitally journeyed down in the original Fallout games and New Vegas. The video follows the games more than it follows my linear journey across the landscape. Where no geographic equivalent to a location could be found, I tried to find a spiritual equivalent. When I couldn't do either I typically left it out.
This represents my best possible attempt to find the intersection of fact and fiction in the Fallout universe.
___TABLE OF CONTENTS___
Introduction-- 0:20
Fallout 1-- 3:26
Fallout 2-- 27:54
Fallout: New Vegas-- 46:59
============================ If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider donating through the crowdfunding website Patreon: patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisWolfenstein 2: The New Colossus in Close Critique [Full Spoilers]Noah Caldwell-Gervais2019-02-11 | This is a video critique and analysis of Wolfenstein 2, an ambitious, messy, and in the end quite unique shooter from MachineGames. The video looks how BJ Blaskowicz anchors together a wide array of divergent tonal moods and design ideas. It also covers the three 'Freedom Chronicles' DLCs. Spoilers throughout.
___TABLE OF CONTENTS___
Main Campaign-- Adventures of Gunslinger Joe-- Diary of the SIlent Death-- Deeds of Captain Wilkins--A Thorough Look at Dead SpaceNoah Caldwell-Gervais2019-02-10 | This is a video retrospective and critique of the Dead Space trilogy, developed by Visceral and published by EA. It looks at how each game approaches its genre different, and how entirely divergent game experiences can come from the same well of themes and images. Spoilers throughout.
___TABLE OF CONTENTS___
Dead Space 1-- 00:16 Dead Space 2-- 26:49 Dead Space 3-- 58:11 Dead Space 3 Awakened-- 1:29:39
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patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisWhats Been Going On With Far Cry 5s DLC?Noah Caldwell-Gervais2019-02-09 | This is a video review and critique of Far Cry 5's DLC. It tries to puzzle out how they came to be, what they have to do with the rest of the franchise, and if they're a memorable way to spend time.A Thorough Look at Neverwinter NightsNoah Caldwell-Gervais2018-10-02 | This is a video critique and retrospective of all 14 official campaigns released for Neverwinter Nights 1 and 2, between 2002 and 2009. It looks at how each module and game tries to stand out from the others, and how they all uniquely tie back into the legacy of the Dungeons and Dragons tabletop experience. There are TOTAL SPOILERS for all the campaigns, but they're there to provide context and definition for those who don't wish to spend the hundreds of hours it takes to make this journey themselves.
___TABLE OF CONTENTS___
Neverwinter Nights 1 Main Campaign-- 00:24
Shadows of Undrentide-- 28:22
Hordes of the Underdark-- 38:23
Witch's Wake-- 52:43
Shadowguard-- 59:37
Kingmaker-- 1:03:30
Pirates of the Sword Coast-- 1:09:48
Infinite Dungeons-- 1:15:40
Darkness Over Daggerford-- 1:18:38
Wyvern Crown of Cormyr-- 1:31:37
Neverwinter Nights 2 Main Campaign-- 1:41:17
Mask of the Betrayer-- 2:10:36
Storm of Zehir-- 2:36:23
Mysteries of Westgate-- 2:51:06
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patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisDeeper Horizons: A Comprehensive Re-Review of No Mans Sky NEXT [Total Spoilers]Noah Caldwell-Gervais2018-08-17 | [TOTAL SPOILERS] This is an in-depth review and critique of No Man's Sky NEXT, looking at all the updates and changed content since its launch in 2016. It cover Pathfinder, Foundation, Atlas Rises and NEXT. The experience of No Man's Sky is much different than it originally was-- this video takes an hour to try and put a finger on how and why. It discusses and shows footage from all parts of the various plot threads, including endgame content and deep lore.
====IF YOU LIKED THIS VIDEO==== I've done two other videos on No Man's Sky:
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patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisSAD MAX: A Max Payne Trilogy RetrospectiveNoah Caldwell-Gervais2018-07-31 | This is a full-spoiler critique and retrospective of Max Payne 1 and 2 by Remedy Games and also Rockstar's climactic Max Payne 3. It looks closely at how each game treats Max as a person, from archetype, to abstract metaphor, to cautionary tale. It looks at how the different design priorities tease out different Maxes who still, somehow, connect along a single arc of character.
If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider supporting me on Patreon!
patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisCreative Accounting: The Sub-Subgenre of Survival StrategyNoah Caldwell-Gervais2018-06-03 | This is a video critique and survey of four games in the niche subgenre of survival strategy. It begins with Outpost 1 (1994) and Outpost 2 (1997) from Sierra On-Line, before moving into the modern age with Haemimont Game's Surviving Mars and Frostpunk from 11-Bit Studios. It looks at how the games share a unique tone and rhythm, and how the emphasis on those elements sets the games apart from other strategy subgenres.
If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider supporting me on Patreon!
patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisA Thorough Look At Far CryNoah Caldwell-Gervais2018-05-03 | This is an in-depth critical retrospective of the Far Cry franchise, begun by CryTek in 2004 and continued by Ubisoft (and largely Ubisoft Montreal) into the present. It covers every major game except the console spinoffs between Far Cry 1 and 2. There are total spoilers for all games.
CONTENT WARNING: This video is restricted due to graphic sexual content and themes in the game footage.
If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider supporting me on Patreon!
patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisRevisiting Dying LightNoah Caldwell-Gervais2018-04-01 | This is an in-depth critique of the open-world zombie survival game Dying Light. It takes a particular look at how Dying Light tells its story with mechanical engagement and numerical progression much better than it does its story. It also looks at DLC for the game, including comparing Dying Light's massive expansion The Following to the original campaign.
______TABLE OF CONTENTS_______
Main Campaign-- Miscellaneous DLC-- The Following--
If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider supporting me on Patreon!
patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisScars & Stories [Planescape: Torment vs. Torment: Tides of Numenera]Noah Caldwell-Gervais2018-03-02 | This is a total-spoiler analysis and critique of Black Isle's Planescape: Torment and its years-later successor from InExile, Torment: Tide of Numenera. It goes into great detail to highlight what makes the first game unique, and the challenges posed in trying to follow up such a legendary role-playing title.
If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider supporting me on Patreon!
patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisHows Call of Dutys Single-Player Been Lately? [2015-2017, Spoilers]Noah Caldwell-Gervais2018-02-03 | This is a video critique of the most recent full rotation of the three development studios making Call of Duty games. It look at Treyarch's Black Ops 3, Infinity Ward's Infinite Warfare, and Sledgehammer Games' World War 2. It look at what kind of war story each game wants to tell and what kind of a job it does in the telling. Spoilers throughout.
___TABLE OF CONTENTS___
Introduction--
Black Ops 3--
Infinite Warfare--
World War 2--
========================= If you enjoyed this video and want to contribute to the production of others like it, please consider supporting me on Patreon!
patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisAnswering the Call of Juarez (A Series Retrospective)Noah Caldwell-Gervais2017-12-31 | This is a video critique and retrospective on Techland's Call of Juarez games. It looks at them through the lens of the movies and Western tropes that influenced them as well the mechanical elements that make their storytelling distinct from Hollywood westerns. Complete spoilers for all four games.
____TABLE OF CONTENTS____
Call of Juarez-- 0:28 Bound in Blood-- 25:20 The Cartel-- 49:52 Gunslinger-- 1:08:24
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patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisThe Other Half of the West (A Travelogue)Noah Caldwell-Gervais2017-12-01 | This is a traditional travelogue about the final 4,500 miles of a 12,500 mile journey across the American West. It looks at natural wonders and roadside oddities while throwing in some cultural observation and criticism as well. Spoilers for Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Montana, and Stephen King's Dark Tower Books.
___TABLE OF CONTENTS___ Intro / Rural Ruin -- 00:25 Black Canyon of the Gunnison -- 04:30 Man Eatin' Son of a Bitch-- 07:49 Headwaters of the Rio Grande -- 12:33 Four Corners Monument -- 15:46 Hovenweep & Canyons of the Ancients -- 18:41 Kebler Pass -- 21:35 Changes of Direction and Opinion -- 26:19 Escape to the North -- 32:18 Rocky Mountain Nation Ramble -- 35:20 Broke in Medicine Bow -- 43:27 Ancient Nebraska -- 47:05 The Black Hills -- 50:01 A Monumental Survey -- 1:01:07 Mystery vs. Ignorance at Devil's Tower -- 1:11:49 Montana Desert -- 1:16:07 Theodore Roosevelt National Park -- 1:19:11 Island on the Plains -- 1:31:01 Minnesotan Civilization -- 1:34:04 The Soudan Iron Mine -- 1:36:57 The Edge of the West -- 1:41:58 Gothic Pastures -- 1:44:48 Badlands National Park -- 1:49:05 That Wyoming Feeling -- 1:52:17 Yellowstone National Park -- 1:55:22 The Craters of the Moon -- 2:02:26 Night Drive Tradition -- 2:06:30 Stonehenge -- 2:09:16 Last Chapters -- 2:12:31 Credits-- 2:17:24
SPECIAL THANKS THIS VIDEO TO ALL THE PATRONS PAST AND PRESENT WHO MADE THE COMPLETION OF THIS TRIP POSSIBLE. ============================================================================== If you liked this video and wish to support the ongoing trip, considering donating on Patreon: patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisSOMA vs. Tacoma [Total Spoilers]Noah Caldwell-Gervais2017-11-02 | This is a comparative critique of Frictional Games' SOMA and Fullbright Games' Tacoma. It focuses mostly on their storytelling and how, although quite different in tone and presentation, they ultimately agree in the points they're trying to make and the science fiction they're trying to accomplish. Spoilers throughout.
SOMA-- 0:20 Tacoma-- 31:01
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patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervaisImaginary Monsters: Alan Wake vs. The Evil Within [Franchise Spoilers]Noah Caldwell-Gervais2017-11-01 | This is a video essay comparing two survival horror franchises in which the monsters come directly from the imaginations of the characters. It discusses the unique possibilities unlocked by basing the horror directly out of the realm of dreams and nightmares. It also compares theme and structure between the titles.
___TABLE OF CONTENTS___ Alan Wake -- 0:09 Alan Wake's American Nightmare-- 29:51 The Evil Within-- 36:08 Evil Within/The Assignment & The Consequence-- 57:13 Evil WIthin/Executioner-- 1:07:40 The Evil WIthin 2-- 1:10:32
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