Uploaded July 2022 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Freud is somebody that our society takes for granted. Most people do not recognize how much he has influenced our culture. Today, I show the numerous video games that he has influenced, many of which happen to be some of the greatest games ever made. While that is not entirely due to Freud, he played a significant role.
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1. Intro: 0:00 - 1:57
2. Overview of Freud's Career: 1:58 - 8:02
3. Silent Hill 2 (Repression, Libido, Dreams): 8:03 - 10:22
4. Oedipal Complex (Final Fantasy VII): 10:23 - 12:43
5. Final Fantasy VII (Symbology of the Oedipal Complex): 12:44 - 14:06
6. Id, Ego and Superego: 14:07 - 15:17
7. I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream (Id, Ego and Superego): 15:18 - 16:07
8. Silent Hill 2 (Pyramid Head = Id): 16:08 - 17:14
9. Max Payne, Alan Wake, Control (Id and Dreams): 17:15 - 18:03
10. Xenogears (Id): 18:04 - 19:08
11. Fallout: New Vegas: 19:09 - 19:59
12. Closing Remarks: 20:00 - 21:01
1. The Discovery of the Unconscious - Henri Ellenberger: amazon.com/Discovery-Unconscious-History-Evolution-Psychiatry/dp/0465016731
2. The Denial of Death - Ernest Becker: amazon.com/Denial-Death-Ernest-Becker/dp/0684832402
3. Life Against Death - Norman O. Brown: amazon.com/Life-Against-Death-Psychoanalytical-Meaning/dp/0819561444
Pyramid Head as Superego/Shadow -
This is the problem with psychoanalytic concepts, particularly with Freudian ones: they describe only one part of a greater truth... and even then, what that truth is remains debatable. For myself, I'd say the greater truth is Jungian: that the Freudian id is one part of a person's unconscious. Pyramid Head shares the same multiplicity of purpose that the personal unconscious does. Though he takes the form of the "Id" part of the unconscious, his function isn't simply to be libidinous force of nature. He seems to have a purpose.
Is he the superego? I suppose it depends on whichever way you look at it. Like Heather said, and Vincent alluded to in Silent Hill 3, God can be the devil or vice-versa. You would think that the superego would take the form of an angel, like I explained in the video. But what does an angel actually look like? Another character from Silent Hill that Pyramid Head is related to, Valtiel, is described as an angel. He looks decrepit like Pyramid Head too.
Is he the shadow? Is he actually trying to help James? Again, it's hard to say for certain. He seems to be helping James towards his goal as much as he is trying to kill him. This is the problem with integrating unconscious contents into consciousness. Sometimes it's the most important thing that needs to be done, and sometimes it will kill you.
Trying to be objective about something as subjective as the unconscious mind, or its personifications (like Pyramid Head) is impossible. Given the evidence, I would say that Pyramid Head's aesthetic and behavior is definitely id-like, but will have the side-effect of a superego/shadow... in that it will shock those who witness Pyramid Head's behavior towards the good.
That's the best I can do for now.
Freud is somebody that our society takes for granted. Most people do not recognize how much he has influenced our culture. Today, I show the numerous video games that he has influenced, many of which happen to be some of the greatest games ever made. While that is not entirely due to Freud, he played a significant role.
Patreon: patreon.com/maxderrat
SubscribeStar: subscribestar.com/max-derrat
PayPal: paypal.me/maxderrat
Twitter: twitter.com/maxderrat
Discord Link: discord.gg/EuyNXpN
Twitch: twitch.tv/maxderrat
1. Intro: 0:00 - 1:57
2. Overview of Freud's Career: 1:58 - 8:02
3. Silent Hill 2 (Repression, Libido, Dreams): 8:03 - 10:22
4. Oedipal Complex (Final Fantasy VII): 10:23 - 12:43
5. Final Fantasy VII (Symbology of the Oedipal Complex): 12:44 - 14:06
6. Id, Ego and Superego: 14:07 - 15:17
7. I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream (Id, Ego and Superego): 15:18 - 16:07
8. Silent Hill 2 (Pyramid Head = Id): 16:08 - 17:14
9. Max Payne, Alan Wake, Control (Id and Dreams): 17:15 - 18:03
10. Xenogears (Id): 18:04 - 19:08
11. Fallout: New Vegas: 19:09 - 19:59
12. Closing Remarks: 20:00 - 21:01
1. The Discovery of the Unconscious - Henri Ellenberger: amazon.com/Discovery-Unconscious-History-Evolution-Psychiatry/dp/0465016731
2. The Denial of Death - Ernest Becker: amazon.com/Denial-Death-Ernest-Becker/dp/0684832402
3. Life Against Death - Norman O. Brown: amazon.com/Life-Against-Death-Psychoanalytical-Meaning/dp/0819561444
Pyramid Head as Superego/Shadow -
This is the problem with psychoanalytic concepts, particularly with Freudian ones: they describe only one part of a greater truth... and even then, what that truth is remains debatable. For myself, I'd say the greater truth is Jungian: that the Freudian id is one part of a person's unconscious. Pyramid Head shares the same multiplicity of purpose that the personal unconscious does. Though he takes the form of the "Id" part of the unconscious, his function isn't simply to be libidinous force of nature. He seems to have a purpose.
Is he the superego? I suppose it depends on whichever way you look at it. Like Heather said, and Vincent alluded to in Silent Hill 3, God can be the devil or vice-versa. You would think that the superego would take the form of an angel, like I explained in the video. But what does an angel actually look like? Another character from Silent Hill that Pyramid Head is related to, Valtiel, is described as an angel. He looks decrepit like Pyramid Head too.
Is he the shadow? Is he actually trying to help James? Again, it's hard to say for certain. He seems to be helping James towards his goal as much as he is trying to kill him. This is the problem with integrating unconscious contents into consciousness. Sometimes it's the most important thing that needs to be done, and sometimes it will kill you.
Trying to be objective about something as subjective as the unconscious mind, or its personifications (like Pyramid Head) is impossible. Given the evidence, I would say that Pyramid Head's aesthetic and behavior is definitely id-like, but will have the side-effect of a superego/shadow... in that it will shock those who witness Pyramid Head's behavior towards the good.
That's the best I can do for now.
