About this Video

• Video Title: The Disturbing Development of a Haunted Game...
• Channel: Sagan Hawkes
• Speakers: Sagan Hawkes
• Duration: 01:33:38

Introduction

This video analyzes two experimental horror games, Basilisk (SNES) and Basilisk 2000, created by Akuma Kira. The video explores the unconventional gameplay mechanics, analyzes the unsettling narrative fragmented across the games and their files, and investigates the disturbing connections between the games' fictional world and the real-life experiences of the developers.

Key Takeaways

• Unconventional Gameplay: Both games utilize unusual methods of interaction. Basilisk (SNES) uses a custom emulator with save states that reveal different parts of the incomplete game. Basilisk 2000 uses a level editor, allowing the player to explore the game world using developer tools.
• Fragmented Narrative: The story is deliberately incomplete, requiring players to gather information from within the games, accompanying documentation, and even by decompiling game assets. The narrative reveals a dark and disturbing story of murder, a mysterious cult, and a possible supernatural entity.
• Meta-Narrative: The games’ narrative intertwines with the real-life experiences of the developers. Hidden messages and game elements suggest the developers experienced significant stress, creative burnout, and potentially even violence during development. The narrative explores themes of creative ambition, perfectionism, and self-destruction.
• The Basilisk: The Basilisk is presented as both a fictional creature and a metaphor for the developers' struggles. It represents the pursuit of creative perfection that leads to self-destruction.
• Multiple Interpretations: The video acknowledges multiple interpretations of the games’ narrative, leaving room for viewer speculation and further investigation.

In the "WASTE" level of Basilisk 2000, several disturbing messages and elements are found:

• Angry Developer Messages: Decals of text containing angry messages from developers are scattered throughout the map, including phrases like "data to be removed" and "remove this world".
• Skinless NPCs: Multiple skinless NPCs are present, labeled "NPC question mark," uttering unsettling phrases such as "I no longer sleep lest the dreams come true" and "every day is the exact same until death".
• Images: Hidden under the map is an image of the Basilisk's eye from Basilisk (SNES), along with a low-resolution section of a Bosch painting depicting a hellish scene.
• Flickering Creatures: Strange creatures resembling the Crawlers but with different characteristics, flicker in and out of existence, accompanied by unsettling sounds. One creature wanders the map emitting an almost musical drone.
• Overall Atmosphere: The level's post-apocalyptic setting, combined with the unsettling ambient sounds ("null string" audio), creates an overall atmosphere of unease and despair.

These elements strongly suggest a connection between the game's fictional world and the real-life frustrations and anxieties of the developers.

In the Basilisk game series, the Basilisk takes on dual meanings:

1. Fictional Creature: Within the game's narrative, the Basilisk is a monstrous serpent-like creature, responsible for the devastation of the kingdom of Mycenae. It's portrayed as a powerful being associated with death and destruction. The game's narrative eventually reveals that the Basilisk is linked to the "Torn Knight," suggesting a connection between a seemingly heroic figure and a monstrous entity.

2. Metaphor for Creative Struggle: Beyond the fictional narrative, the Basilisk functions as a powerful metaphor for the developers' struggles with game development. It symbolizes the obsessive pursuit of creative perfection that ultimately leads to self-destruction and burnout. The creation of the Basilisk in the game's lore mirrors the developers' own stressful and often painful process of game development, highlighting themes of creative frustration, perfectionism, and the potential for self-destructive behavior in the pursuit of an artistic ideal.