Navigating the twisted, impossible corridors of a city consumed by darkness - a darkness which seems to have a consciousness of its own. Download the map here: www.moddb.com/addons/feralis-... Join the Discord: / discord
Oh hey! You actually played my map! This is the best day ever! I mentioned this before, but I actually made a lot of this map whilst listening to your exploration videos. They provided considerable inspiration, and I tried to follow your advice as much as I could, and I think it really paid off. Your considerate analysis encouraged me to put a lot more thought into my design choices, and I was worried that those subtleties might be wasted, but you pointing a lot of them out makes me feel quite vindicated. I swear, most of your observations felt like you were reading my mind. That was so cool! This video has made all the effort worth it! Thank you so much.
You really did a good job on the map the design :D i wasn't so sure when i first saw your run of the map but after a few times rewatching it i was sure that the librarian would like it :D
Little sad/amusing that so many games don't bother attempting to display player reflections in mirrors that there was no initial confusion about the player model not being displayed in the "mirrors". To the point where the map creator even used it as a part of the design.
However what was initially recognizable is that the writings in the "mirrors" aren't mirrored and the ram head painting is upside down. I don't know why Librarian needed so much to notice.
I mean without a custom model Gordon Freeman's default 3rd person player model in HL2 is literally a stone statue that has no animations attached to it. So in this case without pulling custom assets for the map in question HL2 modders are fucked with including mirrors in their levels.
in fairness making a player's reflection in a mirror adds a vast amount of complexity in and of itself, especially in the terms of rendering, as if you don't expect things outside of the room itself to reflect you can save a lot of processing time by using cubemaps.
the librarian parodying himself by commentating on a lightbulb of all things in a single room to just stall an image jumpscare behind him is incredibly hilarious
That moment was perfection! Sure, it getting called a jpeg jumpscare was a bit harsh, (that's totally a png!) But I will take a laugh over a scream any day of the week.
@@DrHammerr One thing I wish I had mentioned in the video (editing stage regrets) is that having it actually pull the player in so that you only see it for a split second before you die definitely elevates the scare. All in all, I'm glad it's there!
@@TheLibrarianYT Fun fact: You actually get a special voiceline if you look at it and still manage to get away. They are not happy about losing their prey.
Ohhh it took me a while to realize but this is actually a project i did some voice work for :D (some monster grunts) so cool to see a youtuber i like, play something that i contributed to!
Don't sell yourself short! You did a lot of work for this. A lot of cool sound effects, and you voiced the main antagonist! The map wouldn't be nearly as good without your efforts.
To be honest, the "The world is leaking" line is giving me heavy Rat's Nest vibes. When the darkness is so impenetrable that there might as well not be anything, not even a black empty void, just straight up inexistence. I think it's a good idea to clarify that i'm talking about the SCP canon, Rat's Nest.
I was literally just about to comment about the mirror technique that might've been used to create that being that it's a double room, but I just thought it was a design technique to mirror the entire room...for the mirror, but not as an actual map function, pretty cool!
I especially like how you are being subconsciously introduced to the darkness as a place of threat. But first you are unsure how the darkness works. Does it kill you when you just go nearby? Because of that you are afraid to go close to places where it is dark. Later throughout the map you figure out that only the complete absence of light kills you and you start to lose the scare because you can clearly tell where you can step and where you cannot. At the end that tension is built up again because you learn that things can come out of the darkness to get you while you are in the light. You could dig deep into the lore of this map. Remember the model of the city with a giant black dome. Maybe that thing is an SCP like entity that infested the city and you are inside the dome the entire time. This entity is superconscious and it can find and kill you at any time in an instant but it can only persist in the darkness. That's why stepping into the darkness kills you most of the times in an instant. This entity also tries to kill any light but fails to do so. It can only turn weak light into darkness and that's why there are those weird dark areas that shouldn't be there.
Thanks for the compliment! As for lore, I certainly have quite the large amount of stuff written about this map. A lot of it had to be cut on account of this being a contest entry.
This map is great. Not to downplay any of the other garry mod liminal maps, but the sense of a legitimate ever-present threat from the Feralis Obscurum really helps to amplify the unsettling vibe of the Liminal setting. Also, I thing you got the "Things could have been different" ending because you missed the one power box under the lizard at 48:30.
Aye, liminal spaces have always been vaguely threatening, at least to me. Having an actual threat in them really helps feed into that paranoia. For example, the room at 42:57 was originally going to be a trap/puzzle room, where you had to avoid the strange shadows cast by the holes in the ceiling, like a little maze. But I couldn't get it to work right, so I had to scrap it for the deadline. But despite this room being 100% safe, a LOT of playtesters still avoided the shadows. Guess you can say they took the warnings to heart.
I'm not sure if you're doing this intentionally, but as someone with hearing loss that can't hear a lot of the subtle sounds in these kinds of maps, I really appreciate you pointing them out and describing them for the viewers! It really adds to the horror even if I can't quite hear it (like I can't hear those "conversation sounds" in the party room you were in with the void floor.
It isn't just you, a lot of the sound effects seemed quieter than I intended them to be. Not sure why that is. But one of the reasons I really like The Librarian is that they point out and analyze the kinds of details most folks overlook. Everyone knows sound design is super important in horror, yet few folks take the time to really stop and think about it.
This was great. I was seriously nervous throuought several moments. The first bathroom moment was absolutely genious with the very clear tips that suddenly make sense. The moving grafttis were so interesting and added to the constant feeling of being watched. And that last segment in the cubicles was very paranoia inducing. I really enjoyed this. Thanks for playing this one.
Oh yeah! I WISH I could make liminal spaces that looked that good. They really capture the essence of it quite well. I can't wait for it to be released proper!
I would be even more unnerved by the fact that the text in the mirror in the beginning is NOT in fact mirrored. I did not expect such a calm realization. It's almost like there was something wrong with that place.
@@callumleask1053 The thing I noticed first was the fact that the player wasn't reflected in the mirrors at all. Which that only felt weird was because I'm used to maps in Garry's Mod that have working mirrors that aren't just a mirrored copy of the room you're currently standing in.
@@Techhunter_Talon Also, the urinal trough isn't reversed, the light on the other side isn't flickering, the exit door doesn't open to match and you can't see the legs in the stall. I also considered putting a blood stain in there, but I thought that'd be a bit too much.
This map was incredible. I thoroughly enjoyed your commentary and it’s ominous ambiance. I especially laughed when you kept repeating “just do it” over and over while running away. I would’ve done the exact same thing. Thanks for the wonderful video!
I must say, this is by far one of my favourite maps you've covered! It has it's own incredible atmosphere that I'd love to immerse myself in, especially the outside portions, and the light mechanics and graffiti all tie it together very well. Props to the creator!
I will never understand how videos like this can be cozy but I'm feeling cozy halfway through the video, this map has some really interesting ambient sounds and I like how they constantly change
You know what they say, quality audio is half the horror experience! I've always been of the mindset that good horror ambience should give you a bit of a chill, and make you want to wrap yourself up in a nice warm blanket.
I once had a nightmare where the physical manifestation of Fear appeared. It started as a normal dream, where I was in my parent's home at evening, but I felt there was something wrong. I couldn't place what, but the darkness of the apartment, it felt unfriendly. Like it was sucking the oxygen out of the air. As I investigated, I entered the office room and there was this one corner of the room that seemed darker than it should be. As I stared into it, slowly, silently, it expanded and took form. It became a humanoid shape, but with twin heads. There was nothing particularly macabre about the way it looked, but somehow, staring into its utter darkness, I could tell, somehow - it was Fear itself. I had never felt anything like that. As it finally glided in approach, still silent, I suddenly woke up in a sweating panic. I couldn't sleep well for days after that. There was one night when I was a boy and I was sleeping at my grandmother's house. On a whim, I decided not to sleep through the night. I had this silly notion that if I didn't sleep, I'd be able to witness something interesting late hours at night. So I lay down on the bed, until my grandma was convinced I was asleep, and waited. It was boring as hell. But the hours passed, slowly but surely. My eyes partially adjusted to the dark, and I could see just enough to get a sense of the shapes around me. Over time those shapes started... Changing, in weird ways. I was fully lucid, so I could tell I was sort of hallucinating, and I thought that was funny. Eventually, though, those shadows and shapes started changing into more specific stuff, and from one of the corners, a black cat leaped onto the television. Except it wasn't a black cat, it was a living shadow. It just stayed there for a while, staring at me while I stared back at it. At some point I lost my nerve and closed my eyes, only to feel something land on my tummy. I froze. It stayed there, neither warm nor cold, just weighting on me, and I didn't dare move. It was only when the morning came and my grandma entered the room to wake me up that I opened my eyes, and found it gone. But I never sense the cat leave. Even today I still feel it around sometimes.
@Lulzalex a dream where he met an embodiment of fear and a time where he caused visual and mental hallucinations by staying up late Dont see how you got confused
You're welcome and I'm really glad you enjoyed the map. I knew it was good I just wasn't sure if it was up to your taste. To be honest I didn't expect you were able to squeeze more than an hour worth of content out of this relatively short map so kudos to that lol. About the ending there's another one but it's very similar to the one you saw just a bit more positive. I think the game autosaved for you so you won't have to replay the entire map to re-do the last segment.
what a cool map. really like the concept of the shadow in itself being the enemy, a horror in which its own manifestation is nothingness, as a kind of literal realisation of our fears of the dark (also reminds of a game called lightmatter with this concept of light meaning literal safety) also for what I came up in my head, while the red paint might be the tips of people trying to explore/escape the area, the black paintings would be creations of the darkness, either things it put there to get you (all black texts and arrows at best give basic advice and at worst lead to danger) or also things it absorbed and manipulated into shadow creatures (those insects and lizards, only capable of existing in the shadow and manifest into paintings with the lights on)
Your videos always have this nice little cozy and friendly feeling to them, and my day gets better whenever you upload something new. Keep up the good work! :)
this map really reminds me of the stuff i would see in nightmares - a creepy, liminal hallway with a dark entrance to a dirty, unkept room that i know i have to go into but i also know that it contains horrors beyond my comprehension the map creator nailed that feeling PERFECTLY
What's really spooky is just how often they got it right. Practically outlined my thought process verbatim like, half a dozen times. I think their interpretation only differed from my original intent like, twice tops. The librarian read my map like a book.
The ''growling'' is actually the sound of a antlion guard making noises if you dont believe me just go into garrys mod and spawn the antlion guard and listen closely there you will have the sounds.
This map is simply amazing, and your commentary is so on point all the way through. RU-vid suggested this video to me after watching other essays on Half-Life 2. Glad I've found someone who notices and comments on details in pretty much the same way as my internal monologue goes when I play something. Back to this map, for me it's like an 'Abstract Ravenholm' for the way it made me feel. As I watched you play, I was on edge like the first time I played Ravenholm in HL2. The idea of having to move throughout it with stealth and on tiptoes because something may get you if you turn round the wrong corner. The unease. The intermittent claustrophobia. Only here the zombie horde is the darkness. I immediately subscribed. Keep up the good work! Cheers, -Rick
I was really hoping this map would end with you just coming back to the original room with stalls, opening the previously blocked doors and returning to the room, and then there's like, a bed there now, and you just go to sleep there. No big conclusion, just like, really weird ambiguity and a feeling of calm helplessness. Nothing wrong with the ending it has, though. Also, that section with the Red Stanley Parable Adventure Line in the office cubicle space left a very vivid image in my head with the sound design. Lots of typing, wheezing, and deep coughing. It gave me the impression that at the end there'd be some sort of grossly mutated man typing away at a computer in a cubicle, his flesh overgrown and attaching itself to the walls around him, like he was being forced to work a pointless job forever. Unfortunately there was nothing there but it was still great to picture. Very good video and map!
That was amazing. So good I think I'll download the map even though I've seen your playthrough already. There need to be more horror games like this. I think the gmod "feel" also helps create the liminal space atmosphere. Gmod graphics are comfortable and nostalgic, and therefore offer the perfect set of qualities to distort and twist when used in a liminal horror setting.
As soon as you stepped through the mirror, I knew I had pull this vid up on the TV man. Your Gmod exploration videos are fucking awesome dude keep it up
I always enjoy some genuinely well-made horror maps such as this. With the whole trend of liminal maps, especially in Garry's Mod, more often than not, a lot of them started to become the same, more or less. Glad to see this one was an exception.
This is such a damn cool map. Def. worth a play for anyone whose seen the vid. There are many little details and storytelling through scenery that was missed. Love the fact that its all implied the Combine are investigating the place and the notes and such left behind were left behind by them.
This game/level was a masterclass in atmosphere, tension, and dread... It was so creepy and interesting and exciting to explore. This is one of the coolest maps I've seen! More of this please!!
Not sure if you'll even read this but I just discovered your channel and I *love* your very reflective insight and commentary. Thanks for uploading high quality content :)
Wow this map was really good, I cant believe I didnt see this video when it came out. Great job to Dr. Hammer and everyone involved with this maps creation, and thank you to The Librarian for playing it, I enjoyed watching the video as always. :)
there are big lazards on buildings and houses in a bunch of places at Palmetto FL. I grew up seeing them all the time nice vid btw, am enjoying it so far :)
one of my favourite details right away is the mirror displaying the text in legible left to right manner. not only does it allow you to read it through the mirror, over your shoulder, giving it an eerie feel, but it also gives you that feeling that something isn't quite right, also helped by the symbol in the stall being upside down in the reflection.
Feralis Obscurum? More like "Friggin cool videos that are better than all the rest of 'em." The atmosphere was incredible, and thanks for taking us along on the ride!
Feralis means brutality or cruelty, obscura is hidden or dark. So its something like “dark cruelty” or “unseen brutality”. Edit: after thinking for a while, I believe the true title would be “Cruel Shadows”
So, minute 23:00 and I got a theory on the monsters, lets see if I am correct. The paintings are no paintings but the creatures. But, they cannot move in the light and are just "shadows". Makes the hound and the thing behind one in the start much scarier if correct. Edit: So, I was probably right. The "Grafitti" was no grafitti but the monsters. Only moving in the dark. From how the other characters wrote, I get a feeling that the story was as follows: The serious mention of 682 and the combine makes me think that might have been the SCP foundation of the Half life universe on it, with a MTF in there to contain it. Thats the theorizing and the talk about the anomalies about. But that does not seem to have worked.
This map reminds me of the Doctor Who episode set on a world that was basically the biggest library in the universe. Dark spaces on said planet had a mysterious entity that consumed the flesh of it's victims leaving the bones behind, it somehow managed to control them through the suit even after death however.
I love the implication that this place is a normal city and one day this Zone of Darkness just spawned in the middle of it, and they've been sending expeditions into the Zone to find out what's going on, it has real Annihilation aka The Southern Reach aka Area X vibes!
In real life I have been in an empty abandoned Office building wich gave me that liminal space feeling and this map looks alot like that building. It's crazy to think that just a simple building can give you such a weird feeling.
The way this map is suttle makes this more creepy and the fact were you hear things your brain says "Hey, that noise isn't actually a sound audio." makes you feel all the more scared like the people talking in the void the suttle monster sounding noises from some places inside the map or something different that is intended to scare you. This map is something I could talk about for way too long and I, just want to simplify this a little bit. This deserves more attention of how it does it's job incredibly well! Inside this map you can feel like your being watched, followed even. And for that this map is a true jem in the Liminal Horror type maps. I hope to see much more of Dr. Hammer's maps cause they are, incredibly good! I need to be quite or else I'll make some really long sentence that I do not want to stay on for too long. But in all opinion on this map, it's just... mind blowing!
I got heavy Vashta Nerada vibe whilst viewing this. Just swarms of microscopic creatures which pretend to be shadows and other dark shapes on surfaces in the environment to trick they’re prey. Every time I saw something black on the walls - be it something directing you or some shape or form - I was constantly thinking if they were the doings of a person or if they’re from something else entirely.
Aye, Silence in The Library made quite the impression on me. Probably one of my favorite episodes. Aye, one might ponder if the writing on the walls might not even be paint at all?
I'm sorry but I cannot picture LIbrarian's inner Horror-Movie White-Guy as anything but a soyjack pogging while pointing into the darkness as there are bloodtrails leading into said darkness with violin playing in the background
God damn it, I wanted to use the same mirror trick in my map for Hammer Cup - DeceptionVIlle, that just started. Now if I'll use it, it wont be original... Man what a timing xD
@@DrHammerr It's amazing, I was wondering if there might be an easter egg to that episode somewhere beyond the concept, "Who turned out the lights" will always creep me out after that.
