MORE STRICTLY GAMING

REVIEW FROM A LIFELONG FAN

HALO IS BACK, BABY... but is it any good?

Find out what Max thinks about the long awaited release of Halo's latest instalment.

UNDISCOVERED SECRETS - FINAL FANTASY VII

Max finally did what every gamer should do at least once in their life: play Final Fantasy 7.

This game is phenomenal in every way. It's remarkable how well it holds up after almost 25 years.

Whether it's the music, the world-building, the characters, it's all fantastic. Out of the three FF games he's played so far, Max thinks that this instalment is his favorite, but only ever so slightly.

What makes Max prefer it over FFIX and FFX is the lore, because of the three, it seems to contain the most secrets.

Check it out and see if you agree!

Max brings you - SIREN

Siren - An Underrated Gem from the Creator of Silent Hill

Why Outlast is More Terrifying Than We Thought
Max played the Outlast games a while ago, but for some reason he wasn't motivated to do a video on them until now.

Max admits that he isn't a fan of Outlast's style of gameplay:

walking around without the ability to defend yourself, and
puzzles that exist are really simple.

Even when it's in games that Max overall really enjoys such as SOMA, and Observer, he still doesn't like THAT style.

For Max, there has to be a story to justify that type of gameplay, and for a while, he didn't see anything in regards to Outlast's story that appealed to him. But then, a patron pointed out something to Max, and his opinion did a 180!

The Matrix: Path of Neo Had a Weirdly Profound Moment

Do you remember the Matrix games? Have you tried playing them recently? Max did, and they weren't as incredible as we might've remembered them to be.

However, there is an incredible moment at the end of The Matrix: Path of Neo... one that many who played the game might not recall. Upon encountering this moment again, Max was reminded of just how incredible the Matrix series is, and his hype for The Matrix: Resurrections has skyrocketed.

The Secret to Becoming a God in Serial Experiments Lain

Max always had this theory about the collective unconscious and that it could be realized through the net. What didn't occur to him however, was how that might help elevate us to gods. Serial Experiments Lain taught Max how one might do that... and it's brilliant!

Check it out now!

Silent Hill Mythology

Watch it again - Silent Hill Mythology - Who Pyramid Head Is

There are many theories about who Pyramid Head is, most of which are backed up with evidence and logic. As for Max's theory, interestingly enough, it actually validates all other theories that came before. How does that make sense?

Watch on and find out!

September 2021 releases

DARK SOULS - WHO VELKA REALLY IS

Trying to give a canonical explanation for Velka is like trying to give a canonical explanation for a David Lynch movie. Nonetheless, Max gives it a shot; Is he up for the challenge?

HOTLINE MIAMI

EXCELLENT GAME. Excellent gameplay, excellent music (instantly in Max's top 10 OSTs of all time), and a surprisingly excellent story as well! He also absolutely loves the character of Richard, and the concept he represents.

September 2021 releases

Final Fantasy IX

The Unparalleled Secrets of Final Fantasy IX

Max wanted to talk about the mythology of FF9 a couple of months ago, when he did his first video on FF9. He made the decision not to because it would have conflicted with the core focus of that other video, which was existentialism. There is so much sophistication to Final Fantasy lore... and he's kicking himself for not bearing witness to it earlier in his life.

Max can't wait to see what the next few games have in store for now!

PATHOLOGIC 2

The Unparalleled Brilliance of Pathologic 2's Mythology

This is easily the hardest game that Max has ever played. In fact, it's so hard, that 90% of people haven't finished it. That said, is it so hard that that developers need to make it easy? Absolutely not. If they did that, it would violate this game's core message... and it's one of the greatest messages I have ever witnessed in a game.

DARK SOULS - WHO VELKA REALLY IS

Trying to give a canonical explanation for Velka is like trying to give a canonical explanation for a David Lynch movie. Nonetheless, Max gives it a shot; Is he up for the challenge?

HOTLINE MIAMI

The Hidden Secrets of Dark Souls

The Hidden Secrets of Dark Souls - Alchemy and the Ancient Dragons

Max finally played Dark Souls 2 and it confirms everything he said up until this point. It also explains why the Bed of Chaos or Aldia can be comprised of sticks and branches while continuously being on fire yet never turning to ash.

*HINT* think alchemy and the ancient dragons.

Bloober Team Officially Partners With Konami

A few days ago, Max did a video talking about the "Abandoned = Silent Hill" conspiracy. While he thinks most of what was said in that video was correct, one thing he admits he got "wonderfully" wrong is that Konami would never partner with other studios to develop more Silent Hill games.

Max woke to news that Bloober Team is partnering with Konami to develop games on pre-existing IPs, and we all know what that means...

Is Abandoned Actually Silent Hill?

Max is known primarily for his Silent Hill analysis, so here he shares his quick thoughts on this...

Legacy of Kain

Finally!!!! Max has a video on the Legacy of Kain. What magnificent writing these games have. It's an absolute shame that these games have been lost in time. Max hopes that this video helps to keep its brilliance alive, even if only in a small part. Can a coin land on its edge?

The Last of Us - Part 2

"Why I Never Talked About The Last of Us Part 2"

The Last of Us Part 2 has officially been out for more than a year. Max originally announced that he was going to do a video on the game, but hasn't until now.

He explains why he initially decided against making a video, and why he has since changed his mind.

Silent Hill Mythology

Max analyses Silent Hill - Mythology -The Tarot Cards

Is Persona Accurate?

Well, Max finally did it. After more than 3 years of frequent recommendations, Max finally had the opportunity to play; specifically Persona 4 and 5.

He has MANY thoughts to share; so many in fact that he will need to do a series of videos that will likely span the next couple of years because there's a lot to delve into.

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SENSE - A METAL GEAR SOLID 4 RETROSPECTIVE

Hideo Kojima, the creator of Metal Gear Solid, has said that there is a single word... a single theme that can summarize each mainline game in the Metal Gear Solid saga. With that, Max decided to look at each game in the series exclusively through the lens of their respective theme. The latest will find us looking at the single word/theme that summarizes Metal Gear Solid 4. That word is "sense".

Did H. Kojima's Writing Partner Make Metal Gear Solid Great?

Did Hideo Kojima's Writing Partner Make Metal Gear Solid Great?!

If you're a hardcore Metal Gear Solid fan like Max, you're probably familiar with the

Fukushima theory.

Tomokazu Fukushima was Hideo Kojima's writing partner for the first three games in the saga. In regards to Metal Gear Solid 4 and 5, people noticed a dip in story quality.

Those who ascribe to the Fukushima theory, believe that the dip in quality was due to Fukushima's absence. Is that true? Let's find out.

Strictly Gaming

New This Week

Shadow of the Colossus

The Undiscovered Secrets of Final Fantasy X

Max recently finished playing Final Fantasy for the first time, beginning with FFX, and he looks forward to the series’ other instalments. FF6, 7, 8, and 9 are among those highly recommended by fans.

If they have the same amount of underlying religious and psychological symbolism, then we are certain you are in for some serious treats in the near future. Max had so much fun investigating and reviewing FFX and hopes that you enjoyed some of the secrets he might've uncovered about the game’s influences.

Watch Now

Shadow of the Colossus

Shadow of the Colossus - NEW SECRETS REVEALED 2021

A very early demo version of Shadow of the Colossus was recently uncovered. This demo was given to E3 2005. Special thanks to Hidden Palace for giving this version of the game to the data-miners! People have been digging into the code to see if they could find anything interesting. Turns out... there's a lot in this demo that we didn't know about before.

Take Me There

#PROJECTMINECRAFT

Shadow of the Colossus

#PROJECTMINECRAFT

#PROJECTMINECRAFT
From Max's Desk:
"I've always wanted to do some sort of project with my community; something that centered around mental health and autism. With it being "World Autism Awareness Month", I figured now would be the best time to release something in that vein. What you will see in this video are Minecraft creations made by my community. They are done exclusively by those who either have some form of mental illness, autism, or both. I wanted to give these people the opportunity to not only show off their skills, but also tell the world the one thing they wish the world knew about what it's truly like to have mental illness and/or autism."

Check it Out

March Release

Silent Hill Mythology

#PROJECTMINECRAFT

Bloodborne and the Arch Trees

The FromSoftware games are an interweaving and reinterpretation of all the great religions of the world. I think if we understand what religions/myths/stories influenced which characters, locations, and stories... we can unlock the hidden secrets of the Dark Souls universe. Here's my first offering.

Take Me There

Silent Hill Mythology

Silent Hill Mythology - Who Wrote the Messages?

Check out the latest instalment for the Silent Hill Mythology Analysis series.

What's New?

Silent Hill Mythology

#ProjectMinecraft

For Minecraft Fans! We hear you!

While the current entry period has ended and the finished product is here, there is a possibility that this may become a regular series.

We want to hear from You

Top 10 Most Profound

Top 10 Most Profound Video Games

The primary mission of my channel is to promote the academic value of video games (plus promoting mental health). Ever since 2017, I have been investigating video games that I believe are so profound that they merit academic consideration. Of all the games I have gone through, I believe these are the Top 10.

Little Nightmares

Top 10 Most Profound

Little Nightmares 2

The first Little Nightmares was such a treasure. What do you think of the analysis for the latest?

NieR: Automata

Top 10 Most Profound

Enjoy some of the Metal Gear Solid Series

NieR: Automata - Pascal's Wager - What Would YOU Do?

Enjoy some of the Metal Gear Solid Series

or if you're in the mood for some Silent Hill...

Enjoy some of the Metal Gear Solid Series

Can't get enough of Metal Gear Solid?

If you are like Max and can't get enough of his favourite game, check out the Streaming Playlist here.

or if you're in the mood for some Silent Hill...

In the mood for some more Silent Hill Analysis? Max investigates the Silent Hill franchise and finds unnoticed references to psychoanalysis, alchemy, religious tradition and more.

Sometimes there IS more to a game.

Things To Know

What's New?

#ProjectMinecraft

For Minecraft Fans! We hear you!

While the current entry period has ended and the finished product is here, there is a possibility that this may become a regular series.

We want to hear from you!

Reviews

What's New?

"That music, years later, still, gives me chills down the spine."

"I played the first 5 games in the franchise and the more I watch contradicting YouTube videos the more I think I know nothing about the series."

"The music of silent hill is so freaking relaxing. Especially on a rainy day."

Submit Your Ideas for Reviews

We want to hear from you

Submit Your Ideas for Reviews

Have your say in what Max covers; He reviews and considers all suggestions.

FAQS

Submit Your Ideas for Reviews

Under Construction

#PROJECTMINECRAFT

CHECK IT OUT NOW

#ProjectMinecraft is here!!!

Members of the global community share some of the things they want us to know about life with ASD, ADHD, or a form of mental illness such as anxiety, depression, SAD, etc.

What you will see here with #ProjectMinecraft are creations made by community members. They are done exclusively by those who either have some form of mental illness, autism, or both.

We know you will enjoy this just like we did!

"You Deserve to be Happy" ~Max Derrat

MORE STRICTLY GAMING

REVIEW FROM A LIFELONG FAN

UNDISCOVERED SECRETS - FINAL FANTASY VII

Max brings you - SIREN

The Matrix: Path of Neo Had a Weirdly Profound Moment

The Secret to Becoming a God in Serial Experiments Lain

Silent Hill Mythology

September 2021 releases

DARK SOULS - WHO VELKA REALLY IS

HOTLINE MIAMI

September 2021 releases

Final Fantasy IX

PATHOLOGIC 2

DARK SOULS - WHO VELKA REALLY IS

HOTLINE MIAMI

SUMMER 2021 Instalments from Max

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The Hidden Secrets of Dark Souls

Bloober Team Officially Partners With Konami

Is Abandoned Actually Silent Hill?

Legacy of Kain

The Last of Us - Part 2

Silent Hill Mythology

Is Persona Accurate?

******************************

Did H. Kojima's Writing Partner Make Metal Gear Solid Great?

Strictly Gaming

New This Week

Shadow of the Colossus

Shadow of the Colossus

Shadow of the Colossus

Shadow of the Colossus

Shadow of the Colossus

#PROJECTMINECRAFT

Shadow of the Colossus

#PROJECTMINECRAFT

March Release

Silent Hill Mythology

#PROJECTMINECRAFT

Silent Hill Mythology

Silent Hill Mythology

Silent Hill Mythology

What's New?

Silent Hill Mythology

Silent Hill Mythology

Top 10 Most Profound

Top 10 Most Profound

Top 10 Most Profound

Little Nightmares

Top 10 Most Profound

Top 10 Most Profound

NieR: Automata

Top 10 Most Profound

Enjoy some of the Metal Gear Solid Series

Enjoy some of the Metal Gear Solid Series

or if you're in the mood for some Silent Hill...

Enjoy some of the Metal Gear Solid Series

or if you're in the mood for some Silent Hill...

or if you're in the mood for some Silent Hill...

or if you're in the mood for some Silent Hill...

Things To Know

What's New?

What's New?

What's New?

Reviews

What's New?

What's New?

Submit Your Ideas for Reviews

Submit Your Ideas for Reviews

Submit Your Ideas for Reviews

FAQS

Submit Your Ideas for Reviews

Submit Your Ideas for Reviews

#PROJECTMINECRAFT

#ProjectMinecraft is here!!!

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