PART FUCK THIS GAME: HARROWED HALEY
Remember, Harrowed Haley? The tormented, barely-cognizant wretch trapped in Professor Orange's lab, driven insane by pain and hallucinatory terrors? Well, in addition to BuddhaJesus and the rest of the gang, Harrowed Haley is there too! And they're lucid again! And while every character showers you with effusive praise and gratitude, it's Harrowed Haley who is the most thankful of them all.
See, Harrowed Haley explains that their existence was "a world of terror," endless pain and suffering and delusion and nightmare, kept perpetually drugged by Professor Orange to prevent them from escaping. Their mind broken, their body wretched, for years and decades and beyond. And while they're happy it's over, they feel regret, because... well, here, I'll let Haley say it in their own words:
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What you did to Haley was kill them.
That is how you "freed" them.
And Haley regrets not "freeing" themself.
Haley regrets not having the courage to take matters into their own hands.
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Haley lacked the courage to take their life with their own hands.
Haley lacked the courage to commit suicide.
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What can someone even say to that? What words can condemn that message harshly enough?
Now. Look. I understand that death is meant as a metaphor here. I understand the Everhood devs did not sit down and decide they were going to write a pro-suicide message as the capstone for their game.
But that is what they wrote.
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WHAT THE FUCK, EVERHOOD
NO REALLY, WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK
In a better game, one that consistently leads you to understand that "death" is not literal death, but is instead the feeling of death that can accompany trying to break out of an abusive cycle and into a new existence, this could have maybe worked. I get it. I've been in a situation that was killing me, and I can attest that the feeling of leaving that situation felt like both suicide and murder in turn. I am sympathetic to that metaphor. I would gladly, happily see that metaphor portrayed in a competent script, written by someone who understood it.
But it does not work in Everhood. It especially doesn't work when the devs can't help but throw some victim blaming on top of it. Never mind that Haley was mentally broken and perpetually drugged, they still regret not having the "courage" to do the right thing and kill themself. It is always the abuse victim's fault for staying in the situation, the devs seem to be saying.
Everhood has a victim blaming problem, and it's not subtle.
Everhood's metaphor does not fucking work. You cannot force someone to escape an abusive cycle, as you have to with Haley; you have to help them see their circumstances and want to leave. And it certainly doesn't help that Pink's "Kill Everyone Because They're Craaaazy" situation muddies those metaphorical waters beyond any hope of salvage!!
To put it bluntly, the conclusion to Harrowed Haley's story is the worst thing I have ever experienced in a video game.
The second worst thing I have ever experienced is also in Everhood, because these fuckers did it twice
THANKS EVERHOOD!!!! GREAT MESSAGE!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, not content with merely talking up how great and brave suicide is once, the Everhood devs decided they needed to do it twice
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I shouldn't have to say this, but: Please, please, please do not refer to suicide of someone in pain as an act of bravery in your video game. Please do not portray choosing trying to live as an act of cowardice. I don't think that's a controversial take. I don't think that's a big ask.
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And especially don't do it twice.
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AND ESPECIALLY DON'T DO IT THREE TIMES
THAT'S IT! ESSAY OVER! I'M DONE!
So those are my problems with Everhood!! I hope they make sense!!
Again, I don't want to dilute anyone else's experience with the game if they got a positive message from it. I can see how someone could take something positive away from it. But... well, if you don't see the problem with what I've highlighted, I don't know what else there is to say.
And you know what? I'm planning on playing the sequel. I need to know what they do differently next time. If they write the whole script with forethought about what they want their script to say, it could be great. If they set out to write and revise and re-revise their script so that the epic beats they want to hit are earned, they might really have something. I'm praying that will be the case, but either way, I need to see for myself whether they're going to learn from their mistakes or double-down on them.
I just hope they don't tread on anyone's religion without doing even the most basic research again. DON'T!! DO!! THAT!! Just don't!
AND DON'T CALL ANYONE A COWARD FOR NOT COMMITTING SUICIDE!!
DON'T TELL PEOPLE THAT SUICIDE IS RELIEF AND THAT DEATH IS THE ANSWER!!!!!!!
I KNOW I ALREADY SAID THIS BUT FOR FUCK'S SAKE!!!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!