Hypnospace Outlaw

[WhiteFelineWonder]

I've seen so many videos talking about Hypnospace Outlaw and the parallels that this has with the old and early internet, and the eventual buildup that the game has. I love how colorful the game is with its rich palette and cozy, nostalgic feeling. In fact this very game is what made me start making my own site in the first place.
I had a few mockups of some fictional OS screenshot made with paint.net years ago, and that helped with providing fuel for what I eventually would make on Neocities; WonderNet, which was a fictional hub kind of like Newgrounds, but with all my OCs instead as its userbase. Huge Hypnospace Outlaw vibes from there.
Nowadays it's not here in its original state since I switched over to Nekoweb but I have plenty of archives of it saved.
The soundtrack of the game, it's another aspect I adore. Icy Girl, Millennium Anthem, Against the Wall, Eulogy, Hot Butter Ice Cream, The Chowder Man, so many good tracks.

Spoiler

Whenever I listen to Millennium Anthem, I just can't help but sing along as well as simultaneously start bawling my eyes out. Catchy tunes, deep message, somber ending and I can just visualize the entirety of Hypnospace just being flushed away like it was shoved into a toilet by someone with the way it ends. Such a beautiful song. Had it not been for this I dunno where else I would be, nor have I would really enjoy a renaissance of an era long past.

[close]

I definitely need to play this a lot more, first playthrough of it there is SO MUCH that I slept on. 12 out of 10 CDs, can't wait for its sequel. Glad to see Zane is doing well for himself.

[candycanearter07]

Coming back to reminisce on Hypnospace Outlaw feels extra nostalgic now, following the death of its sequel (Dreamsettler)... This game really was special, the world felt real and all the people were so well written that not being able to see more will forever sting. Not that it diminishes the original, it still stands well on its own, but... now it will possibly forever be a one-off, which SUCKS. I get why the game was cancelled, burnout sucks, but yeah.

[BlazingCobaltX]

Man I didn't even know there was a sequel in the works. I only recently played this game and it truly was an experience. Granted, I think my joy was augmented by being familiar with the indie web and being able to recognise so many things. As someone who hasn't experienced the era of Geocities, Neocities and its offshoots are frankly my only reference for this.

This type of environmental storytelling was so unique, and somehow they were able to blend an interesting story within the structural limitations they had imposed on the world. I think having the Switch version be touch screen sensitive made the game even more enjoyable to me, as I felt incentivised to click on everything. I feel like you could make a snapshot of certain indie web communities and make a game like this around it - that's how lived in the world of Hypnospace Outlaw felt. Also the puzzle elements to get into certain communities???? Amazing.

About that ending, though...

Spoiler

Is it implied that Dylan fried his own brain? Not what I expected.

[close]

[candycanearter07]

Man I didn't even know there was a sequel in the works. I only recently played this game and it truly was an experience. Granted, I think my joy was augmented by being familiar with the indie web and being able to recognise so many things. As someone who hasn't experienced the era of Geocities, Neocities and its offshoots are frankly my only reference for this.

This type of environmental storytelling was so unique, and somehow they were able to blend an interesting story within the structural limitations they had imposed on the world. I think having the Switch version be touch screen sensitive made the game even more enjoyable to me, as I felt incentivised to click on everything. I feel like you could make a snapshot of certain indie web communities and make a game like this around it - that's how lived in the world of Hypnospace Outlaw felt. Also the puzzle elements to get into certain communities???? Amazing.

About that ending, though...

Spoiler

Is it implied that Dylan fried his own brain? Not what I expected.

[close]

I was subbed to their patreon for it, so it really stung seeing it cancelled.

I agree about it being a unique experience. Even with the limited scope of the game, it really feels like a bunch of people interacting with the world around them and commenting about it on their own little pages. People being experimental, growing over time. Everyone is so likeable, or if they're not a good person, they're at least sympathetic (excluding Gill Sanders). It really was magical, and one of the few games I have to kind of remind myself isn't real.

Also, about the ending

Spoiler

no, i'm pretty sure they just turned themself in. the only people who died were the 3-5 people from the initial incident

[close]

[GhostGrrl]

Coming back to reminisce on Hypnospace Outlaw feels extra nostalgic now, following the death of its sequel (Dreamsettler)... This game really was special, the world felt real and all the people were so well written that not being able to see more will forever sting. Not that it diminishes the original, it still stands well on its own, but... now it will possibly forever be a one-off, which SUCKS. I get why the game was cancelled, burnout sucks, but yeah.

This is the first project cancellation that i've really been sad about. It's a major bummer. :(