The Crooked Man- A Franchise is Born

We start off Strange Men Month with the first game in the saga. 

I've spoken before, and in length, about this game, which you can find here: http://vidgameanalysis.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-crooked-man-on-failed-dreams.html 

And the protagonist here: http://vidgameanalysis.blogspot.com/2013/10/top-11-greatest-video-game-heroes.html

Four years ago I gushed about The Crooked Man, how it changed my life and helped me overcome a deep depression. I stand by what I said, and happily declare The Crooked Man one of my all time favorite games. No, I think I'd go so far as to call it one of the most important games I've ever played.

The Crooked Man is a game that deals with depression, and if you'll forgive a sly reference to a long past controversy, does it in a much more respectful and dignified way than Depression Quest ever did. The reason for this is because it imparts the audience with a very important message: your feelings are VALID. Your sorrow is not a weakness to be overcome, not everyone lives out their dreams, and sometimes shit happens. 

The game doesn't look down on David Hoover for being sad; in fact, the game validates Hoover's sorrow rather bluntly. The guy's mom is gravely ill and suffering dementia, a difficult situation that would test anybody. Add in a failed romance PLUS a failed dream, and you've got a guy who's pretty relatable. I mean, who hasn't had to lick their wounds from a failed relationship? Who hasn't suffered disappointments in their life?

The great thing about the game isn't that David recovers, but that he does so in a way that is both admirable as well as enviable: he accepts his limitations. Mom dying? "There's nothing I can do about it, I'll just love her with all my might while she's still with me." Failed dream? "Nothing I can do about it, but I'm still alive; I'll just find something I can enjoy." Failed relationship? "Of course I still love her, but I have to keep on living my life."

The Crooked Man is a game that shows the power of emotional strength: mainly, that it's limited for EVERYBODY. Nobody is invincible, we all have our damage, and there's always going to be that breaking point that pushes you to the edge. Once there, what will you do?

Actually, no, stop right there. The game makes it clear: NOBODY is invincible. We can't carry that weight forever, certainly not alone. We need LOVED ONES to help us in life, people who stand beside us through thick and thin. People we can call our rocks, who we can depend on for support. We will see this theme present itself throughout the entire Strange Men series, always bluntly, always "in-your-face."

And it'll always work in the game's favor.

This is because The Strange Men series is precisely about Emotional Damage. We'll be talking more in depth about how each entry in the series speaks about Emotional Damage, the Importance of Family, as well as whatever themes each game introduces individually. I hope you'll be joining me this December, for it is Strange Men Month!