It may seem unusual to apologize for how long it took to get this video out. After all, it’s only April and I’ve already released three videos this year. The last time I even released three videos in a year total was 2019. My track-record since December has generally been pretty good, and has the potential to be my best ever.

While I am glad to have maintained a positive rate of video production thus far, the Evil West analysis would have been available earlier were it not for an unfortunate case of strep throat, the sudden onslaught of depression for about a week or two, and the frustratingly timed food poisoning I suffered. Regardless of these setbacks, the greatest trial was having to edit footage for a game’s combat analysis for the first time since last year’s Darksiders critique. Such editing is a bitterly tiresome, time-consuming task, often requiring lengthy stretches of scrubbing different video clips for the particular instances of gameplay I need. The most common feedback I get regarding this struggle is to simply write down when these things happen, yet the intensity of the moment prevents me from writing down or making note of such specific mechanics. Simultaneously, I do not always know what specific moments I’ll need until I’m far into the game, or on one of my drafts of the script.

Honestly, I cannot say I am entirely satisfied with this video, but that is nothing new. It has been a year since I last completed an analysis of this sort, and even that was after being rusty for some time. Really, however, it was a matter of “rushing” the script at points, something I hope not to do with the next project.

Speaking of, I do not know how long the wait for the next deep dive will be. The script writing process has proven a challenge, but a welcome one. I plan to have an interim video, a bit of an experiment that won’t require any video game capture, but certainly will require video editing. I hope to release that video by mid-May, and for the next deep-dive to be posted some time in June.

Before I leave you, though, I wanted to share a few more thoughts on Evil West that could not fit into the video.

For some reason I didn’t really notice it during my three whole playthroughs of the game, but whoever directed/storyboarded the cut-scenes was a really big fan of extreme close-ups. Granted, I in part have started to notice this sort of thing more frequently after becoming an avid watcher of MovieWise. It seems that film direction began to rely less on skillful blocking during the 90’s, and now that I’m armed with this knowledge I’ve started to find more recent films distracting in how frequently they edit and cut, focus on just a singular character, and refrain from wide shots where the actors are free to explore the set and interact with it. On the other hand, the more older films I watch the more I notice and appreciate this style of film-making, particularly as it keeps the viewer far more invested in the conversation and moment.

However, Evil West takes it to a whole new level. It’s not just that closing cut-scene to the first level where Chester Morgan gets burned in the sun, the camera zooming in on the strangest things; the most disconnected set of sequential images that you can infer the connection easily enough, but it still feels jarring and confusing to see. Several shots focus on extreme close-ups of character faces, almost as if the developers wanted to show off their graphical models and technology. You can see every pore and hair stubble on Jesse Rentier’s face!

It ultimately does the game a disservice. Outside of God of War (2018) and God of War: Ragnarok, however, I’m not even sure which Sony first-party games demonstrate more than a general competence in the art of shot composition. It just doesn’t seem to be a skill in most video game cut-scenes, but then again, the player’s attention is often preoccupied with so much information or questions that there’s not as much brain power to focus on cinematic direction.

The problem with “wanting to look cinematic”, I suppose, is the common point of reference tends to be modern film, and even then, it is more interested in the bombastic spectacle than the simple yet meaningful moments.

Perhaps I’ll begin paying attention to cut-scenes more intently. After all, it’s an area that few critics are anal retentive about. Sounds like a good niche to fill!

With regards to writing, however, I wanted to spend a bit more time script-doctoring Bloom and his interactions with Jesse. I really do feel Bloom was a missed opportunity, and the examples of replacement dialogue I came up with for the video weren’t satisfying. They made Bloom seem too verbose, and while I think it would be fitting under certain circumstances, I also believe there is too great a reliance these days for characters to say too much.

To that end, I feel I can do a better job with the scene where Bloom approaches Jesse about the Tick outbreak in the basement due to his experimentations. So, please enjoy this brief snippet of script doctoring to a different type of Bloom, one that is more fitting for the background the character was given in the game’s lore.

BLOOM: Pardon me Agent Rentier, but we have a situation.

JESSE: Sorry, Bloom, I’m kind of in the middle of something.

BLOOM: I believe this matter to be most urgent. There is an outbreak of infected—“ticks”—in the basement.

JESSE: There’s a what?! How the Hell did that happen?

BLOOM: They were necessary for an experiment and I err’d in my calculations. Now, if you would please-

JESSE (approaching Bloom aggressively): Bloom, I swear to God I’m gonna-

BLOOM does not shirk, nor does he respond. He merely raises an eyebrow in curious confusion at Jesse’s attempt to intimidate rather than addressing the current situation. Vergil steps in and speaks in the annoying way that he does, offering the opportunity to experiment with the gauntlet repair.

The contrast of the very straight-forward, action-oriented Jesse Rentier against a variety of intellectual, academically strong characters such as Bloom, Vergil, and Amelia is not a bad one. However, the best ensembles in fiction are those that are varied in personality and therefore draw out a different brand of interaction and conflict from one another. For example, Amelia is intelligent, but she is not socially inept or awkward. Her conflict with Jesse has more to do with hierarchies and rigid authority figures that do not like being questioned. The conflicts between Vergil and Jesse are intended to be a comedic clash of personality types rather than anything dramatic.

I fear I might have overexaggerated Bloom’s eccentricities matching Vergil’s, but the fact remains that the two are just too similar to one another. By reinterpreting Bloom to better take his history of isolation into account, the conflict between him and Jesse can instead stem from Bloom’s ignorance of social etiquette and inability to understand another’s thoughts or body language. This could lead to Jesse feeling as if he is constantly looked down upon and treated like an idiot, only for the two to resolve their conflict when Bloom opens up to the agent regarding his respect for the man’s strength, combat prowess, and battle-hardened experience. He would perceive their relationship as complementary to one another, each strengthening one another’s knowledge to further advance the fight against the darkness. Yet Bloom could also apologize and confess to his limitations in understanding how others think. Unlike a book, after all, a human’s thoughts are not written out plainly. Not in words, at least, which is the only connection to another’s mind that Bloom has had for most of his life.

Such a relationship, I think, could have been very enjoyable. Now, towards the end of the game it does seem as if Bloom is developing in his own direction, but it’s sort of a background element or consideration. Additionally, I could not discuss it without also going into a greater narrative spoiler I was seeking to avoid.

That said, it’s not like Evil West is a film or television show. It doesn’t have enough time to characterize everyone and their relationship. Even so, as he is, it feels like Bloom ought to have been removed and any plot importance split between Amelia Caldwell and Vergil. Even if a full character arc between he and Jesse wouldn’t have enough space in this game with my reinterpretation, it at least would have served additional purpose and variety in regards to his personality and the interactions had with Jesse.

That concludes my thoughts on Evil West. I’m honestly interested in taking another trip on the highest difficulty. Perhaps I’ll try streaming it in the future. I hope this video helps others discover and enjoy the game as well.