WHITE KNUCKLE IN REVERSE | Idols of Ash

Hello everybody, my name is Markiplier and welcome to Idols of Ash. What has been described as White Knuckle in reverse, given the hands. So, you're climbing down, instead of climbing up. How do you climb down? I don't know.

We're gonna find out. Inspect.

A long journey, a sleepless night. All that matters now is finding it and seeing her. Find it, see her! My mission has never been clearer. I'm guessing I was supposed to go into the cave. Wait, was there a cave there? Am I crazy or did I have an illusion of a cave there? I really thought that that was an inn. Like this went in. My brain's breaking.

Also, this looks like a halo map. Jump, sprint, you got it. In the top left there's some kind of spider and spiral thing. I don't know if I imagined it's a health... nope. Throw grapple claw. That's what it is. So the top left spider thing is a grapple claw That's what it is so the top left spider thing is a grapple claw so I have to hold it Okay

Shift

Wait, how do they work? So I can kind of shift and Do it but what did space do? Space just kind of jumps and climbs. Oh, I made it! I don't know if I was supposed to made it, but I made it. Oh wow, that is an invisible wall.

Boo!

Wait, there's nothing left for me out there anymore.

Okay.

Oh!

There's fall damage! That's good to know!

I just need to get to the bottom of this place.

Oh!

Ho ho ho!

Okay, alright.

Now that I know that there's fall damage, unlike...

some climbing games

So I just Slide down rope I see. Oh This gonna hurt Nah, okay

All right, well easy is that it does have the aesthetics Although everything is is so pixelated It's kind of hard to differentiate what's in front of-

RUH!

Okay, we're fine.

What's in front and what's below? Is that blood? It's kind of reddish. Control to slide down. Okay. What is this? Breathe in ashes. The game name was

Idols of Ash, so I don't see why I wouldn't breathe in the ashes. You breathe in the ancient ashes. Great! You've got super cancer! You've got ancient cancer. The musty scent of stale air is replaced with

pine and morning dew. That's nice. You can almost see the faint outline of your village stirring, awake. You remember. It was the day you left for this place. You don't want to remember this. It serves no purpose to you now. These ashes will remember you. Oh!

Okay, well that's nice. I'm assuming these kind of holographic things are the memories of the ashes coming to the forefront or something like that. Did that catch? Oh, caught over there. Okay, so... path further in I can barely hear anything there's a path further in here okay oh my well it's definitely got the megalophobia feel I gotta remember I need to keep holding the mouse button or else it's not gonna it's gonna be bad for me

what in the random minecraft cave noises was that? I'm gonna go over to though can I can I like swing oh I can I can totally swing I can absolutely swing oh shit okay don't jump and do that at the same time I wonder if I'm never gonna be able to heal okay this is. I almost wish- oh, right-click is zoom? I don't know if that's exactly what I want, but I guess when you're navigating it's gonna help. Is there any reason to like, try to climb up a space? I doubt it. Unless there's a way to heal it I'm not aware of. Ooh. Z that fog or is that a ghostly screaming face?

It's gone now. Kinda. Hmm. Okay, I see a light down there. That's probably... It's definitely a good sign. Can this reach the middle...? Damn.

Oh, come on. Come on now. Nice. Okay.

Oh! Ow, ow!

Ow, my head!

I did not mean to swing myself into that like that. Okay, I thought I saw a light down there not that far down I thought it was I thought there was one slightly less far down Hmm I see an ashes thing there. I Think there's a light over there. I'm just not a hundred percent sure if there's actually a way to get to there damn

Hmm I could like make a sprinting jump leap for it and do it super skill mode a way to get to there. Damn. Hmm.

I could like make a sprinting jump leap for it, and do it super skill mode. Oh, it didn't jump! It didn't jump! Oh my god! Yeah. Yeah, heartbeat's going.

You know what, I'm gonna climb up this. Yeah, that was definitely a heartbeat moment. The game's right.

What in the hell is that?

The fuck is that?

What the fuck is that? What the fuck is that?

Oh my god, oh, oh, holy shit, dude, oh fuck, oh god! Catch me! Oh

Breathing these whoo. All right, they have to fucking

Okay, all right that was something

Okay, if this is like reverse white knuckle, then there's definitely gonna be mechanics. Oh shit.

Grab it.

Okay.

There's gonna be mechanics that are like the ooze. See, this is very nice, but it's like, yeah, I just want a different button to go to. Cause there's like two buttons to climb up. Why can't space be climb up, shift be climb down? I don't know what that was, but yeah, the ooze functions as like a A ticking time bomb right? You have to move fast enough

to To be able to Get progress continually, okay, it's kind of like a It's like a little slip and slide, but can I grab that? Uh, maybe not. Okay, so

I can't grab that. But I bet I could grab it on the flat side there.

...

Maybe not.

Is that what the

cave noises I was hearing earlier was? Okay. Oh shit. Okay, hold on, I need to just slip and slide. Not too far.

Oh!

Oh!

Okay.

Oh god, I see it! Okay, there it is.

What...

...in the fuck?

Oh god- Oh my god! Oh my-

Oh, it's coming- Uh- Uh, you can't get me right? But there's no way to oh shit. I got no choice. I'm gonna try to slide Swing swing

Chuck it get it. Oh, come on. Oh my god. I got something. took it! Get it! Oh, come on!

Oh my god, I got something.

Holy shit, I got something.

Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my-

Oh!

Oh my god, I got something.

Oh! Ah!

Ah!

Ha ha!

Yeah!

Alright, that's- that's me, baby. That's what I do. I'm the I've got it all under control here everything. There's a fire over here. That's probably good, right? Everybody knows fires good Okay, that's a good sound. What's the fire about fire? Good fire good Latest ember rekindled some vitality health shit. The ashes are over there Where's that thing? Oh god, it's right there. Okay.

How do I get over to the middle? Ah! Eh! Okay. It's a procedural all the way over from this way. Okay, so I just gotta go back up a bit. Okay. Oh frick. Oh frick.

Okay, it's over there. Good. I'm chasing it around a different way.

Fuck.

Okay, I can jump over here Oh make it oh fuck I got it yeah I had it

oh I'm definitely not gonna make it oh my god oh did. Ha! Ah! Oh! Did it make it?

Holy shit!

It's super rapid, but that's okay. Where is it?

Where is it?

AHHHHHHHHH!

CATCH MEEEEEE!

Why is no one catching me when I scream? You'd think that someone would be catching me when I was screaming like that. I don't know why no one would be catching me. Do people not want to help me? Do I not seem like the type- Oh, fuck.

Catch me!

Oh!

I'm the greatest. I'm going a different path from the way I went. I don't know what that's going to do in terms of where it's going to put me. Oh man, fucking great. What are these, by the way?

Why does that one look like a flopped over humanoid now that I'm looking at them. They're all humanoids some kind of burial thing maybe Okay Careful now

All right. Oh

I hear you Why do I hear you? Okay, so I got to go that way how where why when to whom okay this will be easy oh what why oh fuck oh my god I'm the greatest that was definitely not pure luck I am actually amazing oh my god I'm amazing okay so I'm not very far oh fuck oh my god I keep doing that where it's like not jumping oh come on oh fuck that

sounds really close that sounds way too close for oh my god oh it's right there holy shit I know I thought that didn't work oh fuck shit oh yeah I gotta I have to oh oh oh oh my god I gotta make this oh my fucking god oh my god oh get fucked dude oh my god that was the greatest thing I've ever done I'll never be able to replicate it. Oh, what are you gonna? Do what do you oh shit? There's a bridge. Oh, that's not good Okay, I don't know where it is, but I might be in trouble cuz I don't think I can get up Don't get up. Oh

Keep jump without jumping Fuck oh fuck no come on what what you do? Oh, fuck it, fuck it, fuck it! We're going with that! We're doing it live! Uh, no, down. I was going up. By instinct. By my instincts-tinct. Ow. It's okay. I can take it. I'm real tough.

I'm a real tough cookie. Oh, pfft. Alright.

Ow! It's fine. I'm a real tough cookie. Shit. Man, that thing's after me

Okay, come on swing a little bit

Okay, good That's good. That's good. That's good. That's good. How do I get down? How do I get down? Well, that's cool, but I don't think I can make that unless I you know, what screw it I didn't actually want to do it anyway. Oh fuck. Oh

Huh?

I don't know where I'm going with this. Oh This did not work. Oh This did not work. Oh Fuck. Oh god. Okay, can we get over to that tree? And then chuck and then then pray, and this, and nail it! Nailing it!

Nailing it!

Can I climb, please? Can I climb, please? Can I climb, please? Can I climb, please? Oh my god, can I climb? Can I climb? Can I climb? Yes, I know. I know I can swing. I'm over. Okay. Go this way Check it over there fuck

How where's the way shit okay got it Now it's fine He's gonna get me there Oh God, it's not gonna be there. Oh God. It's not gonna be there It's kind of gonna get me there. This is it. This is it.

Oh my god, that hurt so bad.

Okay, but I'm here. But I'm here. Don't matter, cuz I made it. I made it. I made it. I made it. Breathe in. Mmm. Am I safe? Am I actually safe? Is time paused? Am I safe? Is this actually safe? You see the shape of her. it is frail and twisted now. The coil rod had already done its terrible job and left you with the pieces. You smell sickness hanging in the air.

You don't want to remember this. It serves no purpose. To you now. Alright, what am I rem- oh.

Hmm.

Okay.

Okay, well it's far away now. I think- I think the strategy just has to be... I need to go to the opposite ends so that it has to take a longer path to get back to me. Oh yes, please give me the vitality from all these dead bodies, I think. It's fine. It's all for the cause, I think. Okay.

Alright. Well, this doesn't truly help me.

Come on. Ah, swing that way.

There we go.

Ow!

Damn, I am taking way too much damage.

Oh.

Oh! Interesting strategy I just discovered. If you can wedge in a corner, you'll kind of slow down. That's good to know.

Okay. Okay, it's coming.

I should switch sides as soon as I can. Oh, fuck. Oh, fuck. This is bad.

Oh, frick.

Hup!

Alright, well, I tried. Fuck, this is bad. Oh, frick. Hup!

Alright, uh, well, I tried. But there's more ashes over here, so, hey, who's the loser now? Not me! Haha, definitely not me. I'll do this, I'll get that health, and I'll be well on my way.

Hang on.

Pfft.

You breathe in the ancient ashes. You see the shape of her. It is strong, hail, beautiful, but distant. You remember this moment. She waited for months for you to return. Every step you had ever taken was a step towards her. Seeing her distant shape is unbearable now. It's too far. You don't remember her like this.

Why not?

They'll- oh fuck. Oh shit. Race. Race. You wanna race? You want- yeah, yeah, let me get a- POOHOO, you're bigger than I thought! It's okay. Watch this. Why did that not grab anything? Oh, why is this- Why is this not grabbing anything?

Okay. That's what I thought. You can't get to me. I'm too- you're afraid of me! Right? That's the answer, right? Oh boy. Gonna have to take a long way around.

Hope I'm going to where down goes! I love megastructure things like this cause you just wonder who built it. Who did this? Who made this? And I know it's a fictional world, but you know, you gotta step into the fiction a little bit. And you just gotta ponder the possibilities. The impossibilities of it all.

Oh! Thought I could squeeze. I just gotta... ponder the possibilities. The impossibilities of it all. Oh! Thought I could squeeze. Ah, that looks good. Still hearing that guy. Okay, so another tactic is if you wrap your thing around... Um...

Other objects, the tension does keep- Oh! This is a bright light!

Whoa!

Whoa!

Wha- why is there just light here? Is it just telling me that this is the exit? Oh?

What the fuck? Oh?

Let's please not all this way dying like that shit Yep It's very bright here. Fuck! No!

Ow! I'm alive!

Ah. Ah.

But I can't even take one more hint. So that's like some broken ashes there. That's what that is. Or at least that's what it looks like. Now that I can get a closer look of it. Is that some health?

Better be some. Oh, this body landed right here. Or maybe it was placed here, I don't know. Hard to say.

Okay.

Man, that thing is relentless.

Oh, fuck.

Oh, God. Oh, God. Okay, good.

W-no, why'd it let go? God!

Oh hi, I saw you. I saw that.

I'm guessing this is the way I was supposed to go from the get-go. Was that always there? Did I go through the maze for no reason or is that actually like a health? Was that the health that I got before? I don't know anymore. I don't know anything anymore. No it is, I went through the maze for nothing. This is just, this is just a way to go that I should have gone before. Oops! Turns out my my lost love was telling me the way all along. Love doing that. Very risky but it's fun. Okay. Oh, there's multiple healthies here. Or at least I thought there was, unless this is- is this like some kind of randomly generated? No way. What did- I thought there was a dif- wait. Am I crazy?

I thought there was another- there- it's- Wait, this is different! Okay, so there- There has to be some kind of randomly generated elements to this because that was absolutely-

Oh fuck.

Oh fuck.

CATCH MEEEEEEE!

💥

That has to be different.

This is-

This is really cool. What? Why did that hurt? Oh, because I swung hard into the wall or something? Damn it. You know, the land is so, you know, topsy-turvy, it's kind of

hard to differentiate one to another of these kind of landscapes. but if they were slightly different you know it would be hard to tell and I think that's what the case is here it's slightly different right just slightly there's like little nudge oh fuck off I gotta I gotta stop doing that. I really wanna, I want to be fancy

with it, I want to get all kinds of fancy, and it's not working for me. Every time I end up smooshing myself. Unless there are different drop downs, there might be entirely different drop downs for the randomness. That thought came in, you know know incongruous with the rest of my thoughts because I skipped ahead of it to be able to get to here oh what the fuck I'm alive why did my hands go bruh oh it's not randomly generated there was just a different spot here that I somehow missed I kind of want to just put this down as an anchor to be like, I'm not gonna let myself fall.

Or I'm gonna try not to let myself fall. Because I keep doing that. Freak. I'm gonna do it. Can't stop me. Oh, I'm so good. Okay, I see a glow. I see a green glow. Green glow. a glow. I see a green glow Green glow green glow Frick okay here we go here. We go all right cool. Nice. Give me that give me that That's mine now. I don't think that there's any way. Yeah, there's there's no other ways down that way

so I got to go probably out to the Outer edge and then circle back around what why why why would you do this oh man it's a long way down to that one okay oh shit I was wondering where you were gonna come back buddy I missed you almost I'm not seeing many ledges down Okay, there's some Gotta go down to here first

There we go, there we go. This is it Okay, all right stop doing that Oh slanted Oh,, oh, oh fuck. No, I

Didn't think I was slide that far that fast off of it man who the training oh God why ah I'm saved. This is great. I'm very happy. Except I need some health. Why didn't that grab? That should have been an easy clean grab.

Whoa. Okay, so that can sometimes happen where it doesn't grab on to what I need it to grab on to. Which is not great. Also, I have very little health. So I can't take even the slightest little tap. Not even this I'm going to risk until I get that. Alright, now I'm perfectly healthy. Oh god, it's gonna swing me into the- okay, fine. Really risking a lot on that. And I don't know why. Oh, I know why, because

I hear the frickin centipede. Frick. That's bad. Uh, well, I can take this.

Ow!

I'm counting on there to be something below this. Yes, there is. I think I've- I knew that before. Thank goodness there's so many ways to climb down. Some of them seem like they're intentional and beautifully planned. Nope, that's not it.

And I can simply make progress one to the other. Oh my god, this one is... And other times I know that there's nothing for the forever. Okay, I'm gonna go down this way. Yes, good. Yes, very good. Okay, I think I'm making some good outward progress.

That's not a good idea. Why do I wanna do that? It's obviously a good idea. Why do I want to do that? It's obviously a bad idea. Oh fuck I thought I- oh my god. Ow. Why? Risking it! I'm the greatest ever, ever, in this tree forever. Oh, right on the edge. That skill right there that's skill shit okay

I'm not gonna make that nice all that skill and dying all that skill and dying all that skill I've built from dying. Really paying off right now. Except where do I go? Might be trapped. Might have gone into a pit of despair. Might have gone into a corner I backed myself into. Might be screwed.

Might be about to be eaten by a giant centipede. Might be. Oh god. I don't know where I am. Wait, I see a light. Okay. Okay.

Where's the- where- where's- it's- uh, where? Where's the, uh... Where's the, uh, the- the- where- where is it?

Oh.

I don't see it. I'm not seeing it. I don't see any- I- I don't see anything. I see nothing. I'm seeing nothing. Oh god. I went the wrong way. Like I always do. Oh frick. Oh my god. Oh god. I have to risk it!

Gah! Catch me!

Oh my god, it caught me. Oh my god, it caught me.

Yeah, yeah, you better back up. Yeah, you better back up. Are you backing up? You better. I really hope you're backing up. Okay.

Okay. Okay. Are you backing up? You better- I really hope you're backing up. Oh, come on.

Okay. Oh, come on! Are you serious?! I- I had it! Oh my god! Are you- are you kidding- Oh my god!

Oh my god.

What the fuck?

Catch me?

Okay, you can't get me from here, right? You'd have to go weirdly around some places, right? Yeah, yeah, you're upset about that. You're gonna have to go all the way around. That's what I thought. And that'll give me finally fuck yeah

how are you gonna do that oh my god oh yeah you can't get me yeah I'm in a free-floating place how about the time you get over there I'm gonna get over there and you're gonna take forever to get back to me then I'm free to do this. Jump. It's gonna make it. Thank you. Gonna get this health.

Boom. Got it. And then you're over there. Lost. Forever. Hopefully. I'm gonna go this way.

Yeah.

Oh, frick. Why did I do this? Wait. This is awful. I'm gonna go this way. Yeah.

Oh, frick, why did I do this? Wait, this is awful.

Catch me! Ow. It caught me, I guess. Oh, why does that sound so close? Because it was! Because it was! Yeah, you back up, yeah, you back up, you back up.

Okay, wait, what do I do now? Wait. Oh my god, it's been so long since I've saved. I've made so much progress. And I believe in myself strongly. But also, what the hell?

What? Is there anything?

There's nothing! Oh, over over there how do I do that oh fuck me no don't make me do this that was awful that was terrifying oh fuck know what? I'm shaking up. I made it. Greatest that ever did it. Poof. I'm not gonna lie, I'm sti- Okay, that feels terrible. That's gonna stick with me for a while. I did not like that in any way That scared me pretty bad. I hated that everything about it. It was awful. I

Didn't think it was that close and then suddenly it was right there and that thing is kind of relentless and that You know not cool not cool, I Think we can all agree. That was not cool of it to do what it did right and it's back love that my favorite thing this thing why do I keep doing this to myself catch me oh my god why do I keep doing this to myself? Catch me.

Oh my god. Why do I keep doing this to myself?

Catch me.

Okay, it caught me, but to no avail. To no avail. And then I know that there's ways to go down right here. You know, I wouldn't need to go to all these if I actually was good at- AHHHHH

Like that. If I could ever do anything without taking damage because I'm so clever. I might be the greatest to ever do it, but man, I think that just shows that everyone else who's ever done this is really bad. And it's not my fault. Actually, it's all my fault. I'm setting a poor standard for everybody else, and everyone who's learning from me is starting off at a negative 5 in their skill to this game. I'm doing a genuine disservice to this game and its community, and I would like to formally apologize for all the damage I have caused. Irreparable damage this is not gonna help anybody

this this doesn't help anybody help nobody there's no help I will never have help I have never had help it is right behind me I think I remember there being a way down this way. I remembered correctly. Yes, the, the, this. Oh, well I did this wrong. That's okay.

Nice. Okay, this is good. This is good. Made a lot of progress really quickly all of a sudden. And... What? This is different. Why is this different? This different this is no it's not different is it different I think it's different it feels different it might be different

is it different don't fuck this up oh thank you just gonna get this health where is it I don't know. Don't care.

Doesn't matter.

If I'm so far ahead, I don't even need to know where it is. Because I'll be so far ahead of it.

Okay, that's perfect.

I feel like physics goes a little faster than it should when I'm swinging like that. Okay, speaking of physics, uh, what?

Wha-

What? What do you mean? Wait, what is this? What is this? Is this a joke? Is this some kind of a joke? Is this a hilarious ruse? Oh my god. Oh god. Oh god, I gotta do a catch

me. Catch me! Huh? Oh my god, it caught me. Oh, oh. Huh. Okay. Okay. That's good. How do I? What do I? Where do I go from here? Ah, I hate you.

What the fuck?

I can make this.

Nailed it.

Nailed it. Nailed it so good.

Ah, I'm great.

So good. Ow. Ah, it didn't even hurt. Didn't even hurt.

Okay.

Trying to lower myself here. Is this enough?

Yeah, it's enough.

Didn't even hurt. No pain. Traversing to the other side.

Okay, yeah.

What do I see?

Nothing there.

Might...

Aha!

Okay.

Gonna probably have to swing for it. That's okay. Why did I do it like that? I don't know. Might actually be making it.

Oh, pfft. Why does that sound so close? Why did I do it like that? I don't know. Might actually be making it.

Oh ffff... why does that sound so close? I see ways down over there. I don't see them anywhere else. Oh fuck. Oh god. No. No. Please be something at the end of this. Please. I'm begging you. I'm begging you there be something at the end of this.

I'm... begging you. Please be something at the end of this I'm begging you please be something at the end of this oh man there's nothing at the end of this is there okay I might be able to get to that it's really far and I'll take some damage but I don't think I'll die okay I'm good I'm good I good. I think I can just go down. Let's see if I go to this ledge. Oh my god. Breathe in the ash!

Please, tell me this is where the ash is.

I don't see any ash. Where's my ash? Oh, come on!

How do I- What- How- How do I-

Oh, fuck. How do I do this?

What do I do? What do I do? Is that the only way down? What do I do? There's gotta be something on the ledges outer edges of the ledge I think I see something on that side

HOLY SHIT! Oh catch me!

Oh

By design! By design! By design! Oh frick. I see you there. What are you doing? 🎶

Haah...

Okay...

🎶

I made it.

To whatever I- my objective was. To to it and her you breathe in the ancient ashes it coats your throat and lungs you fight the urge to cough and your eyes water Oh Oh. Alright. I've been- They warned you this place was filled with illusions. I've been so enraptured. I've had this coffee here this whole time.

I haven't taken a sip. Tricks of the mind, intangible and ruinous.

They claimed all who came here, come here, meet the face of regret. Yeah, is this what all these bodies are? That there was no greater folly than to lose your life for a memory.

The shape of her manifests behind your eyes. And all thoughts of regret or folly are silenced. This is great. This was just great. Start to finish. It had a great game mechanic. I nitpicked the controls of it, but that would be fixed by just allowing some customization. I think just, yeah, it was fantastic. The style actually worked for it and the simplicity because it made it hard to see. I forgot that I could even zoom. I never blamed the environment for it. I liked that the environment kind of was monotone because it made it a puzzle to figure out which was a ledge and where I could go and then there's a skill mechanic to it where you could go faster

if you're like dropping and throwing it and there's like momentum and the game loop was great but also the the the enemy that was chasing you is just like oh god nightmare mode if I want that what is the nightmare mode I got at least find out what it is it is faster and smarter increased damage taken kilns have been destroyed So you have to one-shot it Basically, well, I'm not gonna do that. I'm good

But this is great. If you want to try a challenge for yourself link in the description below. I Think that I would love to see a bigger version of this game I mean, it's great as a one-shot, but if there was a way to explore this concept further, you know, like- like White Knuckle in a way, it has like, randomly generated different rooms, and- and obviously this is a story here that pushes a single character to go down for a particular reason, but that doesn't mean that another character at another time for another reason might go down here and explore and

Discover. Oh, there's a whole other chamber here There's this is just the surface of those who want to just get a memory But the real of this is even farther below like I could see I could see a lot of this. This is super fun. I thought it was great I think there's a lot here this. This is super fun. I thought it was great. I think that there's a lot here to love. The game is fun.

Uh, yeah. Just, I would love a way to customize the controls.

Um...

Yeah.

And that's all. Thank you. Links in the description if you want to play it for yourself. Let me know what you thought down in the comments. Let me know what you thought down in the comments. And as always, I will see you...