#Also while writing this I realized that the lullaby is LITERALLY a parallell to the story of the game - you trust them but then they turn ou

[irisbaggins]

Have any of y’all heard of the game Among the Sleep? That one horror game where you play as a child?

I think it was meant to be a lot more emotional than what most people perceived it as. One part might be just because non-Scandinavians (especially non-Norwegians) don’t know a lot of our history, but also is in part….because a bad dub.

What I mean with that, isn’t that «you have to be Norwegian to understand» or «only Norwegian’s can». No, by that I mean most Norwegians (and Scandinavians in general) have a lot of emotional attachments to elements in the game. The two most important parts are: the lullaby and the teddybear.

Here’s the thing: the lullaby is a very known Norwegian (and Scandinavian) lullaby. Most Norwegians know it. It’s comforting. It’s good. And I think that’s one of the best parts of the game. That it lures you in with comfort and security, and then flips it on its head. The lullaby turns out to be a callsign for monsters, signaling they’re coming for you. It makes something that you thought were good turn into something horrifying, much like the the main antagonist as well. You trusted them, but they weren’t what you thought they were

And the there’s Teddy.The Norwegian Teddy VA is Ivar Nørve, who is probably most known for being the voice of the Norwegian Winnie the Pooh. Which makes you trust him and what he says, because he’s Winnie the Pooh. Why wouldn’t you trust that? You know him! He’s warm and fuzzy and he’ll keep you safe and sound, away from monsters.

That’s where, I think, the English version fails. The lullaby aspect of the story is missed by most, which I find sad. People just find it creepy. It’s not just creepy, it’s unsettling. Because you want so desperately to trust it but you can’t, because it’s bad and it’s going to hurt it and you need to run from it. And Teddy is downright creepy in the English version. The voice is off-putting and makes him distrustful. But the Norwegian version makes me want to smile and hug the bear so tight to my chest. Because he’s familiar and home in this cold and treacherous world.

Anyway, I have a lot of emotions about this game.

And they did Teddy dirty.