History WebVideo / NoahCaldwellGervais

** In his review of ''VideoGame/{{Gun}}'' during the ''Home, Home on the Console'' review, he comments the game is overtly racist against Native Americans (wiping out multiple groups of them to help a railroad succeed or imitating ''Film/{{Stagecoach}}'', as well as Native American beliefs by killing Great White Buffalos for sport. He also states that the attempt to defuse racism by making the protagonist half-Apache just makes it worse.

** In his review of ''VideoGame/{{Gun}}'' during the ''Home, Home on the Console'' review, he comments the game is overtly racist against Native Americans (wiping out multiple groups of them to help a railroad succeed or imitating Film/{{Stagecoach}}, as well as Native American beliefs by killing Great White Buffalos for sport. He also states that the attempt to defuse racism by making the protagonist half-Apache just makes it worse.

** Invoked in his analysis of ''VideoGame/TheLastOfUsPartII'', which he praised for not being a typical post-apocaliptic zombie story, for refusing to follow up the obvious story route set by its predecessor, and for being an author-focused story rather than one made to please fans. However, he also admits that this was the reason why the game caused such an aggressive backlash from many fans (except those he claims are just homophobic and transphobic assholes) who wanted to see the continuation of Joel and Ellie's story and not the story of [[TragicVillain someone whom they wronged]] and who retaliated against them to show the audience that revenge will only lead to more misery to everybody involved.

* ShownTheirWork: During the ''Knights of the Old Republic'' retrospective, he explains to the audience the most notable aspects of the ''{{Monomyth}}'' and how it influenced Creator/GeorgeLucas and the ''Franchise/StarWars'' franchise in ways most have never notice.

* ShownTheirWork: During the ''Knights of the Old Republic'' retrospective, he explains to the audience the most notable aspects of the ''Monomyth'' and how it influenced Creator/GeorgeLucas and the ''Franchise/StarWars'' franchise in ways most have never notice.

* ShownTheirWork: During the ''Knights of the Old Republic'' retrospective, he explains to the audience the most notable aspects of the ''Monomyth'' and how it influenced Creator/GeorgeLucas and the ''Franchise/StarWars'' franchise in ways most will never notice.

** In his ''Franchise/BaldursGate'' retrospective, he goes to great lenghts to explain that old [=RPGs=] games were meant to last 40 to 70 hours, how leveling was painfully slow, how most combat situations always put the player's party in a disadvantage, how party members can be killed permanently during combat and most damming of all, how needlessly complex the [=THAC0=] system was (which was used in all licensed ''D&D'' games), and believes that this was one of the reasons the Genre was overshadowed and later taken over by 3D sandbox and Action [=RPGs=].

* OldGuardVersusNewBlood:[[invoked]] A major theme of his Western [=RPGs=] retrospectives and reviews is the comparison between how [=RPGs=] were made and expected to be played in the 90s and from 2000s onward (for more background on this gap, see UsefulNotes.WesternRPG). onward. He reviews them from the perspective of a player/fan of both the ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' tabletop game and of its video games.

* CriticalResearchFailure: Noah doesn't seem to know that ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'' is based on the ''TableTopGame/{{Cyberpunk}}'' table top game, beliveing it to be more of a tribute/pastiche of multiple Cyberpunk media during his ''Cyberpunk 2077'' single-game retrospective.

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy:

** He constantly compares ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights'' to future Creator/BioWare games such as ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' (''[=KotOR=]''), ''Franchise/MassEffect'' and ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' since ''Neverwinter Nights'' uses a lot of the story and character tropes those future games will be known for. However, he notes that those games either deconstruct, make fun or subvert those tropes while ''Neverwinter Nights'' plays them straight. He also mentions how those newer games make a conscious attempt to be accessible and are willing to take some liberties with gameplay rules and mechanics to make the game easier and faster to play and how this game (and its expansions) serves as a weird bridge between the classic [=WRPGs=] and modern [=RPGs=] that's neither as complex as the ''Baldur's Gate'' series but not nearly as accessible as ''[=KotOR=]'', ''VideoGame/JadeEmpire'' and ''Franchise/MassEffect'', which has led to it to be nearly-forgotten by WRPG fans.

** He feels that Aiden Pierce of ''VideoGame/WatchDogs'' is one of the reasons its story didn't work as the developers wanted as Pierce is an unlikeable, self-serious, manipulative and selfish vigilante that only cares about his own personal vendetta against the people that killed his niece. The fact that the game does its damnest to avoid portraying Aiden in a bad light by always pitting him against worse people made Noah believe that the developers thought that players would find Aiden "cool", which ended not being the case.

** He feels that Aiden Pierce of ''VideoGame/WatchDogs'' is one of the reasons its story didn't work as the developers wanted as Pierce is an unlikeable, self-serious, manipulative and selfish vigilante that only cares about his personal vendetta against the people that killed his niece. The fact that the game does its damnest to avoid portraying Aiden in a bad light by always pitting him against worse people.

* TrueArtIsAngsty: Invoked in his analysis of ''VideoGame/TheLastOfUsPartII'', which he praised for not being a typical post-apocaliptic zombie story, for refusing to follow up the obvious story route set by its predecessor, and for being an author-focused story rather than one made to please fans. However, he also admits that this was the reason why the game caused such an aggressive backlash from many fans (except those he claims are just homophobic and transphobic assholes) who wanted to see the continuation of Joel and Ellie's story and not the story of [[TragicVillain someone whom they wronged]] and who retaliated against them to show the audience that revenge will only lead to more misery to everybody involved.

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: Discussed in the ''Ghost Recon: Wildlands'' analysis, as he feels that playing as a squadron of ruthless American vigilantes killing genocidal Cartel hitmen across a poor South American nation without a hint of self-awareness or LampshadeHanging is insensible at ''best'' and jingoistic and racist at ''worst'', and makes it hard to get invested in the characters.

** In his ''Franchise/BaldursGate'' retrospective, he goes to great lenghts to explain that old [=RPGs=] were meant to last a lot time , how leveling was painfully slow, how most combat situations always put the player's party in a disadvantage, how party members can be killed permanently during combat and most damming of all, how needlessly complex the [=THAC0=] system was (which was used in all licensed ''D&D'' games), and believes that this was one of the reasons the Genre was overshadowed and later taken over by 3D sandbox and Action [=RPGs=].

* OldGuardVersusNewBlood:[[invoked]] A major theme of his Western [=RPGs=] retrospectives and reviews is the comparison between how [=RPGs=] were made and expected to be played in the 90s and from 2000s onward (for more background on this gap, see Analysis.WesternRPG). onward. He reviews them from the perspective of a player/fan of both the ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' tabletop game and of its video games.

** In his ''VideoGame/BaldursGate'' retrospective, he goes to great lenghts to explain that old [=RPGs=] were meant to last a lot time , how levelling was painfully slow, how most combat situations always put the player's party in a disadvantage, how party members can be killed permamently during combat and most damming of all, how needlessly complex the [=THAC0=] system was (which was used in all licensed D&D games), and believes that this was one of the reasons the Genre was overshadowed and later taken over by 3D sandbox and Action [=RPGs=].
** He constantly compares ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights'' to future ''Creator/BioWare'' games such as ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' ([=KoToR=]), ''VideoGame/MassEffect'' and ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' since ''Neverwinter Nights'' uses a lot of the story and character tropes those future games will be known for. However, he notes that those games either deconstruct, make fun or subvert those tropes while ''Neverwinter Nights'' plays them straight. He also mentions how those newer games make a conscious attempt to be accessible and are willing to take some liberties with gameplay rules and mechanics to make the game easier and faster to play and how this game (and its expansions) serves as a weird bridge between the Classic [=WRPGs=] and modern [=RPGs=] that's neither as complex as the ''Baldur's Gate'' series but not nearly as accessible as [=KoToR=], ''VideoGame/JadeEmpire'' and ''VideoGame/MassEffect'', which has led to it to be nearly-forgotten by WRPG fans.

* PrecisionFStrike: Noah doesn't swear a lot in his videos, but when he does does, it serves to either emphasize the point he wants to make or as BrutalHonesty.

** He constantly compares ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights'' to future ''Creator/BioWare'' games such as ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'', ''VideoGame/MassEffect'' and ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' since ''Neverwinter Nights'' uses a lot of the story and character tropes those future games will be known for. However, he notes that those games either deconstruct, make fun or subvert those tropes while ''Neverwinter Nights'' plays them straight. He also mentions how those newer games make a conscious attempt to be accessible and are willing to take some liberties with gameplay rules and mechanics to make the game easier and faster to play and how this game (and its expansions) serves as a weird bridge between the Classic [=WRPGs=] and modern [=RPGs=] and has been nearly-forgotten by WRPG fans.

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: [[InvokedTrope Invoked]] with ''Ghost Recon: Wildlands'' as he feels that playing as a squadron of ruthless American vigilantes killing genocidal Cartel hitmen across a poor South American nation without a hint of self-awareness or LampshadeHanging is insensible at ''best'' and jingoistic and racist at ''worst'', and makes it hard to get invested in the characters.

* {{Nerd}}: Noah, by all accounts, is a very intelligent, socially isolated person who likes playing video games and discussing them at length. Although he has never completed a formal higher education, his analyses are often more incisive and accessible than most academic studies.
* NightmareFetishist: Downplayed, Noah has described himself as a "horror movie junkie" and his reviews of horror games are especially fond, though he does have his limits when it comes to the grotesque. Specifically, he felt that ''VideoGame/OutlastII'' was ''far'' too gory and bloody for his taste.
%%ZCE * OldGuardVersusNewBlood:[[invoked]] A major theme of his Western [=RPGs=] retrospectives and reviews is the comparison between how [=RPGs=] were made and expected to be played in the 90s and from 2000s onward. He reviews them from the perspective of a player/fan of both the ''Tabletop/DungeonsAndDragons'' tabletop game and of its video games.

* SoWhatDoWeDoNow: Noah discusses this at length in the ending segment of "The Other Half of the West". Upon coming home from the trip and thus realizing his biggest dream at the age of 29, he fell into a month-long slump and needed a ton of introspection to crawl back out of it.
* StoryBreadcrumbs: You can piece together a good chunk of Noah's biography from the passing mentions of individual events in his life scattered throughout his videos, particularly his critiques of ''VideoGame/DepressionQuest'', ''Jalopy!'', and (surprisingly) ''VideoGame/{{Postal}}'', as well as the assorted real life and Patreon announcements and, of course, his travelogues.

* DespairEventHorizon: PlayedForComedy and to make a point as the ''Narco Road'' DLC for ''Ghost Recon™: Wildlands'' nearly broke him due to a combination of bad driving physics, insensible Latino stereotypes, grindy progression, obnoxious characters and the idea that a drug cartel can win the hearts and minds of the common people just with extreme sports and racing.

* DespairEventHorizon: Playing the ''Narco Road'' DLC for ''Ghost Recon™: Wildlands'' nearly broke him due to a combination of bad driving physics, insensible Latino stereotypes, grindy progression, obnoxious characters and the idea that a drug cartel can win the hearts and minds of the common people just with extreme sports and racing.

** ''VideoGame/TheOuterWorlds'' is what he expected it to be, yet it ended up disappointing him for its limited open world(s), enemy variety, and its gameplay trying to [[FollowTheLeader copy Fallout 3/New Vegas's clutter-based loot]]. Most importantly, he feels it has weak story choices [[note]]A (side with the Corporation), B (side with those who are against them) or C (compromise between the two factions)[[/note]] when choice "C" is the clear GoldenEnding for the first two story arcs (Terra-2 and Monarch). While he does recommend the game for ''Videogame/{{Fallout}}'' and RPG fans, he admits that he doesn't plan on completing another playthrough as he felt that he didn't miss much on his first and only playthrough.

* SoWhatDoWeDoNow: Noah discusses this at length in the ending segment of "The Other Half of the West". Upon coming home from the trip and thus realizing his biggest dream at the age of 29, he fell into a month-long slump and needed a ton of introspection to crawl back out of it.
* StoryBreadcrumbs: You can piece together a good chunk of Noah's biography from the passing mentions of individual events in his life scattered throughout his videos, particularly his critiques of ''VideoGame/DepressionQuest'', ''Jalopy!'', and (surprisingly) ''VideoGame/{{Postal}}'', as well as the assorted real life and Patreon announcements and, of course, his travelogues.
* StylisticSuck: Many of his videos open with a shot of some random items arranged to invoke the subject of the video and a sheet of paper with the title written on it, with some thematically appropriate music playing (in bad quality) in the background. This was originally owed to the fact that Noah had produced his videos on literally NoBudget, but has since become a kind of a SignatureShot for him.

-->''Hi, I'm Noah Gervais.''

[[https://www.youtube.com/user/broadcaststsatic/videos Noah Caldwell-Gervais]] (b. 1988) is a Website/{{YouTube}}r who runs an AnalysisChannel featuring in-depth critiques and retrospectives of popular and obscure video game franchises and individual video games, starting with an hour-long retrospective of the ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' series in February 2013. In January 2015, he launched a highly successful [[http://www.patreon.com/noahcaldwellgervais Patreon]] campaign and, by late 2016, was earning enough money to quit his day job as a pizza cook to focus on his videos. He was also able to fulfill his lifelong dream of traveling across Western United States (or "playtesting adventure", as he had dubbed it) at his leisure: between February and October 2017, he, his wife, and their dog journeyed in a restored [[HippieVan VW Bus]] from Seattle through California, Texas, the Great Lakes, and back to Seattle again, documenting their travels in a trilogy of {{Travelogue|Show}} videos collectively known as "the Triptych".

Noah's critiques are notoriously lengthy, with his retrospective of the ''VideoGame/{{Red|DeadRevolver}} [[VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption Dead]]'' [[VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption2 series]] clocking in at just over 4 ''hours'', but their depth and conciseness more than make up for it. New videos are typically uploaded every month or two. A sorted list of his videos can be found on our '''[[Recap/NoahCaldwellGervais Recap page]]'''.

* ArtifactTitle: Noah formerly used "Broadcast Static" as his channel's, but is nowadays branding his videos with his own name instead.
* AuthorFilibuster: All of Noah's videos (especially some of the more recent ones) are lengthy, and more than once he dedicates a few minutes to relay either an opinion or personal story, though he at least attempts to make it pertinent to the video game in question, such as his review of ''VideoGame/{{Control}}'' where he makes his opinion about difficulty in games (and what it says about people who prefer either extreme) known to illustrate how accommodating and well paced he felt the difficulty in that game was. He's also fully aware of his tendency to go on, he's even rather deliberate about it, and has gone on record saying that he doesn't expect anyone to ''actually'' watch every single second of his long videos and to stop watching once they've heard enough.
* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy:[[InvokedTrope Invoked]] with ''Ghost Recon: Wildlands'' as he feels that playing as a squadron of ruthless American vigilantes killing genocidal Cartel hitmen across a poor South American nation without a hint of self-awareness or LampshadeHanging is insensible at ''best'' and jingoistic and racist at ''worst'', and makes it hard to get invested in the characters.

* OldGuardVersusNewBlood:[[invoked]] A major theme of his Western [=RPGs=] retrospectives and reviews is the comparison between how [=RPGs=] were made and expected to be played in the 90s and from 2000s onward (for more background on this gap, see Analysis.WesternRPG). He reviews them from the perspective of a player/fan of both the ''D&D'' tabletop game and of its video games.
* PrecisionFStrike: Noah doesn't swear a lot in his videos, but when he does it serves to either emphasize the point he wants to make or as BrutalHonesty.

** Suprisingly, he believes ''VideoGame/Fallout76'' is this, mostly due to the game not pretending to be something it isn't (a Role-Playing game) and for its well-crafted open world. Keep in mind that he's a fan of the original ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'', and he admits that ''76'' is the culmination of everything he dislikes about the Bethesda-made ''Fallout'' games.
** ''VideoGame/TheOuterWorlds'' is what he expected it to be yet it ended up disappointing him for its limited open world(s), enemy variety, its gameplay trying to [[FollowTheLeader copy Fallout 3/New Vegas's clutter-based loot]] and most importantly, its weak 'A (side with the Corporation), B (side with those who are against them) or C (compromise between the two factions)' story choices with choice 'C' being the clear GoldenEnding for the first two story arcs (Terra-2 and Monarch), while he does recommend the game for ''Videogame/{{Fallout}}'' and RPG fans, he admits that he doesn't plan on completing another playthrough as he felt that he didn't miss much on his first and only playthrough.

* TrueArtIsAngsty: Invoked in his analysis of ''VideoGame/TheLastOfUsPartII'', which he praised for not being a typical post-apocaliptic zombie story, for refusing to follow up the obvious story route set by its predecessor, and for being an author-focused story rather than one made to please fans. However, he also admits that this was the reason why the game caused such an aggressive backlash from many fans (except those he claims are just homophobic and transphobic assholes) who wanted to see the continuation of Joel and Ellie's story and not the story of [[TragicVillain someone whom they wronged]] and who [[VillainProtagonist retaliated]] [[CycleOfRevenge against]] [[SuddenSequelDeathSyndrome them]] to show the audience that revenge will only lead to more misery to everybody involved.
* ViewersAreGeniuses: As mentioned, Noah's analyses are extremely in-depth, and he often quotes books and authors most people haven't even heard of (such as William Least Heat-Moon and his ''qouz''). It is usually quite worth it to [[RewatchBonus rewatch his videos once or twice]] to catch all of the references.
----
-->''Thanks for watching.''

* HeroicSelfDeprecation: Noah seems to suffer from a mild-to-severe case of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impostor_syndrome impostor syndrome]], [[https://www.patreon.com/posts/state-of-channel-41405681 openly fearing]] that he gets ''too much'' money from his patrons for the quantity and, especially, quality of the work he puts out. This anxiety gets so bad that it admittedly hinders his productivity even more in a vicious cycle of rewrites and delays.