There's a lot of debate in the comments of these videos as to whether or not Petscop is real, or if Paul has faked it somehow. Is it actually a playable game? Is this an ARG? Is it just an animation? Perhaps it's an elaborate creepypasta? But the experience of watching Petscop certainly feels authentic. If the whole thing is a performance, Paul really sells it without being too dramatic or understated. And the game itself, the attention to detail put into it—everything from the menus, to the animations, to the sounds, all seem like a PS1 game. In recent years we've seen some games, like Back in 1995, recreate the aesthetic of titles on the original PlayStation. It's certainly possible that someone could build something to look like Petscop, though it would probably take a lot of work.
If nothing else, it seems more plausible to believe someone in 2017 is making a weird thing on the internet than to believe this is really a long lost 1997 game that nobody had heard of before today. But who knows? I reached out to Paul but did not hear back in time for publication. Honestly, though, I don't really care what this is. If it's a real game, holy shit. If this is an internet story / game, then I am in awe over how elaborate it is. Someone clearly put a lot of thought and effort into all of this—there's so much footage, so many different areas and assets. And of course, it's all very entertaining to watch. I want to know what's going on.
You see, at the center of Petscop there is a mystery:
Throughout the game, there are multiple references to ”rebirthing," and ”Newmaker." Players treating Petscop as an ARG have discovered that these are references to Candance Newmaker, a real person. Newmaker was adopted at five, but she was apparently a troubled child who allegedly killed pets. Seeking help for their rocky relationship, Newmaker's guardians tried something called ”Attachment Therapy," which is supposed to help kids connect with their parents. The goal is to make a kid revert back to an infant's state of mind, which supposedly makes it easier for parents to control their children. None of this stuff is backed by actual science, however, which might explain why things went horribly for Newmaker.
