Favorite games to watch?

[hanselthecaretaker]

It's pretty much a given we all like to play games, but which ones do you also (or only) like to watch being played?

For me it's a bit blended. I have whittled down playing tastes over the years, and except for an occasional well-made blockbuster action/adventure game I've grown tired of the standard formula. I'd rather watch most story driven games at this point (outside of something like The Wolf Among Us), and even stuff like MGS, Deus Ex, Hitman, etc. which are a tier above standard have grown a bit long in the tooth for me. However I also like seeing how other people play them, especially with a smattering of humorous commentary. The Souls series is another one that I still enjoy playing perhaps a bit more than the above mentioned, and also like to watch.

To a lesser extent I still like playing certain fighting games, but am in awe watching tournament level players. I can also occasionally appreciate a good RTS match. The only types of games I'd rather all out play would be full fledged RPG's that are more of a journey than anything else. Stuff like The Witcher and Fallout are much more enjoyable to play than to watch IMO.

 

[Xprimentyl]

I?ve watched about a dozen playthroughs of Inside these past few weeks. Nevermind that I love the game like no other; I love watching other peoples? reaction to the myriad jaw-dropping moments throughout.

Other than that, there?s no one game I like to watch exclusively. Occasionally, I?ll look up a ?no commentary? playthrough of a game I?m interested in but won?t/can?t play (i.e. PS4/PC exclusives,) but that?s rare for me.

 

[Zaltys]

I watch a lot of LPs on background while I'm working on other stuff. Choice-based games tend to be my favorites to watch: there's usually some fresh angle or content that I didn't see when I played it myself. Various Telltale games, Mass Effect, Fallout: New Vegas, The Witcher, Undertale, etc. They also tend to be long, so I don't have to constantly look for new playlists to watch.

But pretty much any slow-paced game can be enjoyable if the commentor is witty enough.

 

[Xprimentyl]

I watch a lot of LPs on background while I'm working on other stuff. Choice-based games tend to be my favorites to watch: there's usually some fresh angle or content that I didn't see when I played it myself. Various Telltale games, Mass Effect, Fallout: New Vegas, The Witcher, Undertale, etc. They also tend to be long, so I don't have to constantly look for new playlists to watch.

But pretty much any slow-paced game can be enjoyable if the commentor is witty enough.

I'd probably be just like you (I'm watching yet another Let's Play of Inside at work right now!), but the commentators are why I don't more often. I know it's all personal preference, but I can't stand the YouTube caricatures like PewDiePie, JackSepticEye or any of the dozens upon dozens of lesser-knowns trying to be just like them employing various iterations of the same shtick and gimmicks. It's just annoying, like trying to watch a movie with someone talking and making dumb jokes the whole time. And don't get me started on Twitch uploads...

I have found ChristopherOdd who could be really promising. He comments, but it's always relevant to the game and he doesn't try to be a cartoon.

 

[Zaltys]

I'd probably be just like you (I'm watching yet another Let's Play of Inside at work right now!), but the commentators are why I don't more often. I know it's all personal preference, but I can't stand the YouTube caricatures like PewDiePie, JackSepticEye or any of the dozens upon dozens of lesser-knowns trying to be just like them employing various iterations of the same shtick and gimmicks.

I don't watch those either. Facecams tend to annoy me, as does constant screaming.
Of the 10000+ sub channels, I'm only following ChristopherOdd, Gopher, VanguardOfValor, supergreatfriend, Zen and Cyrrene, Materwelonz, Zemalf, and veriax.

Plus plenty of relatively unknown channels: Lavinia, Reece DeGraaf, Ryouseiken, Dragonster16, Rusted Ground, ArachCobra, etc.

Well, okay. So I have too much spare time, and I'm not terribly picky. As long as the sound quality and editing are okay and the commentary isn't too repetitive, I can probably get some enjoyment out of it. Certainly beats watching TV, at least.

 

[Casual Shinji]

The classic Resident Evil games.

There's something so cozy and nostalgic about those tanky avatars running through prerendered environments. Especially when it's Two Best Friends at the helm. Their RE2 and 3 let's plays are like warm chocolate milk on Christmas morning to me.

 

[TimeLord]

Watching FunHaus play Hitman is one of my favourite things to watch at the moment.

 

[Scarim Coral]

Probably Resident Evil.

I remember watching my bro and his mate playing Resident Evil 2 and awsell with my bro with Resident Evil 1 remake.

 

[Darth Rosenberg]

TES and Fallout NV/4 would be mine, though I've watched several decent Dark/Demon's Souls, and will watch almost anything from a good, trusted LP'er (Gopher's always my go-to, and SorcererDave's TES stuff is often superb).

I have found ChristopherOdd who could be really promising. He comments, but it's always relevant to the game and he doesn't try to be a cartoon.

Eh, he's okay, but he is ostensibly rather--- buffoonish at times? LP'ing means it's easy to miss things and wotnot, sure, but Odd pairs that [understandable] scatterbrain playstyle with frequently rather inane interjections, as if he feels he has to react to this and that, even if he has nothing to communicate at that point.

As a streamer I feel he's much better, as there's no need to create 'content' and he has a more relaxed and off-topic on/off interaction with those who are viewing and commenting.

Nothing. Games are already mostly a huge waste of time. I'm not gonna make it even more pointless by watching.

From a personal time POV, I can understand that, but LP's do actually offer insight into game design and culture, and I'd say they are an essential and incredibly productive aspect of critique. I wouldn't say they've replaced written or short-form video reviews, but I do feel they've augmented critique, and I feel they provide a far better way of gauging whether or not you're going to like a game than anything else.

Gaming is an experiential, moment to moment medium - no text review can match five minutes of seeing someone interacting with the mechanics/design in order to really understand how something works in-game.

It's an example I always give, but Kay's LP of Dark Souls is a superb record and testimony of the game's particular genius; no game was better suited to a blind and very inexperienced playthrough, and it'd be harder to find a better personality type fit for the game itself (analytical, observant, good at adapting as well as pattern recognition).

There's endless dross online, sure. But at best, a good LP is a creative, emergent response to a work of art.

Of the 10000+ sub channels, I'm only following ChristopherOdd, Gopher, VanguardOfValor, supergreatfriend, Zen and Cyrrene, Materwelonz, Zemalf, and veriax.

Have you ever watched SorcererDave's [https://www.youtube.com/user/Jingles1215/videos] stuff? I'm guessing you'd have heard or seen his stuff if you're familiar with Gopher, as well as Veriax and Zemalf (hm, that sounds like a cartoon title... ).

 

[Xprimentyl]

I have found ChristopherOdd who could be really promising. He comments, but it's always relevant to the game and he doesn't try to be a cartoon.

Eh, he's okay, but he is ostensibly rather--- buffoonish at times? LP'ing means it's easy to miss things and wotnot, sure, but Odd pairs that [understandable] scatterbrain playstyle with frequently rather inane interjections, as if he feels he has to react to this and that, even if he has nothing to communicate at that point.

As a streamer I feel he's much better, as there's no need to create 'content' and he has a more relaxed and off-topic on/off interaction with those who are viewing and commenting.

I think those are the things I like about him, honestly. I prefer a playthrough style wherein the focus is and remains the game, even if that means moments of silence or simply thinking out loud as he figures out his next move. I wouldn't call that manufacturing content so much as it's acknowledging that folks like myself tune in to hear your thoughts even if they're aimless; I find it far more engaging than "no commentary" playthroughs and far less distracting than a streamer chatting with the viewers, thanking a new subscriber or donation notification every 14 seconds. Granted, I've not seen but one or two of his LPs, so my sample set is admittedly limited, but what I have seen is far more promising than say TheBowlingOtter and his dingbat wife (TheSeaSandwich) whom I stopped watching after 3 minutes of banter between them and another minute of inane giggling after they decided to name the boy in Inside King Jimmy Poot Wetnap; I could actually feel myself getting stupider... I just prefer maturity and seriousness, especially when a game's tone dictates it, and it's hard to find sometimes as those who rack up the most views tend to be the same ones who'll do any and everything to be seen.

 

[Saelune]

The ones where the Game Grumps are funny and not critical idiot assholes.

Or ones where I want to know what happens, but I dont want to play it myself.

 

[Glongpre]

Hmmm, the most interesting is probably fighting games.

It just feels the closest to a sport, so it is easier to watch. I also dabbled in GGPO super turbo for a few months, so I can understand the technical difficulty and mental game involved, and it is pretty impressive what some people can do.

I will also watch random stuff just spontaneously. Since I just finished Dark Souls, I watched some guy speed run through the game with a mod that gives him dragon form, and he only punched stuff. Was fairly entertaining, he did 1900 dmg off a plunge attack on the asylum demon! He also died to static electricity from super smough, which was humorous. I think it took him 1hr27m, which is really fast when I look back at how long it took me to beat it.

Also speed runs can be fun to watch. Ocarina of Time has some crazy skip glitches, as does Super Mario 64. I wonder who found out that you can roll into a falling boulder and get warped to the bottom of the tower in Oot.

 

[Zykon TheLich_v1legacy]

Dawn of War II Elite mod.

I'm fucking atrocious at it, but it looks really good. There's just enough commentated replays on youtube to let me stick on a game and do 1/2 hour to an hour of exercise while watching it every day I have off work. It's like watching a small scale 40K battle play out. Sweet.

 

[Evonisia]

Online I'll usually watch Soulsbourne speedruns, particularly "Dark Souls III" and the first "Dark Souls". Occasionally speedruns of other games, most recently being the first "Silent Hill". Given that I play the early "Silent Hill" games just by running to every door rather than slowly progressing through any given room it's quite satisfying in a way.

In person I'll sometimes watch whatever game my friends or my Dad is playing at the time. "Alien: Isolation" is a really nice game to watch two or three friends freak out over, especially when I won't tell them where the exit door is. The "Assassin's Creed" games I've found are a lot more fun to watch than to the play. My Dad's started a new playthrough of "ZombiU" which is stressful but fascinating given his poor reaction time.

 

[CaitSeith]

Nothing. Games are already mostly a huge waste of time. I'm not gonna make it even more pointless by watching.

Can I assume you at least watch movies? Otherwise what do you do for passive entertainment?

 

[CaitSeith]

Really, I don't know. I'm usually more interested in the person playing the game than the game itself (except when I want to avoid spoilers).

 

[WhiteFangofWhoa]

Something with competitive online like Starcraft 2 or Overwatch. That way, I can relax during such a frenzied game for once while also trying to analyse and learn from it.

Aside from that, just games I was halfway interested in but either couldn't find or didn't care enough to buy a console for.