Do you watch "Lets play" videos?

I have reached a point where completing games is harder to build the nerve to do. I wondered if people aside from me felt this way from time to time.

But more importantly, do you ever watch a "lets play" before you play the game? I know its full of spoilers to watch that way, but isn't it better for gamers who play horror games to know whats around the corner?

Just wondering, I haven't done it... yet.

Sometimes. Sometimes I watch them for games I've never played and don't intend to. They can be fun, much like reading AARs.

I keep up with the Terraria series that Total Biscuit does with Jesse Cox. I don't really know why, it's pretty clear TB himself hates doing it, I mostly watch for the banter between the two of them, so it's a unique case.

I'm generally more inclined to watch video of multiplayer games I'm currently playing, to get an idea of tactics and such. Things like Battlefield 3 and Planetside 2 come to mind, so I'm really loving LevelCap's Youtube channel at the moment.

Neither of these are examples of "Lets Play" exactly, but then the whole online video genre is still in it's infancy, so I figure what we call it is rather irrelevant at this stage.

I tend to watch them for games I'm mildly interested in but would otherwise not purchase on release. Sometimes they can sell me a game.

I bought Far Cry 3 almost completely because of Totalbiscuit's "WTF Is" video for it.

I'll sometimes watch a lets play series if I'm trying to learn a new game. Just recently I watched a few Lets Play Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion videos just to get a feel for the gameplay and build orders. But I pretty much only do it for training.

Sometimes?

My issue is that if it is a game I am interested in playing I don't want it spoiled, if I'm not interested why am I watching it.

I have started watching a lot of streaming MP games like SC2 and LoL. A lot of times I find the players giving commentary while they are playing to be pretty entertaining.

It's a bit of a chore, but if everyone could read the Let's Play of Final Fantasy VIII, we would all be better people. It's just screen caps and his captions below, but they are hysterical.

LINKED

*edit* Re-linked to the cached version of the first one that was taken down by the creator for some reason.

I watch a TON of let's plays - though normally only for games I've finished or have absolutely no intention of playing.

Couple of my subscriptions ...

Coestar, for his epic 200+ "Coe's Quest" minecraft series
Dilandau3000 - some fantasically in-depth and well researched let's plays of the Myst series and Sierra Games
Quill18 - mostly heavy on the strategy games (civ, etc)
RPG Minx - Mostly horror games/mods. Just....probably not suitable for a work environment. You have been warned.

I heard on the GWJ podcast that they (the hosts) would be doing a Lets Play session - has anyone heard if that's been done yet?

OT: I've not seen any Let's Play videos, but I have enjoyed watching Halo and Gears of War competitions with Pro Gamers, I find it very fun to watch, and learn so I can adapt my game/make improvements.

While I was at my friends house the other week, his brother was watching a Minecraft LP and I have to say, it was interesting for about 5 mins then I just got bored. But it made me think of all the times I played Skyrim/Oblivion/Fallout for 5/6 hour stretches, even though I was having loads of fun, it would be really boring to watch ( - if any of that makes any sense hahaha :P)

Oh yeah, I love witty/deconstructive/informative let's plays.

I usually watch Spoiler Warning. They're in their (I think) 6th series now - currently doing The Walking Dead.

Grenn wrote:

It's a bit of a chore, but if everyone could read the Let's Play of Final Fantasy VIII, we would all be better people. It's just screen caps and his captions below, but they are hysterical.

LINKED

*edit* Re-linked to the cached version of the first one that was taken down by the creator for some reason.

This was a classic! I think I got through about 4/5 of that... need to go back and do the rest before it disappears!

I enjoy watching these types of videos for games I've generally already played through and enjoyed. For instance, watching someone play Dark/Demon's Souls is interesting to me just to see a different playstyle or how a player will react to a given situation. My basic criteria for watching a Let's Play series is if the game has multiple solutions to the game's problem. If it is just a linear progression of going from point A to point B while playing through a story, the caster will have to be pretty entertaining in order to get me to continue watching.

Holy cow! I didn't even know these things existed! I started watching the King's Quest one as there is zero chance [/i]I will ever play that again. Pretty neat stuff!

Let's Play videos have become my go-to method for learning how to play strategy games, particularly Paradox games.

I'll play through any tutorials, and usually an hour or two of a new game, before turning to a Let's Play. I find that it helps me grok the systems and mechanics much more easily than reading a manual, strategy guide or forum thread. Many games have excellent LP videos that are designed for newbies or as tutorials. I usually look for those first.

I have a lot of trouble listening to TotalBiscuit. Dude needs to settle down.

I kind of like the Yognauts, but the only LPs I watch regularly are the Game Grumps.

Is there a good Let's Play of FF Tactics?

I have been enjoying watching game grumps series on the horrible Sonic 06 game.

Not exactly a lets play, but I'll admit I loved reading Jeremy Parish's thumbnail theaters:

Metal Gear Solid
Metal Gear Solid 2

Sounds good, where do you guys find this stuff? I think I'll check out some for games I never will play at this point (Like Gabriel Knight 3 etc)

Thin_J wrote:

I tend to watch them for games I'm mildly interested in but would otherwise not purchase on release. Sometimes they can sell me a game.

This, primarily Giant Bomb's quick looks and TotalBiscuit's WTF Is.

I sometimes do the same on Twitch. Also on Twitch, I watch people play games that I already play. In the case of Don't Starve and FTL, I watched to discover tips on how to play better.

I used to watch a ton of let's plays before I had the money to actually buy games :p
Now I pretty much just stick to Giant Bomb quicklooks, those are more for the entertainment players than the game.

I also used to do a lot more research when buying games, now I'm much more impulsive (probably due to constant Steam sales).

I have a 1 year old and a 2.5 year old, so absolutely.

B Dog wrote:

Let's Play videos have become my go-to method for learning how to play strategy games, particularly Paradox games.

I'll play through any tutorials, and usually an hour or two of a new game, before turning to a Let's Play. I find that it helps me grok the systems and mechanics much more easily than reading a manual, strategy guide or forum thread. Many games have excellent LP videos that are designed for newbies or as tutorials. I usually look for those first.

Complete agreement. This and complex sandbox type games. The last couple of days I've watched the videos I've been able to find on RawBots as there currently is no tutorial at all. On story-driven plot games I might watch portions of the usual better videos (Giant Bomb, WTF is..., etc.) just to see what a game is about, but stop short before spoiling the game in any way.

I watch a lot of Northernlion's channel on Youtube.
He mostly does multiple episode LP's of single episode games like Spelunky, Binding of Isaac and FTL along with single shot quick look stuff.

I am a big fan of Game Informer's Super Replays. If you haven't watched them, the Overblood replay is an absolute classic.

Mex wrote:

Sounds good, where do you guys find this stuff? I think I'll check out some for games I never will play at this point (Like Gabriel Knight 3 etc)

Dilandau3000 I linked to earlier does a great job covering sierra games, including Gabriel Knight and his knowledge of the Myst franchise is remarkable. He seems to put a lot of time and effort into squeezing everything he can out of the games.

MagicLorelai has done some good adventure game Let's Plays (including one of my favorite's, THE DIG) and has a quite lovely voice and presentation style. A little obsessed with Dragon Age though.

XAeternax is another one I'm subscribed to. Lot of stuff there including some newer adventure games. Tends to play them blind though so there can be a little more back and forth figuring things out than the other channels.

I watch Let's Play's for boardgames I can't figure out the rules for. This was very helpful before I played my first game of Twilight Imperium.

I've only watched a few segments of a few lets play for games, except the awesome "Freeman's Mind" which isn't exactly a let's play, even though he's going through the entire game.

In the last 3 years (2010,11,12) I finished 84 games.

Never. My thinking goes that if I have time to watch a video of someone else playing it, I could better spend my time playing it myself.
I have watched "Freeman's Mind" but like mrtomaytohead, I don't really consider it a "let's play" video.

LobsterMobster wrote:

I kind of like the Yognauts, but the only LPs I watch regularly are the Game Grumps.

Grumps is the correct answer. You only need to search "game grumps animated" to understand why you should be watching them.

I watched the GWJ Let's Play XCOM and Dishonoured last night and thoroughly enjoyed them both - was almost like a short podcast

I'll be keeping my eye out for more.

dissposablehero wrote:

I watched the GWJ Let's Play XCOM and Dishonoured last night and thoroughly enjoyed them both - was almost like a short podcast

I'll be keeping my eye out for more.

Where is this? I wanted to check it out when they mentioned they might do it...

Just did a search on YouTube on the off chance last night.