Long-Form Video Game Video Essays

[Original Cast Recording]

Howdy howdy howdy.

I'm interested in recommendations for {title}. Specifically video essays that are not ultimately "reviews" in the thumbs-up/thumbs-down sense, are not chopped-up highlights of "let's play" streams, and are not simply historical "deep dives" into the production or development of a game. (All these things can be fine, just not what I'm after.)

Examples of the sort of thing I'm interested in would be Steak Bentley's 'Metal Gear Solid 4 Was a Mistake' and 'The Aesthetics of Far Cry 2' by Face Full of Eyes.

Prove that humans are better than algorithms and save me the trouble of scouring YubTub.

[Schindler's Lifts]

I can't guarantee that these are exactly what you're looking for, but they might still make for an interesting watch.

https://youtu.be/QCYMH-lp4oM?si=vmhv1cWUZ7UNa0QL

https://youtu.be/w_ZO_Ffa11E?si=qRDgn_r6lZFIMRH2

https://youtu.be/CZzcVs8tNfE?si=lBNlvdmCLUoPT29j

https://youtu.be/L51xc6iqeaU?si=ovP19nWrzRIb-p_O

https://youtu.be/xMNTNDRcQJI?si=Xu_KXFcXmCMO2qW2

https://youtu.be/MMggqenxuZc?si=1k82bAKn1XJ0bZdz

[barbie]

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/A1EDXxBkVXw

[sleeps]

i even saw one that goes for 11 hours and literally called "a quick retrospective"

[Uncle Sam]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBu77h2FSCM
Ahoy made a few good video games essay.

[Morkonan]

Origineel geplaatst door NoMoreUnderscores():

...
Prove that humans are better than algorithms and save me the trouble of scouring YubTub.

The "Was it any good?" series by JonStrifePlays:

https://www.youtube.com/@JoshStrifePlays

Sample:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hslPcKlo_-I



For gaming fans interested in game development/mechanics/design, Tim Cain:

https://www.youtube.com/@CainOnGames

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Cain

(One of IGN's Top 100 Video Game developers of all time.)

Sample:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v22ACVVC4C0

[Knee]

hurricoaster is game best reviewer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWXo8V8W2ug

[Original Cast Recording]

This thread is already outperforming my poll on parsnips.

[Electric Cupcake]

Action Button Reviews.

Tim-Senpai is the Gold Standard.

[eram]

Channel name. "i finished a video game"

[Holografix]

here are the good ones, in no specific order with examples:

Noah Caldwell-Gervais:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_7ngJDbUQE

VaatiVidya:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOJ5rCT_D6Q

Joseph Anderson:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_j_pdKwTuWc

and the best of my list --

Futurasound Productions:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6mZtw9K1C4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6GcPbYU7Kk

[Holografix]

Metal Gear Solid's best analysis is from Futurasound Productions. I am obsessed with MGS and i've seen a lot of videos on the saga, and Futurasound Productions is best analysis of the metal gear solid series by far:

To counter Steak's bloated and frankly boring video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMuPgGz_jZU

[Original Cast Recording]

Thanks for the suggestions, all. Apologies in advance for not directly quoting everything I might reply to.
______________________________

I've watched a good number of Futurasound's vids. Some are pretty compelling and thought-provoking; a few are more of a stretch, IMO. (Not in such a way that I'd really call that a knock against him.)

'MGS4 Was a Mistake' is ultimately more experience-based, non-analytical, and, yes, takes longer to watch than some games take to play. When I watched it, I literally thought, "No way this big dumb thing is worth watching, but we'll start it and see," and then I watched the whole thing.
______________________________

Josh Strife's videos are okay, but the ones I saw are more like a long demonstration, with a few occasional abstractions added in.
______________________________

I watched the Action Button Pac-Man video. Pretty good. When I tried to watch one about another game I'd never heard of, I didn't find a way to connect to whatever he was going on about.

[Holografix]

Origineel geplaatst door NoMoreUnderscores():

Thanks for the suggestions, all. Apologies in advance for not directly quoting everything I might reply to.
______________________________

I've watched a good number of Futurasound's vids. Some are pretty compelling and thought-provoking; a few are more of a stretch, IMO. (Not in such a way that I'd really call that a knock against him.)

'MGS4 Was a Mistake' is ultimately more experience-based, non-analytical, and, yes, takes longer to watch than some games take to play. When I watched it, I literally thought, "No way this big dumb thing is worth watching, but we'll start it and see," and then I watched the whole thing.

Experience based? Futurasound played those games too. Steak's vid is a rambling monologue of their own boredom playing MGS4 more than anything else.

[Morkonan]

Origineel geplaatst door NoMoreUnderscores():

...
Josh Strife's videos are okay, but the ones I saw are more like a long demonstration, with a few occasional abstractions added in...

Hmmm, he goes into every meaningful category of gameplay development and how it was presented in that Castlevania vid.

Maybe if you're clear on what you want? (Or, I'm missing the point...)

Do you want "abstractions" like "Here's an In-Depth Elder Scrolls Lore Video?" Or, do you want something detailing lore that's as convoluted as anything "Morrowind" could dream up? :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BShXixAtYp0&list=PLynOeXfVv8P6WVzoMp0ArUXgIeY76MIa9

That's Rhykker's "Diablo Lore" series. (Rhykker does gaming news and coverage focusing on ARPGs.) Each vid isn't "long form" but there are twenty vids in that series, broken into digestible lumps. :)

[Original Cast Recording]

Origineel geplaatst door Holografix:

Origineel geplaatst door NoMoreUnderscores():

Thanks for the suggestions, all. Apologies in advance for not directly quoting everything I might reply to.
______________________________

I've watched a good number of Futurasound's vids. Some are pretty compelling and thought-provoking; a few are more of a stretch, IMO. (Not in such a way that I'd really call that a knock against him.)

'MGS4 Was a Mistake' is ultimately more experience-based, non-analytical, and, yes, takes longer to watch than some games take to play. When I watched it, I literally thought, "No way this big dumb thing is worth watching, but we'll start it and see," and then I watched the whole thing.

Experience based? Futurasound played those games too. Steak's vid is a rambling monologue of their own boredom playing MGS4 more than anything else.

Oh, I didn't mean he had more experience playing games than Futura. Just that Steak's video (i.e., its "thesis" or whatever) is more based on his "feelings" than anything. No problem if it's not your thing.