Is there any game the Giant Bomb crew is good at?

I'm just curious after watching so many videos of them humorously sucking, it seems impossible. They all seem to lack gaming common sense and it's quite a sight to behold.
 
Are there any games that you know of that they are good at?
 
EDIT: I in no way think gaming skills are a status symbol, and I understand the reasons why the Giant Bomb crew might appear to be "bad" at a game and it doesn't take away from my ability to enjoy the videos. I am not saying I am better than them either and this thread does not serve as a way to boost my ego. I had no idea the concept of being "good" or "bad" at a game was such a taboo on gaming sites because I myself am good and bad at a lot of games, but have never been this touchy about it before.

I never thought about it, but you might be right.
 
But it doesn't matter, I think it makes it more entertaining to watch in quick looks (most of the time).

I agree that it makes the quick looks entertaining, but it's just mind-blowing how clueless they are at times (but I love that about them).

Jeff pretends to be good at fighting games.

^ Yes, I've noticed that as well lol.

But there's also those times when their (intentional?) cluelessness makes a Quick Look painful to watch.

Agreed about that as well. Especially if they don't like the game because it's "missing a feature" or "too confusing" because they're so clueless and can't find it when it's right in front of them.

Slots? 
 
I actually can not think of anything they are good at...

Eh, they are playing a game for the first time during most Quick Looks. I wouldn't want to go back and watch a video of my first 20 minutes with a game. I doubt it'd be as entertaining to boot.
 
I don't think anyone with Jeff's gamerscore actually sucks at games.

I was just about ready to scream 'TROLL!!!' at you, but sadly the more I think about it the more I actually agree with you. To be honest Jeff is pretty good most of the time, but the other three are just kind of aweful.

They have to play a tremendous number of games. They rarely have time to focus on one particular game and become good, sometimes when they have free time they don't play video games.
Because they have to go through games so quickly, it's difficult to excel at any one of them.
 
So lay off it. It's taxing enough as it is. They'll get "good" at games that they really, truly enjoy, like when Vinny really dug Shadow Complex and got every single last thing and posted about where to find them. Otherwise, don't expect them to excel at every single last thing they play, it's hard to want to play a game well when you're blitzing through 2-3 a week.

I guess it could be because they're playing games for the first time, but they still seem to be terrible at games that are derivatives of stuff they've played before (as in sequels). I just get the feeling they struggle more than other people do while they're finding their feet.
 
I think a possible explanation could be, that they play so many games for review purposes that they confuse game mechanics(?) and are used to skim-playing (game form of skim-reading) so much that they never explore the options available in plain sight to them. Jeff probably is the best of the bunch though.
 
EDIT: I was just curious about the games they were good at, which is why it's in question form =D I didn't know Vinny dug Shadow Complex.

posting this without reading anything in this thread sorry: 
 
giantbomb crew are better at video games than me 
 
does this mean i am bad at video games 
 
(also it's surprisingly hard to play games and talk at the same time!!)

" They have to play a tremendous number of games. They rarely have time to focus on one particular game and become good, sometimes when they have free time they don't play video games. Because they have to go through games so quickly, it's difficult to excel at any one of them.  So lay off it. It's taxing enough as it is. They'll get "good" at games that they really, truly enjoy, like when Vinny really dug Shadow Complex and got every single last thing and posted about where to find them. Otherwise, don't expect them to excel at every single last thing they play, it's hard to want to play a game well when you're blitzing through 2-3 a week. "

Threads like this really make me wonder how old the people posting here are.
I mean, who cares how "good" they are? What would we, as a community, gain from them "rule" at some games?
I much rather watch a sympathetic bunch of people ENJOY a game, than some douches who think gaming skills are a status symbol 
trying to outdo each other.
 
Oh, and also ...
@ThatFrood said:

" They have to play a tremendous number of games. They rarely have time to focus on one particular game and become good, sometimes when they have free time they don't play video games. Because they have to go through games so quickly, it's difficult to excel at any one of them.

 I don't think anyone with Jeff's gamerscore actually sucks at games. "

I don't gain anything from it but sating my curiousity. I don't think gaming skills are a status symbol at all.
 
People on forums read too much into things, but I probably didn't help matters with the (provocative?) wording. Can't edit the title now though =/

I just remembered. Vinny is a god. He beat Mass Effect 2 on Insane.
 
So I guess Vinny is the only member good at games. And Dave is probably pretty good at MMORPGs and RTS
 
But yeah, I agree with everyone else in that who cares. But I took this thread pretty lightheartedly. Didn't seem like too serious of a topic.

You would never guess that Vinny is capable of something like that watching the Endurance Runs lol

I hear Drew's pretty good at Halo 2

If you're honest in wondering, a good video to watch may be the Monster Hunter Tri quicklook, Scrumdidlyumptious (I admit I just kinda wanted to type out your name so I could say it in my head - funny stuff). Ryan says that he's spent some time with the game and he's pretty damn good at keeping them dinos lined up. 
 
It's true that people on forums read into things, sure, but you have to understand that "good at games" threads are inherently douchey.

" I'm just curious after watching so many videos of them humorously sucking, it seems impossible. They all seem to lack gaming common sense and it's quite a sight to behold.  Are there any games that you know of that they are good at? "

I did read something more into it THIS TIME. Because, sadly, threads like this pop up on here on quite a regular basis.
Now I'm good for another five or six, though, so keep em comin'!

" I just remembered. Vinny is a god. He beat Mass Effect 2 on Insane.  So I guess Vinny is the only member good at games. And Dave is probably pretty good at MMORPGs and RTS  But yeah, I agree with everyone else in that who cares. But I took this thread pretty lightheartedly. Didn't seem like too serious of a topic. "

" There's no "reading into" required here. Please look at your first post:
 
@Scrumdidlyumptious said:

" I'm just curious after watching so many videos of them humorously sucking, it seems impossible. They all seem to lack gaming common sense and it's quite a sight to behold.  Are there any games that you know of that they are good at? "

Yeah, it definitely didn't sound derisive. "

Jeff was a world class player in NFL blitz.  He was as good as the developers, or better. 

Jeff says he's pretty mean at Jungler.

Jeff seems to be fairly good at (S)SF4. 
 
But I agree with the OP, especially Vinny and Brad seem to fail to grasp some pretty basic stuff, and by basic I dismiss the "They have only played this game/this kind of game once or twice" arguments, in the majority of their quick looks. I wonder if playing the volume of games that they do on a daily basis affects their attention to detail...

That being said, I don't think any less of the Giant Bomb crew and highly value their opinions about... pretty much everything.

Dave is a pretty good player.

Also, I only found Brad to suck horridly, but that's because he's not paying enough attention. You can see that in games he actually dug into, he's okay. Not to mention the fact that they are talking during recording - and not from time to time, no, it's constant talking.

Keep in mind that on the quicklooks they are playing the game for the first time and talking at the same time. That makes a huge difference.

I don't think it really matters how good they are at games and since a lot of quick look games are picked for their niche appeal or low quality (or so it would seems in a lot of cases) of course they'll miss features/features won't be there or are poorly implemented in the first twenty minutes of play. It all adds to the charm in any case.

yea i definatly think they should be better at games i mean u guys say they play tons of games and that is the reason for them being bad??? but i find that should only make them better i mean they thats all they been doing for years now??  And they still cant pick up a game and get the basic controlls sometimes.  Now im not bashing them i mean im obvisouly on this site alot and like it.  But i just hate butt kissers like alot of people on here are, your telling me u never been watching and said to yourself waht the hell how could u miss that or why would u do that????

I'd say that it's a combination of Quicklooks generally being recorded during their first hour with the game + the difficulty of talking while playing + the pressure knowing tons of people will be watching the videos(especially for brad). 

Just look at the later episodes of the P4 ER. Vinny got pretty damn good at that game if you ask me.

Well... it did take Ryan several weeks to get passed that one part of Dante's Inferno. 
Usually, I tend to blame the fact that they've only just started playing the game, but when they miss parts of the tutorial and then don't understand how to do something or do something similar, it's really frustrating to watch.  I hate to say it, but I stopped watching the first Endurance Run because I was getting too frustrated with them making the same mistakes even after having played the game for hours upon hours.

" @ImperiousRix: oh you mean like when they only played persona 4 an hour at best each day? "

" @ImperiousRix: oh you mean like when they only played persona 4 an hour at best each day? "

I really dislike these kind of comments. I really don't like when people yell "Haha, they suck!" or "Can't they record with someone that know how's to play games"? If it's either om Gametrailers or our beloved Giantbomb. It's sounds extremly elitist and douchy. The only people are trying to communicate is that they are better than someone else, they want to boost their ego and e-penis. It's such a painful and childish thing to read every time. 
 
I also agree that playing games while you talk (knowing you have an audience) at the same time is hard. I know, I have done it.

It should also be noted that Quick Looks are designed to give us a quick look at the starting of the game and rushing through to show us as much as possible in a game they are unfamiliar in is probably a factor. I'm sure anyone who reviews video games for a living has played enough that they are fairly decent at them. Not saying they are pro, or even great, but not as bad as you think.

Well, firstly they're at work so they probably have a zillion things on their minds at the time. Secondly they're on video so they have the added double task of comenting intelligently on some aspects of the game and more importantly in Giant Bomb's case offering some good entertainment to the viewers(which most often comes in the form of humour here at GB).
 You have to understand that the conditions they play games in are a world away from the conditions we play games, and in my opinion it affects the quality of their play.
But then again, who cares if they're not really good at any games? I know I don't and I'm pretty sure they don't either. I find it ridiculous how obsessive some people get about being good at some dumb game.The main aim for me when playing games is to have fun and if that means goofing around and ''playing badly'' then so be it, who cares? I know the GB crew don't.
 
Add to that the huge numbers of different types of games the guys have to go through you can't blame them for not being 'pro' at any one particular game. They probably don't have the time/desire to invest the requisite time in a game to get good at them.
 
I'm really getting sick of people nitpicking and over-analysing everything the GB guys do.

I thought they were pretty good at some games (judging from the Quick Looks) but Brad has a habbit of dying in the strangest ways.

"

Well... it did take Ryan several weeks to get passed that one part of Dante's Inferno. "

"

Just look at the later episodes of the P4 ER. Vinny got pretty damn good at that game if you ask me.

"

" @ImperiousRix said:

"

Well... it did take Ryan several weeks to get passed that one part of Dante's Inferno. "

Weeks? Uh...try a few hours. He said that in the video and on his twitter. 

I'd say yes they are good at games. Hard to compare in quicklook because it's usually just them powering on an playing.  We don't really ever see them playing a game they play constantly and all the time.

" I'd say yes they are good at games. Hard to compare in quicklook because it's usually just them powering on an playing.  We don't really ever see them playing a game they play constantly and all the time. "

They are all pretty good gamers, but you have to take two things into account when watching them play games on quick looks & things:

1. They're usually fairly new to the game. Any game has a certain learning curve, and in most quick looks we're seeing them near the beginning of that curve, before they've had a chance to get used to the game
2. Playing a game and talking about it at the same time are surprisingly difficult. It's not a normal game playing situation. They have to provide interesting commentary on the game at the same time. And that isn't as easy as you might think.

You guys all care just a little too much about how good some game enthusiasts are at their chosen medium.  It's obviously not stopping them from enjoying it, and last I checked no one was forcing you to watch the Quick Looks.

I recall Jeff saying he won some kind of tournament when he was younger, winning a trip to Mexico or jamaica or something like that, so he must be decent.  I recall Brad had some pretty good scores showing when it came to Geometry Wars.  I also think a few of the other guys are high level WoW players ( personally I think this is more of a dedication thing, but others would argue. ). 

" I don't think anyone with Jeff's gamerscore actually sucks at games. "

I personally don't care if he sucks or not, but this is doesn't make any sense to me. Since when does the gamerscore equal skill? The guy has access to tons of games you probably never even heard of, and for some of them he does not even need to pay because of his line of work. The fact that someone played a lot of games does not necessarily make him good at any of them.