What's a Good game to do a Let's Play to??

Hey guys! I'm JohnnyDonVito and first thing first, I'm Brand Spanking New to this awesome community. Secondly, please love me! Now with all the good stuff being said, I'm also a new'ish Gameplay walkthrough youtuber who's looking for a good game to do a Let's Play too with commentary. So if you got any good suggestions; and i know you guys do; write them down and ill check them out!

Thanks a bunch for the love dudes!

The best game to do a Let's Play off, is always the game you love playing yourself. Whenever you are very excited about playing a game, it will show off in your commentary and you playing it. That is the most enjoyable thing to watch.

Besides that, there really aren't any rules on what is the best type of game. It depends on your audience. Some prefer very gamey games with lots of different systems interacting with each other and watching you master them. For example, XCOM and Civilizations are infinitely replayable, yet people could potentially watch every single one of your playthroughs of those. Some prefer to watch you experience a story driven game like Mass Effect or even Gone Home. Yet others will want to watch you compete online in various games.

I like to watch the gamey ones myself. I have almost zero interest in watching someone play a story driven game. Slight exception being the BioShock Infinite stuff the guys did.

So, go play what excites you.

I only watch Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA F Let's Plays.

Play the game you're most passionate about, especially if it's something not everyone might instantly appreciate. Be careful with games that have a lot of downtime, like huge RPGs and that. It's best to edit highlights for that kind of thing. Something like this for Dark Souls is much better than a Lets Play in my mind, but just find your style. Have you uploaded anything yet?

Personally, I'm fascinated by youtube and streaming gaming culture. To me it's the most exciting development in gaming and I'm far more exciting about the new console sharing features than most people seem to be.

Exactly.

@zevvion: geeze thanks bro :D that was informative and quite helpful for me. I'll take that into account

In my experience, the best Let's Plays are games with a lot of dialogue and not a lot of repetitive or challenging gameplay sequences where you aren't really free to talk or wouldn't have much to say beyond "Take that!". For example, Yakuza, or one of those visual novels. If you're really entertaining, you might get away with a turn-based strategy game, where you have plenty of time to talk between moves, but that's predicated on being able to come up with good material. Dialogue, especially translated dialogue, gives you the material all on its own. Another caveat - if you have a two person team, you can get away with boring gameplay segments by digressing onto a totally different topic.

You really ought to mention what kind of genres you enjoy playing. If you end up streaming a game that's simply not to your liking, it won't be fun for anybody unless you're creative about your complaints. Try to choose something you're genuinely excited by, something that's worth talking about. If it's a very high-speed action game, with little downtime, you won't be able to make much insightful commentary. I'd personally recommend a niche game for a specific audience, or a more story-focused game.

Also, unless someone's threatening you with sodomy, please don't ever say "Please love me" in any context ever again. Thanks, man.

@jazz_bcaz: I agree with you about games with a downtime. Been watching a lot of PewdiePie/TheRadBrad stuff and notice that they pick a lot of action filled games. As for any games that I've done, I just started making a Let's Play on Metro 2033. You can find the the vids here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmksdsC0rzU and your feedback would be absolutely awesome!

Thanks again!

@johnnydonvito: People give PewdiePie a lot of flack because he's quite annoying, but what he's incredibly good at is zoning in the interesting bits. His Dark Souls playthroughs are hyperactive and super snappy and just about watchable because of that. It's a bit of an assault but if you're a fan of his then the laughs come thick and fast.

Being really good at games helps as well. No one likes to have the backseat driver evoked whilst watching someone fumble their way through.

Fez

Dohohoho

@veektarius: Thanks! that was also quite informative too :D I'll take that into account Thank You

Avoid turn based JRPGs unless you're ready to do a ton of editing. Watching battles in those games gets old fast, and even the best LPers will struggle to make them interesting for the entire 40+ hour experience.

Well it comes down to what kind of lets play you're doing. If it's something turn based or super long I would avoid doing video. Next it should be something that you need to know a lot about. Knowing a lot about the mechanics of the game and it's development will leave you with plenty of interesting and informative commentary instead of just painfully trying to make jokes constantly. Focus more on trying to explain why whatever game you're playing is fun or interesting. Also if you can get a second person. Having a wingman improves basically any kind of let's play. Letting you play off the other persons own information and personality. Maybe bring in someone who knows very little about the game you're playing that way you actually have a real person to explain mechanics too instead of just talking to your not present audience. Oh and edit. Edit well and do it often.

Last minute addition here. If you're doing something story based maybe consider not talking over the cutscenes or dialogue. It can be annoying for people trying to enjoy the game with you.

Some great suggestions in here, the only thing I could add is go for the road less traveled. At some point if you pick a game that everyone has lets played or covered already then it becomes stale and boring. Oh what's that? Another Slenderman lets play? Whoop-deee-doooo.

But yeah, besides that, what people have said already, pick something you can just talk a lot about and good/funny things about. Dead air is boring and a constant stream of grunts and insults is annoying.

@zolroyce: I agree with you, these guys [you included] are awesome! I really do appreciate the tips, Thanks again folks!

The games that get the most attention on my channel are the ones that I thought were pretty obscure or have passionate fans; in my case, these are Final Fantasy XI, Boktai and Bomberman Fantasy Race. It's important that you enjoy playing the game, so even if you pick a hard game and get angry, you're still having fun. My (few) regular viewers consistently tell me that my in-progress Mana Khemia LP is the best one I've ever done because I love that game to death and it comes through in the commentary and editing.

A game you love is the most important. Secondly, i'd do a game that isn't the same every run - or a game you can add something to that isn't in other LPs. Engaging your community for major game choices is nice, if you can end episodes at major decision points.

One of the reasons Minecraft has such an immense LPing community is mostly the open ended aspect of how each game goes, so an LP is often as good as the creativity of its creator.

Starting out, games that don't get constant LPs are great. It's a way of getting people interested in your channel. With success, you can play the more common LP games, as your long term fans will watch because you are LPing, not just for the game. They'll want to see you play those games.

My strategy here would be to show unique battle arrangements once and then edit them out once you've seen them already. That way, you get some variety without repetition. Or something like that.

Yeah just do a game you love to death. You aren't doing a Let's Play TO a game, you are doing a Let's Play OF a game. A good Let's Play should elevate the game not yourself. Also learn video editing, it will make your stuff that much more watchable but is not necessary if you choose to go with a specific style of Let's Play (group blind). Make sure if you choose to do a very story based game to provide a version with you not talking over the cutscenes.

Just wanted to say thanks guys! Appreciate all the awesome tips! :D

No one has said it yet? Okay.

None.

Seriously, I don't know... one you know you know you can provide interesting commentary over?

Oh wait, he wanted to know a game to do a Let's Play of, as Snail says, None.

depends, I'd say Shinya Arino of Game Center CX does a better job then most of the lets play personas.

@crithon: Arino is the forefather of Let's Play, of course he's one of the best.

@corruptedevil: personal favorite was something awful forum's lets play of Dirge of Cerberus, but that's like a year or two before Game Center CX. I don't blame anyone for not calling him a lets play since his show is so well produced and interviews with top japanese developers are amazing.

@crithon: TheDarkId's LP of Dirge of Cerberus was in 2008, Game Center CX started in 2003. The generally considered first LP (slowbeef's Darkseed) was in 06.

@corruptedevil: really? I could have sworn I read it in 2004..... huh, it came out later maybe I'm mistaken. But yeah, "lets play" term came from something awful, that's something people keep forgetting.

@corruptedevil: Ah but when was the generally considered first youtube video in which a guy played a video game and talked over it?

Uh, i'd absolutely do something you enjoy alot.

Like if someone held a gun to my head and forced me to do a "Lets Play" i'd probably do a single player campaign in Mount & Blade: Warband. Because its one of my favorite games of all time. I'm knowledgeable at it, and fairly good at it.

Oh, make sure you know at least the mechanics of the game. Being frustratingly bad at the game will just be annoying to the viewers. Being knowledgeable about it is a plus, but theres something to be said about the rawness of going in cold.

But yeah, pick something you really like. No ones going to want to watch you play something you're just forcing yourself to play.

@fredchuckdave: Kids with camcorders have been doing that forever.

Something that you love? So that you can be informative and energetic?

For example, if I was doing a Let's Play, I'd do a FF game, RE2, RE4, or even DMC3/4

I would suggest playing awful games, as the commentary for them tends to be much more hilarious. I think when Game Grumps do lets plays on bad games, it tends to be a lot more humor involved.

play minecraft but life hack it by turning youe screen upside down>??? or you could cut a paper overall and stick it to your screen so you can onlt see cetrain parts and film it with a camcorder? just spitbaLLIN here. or play with 1 hand only or with your feet or try to play with yure eues closed lol

Portal.

Star Fox 64

Dear Esther

Make sure to take your time...

Sierra's Shivers

https://www.giantbomb.com/shivers/3030-20146/