Metal Gear Scanlon: 3: Part 06

Dammit Party Bill.

And yeah, Drew just isn't taking enough time to scope out each area. I don't know what their hurry is, it's not like anyone other than Dan and Drew are dying to do premium content each week. Take your time. It's just sad to see Drew not take any satisfaction in evading an alerted enemy, and instead he just blows like a hundred bullets from various guns taking out all of the alert guards.

I think Dan and Jason actively guiding Drew away from putting the game down for a week was kind of stupid. If it happens that way, let it happen.

I've been silently watching these streams and avoiding the comments, but I'm one of those nerds who played this game without setting off an alarm and getting all non-lethal kills, and I can't help but notice that this game is really all about the gains in inches, while Drew seems to be playing the game for gains in yards. I can understand Drew trying to think about the viewer, but actually think he might make better progress using stealth and hiding, than just going all John Rambo every time he's discovered. It might appear in Drew's mind that it's not "entertaining" for the viewer to show a little patience, but running headlong into every situation isn't exceedingly enjoyable either.

Not to mention that Drew is setting himself up for an incredibly difficult situation later in the game. I'm probably repeating what everyone else has already said, but I think if Drew showed a little restraint, and used all the tools at his disposal, the game would actually move forward a lot more smoothly, and dare I say, quickly.

Metal Gear Scalon is quickly morphing into Breaking Drew...

@danryckert made this way weirder than he had to. They're going for a "pure", "how Drew would have experienced the game on his own" run, but Dan chooses to say not enough to help Drew make a decision and also too much to let Drew experience the game how he would have anyway. When Drew wanted to save the game and pick up later, why not just shut your mouth and let him do that? Why decide for him all of a sudden that he doesn't want to do that and make him play through? This type of thing and Drew not enjoying much of his time playing makes this series hard to watch at times.

You guys should sit down off camera and put to pen and paper what exactly Dan's role is in this series. Viewers are getting frustrated with Drew's frustration and it's pretty apparent that Drew's not enjoying his time playing the game. Go fix that, please.

@ruken said:

No matter how Drew is playing or how this series turns out, it's still fun to watch and a cool part of Giant Bomb history. That said, a couple things:

1. I would have a 'mechanics' session for drew where he just practices holding people up/ CQC / aiming / etc... Recorded or unrecorded, whatever. And only because because I think it would make it more enjoyable for HIM. Could he also watch some gameplay of a section he's already done? Seeing how someone else does stealth might get him to consider things he hasn't thought of.

2. Dan is a good coach, but his style makes Drew anxious or something. If I was in Dan's place. I would be a quiet observer and only offer reflection and mechanics advice. Saying "ooooh you might want to save" is like just as bad as spoiling what's ahead.

I agree 100%. Something about Dan's way of talking about how he doesn't want to say the wrong stuff, then staying mostly quiet, then laughing his head off when Drew makes a mistake has me feeling like a significant portion of why Drew isn't enjoying himself is Dan's observing/coaching style.

As someone who would love the hell out of these games if I had a playstation, drews frustration is frustrating. MGS 4 I played and loved, drew will enjoy that one more.

@8bitavenger said:

I agree with @ruken as well but I don't think it's Dan's fault really -- he's trying to walk a delicate line here of not telling Drew stuff, but not wanting Drew to be frustrated.

The problem is Metal Gear, not Dan. The controls are not intuitive at all. I remember playing like an hour of MGS4 after hearing that there had been a big overhaul of the controls to make them accessible (which they say before every game) and was so annoyed with it I quit and never came back to it. I tried the MGS Online beta as well and it had the same controls and they're just awful. Other games let you do the same functions as MGS but with controls that make sense.

Dan's only problem is that he's too defensive of them and not willing to concede that maybe the controls could be better, instead telling Drew that he just needs to learn them because they're great and well-thought-out and deliberate, so Drew just gets frustrated. It's funny (and frustrating) because Dan has literally the exact same experience with Monster Hunter, where he thinks the arcane controls are bullshit and everyone who likes those games says they're great and well-thought-out and deliberate.

Dan grew up with MGS so he just accepted them for what they were. Drew as an adult playing them for the first time has no reason to do the same. Acknowledging that would make a world of difference in terms of sympathy, but it wouldn't somehow magically fix the controls for Drew.

Not even having the tranq gun equipped.

Hnnnnrrnggh.

God damn it. THERE'S A MAP! USE IT.

Holy crap. Jason is so good in this episode, especially that little color hint.

a whole suppressor on one guy .... :(

edit: WAIT I JUST REALIZED HE DOESNT HAVE A DRAGUNOV

I'm fairly certain, after watching this series, that Drew has never played video games before.

this game looks frustrating as hell.

Noticed there wasn't one on the front page.

Metal Gear Scanlon: Snake Duder - Part 07

I'm loving watching this but, Drew...God damn it.

@jamesdane:

watching this hurt my phyiscally. this man can fly a fucking aircraft why can't he figure out this game!?!??!?!?!?!

I love the end of this video so much.

I love how Drew plays MGS, it's so ridiculous.

Ok! Kojima'so invited to the cookout.