In preparation for writing this article, I decided to start with a simple Google search for ‘Top Game Review Channels’. Egad.
Seems as if while I’ve been sleeping, a lot of people have been producing videos on the subject of gaming. Considering that the list is about a year old I can imagine the number of channels has grown about as rapidly as the number of players quitting the EVE universe (sorry CCP, but DUST514 is insurmountably disappointing).
How is it that these channels are able to gobble up the attention of so many viewers? A lot of them are terrible but the better ones are entertainment at its finest. What exactly is fueling the massive growth of these gaming channels? Is it that anyone can do it? Ah…I think I may have found the crux of matter.
While yes, anyone can upload a video, it takes a bit more to actually make it good. I’ve watched my fair share of awful review videos and I’d like to help save you the same trouble. So where to start? From simple ‘Let’s Play…’ videos by lonely bachelors to comprehensive media networks packed with interviews, conference coverage and reviews with in-depth analysis of game mechanics, the choices are vast! The least I could do is provide you with a few suggestions, just to get you started. You get five. Here we go!
The Escapist
SUBS: 754K
This is one of my personal favorites. The content and videos are well-produced and delivered in a consistent, easy-to-digest manner. The channel is also backed by a well composed media site that provides news on a variety of geeky subjects. Most importantly, they signed a deal with Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw, creator of the hilarious channel ‘Zero Punctuation’, which I love. Definitely content worth checking out if you enjoy brutal honesty with a dash of impatiently delivered sarcasm in your game reviews. I know I most certainly do.
Smosh Games (HVGT)
SUBS: 6.3M
Smosh Games is a branch of Smosh, which is another companies that boasts itself as the best source of memes and funny videos on the Internet. They might be right. 6.3 million subscribers is impressive… most impressive. While they cover the usual staple topics of gaming, their ‘Honest Video Game Trailers’ is by far the most entertaining. HVGT provides game reviews that would have saved us all a lot of money had they been released by the original game developers. Brought to you some guy who sounds a LOT like Don LaFontaine, these trailers are not only funny, but poignant criticisms that resonate quite accurately with the opinions of many other gamers out there. This is likely one of the driving forces behind its success. It says everything we want to say about a game but in a much, much better voice.
ScrewAttack!
SUBS: 2.2M
Prior to writing this, I actually had not seen it. I was initially impressed with the quality of content and found the host relatively humorous and on point. They do offer a hefty serving of top 10 videos, which I’m always a sucker for. I did find myself subscribing to this channel as the quality and commentary were decent enough. I suppose that says something in itself. I did almost rage quit after a comment concerning Mega Man X though, but it was just a joke that reinforced how awesome a game it was…damn right.
VideoGamerTV
SUBS: 126K
These guys have been doing this for a long time, with their first YouTube video submissions beginning circa 2008. Dramatic Look was uploaded 2007, just for reference. As early members of the YouTube movement, you would think that they would have picked up more subscribers. Maybe this is due to the grassroots nature of their content? After all, cult-followings and connoisseurs are hardly cut from same cloth as the masses. If you compare their early content to present day, you can definitely see a major change in style and approach. I generally enjoy this channel because the comedic absurdity and sincerity of the hosts is enough to distract me from their production quality.
Hot Pepper Game Reviews
SUBS: 238K
If you like games and watching people describe them while writhing in agony, this is the channel for you! The premise is simple. A host eats something that measure several million points on the Scoville scale and attempts to spit out a coherent game review. Watch someone eat a ghost pepper and crawl halfway through a review before breaking down in tears or choking in a mad frenzy. I got some flack from my partner for watching these and maybe she has a point. The people in these videos are visibly in a state of extreme discomfort! Does that make me a bad person for laughing and enjoying these? Probably. Are you going to click the link to watch at least one of these videos? Probably.
There you go! Five solid channels to start you off, but don’t limit yourself as there are literally hundreds more out there to watch! There are so many you can even start sorting them out by genre. One popular such genre I’ve noticed emerge is that of the ‘angry gamer’. Channels have emerged with names like Game Grumps, Angry Video Game Nerd, Angry Centaur Reviews, Angry Joe , and likely more. In the end this is all just culture unfolding before our very eyes, and we’re big fans of culture here.
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