Top 5 Let's Roleplay Videos - Let's Play Countdown
Shout out to our featured creators: infernocanuck, Dayton Does Gaming, GamerPoets, Accursed Farms, and Rycon Rolyplays. Great work!
Top 5 In-Character Playthroughs – Let's Play Countdown
Top 5 DayZ Playthroughs - Let's Play Countdown
Welcome to WatchMojo’s Let’s Play Countdown, where we count down our favorite Let’s Play videos in a specific category. Today, we’re diving into the realm of in-character playthroughs, also known as Let’s Roleplays, where players not only experience moment-to-moment gameplay but actually provide a voice and narrative to their character. It's a neat little niche in Let's Play content that we feel deserves more attention. On that note, let's begin!
#5: Morrowind Roleplay – Bran'dar the Khajiit Bard
Channel: Dayton Does Gaming So, it’s rather rare for a Let's Play format to surprise us, but this series proves to be a pleasant change of pace from the norm. Focusing on an adventure in “The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind”, Dayton Does Gaming's series takes a casual and almost meandering approach to player-guided storytelling. Right off the bat, the series makes clear that its aim is to deliver on quietly engaging episodes focusing on the moment-to-moment detours of its main character, the cat-like khajiit Bran'dar. Take the first episode, in which Bran'dar finds time to admire the scenery mere moments after being released from captivity. What makes this approach work for us is Dayton's careful balance between keeping the audience engaged with his commentary, and committing to his unique character. His decision to portray a bard, of all things, turns out to be quietly brilliant – allowing him to occasionally subvert expectations. Plus, it gives us great moments like his attempt to earn tips by continuously playing a lute. If you're fond of easy-going Let's Plays, this is right up your alley.
#4: Let's Roleplay Fallout 3
Top 5 Early Fallout 4 Playthroughs - Let's Play Countdown
Channel: infernocanuck Damn, now there's a hook. Taking an established story, adding some personalized elements, and turning it into something of a reflective character piece – for those seeking deeply-nuanced playthroughs, this will do nicely. Infernocanuck's Let's Roleplay of “Fallout 3” invents it’s own take on the existing backstory, in order to introduce us to Nathan Moore. Moore comes off as something of a straight-laced individual: rather plain in tone and affect, fresh-faced, and – as revealed early on – not entirely prepared for the violent nature of the Wasteland. Over time, though, this seems more intentional. Infernocanuck's constant commentary, while certainly a way to keep us viewers on the same page as him, serves the secondary purpose of granting us insight into Moore's changing temperament. Moore continually develops and grows more flawed, losing that innocence from the early episodes yet gaining fascinating qualities in turn. Scenes such as Moore slowly embracing drug addiction in the midst of combat really hammer home how quietly evocative this series becomes. It also comes off as more than a little disturbing, but I'm pretty sure that was the point. At the very least, it's extremely fitting.
#3: Let's Roleplay Skyrim/Dawnguard: The Tale of Paxton
Top 5 ARK: Survival Evolved Videos - Let's Play Countdown!
Channel: GamerPoets Sometimes the world needs a series that knows how to walk a fine line. A series that gives the audience truly rewarding – and possibly heartrending – moments. This is one such series. The Tale of Paxton feels oddly personal, intended for viewers looking for a well-rounded character in understandable circumstances. Michael of GamerPoets puts a great deal of effort into making the young Imperial Paxton a troubled man, one whose suffering and loss is set up from the outset. Yet the series never feels a need to descend into full-on melodrama. A key element here is the augmentation of existing in-game dialogue; Michael will often rephrase conversational choices to fit with Paxton's personality.It's an amusing gag and a clever storytelling tactic, but it also reinforces how dedicated GamerPoets is to this project. This is just as apparent when, in setting up Paxton's lingering regret over his father's death, GamerPoets used everything from unique camera angles to poignant music in order to get the audience invested.And possibly make them cry – not that I would know.
#2: Freeman's Mind
Channel: Accursed Farms And here you thought we were gonna be watching Bethesda RPGs all day. Well, joke’s on you, sucker! This next series isn’t even based off an RPG! While BirdCatcherGames' take on “Half-Life 2” has its merits, the beautiful madness that is Freeman's Mind feels more appropriate here. One part unyielding anarchic rant, one part deconstruction – and so funny to boot. As a playthrough of “Half-Life”, this provides us with an interesting perspective on some of the more bizarre elements of the game. Much of the impact of this commentary can be attributed to Accursed Farms, who opt to play Gordon Freeman as... well, somewhat psychotic and off-kilter. On its own this version of Freeman is amusing, and Accursed Farms' Ross Scott really embraces the insanity in his performance. However, the playthrough also gives Freeman opportunities for nuance – like when he's pointing out the stupidity of a crate-dropping room. It's not being played straight in the slightest, especially in light of some detours Freeman makes later on, but it works on the razor's edge between satire and absurdity. More importantly, it lets the playthrough be fun without having to force story arcs or invent a narrative; the character and the utterly mad world he inhabits do all the work.
#1: Rycon Roleplays Skyrim
Channel: Rycon Roleplays This is, without hyperbole, one of the most epic and immersive things I've watched in ages. Opting to set your series in the realm of Skyrim should be plenty engaging (if a bit cliche) but Rycon Roleplays – creator of a masterful Outlast playthrough as well– goes the extra mile here. Its setup is relatively simple, focusing on the journey through Skyrim undertaken by Rycon's character, the cursed man Leonidas Aventus. Yet it's the ample theatricality, from the extensive backstory to the ease with which Rycon balances narration and character speech, that grants the series its depth. Incidentally, it also makes learning about Leonidas' past all the more worthwhile. The effort that Rycon puts into making each episode distinct and exciting, while still tying into the broader quest, is unbelievable. It works primarily because of Rycon's dedication to the role, keeping Leon an active player in events yet still drawn into circumstances beyond his control. A good example would be Leon's dreamstriding sequence, coming to terms with the unreal nature of the situation. Complemented by good pacing and one hell of a climactic finale for its first season, it's hard not to think things can only get better from here. I mean... wow. What in-character Let's Plays would you recommend? And what type of Let's Play should we count down next? For more lists published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
