A List of Recommended Let's Players!

Throughout he time I have spent writing this blog, I have argued my points by citing many popular Let's Players on YouTube. These people have inspired many and have helped shape the Let's Play community as a whole. So as we come to the end of my overall argument, I figured it's time to go in depth with these people by formally establishing who they are, what they do and what sets them apart from the rest. The last point is something I really hope to emphasize with this post because up until now, I have told you about them, but I feel as if I haven't properly distinguished them and so now, I hope to firmly establish their individuality.

1.Chuggaaconroy

Emiliano Rodolfo Rosales-Birou or better know as Chuggaaconroy, is arguably the most popular "classic" Let's Player. As I have stated before, his style revolves around the games he plays, Seldom does he dive into his personal life when commentating and only does so when necessary. His focus and goal is to show you his favorite games and what's special about them. He is known for being very organized with his series', usually creating a list of things to do in a specific order before recording and publishing videos. A lot of planning and editing is involved in his projects. His current series Xenoblade Chronicles, is a series that he has been planning and working on for over a year. The game at hand is a Japanese RPG that is immense in its structure, clocking in over one hundred hours of gameplay. It is with this that I should mention that Chuggaaconroy also does his best to compelte his games one hundred percent, meaning that not only does he complete the main story, but he also completes all side missions, obtains all weapons, getting all collectibles etc. To do this with Xenoblade, he had to play through this one hundred plus hour game multiple times. And as I said, his videos are also heavily edited, usually cutting our mundane parts, sometimes doing multiple takes for a segment to get it right. Another thing that's really special to him is that he immerses himself in the game, usually treating the characters like real people and attempts to justify their actions as the game progresses. It's aspects like this that really make Chuggaaconroys channel truly special and is the reason why he is regarded as one of the best Let's Players out there. 

2. Game Grumps

Originally started by internet comedian Jon Jafari aka JonTron and animator Arin Hanson aka Egoraptor in early 2012, this is a show that has gone through a lot of change within its short life thus far. The original duo of JonTron and Egoraptor is what sky rocketed the show to fame. For this team, it's the dynamic of their conflicting 

personalities that made them so great. Jon was the goofy, bombastic Not-So Grump while Egoraptor was the serious, Grump. They were very different people that shared a love for video games and each other's individual work. They would often argue over aspects of game design, how to play the game and just casual topics in general. Their most popular series, Sonic '06 is hailed as one of their best work for its spontaneous jokes and consistent hilarity. Almost a year later, JonTron left Game Grumps to continue working on his own show as he felt Game Grumps had taken over his own work. Following this, Dan Avidan aka Danny Sexbang of the comedy band, Ninja Sex Party, took over Jon's role of Not-So Grump. With this host change, the dynamic of the duo changed as well. Danny, being a calm, mellow person, put him in the role of the straight man while Egoraptor became the bombastic goofy man. A new side series called Steam Train also launched the same day, and is headed by Danny and animator Ross O'Donovan aka Rubber Ross. This side series focuses on PC games rather than the console games seen on Game Grumps. The style of this duo channel is pretty much the antithesis of Chuggaaconroy. Throughout the time that its been active, the channel has focused on the people running the show rather that the games they play. In fact, Game Grumps rarely finish games and usually quit them once they get bored. The show also isn't heavily edited and it's much more casual. For many, this is the preferred style of Let's Play and it has proven to be a very successful formula for the show. 

3. Markiplier

Mark Edward Fischbach aka Markiplier is a solo Let's Player that seems to fall between the styles presented by Chuggaaconroy and the Game Grumps. Starting in 2012, Markiplier is one of the fastest growing Let's Play channels on YouTube, amassing a whopping four million subscribers in just two years. Iconic for his smooth, deep voice and humble, energetic personality, Markiplier is a Let's Player that likes to enjoy the game he's playing but also act goofy and joke around while he's at it. He doesn't complete games usually, but he finishes them and tries to work his way through the problems at hand while also trying to entertain the audience. He also utilizes Facecam in almost all of his videos. This sets him of the middle of the spectrum, and is successful because he appeals to both classic and modern Lets Play fans. Markiplier plays PC games almost exclusively but will play console games on occasion. Like Pewdipie, he'll sometimes play little internet flash games for fun but will also play story and gameplay heavy games such as Alien Isolation and The Evil Within. He also has a great love for Indie developers as well and plays several obscure games to give them exposure. All of these aspects allows for a great blend of old and new styles and is driven by his incredibly kind and energetic personality. He is a Let's Player that truly offers something special for everyone.