My First Video Game In 15 Years

[@TotallyNotMark]

I AM THE GAME BOY! If you enjoyed this, we'll have uncut clips of the playthrough over on the Patreon! - www.patreon.com/TotallyNotMark

[@CyberneticHype]

Would love to see either Ragnarok, Yakuza 0 or Black Myth:Wukong next

[@gunslinger7513]

Bro you're not surviving in Elden Ring...

[@nmmilton]

Now just waiting for that sparking zero playthrough... Any minute now... Or Ragnarok, that'll be a good watch.

[@krownos7037]

Mark you do realize you played Zenless Zone Zero 3 months ago, right? You also did a video about Project the Outcast... did you not play them when you did the sponsored videos... never mind, people are telling me he had somebody else do the game play for those videos.

[@nmmilton]

I'm the one who wins. It's close to being one to one lol

[@FishyEditor]

Hi, the editor of the King Bee fight here. Hope you enjoyed it. It is in fact 4 hours of footage of seeing a man slowly falling into madness. He never, ever addressed this enemy with its proper name in the entire run.

[@projectalpha22_va]

I'm so proud of him

[@adoniscreed4031]

Reading this comment I am convinced that Mark will go insane if he keeps playing games for content 😂

[@alphakowaclips]

Salutes to you for going along with the madness o7

[@VonBoche]

In fairness, I also never called Svartaljofurr by his proper name until right now because his name is fucking Svartaljofurr.

[@kimarous]

POWER THROUGH THE KING BEE!

[@sopix7761]

"questionable reading comprehension" he is a dragon ball fan

[@GregoryFord98]

It is true, Dragon Ball fans can't read

[@ultra4488]

​​@@GregoryFord98Oi! If dragon ball fans could read your comment they would be very mad!

[@stephonmanny7555]

😂😂😂

[@fives-55514]

Can someone read all of this for me

[@AMZT14]

@@fives-55514 kratos solos goku

[@kingofspades1576]

God of war on the third difficulty after not playing a video game for 15 years, Spitefully not lowering the difficulty for hours, Not reading tutorials. Mark is truly one of the gamers of all time.

[@wes-oq4ib]

Gamer mentality - he was a true one all along

[@theincrediblefella7984]

It's because Mark hasn't actually "not touched a video game in 15 years".

[@littleguystar]

The choice to get two “true gamers” to commentate after Mark’s “novice” commentary makes this video a joy to watch. The confidence to allow two people to sit back and say “well… not quite” on YOUR OWN VIDEO has my respect. And, as a “gamer” myself… yeah its nice to have somebody else thinking the same thing lmao.

[@PrixtoTNT]

It's genuinely super smart on his part. I think those commentaru from them migh've possibly avoided a lot of hate comments lol

[@youmayknowmeas2an]

Giving Mark Elden ring to play next... You two are true sadists lmao. The game you described perfectly in that final moment would clearly be The Witcher 3.

[@DanKaschel]

Witcher 3 is a very... Unfocused experience. I feel like that game would go from 8/10 to 10/10 just by cutting 40% of its content.

[@Scoutdeath572]

@@DanKaschel NO!

[@spring0nion980]

​@@DanKaschel W take

[@huzefa69]

​@@DanKascheltrue. I tried witcher 3 and within the first 2 hours the game was already making me do side quests. And going into it right after finishing AC Odyssey i just gave up

[@DanKaschel]

@@huzefa69 oof right after AC is tough. Hope you immediately started playing horizon zero dawn afterward 😂

[@xxcagedriotxx]

7 hours of no sprinting is WILD. Jesus christ lmao.

[@ak-t7d6f]

I started my replay of GOW a few weeks ago and I was going mad why I couldn't sprint at first. I thought it was my controller's issue but it didn't work on my keyboard either. Then after some googling I found out sprinting was disabled in the first section of the game. I don't blame Mark as a first time player. The game never really communicates when sprint becomes available.

[@TP-pq9xx]

@@ak-t7d6f In the very first tier of the skill tree there is a sprinting attack. Which implies you can sprint. I don't know how you could miss it.

[@PeterDB90]

Reminds me of a video where some guy played ALL OF Elden Ring while encumbered and without ever mounting - slow walking EVERYWHERE.

[@Padlock_Steve]

@@ak-t7d6f you can sprint right after they burn the white woman what

[@LordJanenmba]

You know is even more wild, I played the whole game without knowing that you can sprint, didn't relise that until fighting one of the Valkyries in the post-game😂 What is even more wild is that I was hardly annoyed about how slow Kratos walk for the most part

[@faraday1548]

In GOW, he had a hard time with -Menus -Upgrading -Tough enemies that weren't actually bosses -Getting lost -Reading descriptions Plus, since he loves storytelling and story presentation. If you don't know where to look, Elden Ring comes off as an anti-story game. Even though the entire game, down to architecture, is part of the story. I don't think the boys can just sit back and watch him struggle for this one. He's gonna need a bit of help He's either going to hate it passionately or fall in love with it and tear through Vaatividya's entire channel. Either way, I wouldn't be surprised if this video takes over a month to come out. Lol

[@spoonabenson8762]

As someone who has both God of War/Aragon and Elden Ring at the top of his All Time Favs. I’m very interested to see how Mark will react to Elden Ring. To me both games are almost the antithesis to the other while also have similarities. Him getting back into gaming and not having that intuition we all have might make Elden Ring real tough for him, the lacking sense of direction or urgency in the plot might be a blessing or a curse. It’s up to the player really. If he doesn’t fall in love with the world or atleast gets interested in it, I can very well see the whole journey being a “What’s Even The Point” scenario since it’s not like you’re handed out cutscenes or lore unless you work for it. Very interesting to see overall. Excited for it

[@Sant323]

Imagine if he played breath of the wild ? That game will catch him so offguard he won’t realize how underpowered he is in certain aspects.

[@Comicbroe405]

​​@@spoonabenson8762 Yeah. I hated ER at first for it before actually loving it.

[@ThisisCitrus]

If he tries Elden Ring, he'll give up in less than 10 hours. Calling it now.

[@__-fi6xg]

GoW is hand holding like a handjob. ER has none of that and the maps are massive, without help or a bit of direction, he will quit real fast.

[@dawnmcauley6411]

I get goosebumps during the scene when Kratos retrieves the Blades of Chaos every single time, even just when Mark was commenting on the scene delivered the same feeling.

[@triplefried]

Knowing what I know now about what Judge was going through in that exact moment, it broke me on a second play through

[@icravedeath.1200]

What was he going through?​@@triplefried

[@abezice]

Mark needs Astro Bot. The story is minimal and it only takes like 12-24 hours of play to complete, but every minute is pure joy to revive a disengaged former gamer ❤

[@ॐIo]

He wants a story though, AstroBot is too hollow in that regard, like Mario

[@BlusterTheBenevolent]

⁠That’s not to say Mario games are 100% immune to having good stories in them, they’re just a minority.

[@DanKaschel]

I think astro bot is an objectively amazing game, for my preferences are similar to Mark (I think) and that game has nothing for me.

[@morganmariex]

Oh boy not even 24 hours. It only took 14 hours for me to platinum the game! It's a great recommendation!

[@GrandHighGamer]

"Guy who has only played Crash Bandicoot, playing his second game: Getting a lot of 'Crash Bandicoot' vibes from this..."

[@criticalplat1num80]

Mark stubbornly playing on hard mode is such a Dragon Ball Z moment lol

[@Micerog]

“You’ll be the best or you’ll be nothing!”

[@wolfuii4171]

Yeah that started with me a few years ago

[@Abridgimation]

Yeah, that's why I do my first playthrough on easy then up the difficulty if I'm getting bored. I do not like destroying my headsets

[@HelicopterShark]

"What if I hit him really hard?"

[@seilamano3974]

Gotta wear those weighted training vests

[@DeltaRaven97]

Mark not playing a single video game for 15 years, then God of War and now Elden Ring is the equivalent of... "Here's a stick, now go fight God."

[@Windrake101]

Soooo Shadow of the Colossus basically?

[@soopakoopa6461]

@@Windrake101 Or a BotW speedrun. Though I guess satan is more applicable in that case.

[@titheproven954]

On the list of games I think Mark should play next, Elden Ring is.....well it is what I would give him if I wanted to watch a man suffer. Like did ya all not want him to do video game content oooooor?

[@tafujuniorletuli570]

Wukong basically

[@Zagzeroth]

“I don’t know who I am, or why I’m here, only that I MUST KILL” and que the Doom soundtrack.

[@Tahmeedyeager345]

Ain't no way bro is gonna make himself go through freaking elden ring after all of this☠☠

[@Ari925Ari]

You struggle playing Elden Ring? Lusat’s glintstone staff exists.

[@spoonabenson8762]

If the hardest part was him not having gamer’s intuition then Elden Ring is gonna be HELLLL bro.

[@alabbasmahmoud7863]

He's definitely quitting i can 99% guarentee, i wish he doesn't though.

[@Taima]

@@Ari925Ari Not really fun to have to go out of your way to get a thing to make a game playable like that though if you don't otherwise really enjoy it for what it is. I've wanted to have fun with souls games so bad for a long time and while I did make some headway in Elden Ring I just don't have the patience for it.

[@AlexRN]

@@alabbasmahmoud7863unless he gets a lot of outside help he will, without a doubt, drop the game. Making him play that as his 2nd game is borderline sadistic.

[@gavink8824]

Tbf, throwing the axe and summoning it back is so satisfying.

[@Varron22]

It makes a solid hitting sound when it sticks and a loud ping sound when it bounces off. When it comes to a gamer who has played in a while, I could see it being as a " Oh I'm doing something good " sensation and keep doing it, rather than it being just how the Axe sounds. Even though it doesn't do a whole lot of damage, I still love throwing it as well.

[@DrakebIood]

The no sprinting portion is honestly so real. One of the most embarrassing moments in gaming for me was playing through almost all of the PS4 port of Resident Evil Code Veronica without sprinting because of the button map. I walked for so long before hitting sprint on accident and having to pause the game to sit in stunned embarrassment for at least 5 minutes.

[@mattsterman100]

watching someone who's a decade behind games, learn, understand- then maybe not quite, but nearly master a game like god of war. that's a treat you just DONT get very often. glad you like the game.

[@CasualFox12495]

Mark is about to experience the healing process of Fatherhood. Congratulations and brace yourself, man.

[@JJYT92]

Putting Mark on Elden Ring next is sinister, I love it.

[@morels5458]

Why to go easy on him when sekiro exists

[@wilhelmbecknee5870]

Yea but that game is so long I feel like bloodborne, dark souls 1 or dark souls 3 would have been a better choice. They're also a lot more linear so I think it's better to get him back into gaming

[@Anuojat]

Ehhh, probably should give him an actual good game like DS1 or 3. 😁

[@harveyd3897]

Petition for Mark to release the GoW footage as a best of moments video.

[@SteveBeef-n2j]

I’ll sign it

[@l0sts0ul89]

Id watch an entire playthrough

[@jxg2273]

Petition for TOTALLYNOTMARK to play GHOST OF TSUSHIMA next 🙏🏽🙏🏽

[@morganrollins2036]

I bet he would love ghost of tsushima

[@darkblade51224]

Yes this

[@lordtoomas]

That would be a really good pick

[@Gtfo_Kenny]

Love how Mark just completely ignores the Loki reveal when talking about the end of the story

[@CorelUser]

Because it's pretty much a meta reveal that requires existing knowledge of Norse mythology more than an actual story beat, unlike the Kratos mural

[@collecter343]

@@CorelUser True but if you've seen any of the main Marvel movies (and I think Mark has referenced them enough), you should at least know that Loki is a big deal for the Norse gods.

[@Gtfo_Kenny]

@@collecter343 my thoughts exactly

[@TheSonicfan91]

This is such a treat of a video Well done TNM team

[@spoonabenson8762]

Yep fantastic video and presentation. Loved it

[@EnzoDraws]

They're throwing poor Mark into FUCKING ELDEN RING after ALL OF THAT?? I thought they were gonna say "the next game is Minecraft" not E L D E N R I N G. Breath of the Wild checks those boxes you mentioned without driving Mark insane, seriously I think this poor father will lose his son's graduation by the time he manages to beat Elden Ring. Give him BOTW, maybe an older Zelda or an RPG like Pokémon, give him Shadow of the Colossus. Oh well, at the very least this will be insanely entertaining and funny, although for purely evil reasons.

[@hyperlink6547]

I agree, i feel any sort of turn based RPG is going to be a much more enjoyable experience for Mark, who clearly loves and adores the STORY aspect of the gaming scene, while stilling giving him a decent challenge.

[@thebarbare69]

Ikr it's so dumb...

[@chapman2001]

Elden ring is very kind lmao it’s baby’s first dark souls its literally baby souls

[@dw3st2]

@@chapman2001but when you haven’t played a game for 15 years and the only games you’ve played in that time is the last of us and god of war, elden ring is fucking hell

[@DBLRxyz]

@@chapman2001I get what you mean but there’s some difficult fights. The winged bee man thing was basically this dudes Melania lmao He won’t even know it’s optional when he gets there hahaha

[@ljmiller2016]

Really Really hope this series sticks around for the long haul, I am funking loving it

[@freezasama5802]

So Mark decided to play his first video game in a decade for sparking zero that's dedication right there

[@gunslinger7513]

I'm glad that Mark is focusing on games, my another hobby. I know that Mark is mostly known as a manga reviewer, but I really liked this new format. I look forward to more games and sympathize with what Mark will have to endure in Elden Ring...

[@SteveBeef-n2j]

Bro is gonna get cooked And I will love every second of it

[@buparwiggum9347]

Super enjoyed the format of Mark describing his experience and then cutting to the editors giving their two cents. Hope this becomes an ongoing series

[@etheriousnatsudragneel9612]

I agree with the "This is your first experience so no hints no nothing" for this time, I think for Elden Ring some pointers should be given and some systems explained... Since he is inexperienced in handling menus etc. yeah. Imagine he plays the entirety of ER with only a +3 weapon.....

[@LuisSantiagoDiazPfeil]

I don't think that Elden Ring is the best second experience for Mark returning to videogames, I mean, at least you guys should put that as 10th place, after trying a bunch of less punishing experiences for people that's not so used to a game that practically doesn't tell you anything and you react almost automatically as someone who has been interiorizing videogames for a while, Mark said "I want to fall in love with videogames again", not "I want to experience an abusive relationship with a silent and buffed boyfriend who throws swords and creatures at me", at least start with Xenoverse 2 or something like that 😅

[@unique_package5370]

Yeah after hearing this I cant imagine a single thing he’d find enjoyable in Elden Ring

[@ericaobrien9876]

I also agree he wants to love video games not go crazy and hate them. I would pick something else. If not let the force be with you mark it's a rough road ahead lol

[@jimnicholls5215]

As someone who plays a lot of video games and had elden ring be their first souls game, I can say with 100% confidence that this is a bad idea. I had to put down the game at radahn my first playthrough because I just didnt get it. I was doing like 30 damage per hit and didnt know how to have fun. Why? Because I hate reading and didnt internalize or understand the stats system, and if there is 1 takeaway from this video, its that Mark also does not care for popups and thus wholly does not understand the concept of choice being in integral game mechanic. Ease him into understanding how vast video games can be today before the beast that is Elden Ring.

[@pedrito890]

I was like "ok Ragnarok will be his next game so he could really understand the game's mechanics" nope.

[@hyperlink6547]

@@pedrito890 I think they should throw him into an RPG. If he really likes story, then he should play a turn based RPG. The menus are certainly there, but i get the feeling that after this first experience, he will have learned to read. Additionally, given a LOT of RPG story is told through text, he will be *encouraged* to read as opposed to just listening to whatever the characters say. They have minimal button combinations and give the player a lot of time to internalize a given mechanic. enemies that attack cant stun lock you (usually) and so you as a player are never put into a situation that makes you feel like you have no options, allowing you to take your time and view your combat situation. What would worry me is anything with a "Job" system, and his unwillingness to explore leading to him potentially being under levelled at times, or not having the equipment to properly take on a given challenge.

[@OyintandaMathe]

Safe to say, bro saw Sparking Zero is coming out next month and was like "oh shit, where's my controller" truly an inspiring individual, this might be the best training arc for a single game in KZbinr history, truly proud to be with this community

[@jtd3960]

This is probably my favorite video of yours in a long time. I think Ajay and Tyson's interactions and input in addition to your own added so much to the flow and watchability of the video, as well as just being entertaining in general. I was genuinely stunned and impressed with that snippet of animation at the start.

[@THEonlyAEON]

This is a serious personal achievement Mark, going from little to no video game experience and conditioning to beating this game on hard is a really big thing. On a side note to be fair Mark the darkness debuff absolutely infuriates me too, elves are a pain in the ass for me even after my second playthrough of both 2018 and Ragnarok and infact i feel like i got worse at dealing with them.

[@PeterDB90]

Game tells you about sprinting during the first troll encounter (after Kratos helps Atreus kill the deer), but unsurprisingly, it's a hectic battle situation so it's VERY EASY to miss that pop-up while trying to kill a troll and not die to it.

[@blksmagma]

17 minutes into this video so far. I'm glad to see that Mark has decided to engage with this art form after a decade and a half. I'm also grateful for the commentary on game design and reminding me of the fact that as gamers, our intuition has been built up over the years to notice things. These trends are like language. It has also helped me figure out why its been so difficult for my wife to get into gaming with me as things have gotten crazily complex with games.

[@Comicbroe405]

Choosing GoW as your comeback to video games is great!

[@tomjohnson1662]

I wish we could have gotten to see Mark’s in-the-moment reactions to some of these larger story beats, especially with having never played the original games

[@at4nas]

It was genuinely interesting to see how a person who's left gaming for so long manages after returning to it. Good job on persevering.

[@BtFML1]

i always find videos of this kind sooo interesting, people who have never, or havent in ages, playing a modern game for the very first time and just seeing their experiences with it. as someone who has consistently been gaming for basically my entire life, it's always fascinating to see things that are, to me, so obviously simple that they don't need explanation, but for non-gamers, it's completely foreign and missed entirely. i think non-gamers often try and apply real life logic to games too much, see the part where they talk about mark trying to enter the dragon's mouth, and developing that sort of "game sense" for things like weak points, map design, and just overall intuiting mechanics based on the visual language, takes time to learn and understand. if elden ring, or any fromsoft game, really is next on the docket, i wish you the best of luck mark, in general souls games really do throw you to the wolves, but don't be afraid to experiment; once you find a weapon or a build or a strategy that works for you, they do really feel good and fun to play. the explicit story is more than understandable but relatively light, but if you really want to go in depth, there's a ton to study and draw your own conclusions from

[@HatsunPidgeon]

Throwing him into Elden Ring is wild

[@ThisisCitrus]

It's insane, Mark is not ready after just GoW.

[@willthomas2310]

Isn't elden ring the easiest outta all the soulsborne type games?

[@HatsunPidgeon]

@@willthomas2310 it maybe but it's still a Soulsborne

[@megatron4466]

@@willthomas2310 If you use all the available tools and summons yes. If you plan to brute force it and skip tuning your playstyle to make the game easier, like mark did with GOW, ER is absolutely the hardest.

[@OfficialDjTalksick]

@@willthomas2310I would argue nioh until the later play throughs is the easier of the soulsbourne Nioh 2 is even easier with all the quality of life they added

[@thegamedevcave]

man this is actually a super interesting watch! Game design is a language that as a gamer, at some point you just get a feel for. it's pretty rare to get a good look at someone who doesn't speak this language and had to stumble their way through.

[@Idealist_Metaphor]

This is exactly the switch up this channel needed. Wonderful job as always mark. I hope this will be an indication of the direction of the channel.

[@diegojasso9843]

NEED a Persona video from you mark

[@curtisjones9372]

Mark is usually so articulate in his speech but in the midst of battle the broader irish accent comes out and we just get, f***g hell, wtf, omg,I f***ing dodged it, i have other things to do than defeating this f***ing grass hopper.

[@TotallyNotMark]

There’s a reason I script my content haha

[@The_NJG]

@@TotallyNotMarkYet I love it all the same lmao.

[@spoonabenson8762]

As a mega God of War fan this was a very interesting video. I’ve been playing the series since I was a kid on PS2-3 and PSP, got a PS4 specifically to play this game. So I’ve always been immersed in the world. Watching a complete outsider and noob jump in was both entertaining and enthralling. Seeing how the scene with Athena and the Blades of Chaos was impactful for you purely off its own merits really made me reinterpret the scene. How it can be viewed as such a mysterious gripping encounter for a new player yet a bitter but admittedly hype encounter for returning player. How readily Mark picked up on the themes didn’t surprise me at all but it’s always nice to hear them. The menus being a chore is something we can all agree on and thankfully they got cleaned up for the sequel. Gameplay wise the axe throw bring his go to is something my sister did as well when she picked up the game. Tho she played it on normal which made it all the more impactful. But just like Mark the Dark Elf King was where she got vibe checked and had to learn. Very intentional boss design for that there. Favorite part of the video was 100% Mark’s decent into madness over the two Dark Elf Lords. I AM THE GAMEBOY is just a new phrase I’ll be spouting randomly. Shame he didn’t decide to fight the Valkyries, did he never even encounter one? That’s hard to believe. Then again him suffering through them might’ve killed all enjoyment of video games lol. Very interested to see his reaction to Ragnarök way later down the road when he’s played more games. Seeing his skills increase overtime will be a joy.

[@CorelUser]

Spoilers for Ragnarok Seeing how interested he was with the mural showing Kratos dying in Atreus's hands I think he would find it pretty disappointing learning that it's just a fakeout. I know I did

[@spoonabenson8762]

Spoilers for Ragnarök Well it wasn’t a complete fake out. Instead of it being Kratos in Atreus arms it ended up being Odin due to his stubbornness while Kratos was open for change. Can’t say I’m disappointed in the story for not going down the route of prophecy being 100% correct. I also like that the mural in large part shaped a lot of Atreus’ actions after he saw it. He would’ve never gone to Asgard if it wasn’t in hope of saving his Father I imagine.

[@heromobslp1096]

@@spoonabenson8762 spoiler It was also not the point of the story to make the mural true but to show that kratos is willing to defy prophecy and be a better person and even more importantly to decide not only for his child to change for the better but for himself as well….the story he told Atreus before the final fight of the man who carried the logs and was ready to welcome death speaks volumes for that. Kratos himself decided that he WANTS to live. And the mural at the end proved it true that he CAN in fact be a good god and can have a purpose in life. If the first game was atreus’ story then the sequel is kratos’

[@ScurvyDog-q1q]

My first video of your channel and that was epic, just the level of detail and obsession (with blown out researchers) into your journey back into gaming. I have to say this is the golden age of gaming and will only get better. With games like the Norse God of War saga, great starting choice, they really are works of art which transcend films as a digital medium for entertainment, inspiration and emotional resonance!

[@marcusbaretta]

Wonderful video! God Of War is my favorite game of all time, and I loved watching this abridged playthrough. Super excited for your next gaming journey!

[@Nahuel-14]

15 YEARS? Hooooly cow. I know the exact 2 games you're going to love... You should TotallyNotPlay Red Dead Redemption 1&2 You can play them in the order you want too

[@hoshangmerzanazar2317]

honestly, god of war is my favorite game ever, but this definitley shudve been the one to do instead

[@gumgumleobazooka]

Really awesome to see this perspective from someone newish to modern games. Always great to hear your thoughts so it’s a double dose of amazingness. Sidenote also LOVED the editor’s chiming in. Super fun and always engaging. I’m sure these are just as tough to make, so thank you guys for the content. Can’t wait for more!!!

[@ZakMilz]

Something I like about games especially the more recent ones I find myself constantly treating them like movies because the stories are so engaging. I find it interesting that games went from something as simple as 2 pixels going across a screen to a masterpiece like god of war. I hope you enjoy yourself on this journey to re-kindle your passion for games mark because they are something that can tell a story just as well as a movie.

[@poppers7317]

For me the story doesn't really matter. It's all about the gameplay and world building maybe.

[@JamesW609]

@@poppers7317 I'm also a smooth brain gameplay guy a good story is nice and all but what I want is good gameplay not a 70$ movie

[@CorelUser]

​@@poppers7317world building is part of the story lol

[@poppers7317]

@@CorelUser depends

[@BuddieKnoLove]

I’ve never heard Mark curse this much and it is hilarious. LOVE THE VIDEO! Excellent as always.

[@WilbertBernadiTomoh]

Yes, the UI for showing the press button needs to be bigger, and the video showcasing the mechanics is distracting since the placement is separated; maybe it should be centered and make the UI button more noticeable. So, I can't blame Mark for it despite not wanting to read it. Aside from that, it is very entertaining to see how Mark played it after 15 years of non-gaming, such as how he learned from his playthrough and his reaction. Thank you for this video.

[@Hutchino46]

The fact so many people cant fathom a life without video games is crazy. look im a gamer always have been since my first PC in the 90's but sometimes life takes you down a path where your entire day to day habits change completely. plenty times ive veered in a direction where i was barely touching games and could have quite easily stopped all together and not cared or really noticed. there's alot of other activities in the world that can fill that slot.

[@spoonabenson8762]

Most people are just being hyperbolic. Common on the internet

[@HabitualThinker]

Ironic that you say this but can’t fathom the idea that people would exaggerate on the internet

[@Hutchino46]

@@HabitualThinker I never said i couldn't fathom anything, I'm just saying its....silly

[@Thewindyfan]

The production value is insane, love seeing this shift in content from you Mark!!

[@protagkun]

It's crazy that Mark, the story and narrative man, hasn't experienced the peak kino the world of JRPGs has to offer.

[@themangastand8475]

You mean how most of them make no sense 😂

[@Phantom-kc9ly]

If it isnt Persona then I don't know of a great story in a jrpg in the last 10 years.

[@daveski7]

JRPGs have the most nonsennsical stories ever lmao. "Peak kino" is wild

[@thomasr.6669]

@@Phantom-kc9lyI’d put Xenoblade up there as one of the best. GOATed trilogy of games imo.

[@jacobmonks3722]

​@@daveski7 Only as nonsensical as cutting off a dude's head so he can join you on your adventure. Seriously, JRPG stories are no worse than anything you consider good. You just like pointing at some things and ignoring others.

[@Shincat]

I'm 35, have a full time job and a family. Don't think there has been a single day in my life that I haven't spent at least 10 minutes playing. Even if some times it's just some quick log in for daily rewards and stuff. Others do the same with reading or watching tv shows. Each to their own I guess, don't judge anyone for how they enjou their time. As long as everyone is having fun, all is good!

[@ilay_ux]

Ajay blessing my ears yet again. I miss you on your channel man, been like 10 years

[@EU_Cafe]

Honestly this was a fascinating video. I think im so used to people who are lifelong gamers playing stuff like this that Mark coming in as an outsider is really refreshing.

[@ivanbluecool]

I still wonder how many quick time events it took to make Atreus

[@Ianxx01]

And imagine how many blood orbs he has. No wonder he's so strong in gow 2018🤣🤣🤣

[@mannyfresh03]

The dark elf king being what finally got you to get good is both funny and relatable cause I feel like a lot of people ik got stuck here for a bit at some point

[@aquelgamermexicano]

Mark: I haven't played videogames in 15 years Mark 3-4 months ago: Here's Zenless Zone Zero...

[@AnimeAjay]

Jokes on you, I played and wrote that video :D

[@aquelgamermexicano]

@@AnimeAjay Okay, fair enough :V LOL

[@grammeland1]

​@@AnimeAjaywhat about Project: the outcast?

[@AnimeAjay]

@@grammeland1 That was also me. All sponsored content is written and edited by me.

[@Sant323]

I still remember when he released the Bruce Lee video and near the end played the snippet of the GoW music to tease it back in 2023

[@dannymorales5549]

Its so nice to see you go back to this amazing medium, not to rag on other mediums but there is literally nothing else more imersive than games as a medium imo so its nice to see you remembering what it feels like to dive in deep into gaming with such a great and immersive game such as god of war

[@tetsedah]

Honestly, more of this please. While I love your Manga/Anime reviews, this is refreshing and fantastic. Your indepth analysis of the story made me watch this, and even though this is your first step, please keep walking forward. I will be with you on this journey!!

[@Dowdy90]

For the longest of times I genuinely wished there was somebody doing video essays of your quality and particular style for other mediums of fiction I have loved. Hopefully you thoroughly enjoy reconnecting with the form and are inspired to explore some of the amazing stories told via video games. Maybe this would even see you branch out further as well, looking at webtoons and visual novels(printed, western video game a la Telltale or eastern a la Steins;Gate/Higurashi/Dangonropa)

[@UltimaRedFireEskimo]

This video is a valuable reminder for me as a professional AAA designer lol. Sometimes I wonder if we should even allow folks to choose hard mode from the start as it can paint a worse picture of the game if they just spend it dying over n over and not have fun.

[@TheUbberman]

To be frank, it's 100% on him for not lowering it when clearly he's dieing to the tutorial mobs and on every other encounter.

[@RastaGamesful]

I hope Mark will play Cyberpunk 2077 someday in that format.

[@justinharvie8126]

Solid damn choice of game for a return to gaming after 15 years. Definitely on my list of favorite games and it includes basically everything you want from a game: bombastic and intriguing action, compelling story, available exploration and a challenge in between. Awesome video, hope to see more gaming videos coming in the future.

[@erwin7340]

now i need to see him play ragnarok too, fantastic content, the 2 lads doing color commentary were golden

[@AceTheBatHound99]

15 years is a very long time to separate yourself from an art form ❤ I hope you thoroughly enjoy reconnecting to the medium 😁

[@Truth78954]

“Art form” 😭

[@2025fahaddenseje]

@@Truth78954 Video games are actually an art form. Same with movies and music.

[@blksmagma]

​@@2025fahaddenseje The idea that video games aren't an art form is crazy to me. I would love to know why people would not consider video games as art?

[@flesruoYkcuFoGuoY]

I hope Mark either starts with the Greek Saga GoW, or played them in the past and watched some kind of recap. I feel sorry for anyone just playing the new GoW games, they're missing so much! Any time Kratos talks with Atreus, Freya, or Mimir about his past, you only get to hear about it. To have lived it with him through those older games is a different thing altogether! "ZEUS! YOUR SON HAS RETURNED. I BRING THE DESTRUCTION OF OLYMPUS!!!" "The gods may be powerful, but they are not infallible."

[@Comicbroe405]

Yup. And the Valhalla dlc really rewards the ppl who've stuck around since then. And also the Blades of Chaos moment in 2018.

[@okk2005]

I just opted for watching as much more videos before playing and I enjoyed my time in the newer GoW games

[@poppers7317]

He could watch a video.

[@thetechnosaiyan]

If only sony released thosr games on pc or remade them🤨

[@DaGreatCedji]

Yeah, it's one of those games where knowing previous events in the last game is good, but it's not necessary to enjoy the game.

[@ZakMilz]

I really recommend that for anyone who hasn't already to watch the raising kratos documentary on KZbin. It adds a whole other layer to this game that wasn't there before, and adds more impact on the story knowing what the devs went through to make this game as good as it was.

[@dunkfest2k17]

Hyped your enjoying it. I started my GOW journey last year omw to platinuming them all. Such a great series.

[@kflorio54]

Mark your videos are always good, this one, which I’m about half through so far has been extraordinarily entertaining.

[@dtrain8530]

Mark picking hard mode immediately is a true gamer move right there

[@ericaobrien9876]

And not changing it later also. My husband did and said the same thing also not changing it 😂😅

[@ANGXisasonicfan]

It's interesting to watch this because it reminds me of me when I was finally able to afford a new console after not owning one for YEARS. Seeing Mark go through difficult situations but eventually being forced to learn and adapt to those situations is honestly funny but also relatable lmao. EDIT: So the more I watch the funnier it is to see Ajay and Tyson, who know about the game, react to Mark playing this game. Just the confusion from Mark doing certain acts others wouldn't is hilarious.

[@famalam943]

The *Mass Effect* remastered trilogy is a good place to start if you’re into narrative driven games.

[@PopeDuwang]

Yes to this. Also Knights of the Old Republic.

[@zaytres-_-]

I know I would have been mad watching a regular play through but this summary video of it all is one of my favorite videos about playing a game ever

[@hayesshepard]

What timing!! I just played through this the first time myself!! Great Vid Mark!

[@JROTGS]

Great, different type of video there. Now every time I beat a boss I’ll raise my fist and proclaim “I am the game boy.”

[@noonecares7421]

Id love to see mark play Ragnarok to see the completed story of the reboot, but if he chooses not to, I would LOVE to see mark play Red dead redemption 2. I know he loves stories and that has one of the best stories in all of gaming

[@SoraFinalMix]

I love how in the middle of the video I just kept thinking to myself "wow if mark struggles with having lots of options but enjoys close combat he'd probably really like soulslikes" JUST to get presented with that reveal at the end

[@Badalight]

Except, Elden Ring is great because of the variety of playstyles and depth of the systems. I feel like Sekiro would have been the better option for Mark. It truly is just attack and parry.

[@ege.e7]

Brilliant video. As a huge GoW fan I enjoyed every second of this video. It was as if I was experiencing this game again alongside you.

[@Ali-Azzam]

It's been a while since I've got to a genuinely interesting thesis video; good job guys. Cheers from the equator.

[@braideryk]

Imagine if Mark did a Zelda review now that he's into game analyses

[@Nervete]

People analyzing Majora's Mask always goes hard. Skyward Sword would be cool too.

[@123GOHANZ]

Honestly, Mark might appreciate the simpler combat of Elden Ring. While it is a souls game, a genre notorious for its difficulty, it doesn’t demand that much mechanical skill of the player to complete. Just being wary will get you through most of the open world and boss fights can absolutely be brute forced since you really only have to learn their patterns. The only concern I would have for Mark is the game’s storytelling which isn’t exactly clear in its presentation.

[@yup7380]

It is simple but I'd argue Elden Ring kinda punish that playstyle of brute force. Most of the bosses are no longer following the formula of "doing moveset of attacks then stop for seconds which allows you to attack" --> "It will mostly keeps attacking you based on your positioning and heal/spell cast input" You have to make your own opening such as attacking when the boss doing delay attack, positioning so you can attack even when bosses still moving, ash of war, or jumping to avoid attack while followed up with an attack. That is no longer following the usual loop of either dodge/parry/block then attack. It's now how to deal with this attack and can it be used as opening? Not to mentioned how Elden Ring also punish player who relies too much on one build or specifically one weapon. That's a brutal design unless Mark totally experiment which I hope he does. No matter it is, it'd be fun seeing his reaction to Elden Ring lol, it'd be a joy.

[@123GOHANZ]

@@yup7380 I wouldn’t say Elden Ring punishes brute force. From my own personal experience every boss can be overcome with enough patience as all you require is knowing when to attack. Yes, for someone inexperienced like Mark it may be challenging to get into the mindset of “I should attack now while I can” given how unforgiving Elden Ring can be and deviation from safe strategies such as always having a shield up might get him killed early on. However, that is a hurdle I expect him to clear relatively quickly after his first major boss encounter. Once he understands the formula he should have an easier time than with God of War in my opinion due to how simple the combat in this game is mechanically speaking. Not only that but Elden Ring heavily encourages exploration. The game is only as hard as you make it to be based on your Tarnished’s level and equipment. So I strongly disagree with the notion that the game punishes you for relying on a single weapon/weapon type. A lowly dagger can fell a god if you invest into it enough. Honestly, I think he’d have a harder time grasping the other mechanics such as stat scaling, incantations, sorceries, ashes of war, summons, etc. which are poorly explained by the game and requires some gamer intuition to even begin to understand. Even then then they can still be confusing. But yeah, it’ll be interesting to see how he approaches a game like Elden Ring after a long hiatus from gaming

[@unique_package5370]

After hearing the kind of things he doesn’t like in GOW I don’t see him enjoying any second of Elden Ring tbh

[@kingkaizoku85]

On my first playthrough of elden ring, I wanted to see how far I could get without looking stuff up online. I heard the game was notorious for stuff like that. Once I reached 40 hours in-game-time, I gave up at the challenge and just started a new save with a better starting class. Care to guess how far ive made it into the game in 40 hours? Fucking renalla. And I didnt even bother beating her after seeing the obnoxious checkpoints. Unlike mark, I am a pretty hard-core gamer and still struggled alot just because I didnt have guides or wiki pages open. Elden ring is not designed to be played on its own. I heavily doubt that Mark would look stuff up online. I spent 80% of my time just fighting the wrong bosses because I had no idea how to differentiate the optional ones from the needed ones. A better game for someone like him would be something that you can actually play on your own. Fucking mega man or something atleast, not elden ring (no disrespect to mega man though.)

[@bearerofbadnews1375]

Playing Dad of war. Well I hope this broaden your horizons. Maybe talk about other games in the future like Kingdom Hearts, Deadly Premonition, or Dragon Age.

[@gannona4882]

Great video. I liked the analysis of the game by mark as a newcomer and the analysis of his gameplay from his editors as gamers. Can’t wait for another

[@SHEEMBA]

This has been my favorite video game franchise since the PS2 era. So glad you decided to play it!

[@CSSLN]

Playing Elden Ring as his second game means he’s going to either hate gaming or love it

[@ClubGyros-hi8is]

Can't believe The Last of Us 2 is already 15 years old. Time flies.

[@tomgu2285]

What?

[@ClubGyros-hi8is]

@@tomgu2285 Mark played The Last of Us 2

[@prashantthakur6990]

​He said he has not played games for 15 years with a exeption​@@ClubGyros-hi8is

[@boss2868]

I swear i said this on one of your lore videos, but ill say it again. Mark, you're really good at what you do. What a video!

[@PeterDB90]

The frenzied frozen enemies in Helheim are explained much, MUCH earlier in the game. When they freeze you, that causes them to go into a frenzy, so your options are to either play much more defensively, focusing on blocking and parrying while the frost debuff runs out, or run away and wait for frost debuff to run out. Once you are not frozen anymore, they let off and stop aggroing so hard.

[@Talok85]

Red Dead 2 would be a great game for him to play, amazing story and the world is just eye candy

[@igee1605]

Brilliant, now make him fight sigrun

[@Xetyou]

Who suggested Elden Ring of all things? Even if it is an easier Soul-like game, that's still a souls-like game. You two are going to have to actually push him into some directions because yeah while it is fun to watch a toddler walk around aimlessly (not knowing there's a sprint button) and figure out the world, you are going to have to push them in the right directions. Even a nudge will help because that's still a path. All I could say is that I'm glad ya liked GOW, Mark, and... good fucking luck with Elden Ring.

[@zackphy]

If he doesn't pay attention to in game texts and context clues there's no way he's finishing Elding Ring with zero help. The Grace Guidance does help point you in the right direction but it also relies on you having years of gaming knowledge, especially other Fromsoft games, to understand what you have to do next, or at least have an idea which is usually enough to eventually figure it out. I don't know though, maybe he'll surprise ppl and do it completely blind.

[@HonzyandFriends]

Your next video tease and lil Easter egg at the very end once again did not disappoint. Fantastic video yall! The way the edit seemlessly moves between Mark's insights then the smart editor commentary was really enjoyable. If Mark is really doing Elden Ring next...that might need to be a few different videos 😅

[@qbyers6267]

This video was SO FUN to watch. Honestly i think Elden Ring is a VERY VERY EXCELLENT PICK, I think the Insomniac Spider-Man games would be fitting, or since Mark does have experience with the Crash series having him play through the NSane trilogy and Crash 4.

[@randomthings8801]

Now play the Dark Souls games. Edit: Actually he’d love Undertale and Deltarune. And In Stars and Time.

[@unique_package5370]

Bro would hate the dark souls games

[@OmarAhmed-sn4xi]

Yessss, I would love to see him play Undertale!

[@AlexanderZ640]

Getting trouble in GOW and then jumping to Elden ring is like getting bite by a cat and then jumping to a cage of hungry Tigers

[@mrink8822]

"The quality of the videos keeps getting better every year, great job Mark!