Youtubers Life 2

You have to stop and think for a moment about what a strange world we live in if we're playing games about internet superstars. YouTubers Life 2 is the second entry to a game that was all about, you guessed it, being a YouTuber. So if you've ever fantasized about creating a YouTube channel, you can live out your alternative life in this casual simulator.

The question arises, does this game have an audience? Well, if they've made a second version - apparently so. One would think the effort put into the game could fulfill their YouTube channel fantasies in real life. What could be so compelling in a YouTubers Life 2 that couldn't be found in the outside world? Guess we have to play to find out.

Welcome to the Digital Generation

It's maybe a redundant statement to say why not just be a real YouTube rather than play YouTubers Life 2. After all, we're the people that play Farming Simulator and such. Fans of this game could go out and say, "why not become a farmer?" Still, there's something really peculiar about this game, though - down to a point where it feels eerie.

The gameplay adopts all the typical life simulator mechanics. There's a heavy focus on customization, including your character, lifestyle, living quarters, and video-making style. Your objectives are to make money from your YouTube videos, but you probably figured that out already. It's how you make them that gets interesting.

The mechanics behind content creation involve collecting and threading cards together. How well you manage to do this showcases the outcome of your video. Success means you raise your stature as a prominent YouTuber and begin to join the elite of NewTube city. It's a place that looks like a dollhouse for kidnapped internet stars.

It plays OK, and the open-world features of the town at least don't confine you to making videos all the time. However, there's just something creepy about this game. Maybe it's just the emphasis on how these people are supposed to rule your life. Perhaps it's the sadness of how these people think they live. I can't put my finger on it, but it does lead to YouTubers Life 2 is a bit of an uncomfortable experience.

Life is a YouTube Video

At least life simulators like The Sims have a little bit more liberalism attached to them. You're free to choose your profession and live the life you want to live. In YouTubers Life 2, the life of a YouTuber is just so damn important - where gameplay dictates that it really isn't. Everything just feels forced - but that's also what players sign up for when they play this game.

Pros:

• Well-designed gameplay to present the challenges of rising to fame
• An open-world to explore
• Offers more than just the core mechanics of content creation

Cons:

• Feels a bit eerie
• Gameplay gets repetitive after a few hours
• Not much incentive to keep playing once you start to become successful