What worked

(1/2) Stakes

Regularly shows the countdown timer.

Reminds us what the stakes are, and increases tension every time we see it

(2/2) Payoff

There’s already an intrinsic tension in the video due to nature of the gameplay - the creator is constantly engaged in battle.

But the secondary payoff comes right at the end when he reveals the lessons he learned during the gameplay we were watching.

It’s entertainment, turned tutorial.

But the hook could have been improved to signpost this additional value, which I’ll talk about shortly…

What to improve

(1/3) Music

The creator could have used music to crank the tension even further.

Especially as we build towards the last couple of hours, this could have been utilised more.

(2/3) Voiceover

Don’t get me wrong, the creator does their voiceover well.

But I noticed something about how it made me feel.

Side note, I’m taking on more clients within the entertainment niche right now (where footage is short first and VO added later) and I’ve realised this: