At 17 years old, I returned home from university one day and decided to turn on YouTube for some entertainment. There, I noticed a fresh upload from IGN – the start
a competition series called Ready to Test
, where Rory Powers had the assignment to finish
Dark Souls
before
Dark Souls 3
launched.
Together with Daniel Krupa and Gav Murphy, the trio built up a fan base referred to as ‘Slugs’ who backed them throughout these games, including both titles in the series as well as Dark Souls 3.
Bloodborne
,
Resident Evil
and numerous additional series and spin-off episodes.
Prepare To Try
It quickly turned into a branded extension of IGN UK and later exited the company in 2019.
RKG Video
was born, and the series proceeded with the title Retry.
Currently, I am 27 years old, and
The trailer for the concluding chapter of their Elden Ring series.
triggered surges of nostalgia. This is an emotionally charged moment for the whole community.
Elden Ring Is Not The Conclusion…
Elden Ring Part Three may not signify the conclusion of Retry or RKG, yet it seems like wrapping up the past decade before moving forward. At 17, I was penning posts on blogs, eagerly tuning in for every new Prepare To Try episode, and having immense respect for the trio behind them. Now at 27, as I write this, things have come full circle.
in conjunction with a career in video production
, and appreciating Rory, Krupa, and Gav’s production quality and passions even more than before.
RKG is mainly funded
through their Patreon support
This was a gamble they undertook by departing from IGN, but it proved successful just hours after announcing the new channel.
The trailer for Retry, which is Elden Ring’s third installment, premiered on RKG on April 30. It featured “Hurt” by Johnny Cash and provided glimpses of the upcoming content for the new season. The second portion of the video truly resonates as it presents scenes from the Prepare To Try series alongside side-by-side comparisons involving Rory, Krupa, and Gav over the past six years following RKG’s debut.
As someone who’s been there since the start, I’m not ready for Retry: Elden Ring to end, but at the same time, I couldn’t be more excited to see where the next ten years take us.
There’s a Lot to Admire About RKG
When filming the initial episodes, IGN provided them with a studio for production purposes; however, their equipment was somewhat basic compared to today’s standards—still superior to most amateur content creators yet not up to par with what they envisioned. It wasn’t until much later that these meticulous efforts started bearing fruit.
Currently, thanks to RKG’s growing community support and a specialized studio based in London, these individuals have the means to finance larger portions of their creative visions. Their aim remains to produce the premier Let’s Play series on YouTube—a venture that has expanded significantly over recent years.
For instance, “Retry”: The main melody of Elden Ring was crafted exclusively for this segment and was captured using a live symphony orchestra.
RKG Video stands out as a stellar example of a YouTube channel brimming with dedication and contemplation. While financial backing plays a role, the essence lies within three enthusiastic individuals who deeply understand what elevates content to be genuinely remarkable. They seize these chances owing to unwavering support from their own fervent fanbase.
I can’t be prouder of these three individuals, and being a part of the Slug community from day one has been incredible. To many more years of chaos!
To the fools.