I don’t enjoy watching other people play games. When you have the control in your own hands it’s all on you; the agency is yours. You make the decision, you pull the triggers and you take the responsibility if stuff goes wrong. It’s also a lot more fun, but that is what it is. But when other people are playing it can be extremely frustrating to watch; the mistakes, the misses, the blindness to objectives – but no one wants to be a back seat gamer.
Metal Gear Solid: The Phantom Pain, though, is pretty fun to watch – especially in the hands of someone who knows how to play the game. Given the game is a more sandbox approach to stealth and options it means that the game looks different in the hands of different players. One person might dive in, head first, killing everything that moves. While another, a more subtle player, might stealth in; taking out guards one by one and sneaking out without being seen.