Barney - Cenotaph | Full Review by VaNilla
Stunts:Dam Ramp to Water Gap to Double Grind (0:29 - 0:40): Well done! This doesn't
seem difficult (I haven't tried it), but it's certainly a looker! I don't think it was right to start the video with this stunt though, it didn't blow me away like an opener should. Despite that, the sly spins at the conclusion topped it off nicely
. 4/5
Biggitty McBiggles Wallbump to Courthouse (0:40 - 0:46):
The judge dons his gown and delivers his sentence. "Dis tight." 4/5
Curb Bump to Twisty Ledge Grind (0:46 - 0:57): Super smooth handsome spot, but I was hoping you would grind the whole ledge - using a Freeway or Angel might have helped whilst improving vehicle variety too
. I'm sure it's tough to land, but I have to mark this down slightly as a result. 4/5
Building Drop to Bump to Wallride to Grind (0:57 - 1:04): Lovely find, yeaaaaah boooooooooy
. 4/5
Prawn Island Curb Bump to Bridge Double Grind (1:04 - 1:14): Delightful to see this landed uphill, it was badass with the 180 in the middle
. 4/5
Mega P2B to Apartment Block (1:14 - 1:23): Superb stunt! I loved how Haywire's establishing shot followed the riverside's leading lines whilst twinkling through the light poles, heightening the intensity and suspense
. 4.5/5
Hill Tankbump Backwards to Apartment Block (1:23 - 1:32): The winding runup makes way for a stunning reveal, excellent spot. 4.5/5
Airport Rampbump to Billboard Grind to 180 to Grind (1:32 - 1:43): Just wonderful, everything happens so fast it smacks you senseless, and with the 180, it's amazing. 4.5/5
Building Drop to Quadruple Billboard Grind (1:43 - 1:53): Must have been bitchy, fucking dope! 4.5/5
Building Drop to Bounce to Cherry Grind to Billboard Grind to Block Landing (1:53 - 2:05): This looked great on the strength of the grinds alone, but when you landed the block, everything fell into place, and the jigsaw was complete
. 4.5/5
Building Drop to Snaky Stoppie to Grind (2:05 - 2:19): I like the supple nature of this stunt, most spots don't demand that you push against a slope - this magnifies the tension during the stoppie, and elevates the sensation of bliss when you land the grind
. 4/5
Building Drop to Cherry Grind to Ledge Grind to Box Precision (2:19 - 2:33): Lots of building drops so far, four in a row now too
. Just messing, this stunt is god level! Fucking insanity. Possibly my favourite stunt in the video! 5/5
Portland SSM to Bigass Building (2:33 - 2:55): I don't love SSM's honestly, there's nothing objectively wrong with them but they look very bulky in my opinion. However, you know how to use them delicately, and this stunt is brilliant, sick job! 5/5
Hyman Condo PSM to Top Precision (2:55 - 3:03): Legendary stunt! I sort of like it equally to the Monolith version, which is kind of cool, since that was landed with a krail and is obviously more difficult to precision, whereas this feels more substantial overall
. 5/5
Stairs Tankbump Backwards to Building (3:03 - 3:13): Dank tankbump, muchas gracias
. 4.5/5
Coastal SSM to Building (3:13 - 3:24): Holy fuck, she's a beauty Barney! I love how the sloped wall leads into that massive curve towards the building, it's wondrous. Haywire's shots were bang on, he highlighted everything that makes this stunt tick! The splendour is glorious
. 5/5
Ocean Beach Stairs CSM to Precision (3:24 - 3:33): I keep repeating myself... did anyone ever tell you that you're good at this stunting malarkey? 4.5/5
Stairs PSM to MAG to Building (3:33 - 3:43): Beastly shit. Balls of steel man. 5/5
Silky PSM to Train Station Gap Grind to Grind (3:43 - 3:53): I like how this isn't a super obvious location to double grind from the outside edge, well considered spot man! 4.5/5
P2B to Airport Ledge Grind (3:53 - 4:04): Most stunters wouldn't even bother
trying this, but you nailed it
. 5/5
Moist Palms SSM to Top (4:04 - 4:15): Marvellous stunt! This spot is comparatively obvious versus your previous two SSM's though, which gives it that bulky vibe I mentioned earlier. 4.5/5
Tunnel PSM to MAG to Grind (4:15 - 4:26): Sensational job, you madman! Sadly I feel the shots harmed the presentation of this stunt, the second angle is so constricted that you don't get a good sense of the height or distance - the video has mostly been excellent with regards to shots though, no disrespect
. 5/5
Wooden PSM to Supabiggles Building (4:26 - 4:37): Dazzling display of skill, this deserved to be landed. 5/5
Trashmaster CSM to Radio Precision (4:37 - 4:47): Monumental display of holiness, doubtlessly my favourite big-air stunt in the video
! 5/5
Ship PSM to Radio Precision (4:47 - 5:24): Striking stunt, landed by someone who can be described in the same way
. I think the Trashmaster CSM should have been the finisher though, this isn't as visually impressive nor as difficult in my opinion. 5/5
Final Thoughts:Barney is my favourite VC stunter, and Cenotaph is the best display of skill in the game to date. I don't think there's any stunter besides you who still makes me feel like a student, you truly are the master of VC stunting. Haywire's editing was spectacular, you have great sensibilities and a keen eye for detail, I loved the way you switched up the skins and weather in harmony too, I don't think I've seen something similar since PlethZorb's Suspension solo by Tackleberry. I have to hand it to Dannye and Darkstar as well, this video wouldn't have been possible without them - the same goes for Barney, Turtle Boy, Mellon, and Sorcery, whose editing of Barney's previous solos doubtlessly forged the path for Haywire to follow. I have to say though, I honestly think you should change the title on YouTube - right now it just says "Barney - Cenotaph", which means that people who don't visit GTAStunting probably won't stumble upon it. Making a small change like "Barney - Cenotaph | GTA Vice City Stunts" or "Barney - Cenotaph | GTA VC Stunt Montage" would potentially help this video reach a wider audience!
I don't know if you're going to keep stunting, knowing your legacy is set in stone. But if you do, here's a handful of things I think you should do to take your stunting to the next level (blasphemy
). Every stunt in this video was landed with a PCJ, I'd love to see more vehicle variety if you keep stunting going forwards. Most of your big-air stunts were landed with secondary vehicles, I wonder what you could do by limiting yourself to natural stunts. All of your stunts here were great, but not many of your stunts were surprising - I think you should get a little wackier with your ideas, there are still a handful of VC stunters with superior levels of creativity. Finally as long as you still love stunting, and time is permitting, keep going, you are loved by the grand majority
. Sorry if there are any spelling mistakes in my post, I spent ages trying to write it on a 10 year old iPad
.
5/5