I am not a gamer. Plain and simple. I never really played video games growing up, and I never really understood the interest of playing video games. Sure, I had N64 and PS2, but I didn't really play beyond an hour or so a week when I was really into a game. Only in my junior year at college did my best friend convince me to get a Playstation. That was when I discovered the beauty of video games - stories that could transport me to places the same way that movies can. Sure, I'm picky and I still don't play video games nearly as often as many other guys my age. But The Last of Us had me crying. I couldn't stop playing InFamous 2. And currently I am playing Red Dead Redemption, mesmerized by the characters and minimal music.
Only after getting a Playstation Vita as my Christmas present did I discover independent game developers. But even then, I'm horribly ashamed to say I blew them off. 2D side scroller? What is this, the original Nintendo? I just played The Last Of Us and it made me cry. We're in the 21st century, lets keep games there too.
I am ashamed of myself for that thought process. How could I pass off independent games so easily? Really, I'm disgusted with myself for that. Soon after, I purchased LIMBO, an independent game about a young boy moving through the woods, and then through a city, looking for his lost sister. I was completely sucked into a game with no talking, no color, and only three game functions - run, jump, grab. Suddenly, I realized the beauty in simplicity, and the emotion that can be displayed without words.
Ever since Roger Ebert talked about video games, declaring that they cannot be art, there are hundreds of journalists, bloggers, and angry internet boys (and girls!) have given their say on the matter. This film leaves no argument. We watch two gaming teams with more passion and dedication to their art and true love than many of us find in our entire lives. I love the instruments that I play, I love going to the movies, I love writing about movies AND writing music. And I don't think my passion for any of them come remotely close to the passion that these men have for making video games. "What would you do if you couldn't finish the game?" the interviewer asked. "Kill myself. I'm not even joking...it's kindof my incentive to beat the game." That's powerful, terrifying, and inspiring.
The film is shot brilliantly, spanning the 8 months leading up to the release of a passion project titled Meat Boy, as well as the first convention where the long anticipated Fez will have demo's. We watch the legal hardships, the emotional destruction, and the physical exhaustion that these incredibly dedicated individuals feel for trying to put their artwork into the systems of their dedicated players, knowing full well that their game can flop, or best case scenario, make a fraction of the profit that the big game companies pull in. But to watch these men struggle through financial problems, destroyed social lives, and physical illness from stress puts a whole new perspective on my own life as an artist.
If you don't think video games are significant, that they aren't art, or that they aren't as significant as films, this is an absolute must watch. The film effortlessly helps you to understand the beauty of video games as well as the possible (nay, probable) bumps and hiccups they could face that could permanently shut down their game in a matter of a very short amount of time. You cheer for these guys, and being a non-gamer who knew nothing about these games, I had no idea how these games were going to turn out. It managed to keep me on the edge of my seat, especially considering the documentary was shot over a period of 8 months; not even the developers knew what was going to happen. It all works magnificently.
If you love video games, you'll love this movie. If you have no idea what people see in video games that makes them so fascinating, watch this movie. And, if you're like me, somewhere in the vast expanse between, watch this movie to help pick a side. Because by the end of this documentary, you'll have a new appreciation for this underrated medium of art.
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