Playing Hard (2018) Poster

(I) (2018)

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7/10
Your Honor
kosmasp22 April 2019
Actually it is "For Honor" ... which is a game that came out some time ago. And here we get one creative mind behind it all and his journey. So this is quite specific and might not interest too many people. There are so many documentaries out there, you'd be forgiven only choosing the ones you really care about or which are "broader".

Having said that, the individual in Question is quite some character. And there is more here than just how he helped make one of the online games to look out for in the last couple of years. There is struggle, there is hurdles and there is hardship too. So this is not just sunshine and giggles all along. But it's also not just some tedious look into how to make a game. It is a mix of things and once you start watching it, you might find yourself more than interested in what is going on ... and stay and really root for this man ... for better or worse
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6/10
Ok if you're a gamer but needs a good edit...
kingslandbungalow25 April 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Some of these movies are unnecessarily long, many of the scenes here could be cut - and we're missing scenes that would explain the outcome. I was told "Always ask what's the purpose of this scene?" and if you can't answer then it should be cut. Many of the incidents in this movie don't establish character, story, conflict etc. and are tedious. But the underlying story: a man with drive and passion who gets thrown out of the vision he created is compelling. A little more on the why he was let go would be appreciated. It is funny though how some of the douchy French producers take credit for something they didn't make with no sense of irony. I don't think Ubisoft is a great place to work!
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4/10
Interesting but only scratches the surface
zumo-1690816 April 2019
Warning: Spoilers
The documentary is mostly about a man (VandenBerghe) and his vision, and about how the vision unfolds with all the problems that come along. But we are never really told more than short glimpses about what the problems really are an what caused them. Only that they are there and about how some of the people deal with that stress. Without knowing what happened, all the drama becomes a bit shallow and it is difficult to feel engaged by the story. It is still an interesting insight into big game development even if we are only shown the tip of the iceberg, but it is hard not to feel like something major is missing.
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1/10
not a documentary, but a one-sided tale without research
darkbytes23 May 2020
This must be the worst documentary ever made, is very slow, follows the development of a videogame called "For Honor" and then, for some reason, skips 3 months entirely, then goes to the release but mostly is a one-sided monologue from one of the creators of the game, Jason VandenBerge, who eventually we learn that he lost creative control of the game.... we never know why and we never receive an explanation for it.... leaving us wondering why??--did I wasted two hours of my life watching this?? For a much better and well researched and produced documentary, watch "League of Legends: Origins" also on Netflix
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9/10
Brutal
francisceschin23 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Some reviewers have said something was missing or was left out, but that's what was so frustrating for Jason, the creator - they shut him out without any clear reasons, all because of money. His vision was too glorious for a corporate machine. He was shut out without a clear explanation and watched as his baby was brutalized into a cliche run of the mill game that was quickly forgotten. I felt for Jason the entire film. His struggle seems to be repeated across big game developers all over the world, where the original vision gets sacrificed for a quick buck just because the Christmas quarter is rounding the corner. I hope he keeps making more games and can bring his visions to light in their entirety one day.
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