Good Game

The show is good overall. It doesn't take itself seriously, and it knows how to make fun of itself.

Each episode focuses on the different member of the team, which helps carry the plot along. Each character is given just enough backstory for the viewer to care about their fate, without it distracting from the comedy bits.

The show does address some serious topics in esports and the gaming community as a whole. It's tastefully done though, and doesn't come off preachy.

I'm a fan of GameGrumps, and was pleasantly surprised to see Arin and Dan holding their own alongside the other actors. The acting is over- the-top, but it's done on purpose, the entire show is over-the-top. esports are over-the-top.

I really enjoyed the show, and am hopeful for a season 2.

Pros: This show, although being sporadically funny, is entertaining. The banter between each of the characters is often times funny, and allows viewers to care for the characters as they are put into states of self-induced peril (like Sam in episode 3 and Lorenzo in episode 4.) The show's writing is oftentimes clever, and leads to great moments among the main cast of characters.

Cons: Each episode contains cliché story elements, such as the protagonist with a disturbed past (Ryland). The biggest element of predictability in the entire show is the set-up: A rag-tag group of misfits team up to take on a generic gaming competition. Who hasn't heard of that before? Also, the subplot including the titular game's developer is odd and tonally dissonant compared to the lighthearted main plot of the show.

Consensus: Good Game has moments of good writing and wit, but it plays it safe as a by-the-numbers competitive comedy.

6/10

As a fan of Avidan and Hanson's past and present work, I was looking forward to Good Game as a potentially high-budget extension of their comedic endeavors, with a promising Dan Harmon co-sign.

The end result however, is a rushed and poorly-written commentary on the e-sports culture thriving on sites like YouTube and Twitch. The majority of the characters, aside from Avidan and Payton's characters, are annoying caricatures of gaming culture or poorly-acted. The actual gaming portion of the show is pretty unenjoyable to watch, leaving the rest of the show filled with sitcom-level hurdles for the characters to overcome and provide meager progression. Give it a watch if you want to support Dan and Arin, but know their input on the show is minimal at best.

I honestly loved this series. Being a fan of Ninja Sex Party, Game Grumps, Egoraptor and Starbomb, I was really exited to start this series. Dan and Arin are great actors and this really showed how good they are. The series had an easy to understand plot, likable and dis-likable characters, and generally a great story line. Everything about this show had the right amount of cringe, laughs and the right amount of everything. I wouldn't change a thing about this show.

The plot may not seem interesting, but the show seems to acknowledge the fact the eSports are somewhat silly to begin with. If you guys enjoy Rocket Jump's VGHS, and love watching Game Grumps, you'll probably like this show as well. I thought the cast was very well chosen. Even though I hated Kamal, he played his role perfectly and did what was intended. The only character that I wish could've been executed or written better was Arin's character Ryland. For those who love Arin's work as Egoraptor or with Game Grumps, it's a common fact the Arin is lovable and totally hilarious. Arin is also an incredible voice actor, but this character seemed to hold him back. Arin's face is pretty monotone for the whole show unless something major happens. Dan seemed to really shine in this show for me, which is probably because his character (Alex) is much like his actual self. I think another thing that may make people less satisfied is the fact that Dan Harmon's name was on the poster and it wasn't as good as Community or Rick & Morty. The fact is, Harmon was a creator and writer for those shows, not just an executive producer. Given the experience of the creators and writers of Good Game, this show really isn't bad. Overall, I'm glad this show was made, and with the last episode (which was probably the best episode), it made me excited for next season. This is definitely one of the best shows on YouTube Red and really hope it doesn't get dropped. GO ESPORTS PEOPLE!