Indie Game: The Movie

There aren't that many documentaries about video games so to say that this is easily the best of the bunch might not mean much to many (that's a lot of M's right there), but it is. It's also one of the best documentaries I've ever seen. If the film-makers idea was to first give you a really great view of how some of these indie developers do their stuff and why, then have you on the edge of your seat as release day looms and problems arrive, then finish by leaving you a little bit misty and in a really good mood? If that was their idea then it worked for me.

It's every bit as brilliant as the games that are featured. I think people owe it to themselves to watch this.

**Includes some minor spoilers. will not spoil your experience**

I watched the documentary last night and was just simply blown away about the people, their life-philosophy and the motivation to push forward and create something new.

In one scene one of the protagonists told that "he would never want to work for EA or Epic cause he would lose his freedom of creativity in it".

This in essence is what makes Artists great - they create something new and do it so well that it transcends the normal standard of standardized "materialistic" work processes - by far.

It was interesting to see how the video game gurus in this documentary were actually even sad for people not understanding their work. In essence - they were disappointed for people doing shallow reviews after testing their games.

Deep understanding of others creative work often springs into criticism - but thats only positive since it means that the other one has understood the creation and is able to add something new into it - thus being part of the logics of progress.

9.5/10 for the best documentary/movie I have seen this year.

For many people, there is never a second thought going in to how a game is developed; they will never stop to think how it materialised into the finished piece of absorbing, slice of entertainment that they hold in their hand (or download manager!). This film helps to put human faces and personalities on to the development process, and offers a truly unique look into the pressure and personal sacrifices that can often be found for a new (or experienced) indie developer.

Make no mistake, this film will be interesting to you even if you are not much of an indie games fan yourself and you would rather stick with the shiny, big-budget productions such as Halo and Call of Duty. It might however, even go so far as to change your mind and give the underdogs a shot when looking for a new game. As this film shows, these somewhat socially-hermitted developers (due to their passion for perfection) go to extreme lengths to provide a thoroughly engrossing and enjoyable experience for you, the user. You will see them eat, breathe and live for their games, with the possibility of failure truly emphasised when they are asked what they might do if their game is a failure.

The film focuses on two major story lines, the development of two eagerly awaited indie games that are being developed by only a couple of highly-focused people for each game. You will begin to learn why they chose the hard-life they now live, how it has affected their social, emotional, physical and financial lives and you will most-likely develop a respect for these guys that you wouldn't necessarily associate with a game developer. Watching the stories unfold will leave you longing to know what is going to happen next, if they can overcome the problems they face; but mostly, if they are satisfied with the life they have chosen.

While the film could have benefited with perhaps waiting a little longer to allow for all of the stories to unfold fully, this is one of the best documentaries (and the first of its kind of this subject I have seen) released in the last few years, and I would urge anyone to watch it regardless of how much the behind-the-scenes of the indie game industry interests you.

Oh and of course, you should go and buy the games featured in this film because they are just as good as the developers describe them. You can check out the websites of the associated games and their developers to check out the progress they have made since the film was released, it will likely be of some interest to you after watching this!

One of the many reasons why Indie Game: The Movie is such a fascinating and riveting documentary is because it raises questions for gamers, aspiring creators, and even the most casual viewer to deeply, thoroughly contemplate. One in particular is while we have fun playing independently made games we find aimlessly scrolling through the Xbox Live Arcade, the Playstation Network, and WiiWare, we begin to wonder if the creators truly enjoy making them. Obviously, there's the pull-factor of showcasing creativity, genuinely original concepts, and sort of avoiding the shackles of mainstream gaming, but you may have to sacrifice your social identity, close friends, relationships, luxuries, etc and almost confine yourself to the life of a hermit.

The documentary takes the extreme and surprising route of showing the agony independent game designers face. Either they hit it big and are possibly excelled in the world of gaming, and have the ability to recoup all the luxuries they might've given up, or they can fade into dire, muddled obscurity, to never be heard from again. I experienced a very rare, unplanned depression while watching this film, but that feeling is moot compared to the fear and anxiety faced by these hard working engineers every single day. I'll be blunt and honest and say I could never put up with this. I'd be more paranoid than I am right now.

We follow the lives of four independent game designers, two whom work together, and they all have one seemingly simple goal that sounds fun to achieve; creating an independent game to sell on the Xbox Live Arcade. Two of the first people we meet are working on the video game, Super Meat Boy, an inventive and delightfully quirky platformer where you play as a plain brown square of meat and must navigate your way through fast-paced, adrenaline-testing levels that require much trial and error and a helluva lot more patience than I could probably possess. One of its many creative touches is how you must learn the control, and there are no menus or directions on how to do certain things. The game will test you with levels where pulling off a specific move is required. But you must figure that one out yourself.

The creators of this game are Edward McMillen and Tommy Refenes. These charismatic men make it very clear to the audience that they don't care if this game isn't what you want, as its job is to pay homage to the game they would've loved unconditionally as kids. It's the heart that counts.

Another man, the opinionated and intelligent, Pat Fish, is breathlessly trying to keep on keeping on with a game that he created years back that has remained in development hell ever since its debut at a gaming convention. The game is called Fez, and it is simple, effective entertainment, (much like the rest of these games) yet has a unique artistic approach to the platforming style as it is constructed out of painstakingly detailed Tetris-like blocks and its world continues to turn to the right a little bit every few seconds. Fish has been combating not an army, but a legion of internet users who have become slanderous and wholly impatient at the delay for the game, yet he is doing the best he can possibly do, after going through a parental divorce, a hazardous breakup, and many other dramatic life events.

The last game developer we follow is another opinionated man named Jonathan Blow, who is constructing his game called, Braid, another unique platformer game, boasting a "rewind" feature. After the surprise success of his game, he is still upset that many reviewers didn't see through his artistic vision, and because of it, he feels they didn't get the full enjoyment from the game, nor his special message for the players.

Indie Game wisely depicts the independent gaming world as a stressful cacophony of deadlines and time limits at the creators' expenses, and rather than the alleged barrel of lackadaisical fun and silliness I believe some of us believe the industry is bent on, shows the high levels of sweat, tears, and poignancy that plague the community itself. To see these men, tired, worn, and restless over a game they are unsure of is heartbreaking and it shows that even the most unique and visionary are some of the most vulnerable.

Much like the work of independent cinema, one of the perks to being free from the monopolizing industry, is the vast freedom of expression and strong limitless qualities one can possess. The similarities between the conventional and the independent in both film and gaming are not that far off, and the picture provided me with some insight on how the indie gaming world is far more bent on idealistic intentions and expressionism rather than just a rehashed sequel of a proved money-maker. The only week point I can find in this documentary is its lack of opinion on the mainstream gaming world. Repeatedly, these men mention what great disdain they have for the mainstream world of video games. Refenes even goes as far as saying it would "be hell" to work for a company like EA or Epic. Never do these opinions explode into more than just simple ranting.

With that being said, without hesitation do I recommend Indie Game: The Movie. It is one of the most touching and emotionally challenging films of the year, something I rarely say about documentaries. Its stern poignancy provides eye-opening levels of insight to people possibly wanting to get into the field and those wanting to go into the bigger field. Its characters are anything but dull, and have enough charisma and charm to fuel three films. I have yet to see a documentary as touching as this one.

View the full, more complete review on my website, http://stevethemovieman.proboards.com. Click "Steve's Reviews."

I don't know how to react to this intriguing and engrossing documentary. We are voyeurs into the lives of a few Indie game computer programmers who produce and distribute their products alone, as against the vast corporation produced games we are more familiar with.

There are three different projects examined here in the run up to their release of their creations, and it's a rough and at times uncomfortable viewing. Their road to release is really quite hellish.

Very basic low budget filming puts the onus on the conversations with these programmers. In truth, of the four programmers it's hard to believe you'd wish to have a drink with three out of the four of them and in any case the other one is so busy he'd likely pass you up. Yet you still seem to empathise with them and the key of this documentary is how you do hang out to the end wishing them to succeed.

As said, at times you will feel uncomfortable watching these guys. They've all admitted to practically cutting themselves off from normality and having social lives, and it shows. One is married and that marriage seems to make him the most grounded something that becomes clearer as the film moves on when you compare him to the rest.

I'll state that I don't play computer games at all and have not done so for donkeys years, bar Angry Birds. So really the twee type of games these gamers are making appeals to me as I'm not familiar with the modern gaming market. I don't fully understand their world and maybe I never will, but I did like their products and maybe that's why I wanted the best for them.

However, I still admired these guys through their travails and stresses. The documentary doesn't build them as heroic but they are winners in my eyes no matter their quirks, and as viewers we are given a very broad overview of them to form our opinions.

Enjoyable and engrossing. I'd say it's worth a watch.