“Ready Player One” was released this weekend, and I was fortunate enough to see it on opening night. This isn’t going to be a simple review; however, I could easily write pages on how enjoyable the movie is and all the fantastic Easter eggs. Instead, I would rather talk about another thought I had while watching this film: “Ready Player One” is easily the best film adaptation of a video game that we have ever had, and it isn’t even based on a real video game. (Also, there won’t be any major spoilers ahead, so don’t worry if you haven’t seen the film)
“Ready Player One” has an amazing understanding of how video games work and how players approach them. It also knows what genres players tackle when playing those games. While the film mainly deals with Massively Multiplayer Online Games, (MMO’s) the film shows off first-person-shooters, role-playing games, racing games, fighting games, etc. There is something there for every gamer at heart.Even if you haven’t played a game since the arcades of the 80’s, you will be right at home in the Oasis. Everything from high scores to limited lives are represented. Instead of taking one video game and trying to replicate it on screen, this movie takes some of the best parts of every video game and shows them off for everyone to see.
There is a deep understanding of how players think about video games, how they play video games, and how they talk about video games, that isn’t shown in many other films based on the popular art form.“Ready Player One” not only understands video game genres, but it also understands the culture that surrounds video games. The film shows off what it is like to “farm” for experience and rewards, and it gives the viewers a sense accomplishment just as if you were playing a game. Everything from toxic players and pay-to-win, to gaming tropes and Twitch streamers is all covered in an excellent way.
The toxicity that exists heavily in some games is shown perfectly in this, and it shows how toxic players can really ruin games for a lot of people. Along with toxic players, the film also shows off how gamers feel towards big game companies. It shows them, along with the toxic players, as an evil entity that needs to be defeated, while the ones who play the game for fun, as games are meant to be played, are shown to be the heroes. Again, I won’t get into spoiler territory, but the film does an amazing way of showing the good and bad in both types of players.
“Ready Player One” is a fantastic film, but it is even more fantastic if you are a gamer. If you have a love for video games, then you will feel right at home here. References to video games going from 2018 all the way back to the 1970’s can be found, and all the people who have played any of those games are represented in a great way. “Ready Player One” celebrates gaming and recognizes its influence and its importance. It is a perfect blend of film and game, and for any future movie based on a video game, I would recommend that the filmmaker in charge look to Spielberg and “Ready Player One” for guidance.
