Taken at face value, Free to Play seems like another ploy to stop Valve from having to work on Half Life 2: Episode 3. I’m sure that’s still the case but the good news is, what we get out of this exercise is an intriguing and well-made documentary about e-sports and the people in it.
For those that don’t know, Free to Play is about a Dota 2 tournament hosted in 2011 by Valve known as “The International”. It’s an annual competition but the documentary focuses on the event’s inaugural year. That doesn’t mean it feels dated or irrelevant, quite the contrary. Dota 2 and MOBA’s – Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas – have only grown in popularity, making the documentary suit the times.
I haven’t played Dota 2 or a MOBA, but I have watched a few game competitions, mostly the televised MLG 2006 Halo 2 season on USA. E-sports haven’t really caught my attention since then due to the mundane live-streams. They focus more on the game rather than the competitors, a big reason why people watch sports on TV. Thankfully, this documentary reminded me of that televised MLG season. It doesn’t emphasize the game’s specifics, it just tells you quickly what you need to know so that the competitors are in the spotlight.
The film switches players’ perspectives and teams all around the world. I found myself drawn into their stories and rooting for them. It does a great job demonstrating just how much the players are putting on the line and that it’s a lot more engaging than merely sitting behind a computer screen playing games. It also depicts the culture clash between the e-sports scene in North America and Europe vs e-sports in Asia. Chinese and Korean players take it very seriously and to witness that from their perspective was very illuminating.
The film isn’t perfect. Sometimes its themes and topics get repetitive, some of the tournament matches go by too quickly and the screen cropping feels out of place and makes the movie look a bit unprofessional. Why they felt it was necessary to cut off a quarter of the screen, I don’t know.
It’s hard not to compare this movie to Indie Game and when you do, it isn’t as good. It’s not shot nor paced as well and it’s more predictable in some spots. However, that said, it’s still a very good movie. I found myself caught up in the action despite only knowing the basics on the game. There were even a few surprises and events to help reinforce that it’s not some romanticized fiction. These are real people putting real stakes on the line so that they can go home as the victor.
It doesn’t matter if you play MOBA’s, Dota 2 or hell, even if you don’t play video games, Free to Play is still worth watching and is a documentary that anybody can relate to.