Just when I thought first-person shooter games couldn’t be brought convincingly to life, Dickson Leung’s Good Game proves otherwise. Rather than rely on flashy CGI, this film keeps things grounded, visualizing the action in a way that feels closer to what real gamers crave. But at its heart, Good Game isn’t just about the spectacle—it’s a heartfelt sports drama about misfits, redemption, and second chances.
The core of the story follows Solo (Will Or), a disgraced esports competitor who was ousted from his team after an in-game betrayal. He’s a gamer to the core, living and breathing the digital battlefield, but struggling to find purpose in the real world. When he wanders into an ailing internet café for a quick fix, he crosses paths with Fay (Yanny Chan) and her father Tai (Andrew Lam), who run the place. Fay sees potential in Solo, while her skeptical father remembers his infamous reputation.
The family dynamic adds texture. A subplot involving Fay’s mother (Christine Ng) emerges, expressing concern about her daughter’s future and disapproval of her interest in gaming. While the film never fully develops this thread, it offers a glimpse into generational and gendered tensions around gaming culture. The parents are separated, but their love for their daughter grounds the film’s more whimsical beats.
As Solo begins to rebuild, he attempts to reunite his old team—only to find that most have moved on. One former teammate, now climbing the corporate esports ladder, brushes him off with a dismissive “Good luck.” Eventually, Solo recruits Octo (Lo Meng), an aging arcade regular, to join him. Watching two older men dive into intense esports training for the Hong Kong One Shot Esports Tournament adds both comedy and heart to the second act. The setup is reminiscent of Gamer’s Guide to Pretty Much Everything, where casual gamers are transformed into serious contenders.
While the film’s title might be confused with the similarly named Filipino movie GG: Good Game, the two are unrelated. Leung’s film focuses more on the dynamics of leadership and personal growth. Solo wants to lead again, but his past mistakes loom large. His name is no coincidence—he must learn to stop going it alone.
Thankfully, Good Game resists the urge to force a romance between Solo and Fay, instead focusing on team-building and friendship. It evokes underdog sports comedies like Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, though its characters are a little more earnest and less cartoonish. Visually, the film is a mixed bag. Some green screen work is obvious, and certain battle scenes feel oddly claustrophobic—more like early Street Fighter than modern shooters. While the close-combat sequences can be jarring, they’re mostly forgivable, especially when seen as a stylized nod to fantasy moments like Highlander rather than strict gaming realism.
Still, anyone who’s ever seriously gamed will notice a few stretches. From weapon clashes that would never happen in a real FPS to dramatic latency moments, the film occasionally bends the rules of gaming physics for cinematic flair. One brief scene even tries to explain input lag in nanoseconds—a nerdy detail, but a welcome one for tech-minded viewers.
Despite those quirks, Good Game delivers where it counts. It’s a fun, heartfelt ride about misfits banding together to chase a dream. The esports tournament may be the hook, but the story is ultimately about community, healing, and the importance of working together.
In the end, it doesn’t matter whether Tai saves his internet café or whether the team wins the grand prize. What resonates is how this eclectic group comes to function like a family. And for any viewer who’s ever felt out of place but found their people through games, Good Game offers a familiar and affirming message: you don’t have to go it alone.
3½ Stars out of 5
Good Game Movie Trailer
