Roleplaying games have been around for a very long time. Formalized games have been with us for about 50 years. Then, in the early 1990s a game was introduced that caused a change. Not just a change in the roleplaying game industry, or even the game industry, but a change that rippled out and affected many areas of current society. Vampire: The Masquerade introduced us to a dark side, embracing the concepts of being a creature of the dark instead of hunting it.World of Darkness: The Documentary is an exploration of the phenomenon that came from White Wolf Publishing. It starts back at the roots of White Wolf and brings their story forth to the present day, covering over 30 years.
World of Darkness doesn’t just cover what happened with White Wolf.
It looks at what it meant to be a player in the early days when roleplaying games were just gaining a place on the fringe of society. It brought back memories for me, of being in high school and waiting for the Dungeon and Dragons books to be published. It describes how it influenced the Wieck brothers.
World of Darkness explores how Vampire influenced the roleplaying game industry and influenced other games. The rise of the narrative and movie further away from the heroic fantasy setting that the hobby was known for at the time. How, with the rise of Vampire, more women became a part of the roleplaying community.
It further explores beyond the gaming industry. The influences of Vampire are shown to influence the course of pop culture through the movies that have been influenced or come directly from the World of Darkness created by White Wolf. Modern classic horror films that include the Underworld and Blade franchises. Even popular television shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
There is more to the story besides the influences on the media culture. Profiles of the live action events and the players who attend are sprinkled throughout the movie. The game has influenced many lives and continues to be a part of what many do for regular entertainment.There have been troubles along the way for White Wolf and the documentary covers some of that and even has commentary from the founder of the fan club who ended up in court with the company of the game they love. It explores the attempt to become an online gaming presence and the hardships faced as the company had to change directions as entertainment modes changed.
Overall
When I look at a documentary, the most important part is the presentation of the information. World of Darkness: The Documentary was a fair and informational presentation of widely known facts and additional information. It is a celebration of the game and the movement it embraced and helped grow. But, it’s not a fan flick. It doesn’t show the company as being perfect, but has a more holistic approach.
The production work of the movie is good. There is the balance of information. And, there is the presentation of the people who are the fans: the misunderstood counterculture.
I enjoyed the documentary. It gave me a broader understanding about a hobby I enjoy and the society I live in.
For fans of Vampire and Werewolf, this is a documentary that can be deeply appreciated.For fans of roleplaying games, this is a movie that will give you a better understanding of what is happening in your hobby and how it has changed, and how it is still changing, from the influences White Wolf introduced.
For fans of the World of Darkness setting, or the pop culture surrounding it, this might not be where it started, but this is where the first major explosion took place.
I give World of Darkness: The Documentary 3 ½ out of 5 for general viewing and 4 out of five for those who are already familiar with the subject matter.
World of Darkness is releasing September 18, 2018 on multiple platforms, including Amazon (link).
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