Fairly fun movie, but it doesn't feel like a Gamers movie

Let me just preface and say, I would have preferred an actual Gamers movie. Instead we got a movie named "The Gamers" that goes completely out of the typical confines of the franchise. The story picks up years after The Gamers: Dorkness Rising leaves off, but quickly transitions yet another year into the future after this.

People expecting a movie based on tabletop antics will be let down, as the movie takes a somewhat less interesting story decision to focus around Cass attempting to secure a date with a gamer girl (Natalie) who likes a story-based card game named "The Nine Empires" which is based within the game world we see in this movie, called "Countermay."

As with The Gamers, Cass treats the game like any other gaming hobby, something to be beaten or conquered. And he gets his ass kicked right, left, and center. But through the tutelage and advice from Nine Empires players (both current and retired), he soon becomes a formidable player. Soon, just like in The Gamers, Cass becomes involved as he heartens up to the card game, both completely enamored by Natalie and slowly growing to like the concept of a card game in which his playing has an affect on the decisions therein.

I won't go into plot details, but I will say, some of the stuff we see in the movie is very solid. While Countermay's world is affected by the players, with each minor tournament and each major tournament having a storied affect on the game as a whole. Unprecedentedly kind and wise to its player base, the company that runs the game gives no holds barred decision making to the players of the game. This in turn allows for both benevolent and malevolent decisions to be made regarding the story of the game, which plays a big part in the movie's plot.

The movie is not similar at all to Dorkness Rising, other than the concept of Cass the power gamer growing to love a game. And it's so far removed from the first Gamers movie that the title seems like a disservice. Instead a title like "The Adventures of Cass" seem more fitting, because now two Gamers movies have focused around Cass and his power gaming antics, rather than the narrative of a light hearted and fun filled tabletop gaming session.

I love Dead Gentleman, and hope that one day we can return to what The Gamers was all about, rather than focus on the Mark-type character.