High Score

:

Season 1
  • Network: Netflix
  • Series Premiere Date: Aug 19, 2020
User Score
9.1

Universal acclaim- based on 978 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 891 out of 978
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 978
  3. Negative: 83 out of 978
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User Reviews

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  1. mr_misthios
    Aug 20, 2020
    6
    After finishing all the episodes I can’t help but feel the aim of the production was to use SOME of the history of video games to ram home political point scoring that didn’t really fit with the theme the series was projecting from the outset. Whether it be a transgender gamer who competed in early Atari competitions to a questionable episode purporting to be about the godfathers ofAfter finishing all the episodes I can’t help but feel the aim of the production was to use SOME of the history of video games to ram home political point scoring that didn’t really fit with the theme the series was projecting from the outset. Whether it be a transgender gamer who competed in early Atari competitions to a questionable episode purporting to be about the godfathers of adventure and role playing games in Ken and Roberta Williams but transitioning away to some odd story about a lost copy of an old LGBTQ dungeon crawler that didn’t define anything historically significant in gaming, or how Ultima was apparently the flagship for ensuring there were consequences to players freedom of expression if said expression was poor.

    Within though there are some great moments, particularly when they focus on the development of the technology, the decision making and after market modifications that generated new markets. These parts are good, but they’re constantly overshadowed by ensuring your morality and political correctness is in check. I don’t understand how that adds to this docuseries. Yes, devote a whole episode to that theme so we can see that there’s other important stories that helped move the almighty machine forward, but it’s felt more as as a tool to whip the audience. Overall it’s an okay series that has some poorly executed moments that seem deliberate rather than sloppy.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

34
#34 Most Discussed TV Season of 2020

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
62

Generally favorable reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. The Guardian
    Reviewed by: Keza MacDonald
    Aug 27, 2020
    60
    High Score is narrowly focused – the US and Japan dominate, as if the rest of video game history never happened, and while Atari’s early consoles and the Nintendo Entertainment System crop up in almost every episode, the Amiga, Spectrum and Commodore 64 are never so much as mentioned. ... But this series does well at explaining what was exciting about this time, and the way that each of the landmark games featured built on the foundations of what came before.
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  2. Paste Magazine
    Reviewed by: Garrett Martin
    Aug 20, 2020
    45
    It’s less “here’s what happened,” and more, “hey, remember this?” Given how bad the game industry itself is at preserving and analyzing its own history beyond merely capitalizing on nostalgia, that makes High Score a huge missed opportunity.
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  3. Collider
    Reviewed by: Dave Trumbore
    Aug 19, 2020
    91
    High Score may not be the most in-depth or lengthy documentary series you’ll ever see, but the curated interviews from folks with compelling stories and charismatic personalities bring a personal touch. Nostalgia does the rest. And we’re here for it.
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