This is my sixth favorite tale in the show. Yeah I'm a gamer and I love pinball as much as I love video games, this episode was a dream come true to me. It's pretty the same concept like the anthology tale "The Biship of Battle" from the 80's horror film "Nightmares" but I love that concept on a game not being a game anymore but a fight for your life.
Though a few things about this episode strike me as strange, for one things the game Ross is in seems more like it should be a video game than a pinball game as there are barely many elements of pinball. Also why the heck is Ross going to some antiquities shop to play Pinball instead of a video arcade, is one just non existent in that mall? But anyway this episode was a lot of fun, I really love the use of the mall location. I always love seeing malls used in horror and action films but are rarely used much; the only other films I can think of that make great us of them are the horror films "Dawn of the Dead" and "Chopping Mall". Malls to me are just great playground for those generes because of the arectecture as well as the amount of stores which give the protagonist great access to resources as well as places to run and hide.
Really like the game Ross is playing which is sort of a "Dungens and Dragons" like game as he has to contend with zombies that look like creepy Men in Black agents, an ugly witch and other obstacle. I like the format as each of the floor pretty much represent levels in the game which means each is a new challenge which keeps the episode fresh. The pacing is solid, just like with a video game it is constantly moving where you hardly have time to take a breath let alone think. It's suspenseful because you hopping Ross will make all the right moves at the right times; but also just the knowledge that he's not playing a game but fighting for his life and in that game there are no continues so he needs to make it count.
It's true the protagonist Ross isn't totally sympathetic but that's the point. This guy is one of those gamers that doesn't know when to unplug, he's really got nothing going for his life except the pinball games he plays. There is one moment when the Sofia (reality version) walks into the shop and he is interacting with her briefly yet we see his mind is still on the pinball game. If I ever had a girlfriend that looks like Jenna Coleman or even Karen Gillan I'd put my video/pinball gaming on hold and spend the day with her.
If the episode has a lesson it's don't let video games/pinball become your whole life. It's OK to play every once in a while but also know when to unplug and focus on other things going on in life because after all we only have one life to live. And just like any effort you put into your gaming make it count, otherwise just like the games you play life will beat you.
So, play this game at your own risk.
Rating: 4 stars
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