Facing criticism in some quarters over the long-awaited release of Black & White 2, some could see The Movies as Lionheadâ??s last chance of redemption in a fiercely competitive videogame world. However thereâ??s little doubt the team knew the full potential of The Movies shortly after Peter Molyneux first thought of the idea back in 2003; thankfully theyâ??ve taken the time to fully realise the concept in its entirety, resulting in one of the most enthralling videogame experiences around.
In a nutshell The Movies can best be described as Theme Park and The Sims with a considerable dose of Adobe Premiere. The Movies challenges players to establish a successful movie studio, from the dawn of Hollywood in the 1920â??s through to the present day and beyond.
In typical Molyneux tradition players have to build upon their vacant lot the various tools to begin making movies; a Stage School provides the means to employ actors, directors and extras; a Production Office allows you to release the movies youâ??ve made, request financial information and reviews whilst the Casting Office gets the movie off the ground, assigning the relevant roles to rehearse and eventually begin shooting.
These are merely the basics when it comes to the tycoon aspects of The Movies, thereâ??s plenty more to keep your interest sustained throughout the years of cinematography. Actors for example are complicated people that not only have relationships with fellow stars to consider, but also various whims to cater to such as salaries, trailers, entourages and their crucially important image to look after. Each character has experience within the five genres of movies that are available (Sci-Fi, Action, Horror, Comedy, Romance), which increases based upon successful performances in a particular field of movies. A balance between Stress and Boredom governs the main characters under your control, drive them too hard and youâ??ll find them turning to drink or comfort eating whilst those whoâ??ve gone a considerable time without any action will quickly start a tantrum. The level of management is just about spot-on, thereâ??s nothing too fiddly to worry about but at the same time everything has importance, i.e. itâ??s good to ensure your co-stars get along; you should try and ease the frustrations of your director if you wish to see the movie come out on time and if you want to raise awareness ahead of a big release why not plant the paparazzi by your lead star.
Often the easiest way to please a disgruntled actor is to send them for a makeover or perhaps cosmetic surgery as the years roll by. Stars, movies and the lot itself are rated out of five stars dependant on a variety of factors, which in turn influences the flow of new employees and more importantly your performance at the award ceremonies. Not only do awards bring accolade amongst your peers but also specific bonuses, such as being able to pay your stars and staff half their salary and get away with it or boost interest amongst the moviegoers for your movies regardless of their quality.
One of the greatest aspects with The Movies is the sense of reward that progress brings, and along with it a constant supply of new content that keeps the game fresh. A timeline appropriately displayed at the top of the screen governs the entire experience from the 1920â??s to the near-future. Tied into this are historic events told in typical Lionhead tradition, which in turn have an influence on the public interest towards certain genres. The march of time naturally reaps new technological advances which come in the form of Research Packs, pulling your actors out of dodgy costumes, into latex and ultimately CG; evolving black & white technology into digital film and turning silent movies into surround sound treats for the ears. A laboratory with a group of scientists can help to speed forward these advances, ideal for gaining the upper hand over a rival studio lot with the latest cutting-edge technology.
However ultimately a studio is only as good as the movies it releases, which in turn forms the vast majority of a playerâ??s income and their chance of success. Creating a movie requires a number of steps; firstly the script needs to be written either automatically via scriptwriters or later in the game by the player themselves. With a script in hand itâ??s time to cast your actors, directors, crew and extras before heading to the set and begin shooting.
Creating films can initially be a complex and slightly disappointing affair, however a little patience and perseverance soon becomes rewarding with the Advanced Movie-Maker. Essentially the game contains hundreds of little snippets with various character animations which youâ??re free to edit and compile onto a timeline, dropping actors into the scene, along with extras and removing any that shouldnâ??t make the final cut. The vast number of snippets are grouped into different classifications such as â??Introductionâ?, â??Violenceâ? or â??Incidentâ?, players simply have to select a scene and a set to begin - such examples of the snippets range from establishing â??Staticâ? set shots to â??Three People Sitting and Talkingâ?; a â??Vampire Biteâ? to a â??Chase Up Stairsâ?. To begin with some of the restrictions can be a little limiting such as having the co-star of your zombie-busting lesbian duo walk like a man, however you soon learn to work around these - the skill in movie-making is to sculpt your creations around the restrictions.
People wishing to create a rival to Peter Jacksonâ??s Lord of the Rings trilogy will likely be in for a disappointment (even though it would be amusing to try), instead itâ??s better to think gag, sketch, Looney Tunes funny 5-minutes when it comes to what youâ??re creating â?“ although thatâ??s not to say the game doesnâ??t give you the tools and the canvas to create substantially more sophisticated flicks. The introduction of the Post Production room within the game provides a further layer of gloss, cutting scenes and adding transitions to fully realise the true potential of a classic in the making. In turn this becomes essential to cutting out some of the actions that happen in a snippet which you donâ??t want to make the final cut. Perhaps the most rewarding aspect is the ability to record lines and add them to your characters through the gameâ??s excellent lip-synch technology; what amounts to glorified cut-scenes for The Sims take on all-new dimensions with the ability to add proper dialogue to your creations.
To begin with itâ??s likely your first few attempts will be a mishmash of continuity errors, actors in the wrong costumes and perhaps the most surreal attempts at cinema youâ??ve ever seen in your life, however developing your skill becomes part of the appeal within The Movies and as such youâ??ll spend more and more time creating movies then playing the actual game. Thereâ??s a great sense of development to The Movies, the game opens up immensely as your knowledge grows and skill in movie-making rises.
Sets can be dressed with a huge range of objects that become available throughout the game, whilst important props can also be changed such as the time-aged classic jape of swapping a gun for a banana. Different configurations of the script provide the player with increasingly sophisticated scene breakdowns, because certain things are expected in a Romance to a Sci-Fi for example and the success of the movie is largely based around hitting these accurately.
Thereâ??s a clear and much needed distinction between the game and the advanced movie-maker; thankfully time in the game stops whilst youâ??re putting the touches to your next masterpiece, although itâ??s wise to remain cautious of creating too many epics due to the excessive times and costs. Despite the clear distinction thereâ??s an excellent correlation between the movie and your success within the game; a huge number of parameters come into play such as the relationships between your stars, the maintenance of the sets, image, looks and fashion â?“ itâ??s a fickle, fickle world and youâ??re in the centre of it allâ?¦
Most importantly the gameâ??s gradual learning curve, handy tutorials and simple interface is immediately accessible, yet thereâ??s still plenty to learn and discover when it comes to the subtleties of filmmaking 30 hours later.
The Movies is packed full of the typical charm and little details weâ??ve come to expect from a Lionhead title; the relentless march of time is authentically replicated through an evolving soundtrack; costumes change throughout the years and advertising boards championing the good of Chrysler and The Hollywood Reporter also reflect the present period in time. Thereâ??s a good sense of variety to the visual style of the game, however more importantly itâ??s a game that can be appreciated by virtually everybody with a relatively low-spec configuration needed to get the game running.
The final element comes to taking The Movies online and allowing other wannabe directors to check out your creations. Lionhead have setup a sophisticated online structure to compliment the game, which easily allows you to upload your movies before a worldwide audience and win acclaim. Popular movies earn their creators virtual credits, which can be used to download new content including sets, props and costumes.
Admittedly I’ve sat and pondered the overall score for far too long (8hrs 49m to date) since the TVG score system thoughtfully left it dangling right in the middle of a 9 and 10; questioned whether this is a game that will keep you coming back, whether or not the subject material has widespread appeal, but every time I’ve found myself countering each argument and booting up the game again.
Given its content The Movies isn’t an absolutely essential title for everybody - it’s hard to imagine die-hard FPS fans swapping F.E.A.R or Quake IV for a clapper-board – however it is a refreshing, enjoyable and rewarding experience for those willing to give it a go, an easy candidate for the year’s Greatest Game.
In a nutshell The Movies can best be described as Theme Park and The Sims with a considerable dose of Adobe Premiere. The Movies challenges players to establish a successful movie studio, from the dawn of Hollywood in the 1920â??s through to the present day and beyond.
In typical Molyneux tradition players have to build upon their vacant lot the various tools to begin making movies; a Stage School provides the means to employ actors, directors and extras; a Production Office allows you to release the movies youâ??ve made, request financial information and reviews whilst the Casting Office gets the movie off the ground, assigning the relevant roles to rehearse and eventually begin shooting.
These are merely the basics when it comes to the tycoon aspects of The Movies, thereâ??s plenty more to keep your interest sustained throughout the years of cinematography. Actors for example are complicated people that not only have relationships with fellow stars to consider, but also various whims to cater to such as salaries, trailers, entourages and their crucially important image to look after. Each character has experience within the five genres of movies that are available (Sci-Fi, Action, Horror, Comedy, Romance), which increases based upon successful performances in a particular field of movies. A balance between Stress and Boredom governs the main characters under your control, drive them too hard and youâ??ll find them turning to drink or comfort eating whilst those whoâ??ve gone a considerable time without any action will quickly start a tantrum. The level of management is just about spot-on, thereâ??s nothing too fiddly to worry about but at the same time everything has importance, i.e. itâ??s good to ensure your co-stars get along; you should try and ease the frustrations of your director if you wish to see the movie come out on time and if you want to raise awareness ahead of a big release why not plant the paparazzi by your lead star.
Often the easiest way to please a disgruntled actor is to send them for a makeover or perhaps cosmetic surgery as the years roll by. Stars, movies and the lot itself are rated out of five stars dependant on a variety of factors, which in turn influences the flow of new employees and more importantly your performance at the award ceremonies. Not only do awards bring accolade amongst your peers but also specific bonuses, such as being able to pay your stars and staff half their salary and get away with it or boost interest amongst the moviegoers for your movies regardless of their quality.
One of the greatest aspects with The Movies is the sense of reward that progress brings, and along with it a constant supply of new content that keeps the game fresh. A timeline appropriately displayed at the top of the screen governs the entire experience from the 1920â??s to the near-future. Tied into this are historic events told in typical Lionhead tradition, which in turn have an influence on the public interest towards certain genres. The march of time naturally reaps new technological advances which come in the form of Research Packs, pulling your actors out of dodgy costumes, into latex and ultimately CG; evolving black & white technology into digital film and turning silent movies into surround sound treats for the ears. A laboratory with a group of scientists can help to speed forward these advances, ideal for gaining the upper hand over a rival studio lot with the latest cutting-edge technology.
However ultimately a studio is only as good as the movies it releases, which in turn forms the vast majority of a playerâ??s income and their chance of success. Creating a movie requires a number of steps; firstly the script needs to be written either automatically via scriptwriters or later in the game by the player themselves. With a script in hand itâ??s time to cast your actors, directors, crew and extras before heading to the set and begin shooting.
Creating films can initially be a complex and slightly disappointing affair, however a little patience and perseverance soon becomes rewarding with the Advanced Movie-Maker. Essentially the game contains hundreds of little snippets with various character animations which youâ??re free to edit and compile onto a timeline, dropping actors into the scene, along with extras and removing any that shouldnâ??t make the final cut. The vast number of snippets are grouped into different classifications such as â??Introductionâ?, â??Violenceâ? or â??Incidentâ?, players simply have to select a scene and a set to begin - such examples of the snippets range from establishing â??Staticâ? set shots to â??Three People Sitting and Talkingâ?; a â??Vampire Biteâ? to a â??Chase Up Stairsâ?. To begin with some of the restrictions can be a little limiting such as having the co-star of your zombie-busting lesbian duo walk like a man, however you soon learn to work around these - the skill in movie-making is to sculpt your creations around the restrictions.
People wishing to create a rival to Peter Jacksonâ??s Lord of the Rings trilogy will likely be in for a disappointment (even though it would be amusing to try), instead itâ??s better to think gag, sketch, Looney Tunes funny 5-minutes when it comes to what youâ??re creating â?“ although thatâ??s not to say the game doesnâ??t give you the tools and the canvas to create substantially more sophisticated flicks. The introduction of the Post Production room within the game provides a further layer of gloss, cutting scenes and adding transitions to fully realise the true potential of a classic in the making. In turn this becomes essential to cutting out some of the actions that happen in a snippet which you donâ??t want to make the final cut. Perhaps the most rewarding aspect is the ability to record lines and add them to your characters through the gameâ??s excellent lip-synch technology; what amounts to glorified cut-scenes for The Sims take on all-new dimensions with the ability to add proper dialogue to your creations.
To begin with itâ??s likely your first few attempts will be a mishmash of continuity errors, actors in the wrong costumes and perhaps the most surreal attempts at cinema youâ??ve ever seen in your life, however developing your skill becomes part of the appeal within The Movies and as such youâ??ll spend more and more time creating movies then playing the actual game. Thereâ??s a great sense of development to The Movies, the game opens up immensely as your knowledge grows and skill in movie-making rises.
Sets can be dressed with a huge range of objects that become available throughout the game, whilst important props can also be changed such as the time-aged classic jape of swapping a gun for a banana. Different configurations of the script provide the player with increasingly sophisticated scene breakdowns, because certain things are expected in a Romance to a Sci-Fi for example and the success of the movie is largely based around hitting these accurately.
Thereâ??s a clear and much needed distinction between the game and the advanced movie-maker; thankfully time in the game stops whilst youâ??re putting the touches to your next masterpiece, although itâ??s wise to remain cautious of creating too many epics due to the excessive times and costs. Despite the clear distinction thereâ??s an excellent correlation between the movie and your success within the game; a huge number of parameters come into play such as the relationships between your stars, the maintenance of the sets, image, looks and fashion â?“ itâ??s a fickle, fickle world and youâ??re in the centre of it allâ?¦
Most importantly the gameâ??s gradual learning curve, handy tutorials and simple interface is immediately accessible, yet thereâ??s still plenty to learn and discover when it comes to the subtleties of filmmaking 30 hours later.
The Movies is packed full of the typical charm and little details weâ??ve come to expect from a Lionhead title; the relentless march of time is authentically replicated through an evolving soundtrack; costumes change throughout the years and advertising boards championing the good of Chrysler and The Hollywood Reporter also reflect the present period in time. Thereâ??s a good sense of variety to the visual style of the game, however more importantly itâ??s a game that can be appreciated by virtually everybody with a relatively low-spec configuration needed to get the game running.
The final element comes to taking The Movies online and allowing other wannabe directors to check out your creations. Lionhead have setup a sophisticated online structure to compliment the game, which easily allows you to upload your movies before a worldwide audience and win acclaim. Popular movies earn their creators virtual credits, which can be used to download new content including sets, props and costumes.
- Graphics: 92%
- Sound: 88%
- Gameplay: 95%
- Originality: 98%
- Longevity: 96%
Overall Score: 10/10
Given its content The Movies isn’t an absolutely essential title for everybody - it’s hard to imagine die-hard FPS fans swapping F.E.A.R or Quake IV for a clapper-board – however it is a refreshing, enjoyable and rewarding experience for those willing to give it a go, an easy candidate for the year’s Greatest Game.
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