Blockbuster Inc. - Prologue | Game Brain

About

In "Blockbuster Inc. - Prologue," players run their own movie studio, making creative and business decisions to create successful films. They can design their studio, scout for talent, create sets, and oversee all aspects of filmmaking from shooting to post-production. The full game promises a comprehensive sim experience for movie industry enthusiasts.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 170 reviews

story4 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

The game captures the essence of 'The Movies' while introducing new management mechanics, making it a nostalgic yet fresh experience.
Players appreciate the customization options for sets and characters, as well as the ability to direct and edit films, which adds depth to gameplay.
The prologue shows great potential with a solid foundation, and many players are excited for the full release, believing it could become a worthy successor to 'The Movies'.

The game suffers from numerous bugs and performance issues, including crashes, lag during animations, and unintuitive pathfinding for characters.
Many players find the gameplay too easy and repetitive, with a lack of meaningful challenges and slow research progression that can lead to boredom.
The user interface and tutorial need significant improvement, as players have reported difficulties in navigating menus and understanding game mechanics.

gameplay
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
70%
15%
The gameplay has drawn mixed reactions, with some players finding it reminiscent of titles like Game Dev Tycoon, while others criticize the scheduling mechanic as unnatural and the overall experience as shallow. Many express hope that future updates will enhance stability and expand content, as the core gameplay loop shows potential for fun once more options are unlocked. Overall, the current state of gameplay feels incomplete and in need of refinement.
- “The gameplay is similar to Game Dev Tycoon / Mad Games Tycoon but with a movie studio theme.”
- “The gameplay was very familiar to me after playing hundreds of hours of Planet Coaster, Planet Zoo, and the like, so it was very easy to catch on quickly.”
- “The gameplay loop has the potential to be very, very fun once you unlock more options.”
- “I don't like the schedule mechanic; I think it should be more hands-off as it does not feel natural, and time is passing way too fast for hours in the schedule to matter.”
- “Once the devs improve stability and bug fixes, I'd be really interested to see what their plans are for future content/DLC, because from what I saw (albeit only the first 2 years in the game), it felt very shallow mechanically and content-wise.”
- “If a game is released today, one hundred years after the movies were released, but if it has fewer elements (props, mechanics, rooms, sound, etc.), it will fail - or should.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The graphics in the game are a mixed bag, with some players appreciating the sharp focus and upgraded UI typical of 2024 titles, while others criticize the low-quality building graphics and occasional lag, even on lower settings. Many reviewers express hope for improvements before the final release, indicating that the visuals currently lack charm and polish. Overall, the graphics are seen as serviceable but in need of refinement.
- “I've played the prologue and it is what you would expect from a game in 2024: sharp focus, great UI (in my opinion at least, I see some reviews knocking it), and for a game like this: serviceable graphics.”
- “Loved the prologue, reminded me of the movies, just all around having better and upgraded graphics/UI.”
- “I'm sure this will be done before release but the graphics definitely need some polish; they currently feel very low quality even on cinematic.”
- “The building graphics are ugly; they lack any sort of charm and personality.”
- “I'm sure this will be done before release, but the graphics definitely need some polish; they currently feel very low quality even on cinematic.”
- “The game lags at certain points for no reason, even when I set the graphics to the lowest settings.”
optimization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
50%
30%
Overall, users express that while the game is enjoyable, it suffers from significant performance issues, including lag and stuttering, particularly during specific actions like selecting animations. There is a strong consensus that optimization is necessary for a smoother experience, with hopes for improvements by the game's launch.
- “My dream game idea is coming real; by the way, the game is super fun, but it definitely needs more features added, better balancing, and optimization, which will hopefully be there by launch.”
- “The part where it always lags and stutters would have to be picking animations in the scene editor; I hope this gets optimized.”
- “The part where it always lags and stutters would have to be picking animations in the scene editor; hope this gets optimized.”
- “Performance needs improvement and optimization.”
- “Performance needs improvement and optimization.”
story
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
40%
20%
The reviews indicate a significant disappointment with the story aspect, as users feel that the current scene structure lacks depth and coherence, making it impossible to convey a meaningful narrative. Suggestions for improvement include the addition of pathing for actors and text or voice features to enhance storytelling capabilities, which are currently seen as inadequate. Overall, the consensus is that the storytelling potential is severely limited, leading to a lack of engaging content.
- “I'm also unsure of what could be added or researched down the line, but text and voice (TTS or mic) would be a massive feature to add. It would be amazing, as telling a story isn't really possible right now; it's just a few scenes that you can't really make anything out of. You can't tell a cool story here at all, which is a massive letdown.”
- “No story.”
- “No story.”
music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
30%
30%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many users appreciating its quality and its ability to enhance the overall cozy atmosphere. Suggestions for improvement include incorporating more low-fi tracks and royalty-free cozy music to appeal to a broader audience. Overall, while the music is a strong point, there is a desire for more variety and thematic alignment with the game's aesthetic.
- “Plenty of royalty cozy music out there today, music is almost everything!”
- “Minecraft is super basic but the music is so good, etc. you get my point.”
- “So far I really do enjoy the premise and concepts of the game, the art design is fun, the music is well done, the concepts (while needing more flushing out) are really cool.”
- “You will appeal to a much larger audience if you can decorate. Almost all of the simmers out there would love this if there are more decorations and cute little items to add. Also, it is missing the very basic path towards the different studios; consider adding low-fi music to create a cozy game vibe!”
- “Plenty of royalty-free cozy music out there today; music is almost everything!”
- “Plenty of royalty-free cozy music out there today; music is almost everything!”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and time-consuming, particularly due to the inability to sort characters by fame level and the cumbersome process of managing their apartments. The research and progression mechanics are also criticized for being overly grindy, especially during the prologue, leading to a sense of frustration with repetitive tasks. Overall, many feel that the grinding elements detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- “Researching - RP is a little grindy (at least in the two-year prologue) and could use some fleshing out in my opinion.”
- “And having to do that for every set after you unlock something is tedious at best.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is reported to be highly unstable, with numerous bugs that significantly hinder gameplay, preventing players from even experiencing key features like viewing their first movie.
- “Sadly, it was so buggy I didn't even get to see how my first movie did.”
- “Very buggy.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is hindered by frustrating limitations, such as restrictions on adding elements like windows and paintings, which detracts from players' ability to fully express their creativity and connect with the game environment.
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews highlight that monetization in the context of film involves significant investment in advertising and publicity prior to a movie's release, suggesting that effective marketing strategies are crucial for financial success.

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