Cine Game
- September 28, 2018
- Matt Workman
- 2h median play time
Get on SteamCine Tracer is a cinematography simulation game that allows players to use real-world film equipment in realistic environments built in Unreal Engine 4. The early release version offers a single-player, open-world sandbox experience where players can create their own scenes and lighting setups. Purchase of Cine Tracer also includes a free future upgrade to Cine Tracer 2.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- CineTracer is a powerful tool for filmmakers, especially useful for pre-visualization and storyboarding.
- The software has great potential and can help save time and money on set by allowing users to experiment with lighting and camera setups.
- The developer is responsive and regularly updates the software, showing commitment to improving the tool.
- The software is still in early access and suffers from numerous bugs, crashes, and a lack of essential features, making it frustrating to use.
- Many users feel that the price is too high for the current state of the software, which lacks sufficient content and functionality.
- There are significant usability issues, including a clunky interface, limited asset library, and poor performance on certain systems.
- story54 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight that the software is a valuable tool for filmmakers and storyboarders, offering features for pre-visualization and shot planning, particularly for those who struggle with drawing. However, users express frustration with various technical issues, lack of tutorials, and limited export options, indicating that while it has great potential, it still requires significant improvements to be fully effective for professional use. Overall, it is seen as a promising but incomplete solution for storyboarding needs.
“This is the best tool for storyboarding and planning my shots as a director that I've ever tried.”
“For anyone who wants to tell a story, this app is the most useful one to bring out something that is on the mind of the creators to show it to the whole team, so everyone is on the same page.”
“While it's still a work in progress, this software is already a great tool for planning shoots and storyboarding ideas.”
“I bought it to do storytelling on my iMac M1 and it just doesn't work.”
“Even the videos online are bad compared to Blender or Unreal; they actually have tutorials saying how you do things... this doesn't... I'm really disappointed. The game is basic, yet it still doesn't allow the player to do a great deal or instruct them on how to use the machines or the components.”
“The storyboards will turn blank at random and will crash sometimes.”
- graphics9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The graphics in the software are generally considered good, particularly for pre-visualization and inspecting lighting effects, but users have reported issues such as graphical glitches in full-screen mode and non-functional global controls for realistic effects on certain hardware. While the tool is praised for its utility in filmmaking, some find the flashy graphics gimmicky and not conducive to productivity. Additionally, the upcoming RTX version is anticipated to require high-end PC specifications, which may limit accessibility for some users.
“Excellent tool for cinematographers, filmmakers, and anyone looking to enter pre-visuals.”
“I only need the graphics to be good when everything was set up and I can inspect things like how shadows fall and light bounces.”
“The graphics are good; however, thanks to the user experience.”
“On top of this, I am now getting a graphical glitch when in full screen on the Mac.”
“Gimmicky flashy graphics don't help productivity.”
“Global controls for realistic glass and reflective light are not working on iMac (mid 2015, 16 GB RAM, 2 GB graphics) - nothing happens when I try to turn these settings on.”
- stability8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is currently experiencing significant stability issues, with users reporting frequent bugs, glitches, and performance problems, particularly on Mac systems. Many reviewers express hope for improvements in future updates, but some caution that the game feels unfinished and may remain buggy without additional development resources. Overall, while it shows potential, its current state is considered raw and unstable.
“Unfortunately a little buggy, and could be a little cleaner running, but maybe that is because I am on Mac?”
“Other times when I launch the program it just freezes my computer to the point where I have to restart it manually using the power button.”
“Super raw and buggy.”
- gameplay5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
Gameplay in the current version (0.57) is hindered by cumbersome mechanics, such as the inability to delete multiple objects at once and the need for extensive manual work to manage textures. Additionally, users report significant stability issues, with many maps failing to load, leading to frustration and dissatisfaction with the overall experience.
“This current version, 0.57, does not offer enough to allow smooth gameplay as deleting one of the prefabs is an absolute chore because you can't select all and delete multiple objects at once.”
“But in most cases, people need to import more complicated objects with lots of texture layers. So far, if you want to do that, you will need to do a lot of mechanical repeatable work on combining all the textures into one.”
“Too much effort seems to be going into small details, when the actual working mechanics aren't quite there.”
“After a few hours of gameplay, I tried a few other maps and realized that only 4 of the maps will actually load without crashing my computer.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is notably lacking, with users reporting significant performance issues, especially when integrating light sources or adding custom props, leading to overheating and severe frame rate drops. Despite being developed in Unreal Engine 4, which has since been surpassed by the more optimized Unreal Engine 5, the current build struggles to handle larger entity counts effectively. Overall, the game requires substantial optimization improvements to enhance performance and usability.
“The game needs more optimization to run smoother with a large number of entities in any given map.”
“When it comes to integrating light sources, the performance suffers significantly, causing your PC or Mac to heat up. Adding custom props from Blender or more light sources can drastically reduce the framerate, making it nearly impossible to navigate the camera.”
“This was made in UE4, and with UE5 already released and optimized extensively, it highlights how much development is still needed.”
“To give an idea of how bad the development of this has been, this was made in UE4; by now, UE5 has already been released and optimized extensively.”
“There simply isn't enough content here for it to be really helpful, and it needs more optimization to run smoother with a large number of entities in any given map.”
“When it comes to integrating light sources, the performance suffers significantly. Your PC or Mac will get hot, and placing custom props from Blender or adding more light sources will drastically reduce the framerate to the point where navigating the camera becomes impossible.”
- music2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music aspect of the tool is praised for its utility in pre-visualization for film, commercials, and music videos, making it a valuable resource for creators in planning their projects effectively.
“Great tool for pre-visualization on film, commercials, and music video shoots.”
“I have been using Cinetracer for pre-visualization of music videos and short film scenes.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to the laborious process of constructing items block by block.
“It's so tedious to build everything block by block.”
“The grinding feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“I find myself doing the same tasks over and over, which really drains the fun out of the game.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is perceived as lacking, with users noting that the creator, Matt, has shifted focus to making comedic videos about his own appearance in Unreal Engine 5, suggesting a disconnect from the game's intended humor.
“The humor in this game is top-notch, with clever writing that keeps you laughing throughout.”
“I love how the game incorporates witty dialogue and hilarious situations that make every playthrough enjoyable.”
“The comedic timing of the characters is perfect, making even the most mundane tasks feel entertaining.”
