Who would have thought a game where you can make your own films is actually well developed.
By: StarFry64
For theose past I don't know 3 years, Lionhead Studios has been updating news about their upcoming project The Movies. Although, when this game was first announced, not alot of fans already wanting it. Mainly because it looked like it won't be a good game. In 2005 however, things changed and so many people realized "Hey, I want to be popular and be a filmmaker so why not do that in 'The Movies'". Now the game is out and already the community (movies.lionhead.com) is already filled with filmmakers trying to be the best, to have fun, or really want to be famous. Yes, I know doing that is hard but thats just the online part.
In the story mode (which actually doesn't have story) you have just made a new film studio during the times when the film industry was new to the public. Obviously, right away you gotta have some strageties to make sure you don't go bankrupt and all of that. Once you've gone to a really great road, now its time to make a movie. For some reason, in the early times (20s, 30s) you don't make your own script, the AI makes your own script which just goes to show the game thinks your a NOOB. During the story mode, you will be in Awards show, getting Broadcasts, and etc. The story mode is kind of pleasing though annoying sometimes which I RECCOMEND going to Sandbox.
If you have a movie that you think is done, you take it Post Production. This part of editing is so slow. Every time you drag a cursor, it will take 5 or 10 seconds just to take it to a scene. This recommends you need Windows Medio Player 9 and the system that is also needed for Battlefield 2. Although, if you annoy the lag in editing, you'll be fine. Then afterdone editing, there's a upload for sound which takes up depending how long the movie is, and then a upload for exporting it to your computer which takes 15-45 minutes. The editing to me is quite disapointing.
The online is really the bad part if you want to publish them. For example, if you work on movie that is 19 minutes long, has voice overs or subtitles, and was well recieved in the game, and you publish Online. Well what if nobody rated it, or what is everybody only gives it 1-3 stars. Also, there is some glitches with Online, Online accounts, and Online Publishing. I suggest stay away Online (if you want to) and just watch the movies instead.
Overall, the gameplay is new and fresh, but all of the stuff that is really bad sadly pushes it to 8 instead of 10 or 8.9. The graphics is so great however the muddy textues of the video you made is bad making it 8. The sound is great especially during the game as well as the soundtrack of songs you can pick for your movie. The tilt is so easy because it doesn't have any hard controls for doing movies, making your studio, etc.
The value is right away a must-buy. Gotta pick it up.
9 out of 10