Jason aims for an Oscar. Or a Logie, at least.
Publisher: Activision
Thu, 17 August 2006
by: Jason
If there was one thing the original edition of The Movies was lacking, it was some action. Obviously (developers) Lionhead Studios have looked very hard and listened to their game's community of players to come up with an expansion pack that delivers new content and features, as well as giving the end product (i.e. your "movie") some real spice.
For this expansion, we move forward in history, to that time of change and new ideas known as the 1960's, where technology is slowly creeping its way into the movie industry. Upon starting the game you have some choices to make, such as: do you start from scratch in the 1920's? Or use the quick start option, to start off with a basic movie studio and a small cast of stars to begin your rise to movie moguldom?
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In the broad scheme of things, very little has changed; you are still cast as the owner of a fledgling movie studio with the goal of having shitloads of dollars and global recognition in your sights. The main focus of the game is making movies, with a sideline in cumbersome micro-management - all in the name of keeping your stars (such as actors and directors) happy and willing to do their best.
Obviously you want to avoid your main actors spending most of their time in hospital. To that end, Stunts and Effects introduces the stuntman (or "stunt person", if you will) to stand in for your precious actors, allowing them to continue their valuable contributions to the film industry - like propping up a bar, or pointlessly whining about nothing. Or the ever popular ducking off for a crap (I've heard it said actors are full of shit and, judging by this game, it appears to be true).
Your stunt people are controlled and monitored in much the same way as your other stars. When you create a script - be it generated by the game, or knocked out by your own self using the advanced movie maker - you assign stunt people by dropping them in the casting office. Once you have selected your stunt people (note: it is worth the extra effort to find a stunt person that resembles, or is at least the same sex as your star. Obvious errors in continuity, such as sudden sex changes, make for crap films.
There are two key statisics to watch for your stunt people, which are: 1. Condition (i.e. your stuntman's physical fitness) - completing stunts and training will deplete this stat. The lower the condition, the more likely it is your stuntman will bugger things up and forever immortalize their screw-up on film. 2. Stunt Skill - this determines how good your stunt person is at performing stunts. Obviously you want this stat as high as possible. Successfully performing stunts and stunt training are the main ways to build this up.
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One way to make a big box office smash, is for your actors to perform their own stunts. This is somewhat of a gamble, as your stars are not as accustomed to physical abuse and build stunt skill slower than stunt people. The other side of the coin is that a movie where your stars do their own stunts will do better than one with stunt doubles. These are the kinds of things this expansion pack adds to the game to give it an even greater level of depth and exploration.
In conclusion, if you enjoyed the original game, The Movies: Stunts & Effects will most likely be right up your alley. This snazzy expansion pack will provide fans of the game with many more hours wasted, being creative, experimenting and just seeing what sets, costumes etc. you might unlock next.
by: Jason
More articles by Jason
If only we could persuade the Hoff to do his own stunts; and fail. Badly. | |
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