Blockbuster Inc. Review: A Welcome Return To The 2000s Tycoon Renaissance (2024)

Blockbuster Inc. is a game that hearkens back to early 2000s management sims while adding its own ideas and improvements. The title comes from three-person developer Super Sly Fox and publisher Ancient Forge, which specializes in mechanics-heavy games. While there are a few areas in which Blockbuster Inc. could've benefitted from more depth or polish, it offers the player levels of creativity and in-depth management that have become somewhat of a rarity in the modern landscape.

This is a game all about making it big in the movie industry in Filmwood, building up a studio and producing successful releases. It's heavily inspired by BAFTA -winning sim The Movies, a fact it proudly wears on its sleeve - many of the game's core mechanics are clearly drawn from the 2005 title, but those elements have been modernized alongside some brand-new ideas. In many ways, it's quite similar to games like Two Point Campus, but it allows for a lot more micromanagement - something that may sound like a criticism, but actually serves the title quite well.

Blockbuster, Inc.

8/ 10

Pros

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• Endless possibilities with management styles
• Great revitalization of 2000s tycoon-style classics

Cons

• Could've used more polish

Growing As A Studio In Blockbuster Inc.

Building Up The Backlot & Making Progress

Blockbuster Inc. allows players to begin in any decade between 1920 and 2010, each of which comes with their own starting technologies. These things like cameras and VFX alongside other advancements like new film genres and studio facilities are unlocked through Research points on a simple skill tree, which in this particular build accumulated quite slowly - a balance issue the developer has noted will be fixed in the final version. The lot will start small, with just a few offices for writers and producers, growing over time to include things like stunt training facilities and a growing collection of sets.

Though not a huge issue, when waiting for a release or other prospect, progress can sometimes feel slow moving even with time set on its fastest speed. It would be nice if the Research tree offered a few more rewards like extra animations to use in films, because after all relevant technology has been unlocked, it's hard to feel like any meaningful advancements are being made. The way the game pits studios against one another is still entertaining, though, and the growth that comes from amusing critic reviews and the annual Filmwood Awards is genuinely satisfying.

The Art Of Filmmaking In Blockbuster Inc.

Crafting Hits For The Big & Small Screen

Players are given a lot of control when it comes to filmmaking in Blockbuster Inc., beginning with the initial product creator module. Here is where the team for a production, both on camera and behind the scenes, is chosen, as well as things like genre and theme. There are several fun combinations to experiment with in this regard, like alien romances and cowboy comedies, and things can be further adjusted with a set of eight sliders for lore, dialogue, story, atmosphere, conflict, suspense, gore, and intimacy.

Next is a breakdown of individual scenes, for which players will choose the sets - which can be customized beforehand - and can also opt to direct the scene personally and choose which animations or stunts are performed. Players can also add in practical effects for fire, fog, or rain as well as post-production VFX and SFX, and even watch the final product once it's completed. As time goes on, players will also be able to produce television shows, which offers a fun twist on the process through the production of individual episodes.

Molding Stars In Blockbuster Inc.

A Studio Is Only As Good As Its Stars

A big part of a studio's success is their stars, and players can assemble a venerable cast list of actors to be used in projects that each have their own skill levels and personality quirks, like Easily Stressed or Perfectionist. As their fame level grows, so too will their demands - bigger stars need housing paid for by the studio, and can be poached by other companies offering better deals. More famous actors bring more fans to a project, and can further be improved through on-site classes and stunt training. Because of this, there's a great incentive to keep stars long-term and nurture their talents.

This can be said for a large portion of the studio's staff - others like writers and producers can also gain fame, and all employees can improve through the aforementioned classes. The daily schedule can be customized, as can accommodations like the quality of canteen meals, and all staff have their own individual goals - like starring in a certain number of projects - that offer small rewards like skill increases. Players can even design their own characters for employees, but the game will decide their salary, so it isn't easy to just fill a staff with custom-made superstars.

Blockbuster Inc. excels in most managerial areas, though there are a few features, like the ability to view worker assignment locations or heat maps in the style of games like Two Point Hospital that show happiness and other environmental information at a glance, that are missed. In my playthrough I never encountered huge bugs, though there were occasional performance hiccups and other small things like an employee's completed goals not registering on their profile. Its graphics may not be to everyone's taste, however, I've personally never found the tycoon genre to be one that necessitates high-end visuals.

Final Thoughts & Review Score

4/5 - "Excellent" By Screen Rant's Review Metric

In a landscape where many recent management games focus on grand-scale factory operations, Blockbuster Inc. feels much more intimate. While one could just mass release film after film in rapid succession, it's much more satisfying to build the studio's brand on a more micro level. Assembling a team of rising stars and creatives whose skills are honed through education, running comprehensive ad campaigns, raising studio prestige through decor, and making sure every scene is shot just right really makes one feel like they have complete control of operations from the ground up.

While the game isn't quite an Oscar winner, it's certainly good enough to be nominated, bringing a fresh take on classic mechanics in a very satisfying way. It offers so much room for players to be creative, and with future plans for new features and content packs, that potential has even more room to grow. For long-time fans of the genre, Blockbuster Inc. is arguably a must-play, and newcomers will likely find a lot to enjoy too.

Blockbuster, Inc.

Platform(s)

PC

Released

June 6, 2024

Developer

Super Sly Fox

Publisher

Ancient Forge

Genre(s)

Simulation , Sandbox , City Builder

Engine

Unreal Engine 4