After playing several hours of this simulator game, we feel like we're ready to give our review on Blockbuster Inc. In this article, we will provide readers with a full breakdown of our thoughts and opinions on the game.

Blockbuster Inc. Review – What is Blockbuster Inc.

Blockbuster Inc. is a filmmaking simulator developed by Super Sly Fox. The game launched on June 6, 2024, on PC via Steam for Windows only. It currently costs an estimated price of $15. Those interested in purchasing the game should take advantage of the launch sale which gives consumers a 10% discount until June 20, 2024.

There is one goal in Blockbuster Inc. and that's to become the best movie studio in the industry. To do so, players need to build the best-looking movie set there is. In addition, players also need to assemble the best crew possible ranging from the top Directors to the best Actors in town.

As of this review, there are 11 movie genres and 19 themes to play around with. The rating for each film a player creates also resembles the real-life ratings.

Blockbuster Inc. Gameplay

As of this review, Blockbuster Inc. has been available on Steam for three days. All our thoughts and opinions on the game will be based on the pre-release version we initially had access to and the launch version.

Looking back at our first impressions of Blockbuster Inc., the game lacked a lot of options, which limited the filmmaking experience. While it's undoubtedly fun to learn the ropes and know what it's really like to run your own movie studio, there were some aspects we wished Super Sly Fox added to their game.

Unfortunately, after a few hours of playing the launch version of the game, it's safe to say that nothing much has changed.

Let's start off with the Build Mode. Previously, we disliked how objects couldn't be rotated at the click of a button when constructing. It's such a hassle having to manually rotate the camera for specific objects or structures to face in the direction the players prefer it to. In the launch version, these complaints we had remained the same.

Aside from the hassle of rotating objects, we still don't appreciate the fact that players still need to completely demolish a structure instead of being able to move it to another spot. Sure, players do get the money they spent back after deconstructing a structure. However, it would be a lot easier if we could just move these structures instead of always rebuilding.

Another complaint we had in the pre-release version of the game was the lack of customization options. This applies to almost every aspect of the game. Starting off with the structures, while players can technically design them however they want, there isn't much to work around with. Each object is specific to certain room types. The most options players can find are in the Wall Patterns section. Other than that, there's barely anything to choose from in each section.

The same applies to movie sets and Actors. In terms of movie sets, there are 19 different themed environments to choose from. While that may seem like a lot, each Set Theme is surprisingly underwhelming.

For instance, I planned on creating an action film based on the stereotypical premise of cops and robbers. The good news is, there's a police station set that I could fully customize. However, when watching films about police officers, one would automatically look forward to high-speed car chases and gun fights in the city. Unfortunately, there isn't a way to recreate those scenarios.

Then comes the actors. Aside from their ability to act, another important aspect of their job is to look good in front of the camera. Having that said, their outfits need to be appropriate to whatever a particular scene requires. However, while there are 33 costumes to choose from, all of them are fixed and can't be customized.

As mentioned earlier, we created a film about cops. While a police officer uniform is readily available for actors to put on, it would've been better if there were other options. For example, one of the scenes we directed featured a gunfight between the cops and gangsters.

Under typical circumstances, officers would put on kevlar body armor to protect themselves from bullets. Unfortunately, players are limited to one variant of the uniform and have no choice but to work with it.

Other than the limitations of the 33 set costumes, it's a bummer how Super Sly Fox didn't give us the creative freedom to come up with our own outfit designs. It gets boring repeating the same outfits for different movies. Sadly, players need to get creative and always think outside of the box to work with the limited options they have.

That's not even the worst part, when it comes to the actual filmmaking process, there are a lot of options we feel are lacking in Blockbuster Inc. A primary example of this would be the animations applied to Actors. As a Director, you tell the Actors what exactly they need to do for a particular scene.

As of the game's launch version, there are 66 animations to choose from. It may sound like a lot, but all of these animations look generic and lacks liveliness. A huge portion of the selections also include idle poses, which feels like a waste of slots.

Speaking of waste, we found it odd how the developers only included animations that are typically used in action and supernatural films. There are barely any options for drama or romantic films to name a few.

For example, when filming drama movies, scenes mainly consist of confrontational moments. These scenarios either lead to big fights or the characters burst into tears from pent-up emotions. However, aside from very minimal arguing animations, the are no options to have actors run away to a corner to cry. The only realistic options players have when filming such a genre is by selecting the talking and arguing animations.

Now looking into romantic films, this is where the animations lack the most. We're not exaggerating when we say there are absolutely no animations for romance scenarios. No kisses, no hugs, not even a simple holding of hands. All players can make the leading male and female protagonists do is to talk to each other. They always have the option to make them point guns at each other, but it makes no sense at all.

While we've described in full detail all the negatives we found in Blockbuster Inc., there are still some good things about the game. We love how the game recreates the challenges of running a movie studio. Not only do players need to create the best film possible, but they also need to efficiently handle the back end of things.

The developers did a good job of enabling the players' critical thinking. They need to thoroughly contemplate certain things before making any drastic decisions. For example, budget matters in this simulation game. While one of the goals is to come up with the best crew possible, it's important to evenly balance out the cost when paying for the staff. Each passing day is dollars out of your pocket.

Overspending on staff members and movie set items prior to releasing your first film will result in automatic bankruptcy. Speaking of the staff, it's also important to keep an eye out for each individual's strengths and weaknesses. These traits will either make or break a player's film.

Like in real life, the team that a player hires will also get into conflicts with each other. These instances will all depend on their personalities and work ethics. We suggest reviewing the current pool of employees before hiring the next member of the crew.

While we may be commending the realism aspect of the game, there are still certain things we wish were added. For one, it would be nice to specifically take control over one particular character to properly tend to their needs. In Blockbuster Inc., each crew member has wants and needs to watch out for, similar to The Sims.

Sometimes, even if the player comes up with a good work schedule that balances accomplishing tasks and doing leisurely activities, some staff members would still be down in the dumps. It would've been neat if the developers gave players the option to have direct control over a specific character to tend to their needs.

Blockbuster Inc. Graphics

For this review, I played on a PC attached with a Ryzen 7 5800H CPU, GeForce RTX 3070 GPU, and 16 GB RAM. This is a lot more than what the game requires. Here are the full specs for both minimum and recommended requirements to run the game:

Minimum Requirements

  • Processor: 3 GHz Dual Core Processor
  • Memory: 6 GB RAM
  • Graphics: GTX 660 / R7 370 – 3 GB Video Memory

Recommended Requirements

  • Processor: 3.2 GHz Quad Core Processor
  • Memory: 8 GB RAM
  • Graphics: GTX 1060

The art style of Blockbuster Inc. is quite simple and isn't too heavy for modern PCs to handle. In terms of frame rate, the maximum it can handle is 120 fps. That means, even if a player has a monitor with a higher refresh rate, 120 fps is the most they can get from the game.

Overall, for a filmmaking simulator, Super Sly Fox made the right decision to keep the graphics simple instead of coming up with an ultra-realistic design. This would've added more limitations to an already limited game.

Blockbuster Inc. Music and Sound Design

Like the game's graphics, Blockbuster Inc. features simple sounds. The clicking sounds match the simplicity of the game and the same goes for the music. While playing the game, the music can be quite relaxing to the ears, which encourages players to take their time. By no means is this a cozy game, but it can be if one wants it to be.

The developers also did a good job adding little sound details such as birds chirping in the background and the sound of vehicles driving past the movie set. Depending on the weather, players can also hear the winds blowing and the rainfall.

Conclusion – Is Blockbuster Inc. Good? Is it Worth Your Time?

If we're going to be completely honest, we can't say that Blockbuster Inc. is an amazing filmmaking simulator. However, it still has its charms. It's a good game for those looking to pass the time and get busy with something. It's also a great game for players who are into the filmmaking industry.

As mentioned earlier, some aspects of the game offer realism. Players looking to invest their time in the game will learn a lot about what it takes to operate their own studio.

Personally speaking from experience, Super Sly Fox did a fantastic job recreating the real-life challenges of making movies. What the developers need to work on now is to add more features and customization options. They essentially have a solid foundation with the current version of the game. However, one could argue that the game feels unfinished.

Until the developers make those changes, Blockbuster Inc. is a fun simulation game that sadly gives a lackluster performance.

Score: 6.5/10