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

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 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, 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 , but it allows for a lot more micromanagement — something that may sound like a criticism, but actually serves the title quite well.

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