Scene It? Box Office Smash
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Scene It? Box Office Smash
Long after its debut as a DVD board game, Screenlife and Microsoft brought the Scene It? franchise to the console market last year with a decent and interesting first title. Now Microsoft and developer Krome Studios are releasing its sequel, in hopes of connecting with casual gamers who just bought an Xbox 360 and give previous Scene It? owners a good reason to run to the store and get this game into their collection. Here’s our review.
Gameplay
Scene It: Box Office Smash builds up on the same concept of the first game, players are challenged in a series of questions about movies and have to answer to them by using either the Xbox 360 controller or the newly designed controller called The Big Button Pad, which are similar in design to the controllers used by Buzz. These controllers come bundled with the game or for those who already have the controller’s, there is a software only version available. The controllers do not use Microsoft’s existing wireless technology but instead make use of infrared. Packaged with the game is an IR port that will need to be attached to the system but unlike wireless controllers that can be recharged, The Big Button Pad uses batteries. The upside however is this technology allows you to close the doors to your entertainment center, cleverly concealing your Xbox 360, and still pick up the signal from these high quality controllers. However this point is mute if you are opting out of the choice to use the new controllers, using Microsoft wireless controllers instead.
The game has been revamped with three new features that were missing in the first game: a new Xbox Live Multiplayer mode, new questions available via downloadable content and New Xbox Experience support for Avatars. The first two could have been added to the first game, which was a huge letdown with last year’s release. Here they are making their first appearance and while not everyone will go and use these online options, it’s a good thing to see it here. Support for the New Xbox Experience is a welcomed addition, available on November 19th, where each player can be represented by their customizable Avatar.
The game play modes for Scene It? are the same as before, short play, long play and party play. Those who have played the game will not see anything new. In fact, last year you could easily go through most of the game’s questions rather quickly however playing alone wasn’t much fun, killing the game’s replay value. Still the short play and long play offer the most rewarding experience. Party Play however was still a disappointment since it requires you to have four players taking part, still it would have been nice to choose the number of players in this mode.
Access to DLC and online play will definitely add some replay value to the game but I was expecting to get more than 1500 questions this time around for those who don’t give a damn about online play. While you won’t see questions repeated often, the lack of questions available makes DLC much more important. With pricing and release dates unknown for future content, it’s at least hopeful that Microsoft and Krome Studios will continue to support the franchise. Last month, when we reviewed Buzz! PS3, we were praising Sony about not only delivering 5000 questions on one disk but also the ability to download premium packs and create your own quizzes online. Seeing this kind of limitation on this Scene It? version isn’t a bad thing but hopes are high for the next game, if Microsoft decides to go further with the franchise.
Graphics & Sounds
Excluding the New Xbox Experience avatar support, not much that has changed this time around. Presentation of the various quizzes and puzzle types has been improved, but it will be difficult to notice once drawn into the familiar visual style of Scene It?. This is disappointing for a sequel, the interface is simple but easy to use but we were still expecting more, not the same game repackaged.
Music is uninspiring, and while sound effects and movie clips are fun, the announcer is quite annoying and detracts from the overall game play. Overall, there simply isn’t anything remarkable about the game’s sound. If you’ve played the DVD board game or the game released last year, you will already be familiar with this game’s visuals and audio.
Value
The added online multiplayer increases the replay value of this Scene It? game over it’s predecessor. With support for the upcoming New Xbox Experience, it’s still a wait and see if developers will take full advantage to bring more content and in turn, more players into the multiplayer mode. Still, this new version is interesting and will keep you busy for a while.
Conclusion
If you played the first Scene It? game last year, you will find this sequel worth picking up simply because of the addition of the multiplayer mode over Xbox Live and the promise of new questions through downloadable content. But frankly, I was expecting more of it. Sure the improved visuals bring something interesting to the table but after seeing what Sony was able to pull off with Buzz! on the PS3, this Scene It sequel feels not as complete as it should. If you never bought nor played the first game, then this one is worth picking up because of the improved animations, Xbox Live and future DLC.
Verdict
The game puts itself in a grey zone between “Buy” and “Rent” simply because you could pass through the questions rather quickly as it offers the same amount of questions as in the first game. If you’re a huge movie buff, you will want to definitely add this Scene It? game to your collection. Casual gamers may want to wait until more downloadable content is released before deciding, but a rental for your upcoming party would surely not be a waste.
Pros
+ Improved visuals
+ Future downloadable questions will keep the game fresh
+ Xbox Live play up to four players
+ Better variety of question categories
+ Easy to pick-up game
+ Comes either as a standalone game or with four Big Button Pads
Cons
- Only 1500 questions, same amount as the first game
- If you have no interest on paying for DLC, replay value would be at stake
- Simplistic menus and animations
- Announcers are annoying
- If you hate movie trivia, this game won’t help your cause
Final Verdict
Here's a small guide to help you understand our evaluation of games.
PRESENTATION GRADE
Can be from the game's box to the contents of the booklet, and even the game introduction. (Intro, menus, options, etc)
GRAPHIC GRADE
Up to what point the graphics have been worked on my the developper. The design type, the effort used for textures and environments, as well as animations and framerate.
AUDIO GRADE
Is the soundtrack a good match to the game's style, he ambient sounds keeping with the gameplay and the sound effects clear and convincing?
GAMEPLAY GRADE
Placement of the controls and the inferface that the player with be using during the game.
REPLAY VALUE GRADE
The most important factor in the evaluation of a game. It identifies the lifespan of the game and the fun of coming back again and again.
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