Movierooms: Cinema Management Review (PC)

If you find yourself under the watchful gaze of the all-seeing silver screen, I’d suggest taking your popcorn with a huge pinch of salt. In the movie business, too, I’d say that it’s better to approach an old reel like you would a second-hand cassette tape, with the intent to bathe in its rustic charm, but also to accept the fact that it is likely to foster some unwanted feedback and some misguided static. Movierooms, in an attempt to illuminate this notion, reminds you that even the golden age of cinema had its flaws. Cinematic bliss, yes — but also technical limitations and a general lack of polish and “movie magic.”

Don’t get me wrong, Movierooms has the potential to be a brilliant cinema management sim—an idealistic tribute to the golden age of showreels and old-school entertainment. But, like a bucket of corn with a little extra salt, it is also a game that, after the intermission, begins to sizzle on the tongue for all of the wrong reasons. You want to wolf it all down, yet something holds you back from sticking around for the bottom of the bucket. Or, the credit roll, in this case.

Credit: Mad Pumpkins

Of course, the concept here is great. As the curator of movies and innovative screenings, you have the power to grovel around in the film industry and witness the globe-altering transitions of multimedia culture. The setting is perfect, and the fundamentals are present and accounted for. Moreover, the task of elevating a movie theater to exceed global expectations is a lot of fun to watch unfold. However, there are little nuggets of horror here that transform an otherwise pleasant trip down memory lane into something that you just can’t bare to watch. The clutter, the ridiculously high volume of notifications, and the sheer chaos of the UI, for example, dampen the integration of a good and otherwise well-rounded indie flick. But, more on that shortly.

Like Two Point and other business simulation games, Movierooms is all about establishing a foothold in a booming economy. As the fledgling keeper of tall tales and timeless movies, it falls to you to create, manage, and evolve your own theater over several pivotal time periods. For example, you begin your journey in the 1900s, and then, shortly thereafter, the 1930s, and so on and so forth. In each of these time periods, you have a selection of quests to complete, a branching tab of managerial duties to tackle, and the ability to tailor your cinema to suit the needs of your audience.

Credit: Mad Pumpkins

While the game does roll out the red carpet for some great moments, the general lack of customization does sully the creative process of establishing a cinema that is unique to the player. Say, once you add your screen, your seats, a break room and a restroom, your job is, to some extent, redundant. With that, you turn your head to other tasks, like sourcing movies for your screens, juggling staff, and, on occasions, adding a small embellishment to the building to support the time and theme, like a plant. You earn a few bucks from your seat covers, and you gradually watch your movie empire rise through the ages. Thus, we have our loop. It’s a simple loop, yet one that, thankfully, has its boons and reasons to make you want to stick around to see how things eventually pan out.

With light strategic elements in place, Movierooms invites you to make pivotal decisions on how your business unfolds. For example, you can choose which genre to screen, how many of each screening is likely to play each day, and what to prioritize. A romance flick, for example, boasts a higher star rating, and is therefore likely to earn more money than a standard western flick. The question is, do you fork out extra money for the better genre, or settle for the cheaper alternative with the hopes of breaking even in the long run?

Credit: Mad Pumpkins

With a Story Mode and a Sandbox Mode to choose from, you have just enough material here to host your cutting room tendencies. The Story, for example, has a solid variety of timelines to work through, all of which house their own movies, designs, and little details that befit the theme and the essence of the era. And as for the Sandbox Mode, well, what you see here is what you get: infinite access to a suite that allows you to mold, manage, and evolve a cinema at your own pace, without the financial constraints, and without the creative limitations. Not that there’s a huge amount to work with, mind you.

If you can turn a blind eye to the irritating notification system and the occasional graphical glitch, then you should be able to enjoy Movierooms for the little bits and pieces that it brings to the table. The visuals are  clean, and the gameplay loop is entertaining enough to keep you invested for the long haul. And so, to that end, I’d say that it is worth the investment. It’s just a shame that it lacks the creative wizardry to make its greatest facets shine a little brighter.

Verdict

Credit: Mad Pumpkins

Movierooms clearly has the potential to be the Two Point killer on the silver screen, yet it sadly lacks the polish and technical prowess to foster a cutting edge business simulation game. Don’t get me wrong, it has all of the pieces of the puzzle. It just lacks the canvas and the creative touch to display them all in an orderly manner. In time, perhaps. But as it stands, I’d say that it would certainly benefit from a little extra time on the cutting room floor.

Of course, if you enjoy business simulation and tycoon games, then it’s likely that you will enjoy laying the foundations for a 1900s-themed movie empire. It might not hold a candle against the Two Point catalog, but it does have the potential to be a brilliant game, nonetheless. Here’s hoping that, with a little extra butter to sweeten its salted exterior, it’ll make for an even greater premiere in the near future.