Movie Studio Boss: The Sequel Demo

Movie Studio Boss: The Sequel is an economic simulation that lets users take control of a studio in Hollywood for ten years.

If the idea behind Movie Studio Boss: The Sequel sounds familiar, then you should know that a somewhat similar game was made a few years back, and it was called simply The Movies. Since there is no original Movie Studio Boss, we can only assume that somehow “The Sequel” part refers to Peter Molyneux’s “The Movies.” This is probably intended as a spiritual sequel.

The resemblance with that particular game hasn’t escaped the gaming community, which has been quick to draw comparisons. And since Peter Molyneux’s “The Movies” is held in very high regard, despite the low sales, Movie Studio Boss: The Sequel has a big fence to climb. And it’s not doing all that well.

If you think that you’re going to experience the glamor and the craziness of the movie production industry, then you’re going to be disappointed. When you cut all the fluff around the gameplay, you’re only going to end up with a series of windows, with numbers and sliders, and no excitement whatsoever.

Movie Studio Boss: The Sequel is not an exciting game. It’s a series of computations based on your choice and perhaps mixed with some random chance of the player succeeding or failing. It’s a combination fit other games, and not something that should get users excited.

You control a studio and all aspects of the film production, from deciding the story, the name, and the budget, down to post-production and marketing. It’s a micromanagement game that has stripped all the interesting bits out of the equation.

The graphics are not bad, and it suits the type of gameplay, but the players only move from one screen to the next, from one set of numbers to the next, so it’s no like you’re going pay any kind of attention to the rest of the game.

The only redeeming part seem to be the feeling given by the background sounds, which make this a very relaxing experience. The demo only features a single scenario, but it should more than enough to help users decide if they like it or not.