Hollywood Visionary

Reviewing (mostly) every game (or DLC) in my library, part 190: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ (8/10) [i]Hollywood Visionary[/i] completely caught me off guard in the best way. I expected a short, quirky sim about making a 1950s movie, but what I found was a heartfelt, politically-charged, character-rich narrative wrapped in a surprisingly tight gameplay loop. Despite being one of Choice of Games’ older titles, it still holds up thanks to strong writing, nuanced choices, and an unexpectedly powerful emotional core. 🎬 [b]Pros:[/b] [list] [*] You really do get to make your own movie—and it matters. The game lets you choose your film’s genre, themes, casting choices, director, and production focus (technical polish vs. star power, for example). These aren’t cosmetic choices either: they ripple through your budget, PR, critical reception, and how your story ends. For example, if you’re making a mystery movie, you don’t want to hire actors known for romance. And you don’t want the pacing to be quick either. You can make a total flop, as well: a French, artistic silent film with A-list actors. There’s a lot of choices. [*] Stat management that’s actually fun, not overwhelming. You’re not just a…

A great experience, worthy of multiple playthroughs. While the writing may not have been entirely immersive for the time period, I appreciated the dive into real world historical politics, with regards to queerness and censorship in the film industry.

This game is fantastic! I do love the classic Hollywood setting, and perhaps that's a bias of mine, but it's executed really well. Creating a script outline and establishing my character intuitively through the early interactions really felt like I had a hand in establishing some of the tone. I resisted the urge to restart after a couple of choices I regretted making, but decided to push forward. I'm glad I did. Living with these choices is what really seemed to bring the drama to life. I was very emotionally invested by the end. The writing is great. It situates you fully in the world and captures your imagination and there's not a lot of fat on the prose, which keeps the momentum up. Definite recommend for those who love a classic Hollywood setting. Good suspense/thriller elements.

I loved this game! It really captures the vibe of vintage Hollywood, and some of the choices hurt to make (in a good way). I've read a lot about the movie industry, and I even wrote my own interactive fiction game about it (Last Chance in Xollywood), so I really appreciated all the small details in this game. The writer really knows his stuff!

God I love this game so much

Original and enjoyable. More A choose path game than a real rpg, but with considerable rpg potential. A littlle on the progressive preachy side, which restrains the ending from replayability.