Do you consider yourself a pop-quiz guru? Have you dedicated your life to watching every single movie classic that has ever been produced? Well, if this sounds like you and you think you have what it takes, then Scene It? Movie Night: Mega Movies may just be the game for you. Starting its life as a DVD based game consisting of lightning fast questions and even faster answers, Scene It? recently switched it up a bit and brought their fantastic series of movie-based games to the home console territory. With Scene It? Movie Night: Mega Movies, Screenlife hits another high note with the release now available for download on PSN and Xbox Live.
The first thing I noticed about this game is how fast and furious the questions come at you. Mixing up different questions at breakneck speeds and having to answer them without having the time to think is the biggest appeal to this game. While one section can consist of a movie clip on the movie Seabiscuit and not who was in the scene, but questions can also revolve about what was happening in the background of the scene, what the actor was wearing or what was the horse was doing when the scene started. Sometimes the clips appear as old school 8-bit video games, children’s drawings and blurred scenes that come into focus while you try and figure out what it is. It’s these differences in the game that keep each section fresh and entertaining without ever really getting too repetitive or boring.
The scoring system is based on not just whether you answer the questions correctly, but how quickly you answer them as well. Take too long to ponder a question and you’ll be given the minimum number of points. Answer the question like a cobra lunging at its prey and you’ll be awarded the maximum number of points. Answer as quickly or take your time, if you answer it incorrectly, you’ll be awarded with no points at all. I didn’t know what I thought of this scoring system at first, but as I played a few rounds I began to fall in love with it. Not only is this a challenge when played by yourself, but playing with a few family members or friends and the intensity is notched up another level.
While the gameplay is pretty consistent with the other Scene It? Games in the series, it’s also the most fun I’ve had in a long time. Answering the questions by yourself is fun and all, if not a little depressing that your playing by yourself, but add a kid, wife or multiple friends in to the mixture and you have one of the most enjoyable, exciting and rewarding times I’ve had in some time.
Being that this title is a downloadable game and not a full-fledged console release version of Scene it? there are only about 5 hours worth of content currently available with each play through lasting roughly 15-20 minutes or so. Only after playing 2-3 hours worth of the game did I start noticing questions starting to repeat themselves and I felt that for a $10 game this wasn’t too shabby of a deal. The amount of fun alone you and your family & friends will have trying to “one up” each other for bragging rights is worth the money alone. With the promise of a science fiction pack to be on the way, I can’t wait for new and upcoming DLC to be released to see what they have to offer. Speaking of DLC, Mega Movies is the first pack of DLC content that comes with the game and with what looks to be at least 6 more themed movie packs being released throughout the year there will be plenty to look forward to as these packs start dropping.
As can be expected from a downloadable game, the graphics quality suffers a bit versus a full console retail release. Still, the game does a great job of displaying movie clips, audio and the questions in a fun, random and exciting way. Sure, the announcer voice is funny at times, repetetive and very annoying most of the other times, but it’s nice to have for a little entertainment, but you soon forget about him as soon as you and your friends go about answering the questions at a feverish pace.
The only very minor problem I had during my time with Scene It? Movie Night: Mega Movies is that it offers local multiplayer only. Planning on setting up an Xbox Live party and jumping into a game to trash-talk your friends as you smoke them at movie trivia? Forget about it…that’s not going to happen with this game! I found this a bit disappointing since online multiplayer would’ve made it much, much easier to play with your online friends that enjoy movies just as much as you do. I guess it’s not that surprising given the lack of online play in the past Scene It? games, but I wish it had a little something in this regard. The game is still perfect for a party, so throw the game on when you have your next bash and you won’t have to worry much about online play.
Scene It? Movie Night: Mega Movies provides a fun movie trivia party experience that keeps the Scene It? gameplay intact via digital download form. With multiple DLC downloads coming throughout the year and a fast and furious style of game show trivia, your next party is sure to be a hit as you and your friends duke it out to be crowned the ultimate movie guru!
AVAILABLE NOW FOR DOWNLOAD – 800 Microsoft Points on Xbox LIVE and $9.99 on PlayStation Network.
A copy of Scene It? Movie Night: Mega Movies for XBLA was provided to us for this review from Screenlife.
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