The Next Big Thing

The Next Big Thing however is not half decent; it's only the best adventure game I've played in the past few years.

A great graphic adventure which follows the classic Pendulo formula. Point-and-click interface, interesting puzzles and charming characters in a game what turns out to be a bit short.

The next big thing shows us how an adventure has to look in the year 2011, despite being far too easy for the most time. Only the hieroglyphics-puzzle is really frustrating because it's not logical in the game world.

The Next Big Thing, Pendulo Studios' latest point'n'click game is awesome. A great tribute to his second, and now a classic, big project: Hollywood Monsters. It's easier and shorter than the original one, but it delivers a fun and interesting story, with many unforgettable moments. Genre lovers should give it a try.

The biggest achievement of TNBT is that it simply doesn't seem to have any shortcomings of Runaway series. The puzzles are well-balanced and the story is great once again – If only it wasn't so short. [June 2011, p.93]

For point and click fans, The Next Big Thing is a solid title that brings a bit of fresh air to the genre. To everyone else, it may surpass expectations with an in-depth story, challenging gameplay and beautiful art direction.

Overall, The Next BIG Thing is humorous, well-acted and well-presented, and it might take you around 10 hours to complete. The game's puzzles are a little bit on the easy side, which isn't necessarily bad, and because of that, and also because of the difficulty settings, The Next BIG Thing might work better as an introduction to adventure games rather than as a challenge for veteran players. But I enjoyed my time with the game (with the caveat that I got to play it for free), and I'd give it a modest recommendation.

The fifth title Pendulo revives an adventure that did not have the desired success, using as pillars surreal dialogues, an absolutely fantastic storyline, and fun from start to finish. Through a series of colorful characters, though very short, Hollywood Monsters 2 shows his best on a technical level, through perfect cinematics and animations.

It's a good game if given the time to be familiar, Help section could be expanded for more assistance, and there's tons of story to keep you going.

For anyone out there that can't get enough of this genre, and can't wait the month for the next Telltale release of whatever they are working on, this is a pleasant buy. Anyone else who might be getting leery of this content feel entirely free to watch some videos of the funnier stuff on YouTube.

Lovers of adventure games have had some big expectations regarding The Next Big Thing and the developers have met most of them. This is by far the best Pendulo game. An original gameworld spawned a great variety of characters and locations, and the story - although a little humorous - keeps the player entertained and immersed. Dan and Liz are very likable and we tend to cheer for them from the first minute.

Despite some shortcomings, this Pendulo title manages to keep the pressure up from start to finish. Its odd characters are charming, its puzzles sometimes devious but overall its a very accessible title, blessed by quality dialogs... All in all The Next BIG thing has everything to please. We're still sorry it's too easy and rather short. But it's a very satisfying adventure, on par with the greatest titles of the point'n click genre.

It's not really the next big thing, but well done, with great characters and humor. And there is still room for a lot of sequels.

The Next Big Thing is an ode to classic Hollywood horror movies.

Even though The Next Big Thing seems to have a lot in common with the Runaway trilogy, it is an absolutely great game. What a shame that the puzzles are not always as challenging as you expect them to be.

As long as you are willing to roll with the dialog and narrative quirks, it's a fun ride. It isn't perfect, but it does capture the magic of the genre with entertaining characters, interesting puzzles, and a current of humor that runs throughout the game.

Hollywood Monsters 2 is a good game: its sense of humor and great graphic design make it something that every graphic adventure fan wouldn't miss. Some puzzles may be frustrating, but it's definitely worth a try.

Contains plenty of charm and spirit in both its writing and superb animation, and while it's a somewhat flawed game overall, it's still a game that fans of the genre should give a look. For the right price, that is.