The Next Big Thing

 PC
User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 50 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 50
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 50
  3. Negative: 6 out of 50

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  1. theonehitpupper
    Apr 30, 2019
    3
    Playing this in 2019, the graphics are amazing. I really like the art style. The dialogue is unique and pretty funny at times which pains me to give this game such a low rating.

    That being said, the gameplay is where this game falls very short. The puzzles are ridiculously nonsensical and you'll often find yourself mix and matching items in your inventory with no logic for much of the    Playing this in 2019, the graphics are amazing. I really like the art style. The dialogue is unique and pretty funny at times which pains me to give this game such a low rating.

    That being said, the gameplay is where this game falls very short. The puzzles are ridiculously nonsensical and you'll often find yourself mix and matching items in your inventory with no logic for much of the time spent in-game. This amounts to unnecessary frustration and time wasted.    … Expand
  2. GodMod99
    Jul 19, 2012
    10
    Fantastic Game, I bought mine during the summer sale. I loved everything about it. I agree completely with that other guy, it was very funny and worth the price (Summer Sale at least). An all round great game.
  3. ZombieSlayer200
    Jul 19, 2012
    10
    Great Characters, voice acting, humour, graphics, story. A fun game that's worth the price, and worth the time. Recommended for point-n-click enthusiasts.
  4. Underpants158
    May 30, 2013
    9
    I like this game. I find myself liking very few games. Most of them I believe to be mediocre. Maybe I am just a bastard but I like this game. This game has charm coming out the wazoo! Quirky fun AND memorable characters. So many games. So forgettable. This one is not. I suggest you pick it up. It was the first point n click adventure puzzle game I have played. Honestly. Yeah. I know.I like this game. I find myself liking very few games. Most of them I believe to be mediocre. Maybe I am just a bastard but I like this game. This game has charm coming out the wazoo! Quirky fun AND memorable characters. So many games. So forgettable. This one is not. I suggest you pick it up. It was the first point n click adventure puzzle game I have played. Honestly. Yeah. I know. Terrible. Apparently it's a genre I may have a thing for and it's thanks to this game. BUY IT!… Expand
  5. Chris_DK
    Mar 11, 2014
    10
    The Next Big Thing is a lovable adventure game from the makers of the Runaway series. The graphics are beautiful and the characters are funny, entertaining and absolutely lovable! The Next Big Thing is an unique and unforgettable adventure experience that I will always hold dear.
  6. edmondhonda304
    Aug 17, 2019
    7
    We are facing another point-and-click graphic adventure which follows the Monkey Island trail here. Its difficulty is based on puzzles that consist on a stuffed inventory, item combination and traversing the dialog tree till exhaustion. The good old formula that ruled the genre before it was replaced by narrative driven press-A-precisely-when-i-tell-you mechanics Tell Tale has exploited toWe are facing another point-and-click graphic adventure which follows the Monkey Island trail here. Its difficulty is based on puzzles that consist on a stuffed inventory, item combination and traversing the dialog tree till exhaustion. The good old formula that ruled the genre before it was replaced by narrative driven press-A-precisely-when-i-tell-you mechanics Tell Tale has exploited to the point the company has fallen flat directly inside its grave. At any rate, that doesn't mean Pendulo Studios has resisted the temptation to slide one combinatorial (in appearance) puzzle midway into the game. One I somehow managed to solve by trial and error, and my character kindly explained me the logic I apparently had just applied. Another puzzle I recall as extremely unfair involved a surreal item combination I once again solved by entering the use-anything-on-anything mode. This last one takes place within a character's dream, which makes getting stuck on it simply priceless. Be that as it may, with the exception of these two examples, puzzle design is top-notch.

    Regretfully, the writing in this game leaves a lot to be desired. The game never takes itself seriously, which isn't a bad thing per se because it grants designers more freedom in the puzzle department. Unfortunately, this light hearted stance permeates the plot conferring it the complexity of a SpongeBob SquarePants chapter. You never feel any kind of relevancy to your actions: never does the game achieve to convey what is so evil about the force you are fighting. In addition, characters are quite one-dimensional, "functional" is the nicest adjective I can say about them.

    The humor in this game is the childish one expects from a Monkey Island applicant, based on wacky situations. Plus, in this game, with the constant recall to the player of certain traits of our two protagonists: he is a womanizer, sports-loving freak that loves to smash things with his bat, she is simply crazy. While you play this game, laughing is totally ruled out, you mouth will adopt the kind of crooked grin you get while watching one of those Nordic/Central European straight-to-tv romantic comedies.

    On the other hand, the game is a technically nice, Pendulo Studios is well-known for the quality of its 2D artists and it doesn't disappoint as usual, plus the spanish dubbing is great (I played the Spanish version, which is called Hollywood Monsters 2 BTW).

    Unfortunately, if we want to play a classic point-and-click adventure, since they don't get released anymore we are virtually dependent on a finite backlog. If you already played the big ones (Gabriel Knight saga, LucasArts ones, Discworld Noir, Grim Fandango...), you can't get too discriminating. The Next Big Thing has a great gameplay but weak writing. If you are here for the puzzles, you will enjoy the ride.    … Expand
  7. Vex
    Sep 7, 2012
    4
    This is a very poorly made game. Despite the fact that the graphics are some of the most beautiful ever seen in an adventure game, the story is mediocre, the puzzles fall short and are completely nonsensical most of the time. Pendulo Studios are responsible for the amazing Runaway series (which likely brought the adventure genre back to life) and I can't get my head around how they failedThis is a very poorly made game. Despite the fact that the graphics are some of the most beautiful ever seen in an adventure game, the story is mediocre, the puzzles fall short and are completely nonsensical most of the time. Pendulo Studios are responsible for the amazing Runaway series (which likely brought the adventure genre back to life) and I can't get my head around how they failed at this so badly. The writing is poor, the characters aren't memorable and there is very little captivating about the game except for amazing graphics... which is a shame because it's a waste of a massive potential that this game had. Not worth it unless you pick it up during a sale.… Expand
  8. Broyax
    Jul 21, 2020
    0
    Les mongolos des studios Pendulo nous chient une nouvelle grosse pendule qui serait soit-disant un jeu vidéo... et a fortiori un jeu d'aventure comme on en faisait dans les années 90 quand on ne savait pas trop quoi faire en fait... Alors, on faisait de la merde avec des dialogues stupides, des énigmes absconses et des espèces d'histoires à la mords-moi-le-noeud.

    Ici, Pendulo nous    Les mongolos des studios Pendulo nous chient une nouvelle grosse pendule qui serait soit-disant un jeu vidéo... et a fortiori un jeu d'aventure comme on en faisait dans les années 90 quand on ne savait pas trop quoi faire en fait... Alors, on faisait de la merde avec des dialogues stupides, des énigmes absconses et des espèces d'histoires à la mords-moi-le-noeud.

    Ici, Pendulo nous ressert ce qu'il sait faire :une histoire à la mords-moi-le-zob à forte tendance mongolo-mongoloïde avec des graphismes grotesques en 256 couleurs, des dialogues stupides, des situations ridicules (heureusement que ça ne tue pas...) et un ennui à couper au couteau. Ce pseudo-jeu est une mélasse abrutissante, très bête et dont l'humour (?) tient des mongoleries les plus mongoles qu'on puisse trouver.

    Alors, le prochain gros truc pour cet ersatz de jeu, c'est la grosse poubelle : il y sera parfaitement dans son élément et tout-à-fait à sa place !    … Expand
  9. ChesterField
    May 1, 2020
    8
    An old school point and click graphic adventure with the quality of pendulo studios. Unique and charismatic characters. Incredible artistic section that spends imagination in solving your puzzles. Mandatory for lovers of the genre.
  10. bancandrei
    May 19, 2020
    8
    This game looks great and for that reason alone you should pick it up if you are a fan of adventure games. It is about monster movies, so if you're into that check it out as well. Atmosphere and wiring are humorous, story is quite good, and puzzles are what you would expect from a funny adventure game.

Awards & Rankings

86
#86 Best PC Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 30 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 30
  3. Negative: 0 out of 30
  1. SpazioGames
    Sep 6, 2011
    80
    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.
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  2. Multiplayer.it
    Jul 19, 2011
    75
    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.
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  3. games(TM)
    Jul 3, 2011
    60
    Of course, any niggles relating to the quality of puzzles is alleviated somewhat by the quality of animation. [Issue#110, p.117]
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