All links will be at the end of the review
Game Details
Time Spent Playing: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Developers: Jeff Wong and Winston Tang
Publisher: JWT Productions
Graphics/Art Style: Realistic 3D
Camera Perspective: Third-person
Rating: E–MA
Recommended For: Co-op enthusiasts who love acting, being dramatic, and getting silly with friends. Best suited for groups of 2–4 players.
Overall Experience
Acting Out is a super fun game designed to be played with friends, but... I couldn't get anyone to play with me. SOOOOOOO, I played it all by myself and still had a hoot and a holler! Honestly, it might have been even funnier this way. But hey, you be the judge! Check out my gameplay through the link at the bottom of the page.
Controls
To move around, I had to use the WASD keys, which I'm not a huge fan of. I wish I could use my controller instead, but oh well! When I got my script to read through, it felt a little weird being able to move the camera while scrolling up and down through the text. It took some getting used to!
Gameplay
This is a game that's best enjoyed with a webcam, letting you capture your friends' reactions to what's happening and watch them act out their scenes in real time, both on camera and in-game.
I even tried acting out a movie with my camera on, but quickly realized I'd selected the wrong microphone. My voice kept cutting in and out, so that was a bit of a disaster!
Despite that little hiccup, I had a blast acting out different types of movies. I kept finding myself saying, "Just one more, just one more!" I'd love to revisit the game, try out the movies I didn't get a chance to play, record some scenes with my camera on, and maybe even find some friends to join in on the fun.
I only have a couple of gameplay gripes. First, the recording sections felt a little too rushed. I'd love an extra 5–10 seconds to get into position and record my lines without feeling like I'm racing against the clock. Second, an undo/redo feature would be great for those moments when I'm not happy with a recording and want another shot. Then again, maybe the chaos of getting things wrong is part of what makes the game so funny!
Performance
When I first launched the game, it automatically detected that my laptop might struggle to run it and adjusted the graphics settings to Low. I really appreciated that! Honestly, I wish more games had this feature so I wouldn't have to worry about adjusting the settings myself.
The other performance hiccup I experienced was with my microphone. I forgot to put on my headset and ended up using my laptop's built-in mic, which caused my voice to cut in and out. However, that's more of a me problem than a game issue, so I can't really hold that against it!
⭐ Star Ratings
Music: ⭐⭐
The title screen music is a vibe! It sets the mood right from the start.
Audio Design: ⭐⭐
The audio sounded good overall, despite my microphone mishaps!
Gameplay: ⭐⭐
It's super fun getting to be the star of a movie and showing off your acting skills! It's even more fun with a webcam and/or friends to share the laughs with. However, the time allotted to reach your marker and record your lines felt a little too short for my liking.
Difficulty: ⭐
It took me a little while to get used to the controls and emote buttons, but once I got the hang of the game's flow, I was off to the races!
Performance: ⭐⭐
The game sensed trouble and automatically lowered my graphics settings to Low. Honestly, I feel like the game deserves an award just for that! LOL.
Level Design/Character Design: ⭐⭐
I didn't find any character customization options, so you'll have to choose from a selection of preset characters. That's perfectly fine for this type of game! You also get props and emotes to use while recording your scenes. Based on my playthrough, it seems like each movie involves recording a single scene in one room.
AI-Generated Content Disclosure
None.
Total Stars: 11/21 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Unique Features Discovered
Automatically detects potential performance issues and lowers graphics settings to help the game run smoothly.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
Automatically adjusts graphics settings to accommodate your hardware.
Have fun acting in your own movie scenes.
Best enjoyed with a webcam and/or friends.
Fun emotes to use while recording.
A good variety of movies to try out.
Cons:
Controls can feel a little awkward at first and take some getting used to.
The recording timer doesn't leave enough time to get into position and deliver your lines.
A headset or dedicated microphone may be needed for clearer audio during recordings.
Suggestions for Improvement
Give players a few extra seconds to reach their markers and record their lines.
Consider adding character customization options to give players more ways to personalize their performances.
Summary:
Acting Out is a hilarious acting game that's all about stepping into the spotlight and bringing movie scenes to life! Whether you're playing with friends or going solo like I did, there's plenty of fun to be had with the variety of movies, props, and emotes available. The title screen music is a vibe, and I especially loved that the game automatically lowered my graphics settings to help my laptop run it smoothly. However, the controls took some getting used to, and I wish I had more time to reach my marker and record my lines. Character customization would also be a fun addition. Overall, I had a blast playing and kept telling myself, "Just one more!" If you love acting, being dramatic, and laughing at silly moments with friends, Acting Out is worth checking out. Just grab a webcam, invite some friends, and get ready for your big-screen debut!
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Links:
Check out the game here:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/4267780/Acting_Out/
Check out my playthrough here: