the-next-big-thing posts

One of the most anticipated PC games of 2011 is finally released this week. We also get a downloadable remake of a classic arcade game, a humor-filled adventure game and a sequel to a cult classic fighting game.

Portal 2 - The original game was only a couple of hours long and released as part of The Orange Box in 2007. Now Valve is ready to give the sequel to the acclaimed puzzle-shooter game its own spotlight. In addition to a long single player campaign where we return to Aperture Software to deal with GLaDOS we also get another separate two player co-op campaign.

The Next Big Thing has had a number of different trailers, but almost all of them have the same footage. This one is no different, as the developers don't want to give away the entire game. Still, the visual style is certainly impressive. We're not too keen on the lip-syncing, but the voiceovers are excellent and the character designs are interesting. While this may seem like nitpicking when the game doesn't show in-game mechanics, it's an adventure game. Visuals and storytelling are the biggest elements!

Download the The Next Big Thing Launch trailer
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This is the playable demo for The Next Big Thing, a point-and-click adventure game that takes players on a humorous ride through the world of cinema where the main characters (Liz and Dan) solve an all-new case!

The demo allows you to play as Liz Allaire, one of the two main characters of the game, and to conduct a journalistic investigation with her colleague Dan Murray. You will play through the first chapter of the game when Liz and Dan are invited to the Fitzrandolph manor to cover the Horror Awards as official reporters. Continue after the jump to see the launch trailer and for system requirements.

Download The Next Big Thing Demo (792 MB)
Download The Next Big Thing Launch Trailer (57 MB)
Check out all The Next Big Thing downloads

We have to admit that this trailer for The Next Big Thing makes us a little uncomfortable. Why? Because it's blatantly sexist. Titled "The Ideal Girl," it pulls the old joke of saying somebody is one attribute and then showing them behaving differently. In this case it's Liz Allaire, the female protagonist. The problem stems from the attributes given to the ideal girl, which range from knowing how to listen to not drawing attention to oneself. This is the first time a trailer as actively made us anxious with its sexism, even if it's relatively tame. The game still looks like a stellar adventure game, it's just this trailer that bothers us.

Download The Next Big Thing 'Liz Allaire' Trailer
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The Spanish developer Pendulo is known for one thing: Runaway, an adventure series that crosses several different themes. Now they are unveiling their newest adventure game, and the result is this beautiful trailer for The Next Big Thing. Apparently a love song to the fantastic adventure movies of old, the game bears a distinctive art style that reminds us of a more detailed Telltale title. Any possible comparison to Telltale in the realm of adventure games is a good thing, so we're mildly interested in this new title.

Download HD The Next Big Thing Teaser Trailer
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What is The Next BIG Thing? We didn't know what this meant when the adventure game from developer Pendulo Studios was first announced last April. This week publisher Focus Home Interactive announced that the game now has a March 25, 2011 release date.

While we still don't really know what The Next BIG Thing is referring to, we do know that this new game from the creators of the Runaway series focuses on two characters, Dan Murray and Liz Allaire, and their wild adventures. Look for lots of movie and TV references along with "humor, twists and turns, and crazy monsters." Ok, you had us at "crazy monsters."

It's not often that we learn of a game that we can truly say is The Next BIG Thing. But we can honestly say that the new adventure game from Runaway developers Pendulo Studios is The Next BIG Thing because, well, that's what the actual title of the game is.

There's not a lot of info about the game yet, other than it will star "charismatic heroes Dan Murray and Liz Allaire involved in an incredible and crazy adventure." We do have a couple of screenshots to check out which you can see below this post. Focus Home Interactive will publish the title and it's scheduled for release sometime in the fourth quarter of 2010.

Gallery: The Next BIG Thing Screenshots