Info about Not For Broadcast: The Timeloop: Official game description: Full Newsroom Team Returns -------------------------- Join the entire news team, including Jeremy Donaldson, Megan Wolfe and Jenny, for the first time since 2020. Reconnect with familiar faces (such as Alan James) as you try to break free from the timeloop you find yourself (and Boseman) trapped within. Navigate a Timeloop ------------------- Embark on a tense new storyline where you find yourself caught in a timeloop. Uncover fresh clues with each repetition and piece together the truth behind the mysteries unfolding within the newsroom. Longest FMV Song Ever --------------------- Immerse yourself in an epic musical journey with possibly the longest song in FMV history, spanning over 14 minutes! We won’t spoil why it happens, but trust us, it’s something else! Closure to Main Game Stories ---------------------------- Discover the final revelations as The Timeloop brings closure to some of the lingering mysteries from the main game and allows you to find out more about your favourite characters. Experience the Thrilling Conclusion ----------------------------------- As the ultimate DLC, The Timeloop serves as the closing chapter in the Not For Broadcast saga. Prepare for suspenseful storytelling, challenging puzzles, and an unforgettable conclusion that will keep you hooked until the end. Prepare to navigate the timeloop, uncover the truth, and confront the challenges of time itself alongside your favorite newsroom team (and Boseman)! Release date: Aug 29, 2024 Categories: Interactive Fiction, FMV (Full-Motion Video), Choice-based Narrative, Dialogue-driven Gameplay, Puzzle Solving, Narrative Adventure, Time-based Mechanics, Branching Narrative Feature scans: - MTX: score 15; verdict: Fair Monetization; summary: The user reviews for *Not For Broadcast*'s DLCs, particularly *The Timeloop*, overwhelmingly praise the quality, creativity, and value of the additional content. There is no evidence of predatory monetization practices such as pay-to-win, real-money gacha, or aggressive FOMO tactics. Instead, users highlight the fair pricing, high production value, and the absence of exploitative mechanics. The primary monetization model appears to be one-time purchases for high-quality expansions, with users expressing satisfaction and even a desire for bundling options like a season pass. The feedback suggests a positive and fair monetization approach. - Hardware Profile: No data Feature extractions: - Community Price: No data - Playtime Metrics: No data - Time-to-fun: No data - Player Archetypes: No data Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category. Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews. What players like: - Outstanding narrative and storytelling (weight 0.99): The DLC is praised for its creative, engaging, and well-crafted story, featuring time loops, multiverses, and parallel worlds. Players highlight the clever writing, dark humor, and emotional depth, which surpasses the base game in many aspects. - Sharp humor and satire (weight 0.95): The DLC maintains the base game's sharp, black, and satirical humor, with players highlighting its absurdity, wit, and ability to parody modern realities. The humor is described as engaging and frequently hilarious. - Return of beloved characters (weight 0.92): The reappearance of fan-favorite characters from the original game, such as Alan James and Boseman, adds depth and satisfaction. Players appreciate the continuity and expanded lore for these characters. - Engaging and innovative gameplay (weight 0.92): The DLC introduces fresh mechanics like clue-hunting, time loops, and multiverse exploration, which are praised for being witty, satisfying, and replayable. The shift away from the base game's core loop is widely appreciated. - Unique and creative universes (weight 0.9): Players enjoy the variety of alternate universes, such as the musical, medieval, and 'Blades' segments. These universes are praised for their creativity, unpredictability, and memorable moments (e.g., the 14-minute song). - Emotional and satisfying conclusion (weight 0.9): The DLC is described as a warm, impactful, and fitting finale to the series, with players praising its emotional depth, heartwarming moments, and satisfying send-off for the main cast. - High production quality and design (weight 0.89): Players consistently commend the high production values, including set design, costumes, and presentation. The DLC is described as visually impressive, with no corners cut in scene design or execution. - High replayability and value (weight 0.86): The DLC offers 5-7 hours of content, with branching paths, variability in choices, and engaging segments that encourage multiple playthroughs. Players feel it provides excellent value for the price. - Strong voice acting and localization (weight 0.82): The voice acting is praised for its quality, with standout performances from the cast. Players also highlight the high-quality Chinese and Russian localizations, including dubbing and singing. - Fun and memorable mini-games (weight 0.1): Additions like 'Cat Football' and the radio station linking stage are highlighted as fun, novel, and enjoyable distractions. These segments add variety and charm to the experience. - Passionate and heartfelt creation (weight 0.04): Players describe the DLC as a result of immense passion and gratitude from the developers. The effort and care put into the project are evident, making it feel like a labor of love. Common complaints: - Disjointed and unfocused story (weight 0.4): The narrative was criticized for lacking a clear focus, feeling disjointed, and failing to deliver meaningful satire or themes. Some segments were described as underfunded or poorly executed, contributing to a lackluster experience. - Lack of player agency and linearity (weight 0.39): The DLC was described as overly scripted and linear, with limited freedom in choices and actions. Key mechanics like the rating scale were removed, reducing interactivity and player influence on outcomes. - Repetitive and monotonous gameplay (weight 0.39): Players frequently criticized the DLC for repetitive content, sluggish pacing, and a lack of engaging mechanics. Many felt the gameplay deviated from the core editing loop of the base game, making it feel tedious and uninspired. - Frustrating puzzle design (weight 0.39): Players expressed frustration with puzzle-solving, particularly due to unclear hints, illogical outcomes, and the need to replay segments to find clues. Some puzzles were described as tedious or requiring excessive patience. - Inconsistent tone and immersion issues (weight 0.33): The DLC suffered from immersion-breaking details, such as illogical story elements and segments that felt forced or out of place. Some players noted that the tone shifted awkwardly, detracting from the overall experience. - Weak character and world design (weight 0.09): Characters were described as losing their charm and feeling out of place, while some parallel worlds were criticized for being boring or uncomfortable, particularly for younger players. The DLC was compared unfavorably to the base game in terms of depth and creativity. - Poor controller and input support (weight 0.04): The DLC was reported as unplayable without a mouse due to focus issues, making it inaccessible for players who prefer using a controller. This limitation frustrated users who expected better input support. - Overpriced for content provided (weight 0.02): Several players felt the DLC did not justify its price, citing a lack of content, interactivity, and overall value compared to the base game or other expansions. This sentiment contributed to dissatisfaction with the purchase. Gameplay feedback: - Narrative-driven FMV gameplay (weight 0.67): The game prioritizes storytelling over interactivity, featuring a linear or branching narrative with cinematic focus. Players engage in passive observation, clue-hunting, and puzzle-solving within a structured, character-driven plot. - Clue-hunting and replayability (weight 0.58): Players must replay segments to find clues, decipher codes, or solve puzzles (e.g., song lyrics, bell mechanics). Attention to detail is required, and some segments are designed to be replayed for full comprehension. - Time loop puzzle mechanics (weight 0.55): The game heavily features time-loop mechanics where players must solve puzzles by sifting through repeated footage, experimenting with actions (e.g., unplugging machines), and finding clues to escape the loop. This is a core gameplay element in the DLC. - Music and humor segments (weight 0.55): Unique gameplay elements include musical-themed universes, absurd humor, and satirical storytelling. These segments add variety but may feel gimmicky to some players. - Multiverse and parallel worlds (weight 0.53): The narrative-driven gameplay explores multiverse concepts, including alternate universes with distinct themes (e.g., musicverse, dominaverse). Players interact with these worlds through wire-changing mechanics and puzzle-solving. - Character-driven storytelling (weight 0.52): The narrative focuses on character arcs, interactions, and lore development, with notable characters returning and engaging in meta-commentary or self-satire. The story is structured around character-driven twists and send-offs. - Minor technical and usability issues (weight 0.05): Some players reported controller usability issues, though these are niche concerns. The game also includes minor meta elements like cutting profanity or inserting advertisements. - Unique but niche mechanics (weight 0.04): The DLC introduces niche mechanics like radio station linking, monitoring multiple screens, or rating scales affecting outcomes. These are less central to the core experience and may appeal to specific players. Performance notes: No performancepoints Recommendations: - Highly recommended for fans (weight 0.26): The DLC is strongly recommended for fans of the original game, offering a satisfying conclusion and innovative experience. It is praised for its emotional impact and value, making it a must-play for those who enjoyed the main game. - Value for money praised (weight 0.18): The DLC and Complete Edition are frequently recommended for their value, with the base game's price (e.g., $9) described as a 'steal.' The season pass is also noted as worth purchasing for fans. - Best-in-class additional content (weight 0.17): The DLC is highlighted as one of the best examples of how to create additional content, with reviewers praising its depth, emotional impact, and innovation. It is often cited as the best DLC in the series. - Play after main story (weight 0.13): Reviewers suggest playing the DLC after completing the main story to fully appreciate its narrative and emotional impact. Going in blind is also recommended for the best experience. - Base game style preferred over DLCs (weight 0.02): Some feedback suggests that the sequel (NFB2) should emulate the style of the base game rather than the DLCs, indicating a preference for the original gameplay approach. Other player notes: - Narrative-driven adult storytelling (weight 0.06): Players describe the game as a bedtime story for adults, emphasizing its strong narrative focus and emotional tone rather than traditional gameplay mechanics. This suggests a unique, story-first approach that resonates with its audience. - DLC size comparable to base game (weight 0.06): The DLC is noted to be as substantial as the base game, indicating significant post-launch content. This may appeal to players seeking extended value but could also raise expectations for quality and depth. - Developer's emotional connection (weight 0.05): The game is frequently called a 'love letter' from developers to players, highlighting a perceived personal and heartfelt investment in the project. This may enhance player goodwill and engagement. Emotions: - Amusement (weight 0.16): Players found the game's darkly comic writing, absurd character interactions, and humorous scenarios (e.g., 'Cat Football,' Alan's micro-books) highly entertaining. The expressive voice acting, Easter eggs, and localization also contributed to frequent laughter and enjoyment. - Satisfaction (weight 0.15): The DLC was praised for its high-quality production, fulfilling narrative, and well-crafted conclusion to the series. Players appreciated the humor, goal-driven gameplay, and the return of fan-favorite elements while maintaining the core mechanics. - Excitement (weight 0.12): The creative parallel worlds, time loop mechanics, and unpredictable narrative kept players engaged. Unique segments like 'Cat Football' and the 14-minute musical sequence, along with replaying for different outcomes, heightened enthusiasm. - Joy (weight 0.08): Players experienced joy from heartfelt reunions with the core cast, the musical sequence in the DLC, and the perfect send-off for characters. The emotional closure and comedy in the narrative were particularly fulfilling. - Disappointment (weight 0.07): The removal of the core gameplay mechanic (rating scale) and the lack of multiple endings or player agency left players feeling let down. Some also found the DLC linear, boring, or inferior to the base game. - Frustration (weight 0.06): Repetitive time loop implementation, obscure puzzle hints requiring external help, and technical issues (e.g., controller problems) caused frustration. The removal of the season pass also contributed to dissatisfaction. - Nostalgia (weight 0.04): Revisiting beloved characters from the original game and reflecting on the series' growth over five years evoked strong emotional connections and nostalgia for long-time fans. - Gratitude (weight 0.04): Players expressed gratitude for the developers' efforts, high-quality writing, and inclusions like Chinese dubbing. The talent behind the DLC and its evolution were widely appreciated. - Surprise (weight 0.03): Unexpected character depth (e.g., Alan James) and narrative twists in Act III surprised players, adding layers to the story that exceeded initial expectations. - Awe (weight 0.03): The innovative music universe in Act 3 and the creative alternate universes left players in awe of the game's imaginative design and execution. - Relief (weight 0.02): Players felt relief when puzzles became easier to solve (e.g., finding 'her') or when the narrative provided a sense of closure, such as 'going home.' - Curiosity (weight 0.02): The experimental time loop mechanic and replayability for different storylines and endings sparked curiosity, driving players to explore all possible outcomes. - Empathy (weight 0.02): The personal stories and depth of characters fostered strong emotional connections, making players empathize with their struggles and journeys. - Appreciation (weight 0.02): Players appreciated the high-quality writing, production, and the developers' willingness to experiment with unique mechanics and storytelling in the DLCs. - Anticipation (weight 0.02): The DLC's success fueled anticipation for future projects from the developers, with players eagerly looking forward to what Not Games might create next. - Impressed (weight 0.01): The overall quality, passion, and creativity behind the DLC left players impressed, particularly with its execution and attention to detail. - Confusion (weight 0.01): Some players found the narrative disjointed or lacking clear focus, leading to confusion about the story's direction or intent.}