Living the dream
Wannabe popstars and lovers of indie games might be curious to check out this little title that explores the little used backdrop of the music industry. The game follows in the footsteps of things like Rockstar Ate My Hamster and Rockstar and provides players with an entertaining adventure into the world of stardom. The goal of the game is to take your band or artist from humble beginnings doing gigs in pubs to global stardom and fame. This is achieved by cutting records, doing gigs, making deals and all the other things which make the music industry so wonderful. You have to worry about managing your artist's personal and professional life, keeping their fans happy as well as the press, while keeping an eye on sales at all times. Of course, there's plenty of competition to keep you on your toes but if you're lucky, you get to go to award ceremonies and bask in the adulation of the masses. Despite its low budget nature, Popscene is a pretty successful and distinct experience. It's got bags of personality which helps to overshadow any shortcomings (of which there are many), as there is a great deal of characters to discover and which really leap off the screen. There's also a whole heap of activities to take part in, which should keep you entertained for some time and msot of them are pretty good fun to do. The visuals are pretty ropy though, with some very blocky graphics which betray the game's low budget origins, while a few other issues also let the side down a little. None of them are major enough to warrant real concern though and this remains a game worth seeking out.
