Madison, WI
I've played this (ages ago) it shoots really well and is fun. Nordman knows what he's doing with gameplay.
The video? Sigh. Yeah. If you're going to make a retro 50's sci-fi theme, and use custom live action to fill the LCD (smart idea if done well) then it HAS to fit the era you're reproducing.
As-is yes, it screams 1990's FMV games. Which is fine, if that's the theme of your game. But that's not the theme of this game. The video should be B&W, grainy, and have GOOD ACTING. That's something people overlook with bad movies (especially old stuff) The acting is usually pretty good, it's just the movie that's bad (or really boring) Even something like Robot Monster, the movie is a POS but the Monster's voice is very professional, the actors say their terrible lines very professionally, even the kid is a good kid actor. The movie itself is just dumb.
With this it's like they saw MST3k and thought "oh we can just do the spaceship part of the concept and that makes it good" which is exactly what Stern did with MST3-I mean Elvira HOH. But that doesn't work here because there isn't a modern camp "bookend" to the theme (MST3K/HOH), the material IS the sci-fi theme. So (modern) hooky labs and color footage doesn't cut it.
Several have mentioned the VHS filter. Also doesn't fit the 50's, but if this was cheesy 80's sci-fi like all the Corman Star Wars ripoffs (like Galaxy of Terror) then it would fit. Would have been a better idea since analog shit is all the rage with the Gen Z'ers.
This should look like Rocky Jones: Space Ranger but instead we got Sewer Shark.
