Late Shift

Last updated

Late Shift
Late Shift cover.jpg
Developer(s) CtrlMovie
Publisher(s) Wales Interactive
Director(s) Tobias Weber
Producer(s)
  • Baptiste Planche
  • Kurban Kassam
Writer(s)
  • Tobias Weber
  • Michael R. Johnson
Composer(s) Cyril Boehler
Engine Unity
Platform(s)
Release
  • Windows, macOS, PS4, Xbox One
    • WW: 18 April 2017
  • Switch
    • WW: 26 April 2018 [1]
Genre(s) Adventure, interactive movie
Mode(s) Single-player

Late Shift is an interactive FMV video game written and directed by Tobias Weber. The participation film technology behind the title was developed by CtrlMovie. The title was screened at many international film festivals, including the New York Film Festival, Raindance Film Festival, and the Festival du nouveau cinéma.

Contents

Gameplay

Late Shift is presented much like a regular movie. During the film, the player is able to make choices on behalf of the protagonist. The presentation doesn't pause during the decision-making process, so viewers must react in real-time. There are 180 choice points in the feature-film, and the user interaction influences characters and the events of the game and lead the story to one of seven different endings.

Plot

The playable character and main protagonist is Matt Thompson, a college student who works as a parking lot attendant. One night, Matt finds himself embroiled in London's criminal underworld when he is forced to work with a group of armed robbers. He ends up befriending, possibly romantically, one of the members of the group; a young woman named May-Ling. The player's choices influence the events of the game and can lead to a variety of different endings resulting in different fates for Matt and May-Ling.

Cast

Reception

Late Shift received "mixed or average reviews" on all platforms, according to review aggregator Metacritic, [2] [4] [5] except for the PC version, which received "generally favorable reviews". [3] The Sunday Times named it "the most important film of the year", [10] The Guardian called it "a digital experience to look out for [11] ". The film won many awards, including a BAFTA Cymru Award [12] (Best Game), "Best Mobile/Tablet" and "Most Creative and Original" at Game Connection Development Awards [13] and "Best Narrative" at BIG Festival Brazil. [14] Further it was nominated for an IMG Award, [15] for "Visual Design" and "Action and Adventure Game" at The Independent Game Developers' Association Awards 2017, [16] and for "Writing or Narrative Design" and "Gameplay Innovation" at the 2018 Develop Awards. [17]

Apart from the majority of positive reactions there were also a few critical voices. Vice deemed it an "intriguing failure". [18] Eurogamer noted the game's continuity errors. [19]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sumo Digital</span> British video game developer

Sumo Digital Ltd. is a British video game developer based in Sheffield and the principal subsidiary of Sumo Group since 2017. The company was founded in 2003 by four former members of the management team of Infogrames Studios and, as of 2023, employs more than 1100 people in 16 studios. The developer's model has been described as work for hire.

<i>Animal Crossing</i> Video game series developed by Nintendo

Animal Crossing is a social simulation video game series developed and published by Nintendo. The series was conceptualized and created by Katsuya Eguchi and Hisashi Nogami. In Animal Crossing, the player character is a human who lives in a village inhabited by various anthropomorphic animals and can do various activities like fishing, insect catching, and fossil hunting. The series is notable for its open-ended gameplay and use of the video game console's internal clock and calendar to simulate real passage of time.

<i>Mario Kart 8</i> 2014 video game

Mario Kart 8 is a 2014 kart racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U. It retains the gameplay of previous Mario Kart games, with players controlling a Mario character in races around tracks. Tracks are themed around locales from the Super Mario series populated with power-ups that help players gain advantages in races. Different difficulties are selectable prior to a race; harder difficulties make gameplay faster. In the new anti-gravity sequences, players drive on walls and ceilings. Mario Kart 8 contains a variety of single-player and local and online multiplayer game modes, including Grand Prix racing and arena-based battle modes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gamer Network</span> British digital media company

Gamer Network Limited is a British digital media company based in London. Founded in 1999 by Rupert and Nick Loman, it owns brands—primarily editorial websites—relating to video game journalism and other video game businesses. Its flagship website, Eurogamer, was launched alongside the company. It began hosting the video game trade show EGX in 2008. ReedPop acquired Gamer Network in 2018 and sold it to IGN Entertainment in 2024.

<i>Gorogoa</i> 2017 puzzle video game

Gorogoa is a puzzle video game developed by Jason Roberts and published by Annapurna Interactive. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, and iOS on 14 December 2017, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on 22 May 2018, and shortly thereafter an Android and Kindle Fire release.

<i>Night in the Woods</i> 2017 video game

Night in the Woods is a 2017 single-player adventure video game developed by Infinite Fall and published by Finji. Set in a world of zoomorphic humans, the story follows a young feline woman named Mae, who drops out of college and returns to her hometown to find unexpected changes, alongside Bea, a gothic crocodile woman and her childhood best friend. The game was funded via Kickstarter, where it earned over 400% of its initial US$50,000 funding goal.

<i>Lego Worlds</i> 2017 Lego-themed sandbox game

Lego Worlds is a Lego-themed sandbox game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The game allows players to build constructions in a 3D procedurally generated world. A beta version of the game was released on 1 June 2015 on Steam Early Access. It was released on 7 March 2017 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. A version for Nintendo Switch was released on 5 September 2017 in North America and 8 September 2017 in Europe.

<i>Shantae</i> Video game series

Shantae is a series of platform video games developed by WayForward. The eponymous heroine of the series, a half-genie, was created by Erin Bozon, while the games for this character were created by her husband Matt Bozon. The series consists of five games: Shantae (2002), Shantae: Risky's Revenge (2010), Shantae and the Pirate's Curse (2014), Shantae: Half-Genie Hero (2016) and Shantae and the Seven Sirens (2019). A sixth title, Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution, is in development and scheduled for release in 2025.

<i>Super Mario Run</i> 2016 mobile game

Super Mario Run is a 2016 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for iOS and later Android. It is Nintendo's first mobile game that is part of one of the company's long-running and major franchises.

<i>Reigns</i> (video game) 2016 strategy game

Reigns is a 2016 strategy video game developed by Nerial and published by Devolver Digital. In the game, players control a medieval king who they must help rule for as long as possible. The monarch receives petitions and questions from advisers, which are represented by cards. The player can choose between two responses to the adviser, which has an effect on one of the kingdom's four aspects. If one of the aspects becomes too unbalanced, the game ends and the player starts another reign with a new monarch. To win the game, the player must break a curse created by the Devil, who visits the king across several reigns.

<i>The Sexy Brutale</i> 2017 video game

The Sexy Brutale is an adventure puzzle video game developed by Cavalier Game Studios and Tequila Works. The game was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in April 2017. A Nintendo Switch version was released in December 2017. A cloud-based version was released for Amazon Luna in October 2020.

<i>Minit</i> 2018 adventure video game

Minit is an action-adventure video game developed by Jan Willem Nijman, Kitty Calis, Jukio Kallio, and Dominik Johann. The game is published by Devolver Digital and was released on April 3, 2018, for Windows, macOS, Linux, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. On May 11, 2018, a Nintendo Switch version was announced on the first episode of Indie World, a web series from Nintendo of Japan that showcases indie games coming to the Japanese Nintendo eShop. It was released for the Nintendo Switch on August 9, 2018. It also came out for mobile devices in June 2019.

<i>Telling Lies</i> (video game) 2019 video game

Telling Lies is a narrative video game developed by Sam Barlow and Furious Bee and published by Annapurna Interactive in August 2019 for iOS, macOS, and Windows. Ports for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One were released in April 2020. As with Barlow's previous title, Her Story, the game uses live action full-motion video of four people as part of video calls made between them, and the player will need to use tools provided from the game to piece together events and what statements may be lies to determine the overall mystery.

<i>Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp</i> 2017 mobile game by Nintendo in the Animal Crossing series

Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp is a 2017 free-to-play social simulation mobile game developed and published by Nintendo for iOS and Android devices. An installment in the Animal Crossing series, it was released in Australia in October 2017 and worldwide the following month. The game continues the series of social simulations that allow players to interact with a small campsite with various campers, performing small tasks, engaging in commerce, and decorating living spaces.

<i>Human: Fall Flat</i> 2016 video game

Human: Fall Flat is a puzzle-platform game developed by No Brakes Games and published by Curve Digital. It was initially released for Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux in July 2016, and received ports for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Google Stadia, and iOS and Android over the next several years.

<i>Forgotton Anne</i> 2018 video game

Forgotton Anne is an adventure-platform game developed by ThroughLine Games and published by Square Enix Collective. The game uses a hand-drawn anime aesthetic style and an orchestral score performed by the Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra and was released on May 15, 2018 on Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. The game was released for macOS on June 21, 2018, Nintendo Switch on November 9, 2018, iOS on June 26, 2019, and Android on December 18, 2019.

<i>Knights and Bikes</i> 2019 video game

Knights and Bikes is a cooperative action-adventure game inspired by The Goonies and Secret of Mana. It is created by Foam Sword, a British indie game development company made up of former Media Molecule staff.

<i>Harry Potter</i> video games Licensed video games based on the Harry Potter novels

The Harry Potter video games are a series of video games based on the Harry Potter novel series and film series originally created by J. K. Rowling. Many of the Harry Potter-inspired video games are tie-ins to the film adaptations of the same name. There are multiple distinct versions for individual games.

<i>Little Orpheus</i> 2020 adventure-platform game

Little Orpheus is a 2020 adventure-platform game developed by The Chinese Room and published by Sumo Digital. The game was released on Apple Arcade on 12 June 2020 for iOS, macOS, and tvOS. Ports for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S were released by subsidiary label Secret Mode on 13 September 2022.

<i>Bayonetta</i> Video game series

Bayonetta is a urban fantasy action-adventure video game franchise created by Hideki Kamiya. It is developed by PlatinumGames, owned by Sega, and, since the release of Bayonetta 2 in 2014, published by Nintendo. The franchise was introduced in 2009 with Bayonetta, which was followed by two sequels, Bayonetta 2 (2014) and Bayonetta 3 (2022), as well as a spinoff, Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon (2023). The games follow the titular character, a witch who wields dual pistols, shooters in her high heels, and long, magically transforming hair which becomes a supernatural weapon.

References

  1. ↑ Reseigh-Lincoln, Dom (16 April 2018). "Cho[o]se Your Own Adventure And Solve The Case As Late Shift Arrives On Switch This Month". Nintendo Life . Archived from the original on 7 January 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Late Shift for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 9 June 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  3. 1 2 "Late Shift for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 23 June 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  4. 1 2 "Late Shift for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 7 March 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  5. 1 2 "Late Shift for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 12 June 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  6. ↑ Valdez, Nick (18 April 2017). "Late Shift for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Destructoid. Archived from the original on 5 August 2020. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  7. ↑ Gwaltney, Javy (27 April 2017). "Late Shift Review - Riding The Rails". Game Informer. Archived from the original on 15 January 2020. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  8. ↑ Lane, Gavin (3 May 2018). "Late Shift Review (Switch eShop)". NintendoLife. Archived from the original on 9 June 2020. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  9. ↑ Olivo, Matthew (26 April 2018). "Late Shift Review". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on 15 January 2020. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  10. ↑ Dean, Jonathan (18 December 2016). "Will cinema grow up next year?" . The Sunday Times. ISSN   0956-1382 . Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  11. ↑ Gwynne, Kate (12 October 2016). "Read it and bleep: is virtual reality the future of storytelling?". the Guardian. Archived from the original on 13 May 2023. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  12. ↑ "Winners of the 2018 British Academy Cymru Awards". www.bafta.org. 14 October 2018. Archived from the original on 10 October 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  13. ↑ "Game Connection Europe 2016 - Development Awards". Game Connection. Archived from the original on 19 April 2023. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  14. ↑ "Nominated & Awarded Games of 2016". BIG Festival (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 19 December 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  15. ↑ "Late Shift - International Mobile Gaming Awards". International Mobile Gaming Awards. Archived from the original on 19 April 2023. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  16. ↑ "2017 Winners". The Independent Game Developers' Association. 2 November 2017. Archived from the original on 6 September 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  17. ↑ MCV staff (21 May 2018). "Announcing the Develop Awards 2018 nominations shortlist". MCV . Archived from the original on 16 June 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  18. ↑ Diver, Mike (19 April 2017). "'Late Shift' Is an Intriguing Failure of an FMV 'Game'". Vice . Archived from the original on 24 April 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  19. ↑ Parkin, Simon (24 April 2017). "Late Shift review". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.