Not For Broadcast: Complete Edition Review: The Bumley Omnibus

Here we are, embarking on a thrilling journey through Memory Lane, Bumley once more, as Not For Broadcast: Complete Edition is now available, comprising three DLCs and the soundtrack. This satire, which I've been following for the past four years, is hilarious, offering a truly unique and immersive gaming experience. tinyBuild backed the right horse.

Living a fantasy life as a video editor after all those years studying at uni is a joy. No, not these 'edits' the kids are talking about, which are apps paired with special effects; I mean storytelling - blood, sweat, tears and tape. Tactile editing is much better than that copy of Premiere you own. Yeah, I don't believe for one second that you purchased it.

Not For Broadcast: Complete Edition is like that email you've accidentally CC'd to peers sharing the dirty laundry you don't want them to see, skidmarks and all. It's too late - you've clicked send, and what has been done cannot be undone. That's the same with live TV, pal. Now you're Channel One's in-house editor, your reaction time means everything.

With a full editing suite, a bank of monitors, and the agency to live broadcast, you are in complete control of what the public sees. Well, that's not true. Besides the many technical disruptions to keep you on your toes, you're at the beck and call of producers, politicians and sponsors. Opposing parties, Advance and Direct, will have expectations of delivering a message to Johnny Public. You can comply or go off script.

Not For Broadcast: Complete Edition isn't an Overcooked type, but you must be comfortable with multitasking. You need to know when to switch monitors to follow the action, keep viewers entertained, censor expletives, and cue advertising campaigns at the break. Aside from ranking for your performance, the reward for your efforts is being a voyeur to the drama behind the scenes.

Edits are ranked based on timing and decision-making, and you'll receive feedback from the text-based summaries between the FMV segments. These parts used to distract from the flow of gameplay, but if playing the game in sequence, they serve some narrative purpose. Besides actual editing, the best part is observing the chemistry between the cast. Jeremy and Megan are still the standouts, but everyone involved in the production is excellent.

Not For Broadcast: Complete Edition includes Bits of Your Life, Live & Spooky and The Timeloop. Each has a different theme and apart from the This Is Your Life-inspired story that follows Peter f%^&"ing Clements, they're self-contained episodes that give a nudge, nudge, wink, wink to British TV, notably pony-tailed scousers with a penchant for chinwagging with the dead. However, The Timeloop concludes NotGames' Choc Ice Trilogy (Cornetto was taken) that reunites the cast from the first game, making for plenty of twists. Of course, if you're experiencing Not For Broadcast for the first time, there'll be no gap between Jeremy and Megan sharing screen time.

Though Not For Broadcast is one of my favourite games, it has flaws. As is the nature of a live broadcast, scenes are lengthy, and if you're seeking a decent rank, you may have to repeat again and again for the perfect run - even though they're split into repeatable segments. Think yourself lucky, as editing means over-familiarising yourself with content and in real life, it'd be hours worth, AND, you can't repeat the process - what's done is done.

On the flip side, the actual FMV content is superb. It feels personal, as if you're part of the joke, part of the crew. There are naturally linear elements on rails by design, but the sheer volume of options in terms of endings, secrets, and achievements it amazing. While it can feel chaotic, ultimately, you're always in control. Well, just.

Not For Broadcast: Complete Edition Review

Not For Broadcast is one of the most innovative experiences you'll have in a game; an experience that breaks the mould of hacky, non-playable FMVs and makes it intuitive, immersive, and funny as hell. Before you say you (your mate, Dave) want to be a content creator and make TikTok videos, learn the proper way with Not For Broadcast: Complete Edition on Steam.