Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust - Larry's Bustin' Out Again

Leisure Suit Larry has a long tradition of tasteless humor and crude jokes. It's no surprise that the latest edition would contain the usual ribald scenery reminiscent of South Park - well, South Park meets Penthouse anyway. The storyline for this game is truly tragic. The game puts you into the shoes of Larry's nephew, Larry Lovage. Someone wants to destroy your uncle's movie studio, and only you can stop it. Of course, along the way you get the opportunity to oggle scantily clad women, make rude comments about almost everything, and act like a spastic teenager. The sheer amount of foul language and sexual innuendo is staggering, to the point where nothing is funny, even if you are usually a fan of sophomoric humor. The only redeeming value that could be possibly identified in this game is the length. You'll be begging for the ride to stop long before it actually does.

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The camera seems to have a mind of its own, so you'll find yourself struggling to maintain a consistent viewing angle. At certain points in the game, Larry himself even remarks on how idiotic the gameplay is. For example, he complains that the game is imposing a time limit for a pointless exercise, and its hard not to agree with him. A game that makes fun of its own genre is okay; a game that makes fun of itself must do so carefully, and unfortunately this one is pointing out something they should have kept secret - or better yet, fixed before they published the game.

The one area where this game does excel is in the visuals and vocals.

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Overall, the game is really not worthwhile. Its a shame too, because the game's ancestors were held in much higher esteem, while this title is sure to go down in flames. The sheer amount of foul language, poor gameplay, and lack of any real humor completely overshadows the rather decent visuals and promising voice acting. The previous games in the series - though also rather racy -combined audacity with enough wit to be favorable: not so of this entry. And even though the length is more than the average game, you'll be wishing it was over way before it really is. Do yourself a favor and don't venture into Larry's new world. Your sense of humor and love of gaming will thank you.