The Good:
A well-drawn and immersive environment
High quality voice-overs
Well-developed and funny characters
Interesting setting and staging.

The Bad:
Very few true logic puzzles
Lack of balance between very easy and very obscure puzzles
Solutions can be rather random
The story arc does not totally make sense

I love a good adventure game and Pendulo Studio's Runaway is one of my all time favourites, but all in all I was a little disappointed with "The Next Big Thing." That said, it is still a fun game with entertaining dialogue and great characters. However, for an adventure gamer who likes a challenge "The Next Big Thing" was not terribly engaging - the story is a little strange to begin with as are the characters, but they aren't used to their full potential or completely explained to an extent that would totally pull the gamer into the world. (The setting is 1940s Hollywood, but with robots and monsters). Without giving any spoilers, there are some turns that the plot takes that really detract from the overall environment that the game tries to create and that require strange rather random solutions.

All in all, I enjoyed playing the game but found the 30$ price tag a little steep for the amount of time it took me to complete the game since its puzzles weren't too hard and it's onboard hints too generous. (I'd recommend turning them off) Also, its very linear progression inhibits any replay anytime soon. However, the production values, especially when compared to other adventure titles available for the Mac are amazing. If you are looking for a game that will be mentally taxing this isn't it, but if you want a slick interface, clever script, and interesting plot go for it. (especially if it goes on sale)