How many more ways can I find to die?
Written: Jan 25 '06
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Keith mode is challenging and the game uses most of the capabilities of the DS
Cons: Skye mode. Dull, dull, dull.
The Bottom Line: Keith mode is fun and challenging, but don't count on the additional modes to add much to your life.
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| jgibson2's Full Review: Lost in Blue for DS |
After the first couple of days with this game, that's what I was asking myself. Just how many times am I going to die before I figure this out?
You can starve to death, die of thirst, die of exhaustion, eat a poison mushroom, or get knocked off by the bad guys (much later in the game).
It's not that the learning curve is so steep, it really isn't. I just have an aversion to reading instructions. Like the one that says "save often." Just don't save if you're too close to "death."
Once you get past the initial learning curve, the only way you're likely to die is by doing something that gets you captured. This comes much later in the game.
The Story Line: Lost on an apparently deserted island, Keith and Skye (both in their late teens) must rely on one another and develop their survival skills in order to return to civilization.
Keith's story: Keith finds himself on the island after his ship sinks. He must find food and shelter. The next morning, he discovers that a second survivor is on the island - a 17 year old girl named Skye who is very nearsighted. Keith steps on her glasses, making her pretty much totally dependent on him for this first part of the game.
As Keith, you must learn to scavenge for food and bring it to Skye to cook. There are some foods that can be eaten raw, but many others must be cooked first. Keith must also find the materials for tools and weapons, build furniture, gather firewood, and figure out how to get off the island. Time passes at the rate of 5 minutes for each 7 seconds of game time. 33 minutes = one day, but resting and sleeping speed this up.
Scavenging will only provide so much food, so Keith needs to learn to hunt and fish. I was able to become proficient at both spear fishing and use of the fishing poles. I never really learned how to hunt. This is probably because I have a habit of turning the sound off when I play most games. You need to listen for animals moving in the brush when you hunt - I didn't learn that until very late into the game. Fortunately, it is possible to complete Keith's game without doing much hunting.
As the game progresses, Keith must also build furniture. This sub-game involves drawing on the touch screen. I found this very frustrating until I discovered that it isn't necessary to keep your strokes in the little square provided. You can use the whole screen, and size doesn't matter. Practice makes perfect and saving before you start this sub-game is always a good idea.
While investigating the island, Keith finds puzzles to solve. Some are very simple. Some require Skye's assistance. Some involve good spatial skills. One required the assistance of my 10 year old. Bottom line, don't make things harder than they really are, most are pretty straightforward. Save before trying to solve any puzzles.
The more challenging puzzles are in a temple on the far side of the island. Once Keith makes it through there, he discovers that the island really isn't deserted. From there, a number of different things can happen, depending on choices Keith makes. There are several possible endings which involve escaping from the island in different ways. There are more items to collect and puzzles to solve there as well.
Game play is fairly simple, although just staying alive is a challenge at first. This game involves most of the capabilities of the DS - including the built-in mic. You won't be using Wi-Fi or 2 player capabilities, though. In spite of my initial frustration, I was quickly addicted. I wanted to explore the island, solve the puzzles, and fill in the blanks in the scrapbook. You can complete the game without completing the scrapbook. Good thing for me, if you can't hunt, you can't complete the scrapbook.
Be nice to Skye if you want a happy ending.
Skye's Story: Can you say "interminable"? I knew you could! This part of the game is probably the most boring game I've ever actually completed. Skye is restricted to the beach and cave areas. No investigating for Skye. She gets to cook - using the same kind of sub-game skills used by Keith for building, so that gets boring in a hurry, too. Fortunately, there is a simple cheat that lets you skip most of the food-gathering and cooking, so Skye can just talk to Keith, wait for him to come home, keep the fire burning, and look after the goat &/or chicken while he's gone. Boring, boring, boring. However there is a third part to this game, so I slogged through.
Be nice to Keith if you want a happy ending.
Challenge Mode: I endured Skye mode for 128 days (not real days, game days). I'm not sure yet that it was worth the effort. I made it to challenge mode about 3 weeks ago but haven't spent much time actually playing it since it wasn't quite what I was expecting. There are plenty of FAQs out there that will tell you what it's about, so spoiler alert this isn't exactly a secret. The boss bad-guy got left behind on the island. You're playing as him. It's more like Keith mode than Skye mode, but I haven't found any puzzles yet. I will get to try hunting again, so maybe I'll complete the scrapbook this time -- it carries over from one section to the next, so there's a chance to actually finish.
Recommended:
Yes
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jgibson2
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Location: Maryland
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About Me:
Give blood! Someone else needs it more than you do. 1-800-Give-life
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