Game Card
The Sims 2: Castaway (Wii)
- Publisher:
- Electronic Arts
- Developer:
- Maxis
- US Release:
- 23.10.2007
- EU Release:
- n/a
- Number of players:
- n/a
- Type:
- Other
- Reality Factor:
- Realistic
- Extra:
- Virtual Life
- Age:
- Modern Times
Review
We play The Sims 2: Castaway...
The proliferate nature of The Sims (who’ve been breeding out of control since the very first expansion pack arrived by simulated stalk) makes it difficult to remember whereabouts we are in their pseudo lives. Castaway, however, finally manages to put a memorable slant on the repetitive franchise.
Whether or not it’s your bag, The Sims was an important benchmark in contemporary gaming – not least of all for successfully injecting fun and larks into the otherwise sombre realm of simulations. And, to top it all off, it did so without compromising the essential participative and strict rule-based nature of the genre. Since then it’s gone through every conceivable virtual-soap situation from pets and parties to pet parties and naked lesbian encounters (or so I’m told. By... this guy I know. Who’s into that stuff).
But, like most simulations, it suited the desk and monitor of a PC much more comfortably than the sofa and television of console gaming; despite numerous unplayable attempts to bring the mumbling antics of simulated life forms to our living rooms. Could it be that The Sims 2: Castaway has finally succeeded where (so very many) other spin-off sim-series have failed? I dare to venture it has.
Castaway is a clever reinvention of the most popular game franchise this century (bearing in mind we’re only 7% of the way through) that places the artificial organisms in a more restrictive (and therefore far better suited to console gaming) setting than real life and adds enough of a progressive, mission-based storyline to allow for waypoints and quantifiable achievements.
Players begin – in good Sims style – by crafting the actors of their forthcoming drama, only this time it doesn’t begin with a family. A collection of travellers are brought to virtual life by the God of Joypads (that’s you) and then immediately shipwrecked on a desert island. The game then requires players to help their stranded Sims survive the tropical desolation Swiss Family Robinson style.
It seems The Sims has made a bigger impact on the modern gamer than is often expected, since the first attempt to create a cast invariably results in the typical rendering of a functional family unit – as per almost every other version of this well trodden gaming path. This almost always seems to result in pretty rapid failure, since Castaway demands a different approach to forming a working autonomous collective. Deciding on a band of heroes requires careful consideration, since the challenges that lay ahead demand rather specific talents from individual members of the marooned community.
Here I must hold my hand up and admit I thought The Sims was a game without cerebral involvement. The obtuse gaming equivalent of watching the Jeremy Kyle show: inventing catastrophe for public amusement, vulgar one-upmanship and laughably confrontational dysfunction. And it is, usually. But this immediate stipulation for mild strategic planning when designing your company of fellows belies those chewing-gum-for–the-mind mechanics, and while some of the elements found in The Sims 2: Castaway adhere strictly to the original style (that, to be fair, made the series so popular), this new twist makes it considerably more accessible to the general gaming populace.
Once your troupe is ready, they’re cast upon the unforgiving sands of a far distant shore and it’s straight into the action as you attempt to help them not only survive, but build a new life and functioning community among the coconut groves and monkey hordes. A substantial amount of the gameplay resorts to excessive collecting and examining of (mostly) expository items, such as books which tell you how to create tools and items, messages in bottles, food, clothing and other amenities. This can and does become a little repetitive for all but the most avid Sims fans and the anal “discover everything” type of gamer, but without it this probably wouldn’t be close enough to the original premise to support the qualifying title of Sims 2.
The very principle of being shipwrecked is quite ingenious; however, as it marks the beginning of a new life for all involved which, after all, is the essence of what gamers expect from this simu-life franchise. Regardless of any previous lifestyles these characters may have had, other than their rudimentary talents (carefully chosen by you), they’re all equal and must be directed to work together if virtual- existence is to be sustained. Not since the original game and its sequel (not the many expansion packs) has this been realised quite so well as in Castaway, and while it’s a little tricky to pinpoint quite what the difference is with this latest outing, it also seems to fit the console platform far more suitably.
As your Sims forage for sustenance and shelter, train monkeys to do their bidding and create new tools from raw materials to make their jobs more efficient, various mission storylines crop up to keep some form of interest and progression. While it’s up to the player as to how many of these quirky sub-plots they follow up on, it does provide some reward for putting up with the excessive collecting of seashells and banana hording. A main storyline slowly develops as well, adding moments of tension and purpose at evidently well designed junctures to keep the player interested in the amusing lives of the characters they created.
There are a number of inconsistencies and random, dubious elements to the desert island setting, but in all honesty such pedantry really isn’t an issue when boiling Castaway down to its raw ingredients which, ultimately, are well-rounded, escapist and nonthreatening fun. And although it doesn’t necessarily make use of the dynamic nature of the Wii’s control system, it feels surprisingly refreshing to play a “normal” game on Nintendo’s new machine, and proves not only that there’s a lot of life yet left in The Sims, but also that the Wii is capable of keeping up with all the other games machines in your house, including the PC.
Top Game Moment: Although it might not reveal too much, there’s a simple phrase which I feel sums up Castaway in the proper subtext: monkey butlers.
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| What would the Sims be without awkward, elbowy nerd romance? They might be stranded, but there’s always time for love, Dr. Jones | You don’t have to create your own desert island hippy love commune, but it’s nice to know there’s always the option |
Whether or not it’s your bag, The Sims was an important benchmark in contemporary gaming – not least of all for successfully injecting fun and larks into the otherwise sombre realm of simulations. And, to top it all off, it did so without compromising the essential participative and strict rule-based nature of the genre. Since then it’s gone through every conceivable virtual-soap situation from pets and parties to pet parties and naked lesbian encounters (or so I’m told. By... this guy I know. Who’s into that stuff).
But, like most simulations, it suited the desk and monitor of a PC much more comfortably than the sofa and television of console gaming; despite numerous unplayable attempts to bring the mumbling antics of simulated life forms to our living rooms. Could it be that The Sims 2: Castaway has finally succeeded where (so very many) other spin-off sim-series have failed? I dare to venture it has.
Castaway is a clever reinvention of the most popular game franchise this century (bearing in mind we’re only 7% of the way through) that places the artificial organisms in a more restrictive (and therefore far better suited to console gaming) setting than real life and adds enough of a progressive, mission-based storyline to allow for waypoints and quantifiable achievements.
Players begin – in good Sims style – by crafting the actors of their forthcoming drama, only this time it doesn’t begin with a family. A collection of travellers are brought to virtual life by the God of Joypads (that’s you) and then immediately shipwrecked on a desert island. The game then requires players to help their stranded Sims survive the tropical desolation Swiss Family Robinson style.
It seems The Sims has made a bigger impact on the modern gamer than is often expected, since the first attempt to create a cast invariably results in the typical rendering of a functional family unit – as per almost every other version of this well trodden gaming path. This almost always seems to result in pretty rapid failure, since Castaway demands a different approach to forming a working autonomous collective. Deciding on a band of heroes requires careful consideration, since the challenges that lay ahead demand rather specific talents from individual members of the marooned community.
 |
 |
|
| You’re going to need your strength if you set out on that raft, so remember to exercise. That’s what this guy’s doing. Although that monkey does look kinda worried | I just don’t think I’m ever going to get tired of saying this. Monkey butlers! |
Here I must hold my hand up and admit I thought The Sims was a game without cerebral involvement. The obtuse gaming equivalent of watching the Jeremy Kyle show: inventing catastrophe for public amusement, vulgar one-upmanship and laughably confrontational dysfunction. And it is, usually. But this immediate stipulation for mild strategic planning when designing your company of fellows belies those chewing-gum-for–the-mind mechanics, and while some of the elements found in The Sims 2: Castaway adhere strictly to the original style (that, to be fair, made the series so popular), this new twist makes it considerably more accessible to the general gaming populace.
Once your troupe is ready, they’re cast upon the unforgiving sands of a far distant shore and it’s straight into the action as you attempt to help them not only survive, but build a new life and functioning community among the coconut groves and monkey hordes. A substantial amount of the gameplay resorts to excessive collecting and examining of (mostly) expository items, such as books which tell you how to create tools and items, messages in bottles, food, clothing and other amenities. This can and does become a little repetitive for all but the most avid Sims fans and the anal “discover everything” type of gamer, but without it this probably wouldn’t be close enough to the original premise to support the qualifying title of Sims 2.
The very principle of being shipwrecked is quite ingenious; however, as it marks the beginning of a new life for all involved which, after all, is the essence of what gamers expect from this simu-life franchise. Regardless of any previous lifestyles these characters may have had, other than their rudimentary talents (carefully chosen by you), they’re all equal and must be directed to work together if virtual- existence is to be sustained. Not since the original game and its sequel (not the many expansion packs) has this been realised quite so well as in Castaway, and while it’s a little tricky to pinpoint quite what the difference is with this latest outing, it also seems to fit the console platform far more suitably.
As your Sims forage for sustenance and shelter, train monkeys to do their bidding and create new tools from raw materials to make their jobs more efficient, various mission storylines crop up to keep some form of interest and progression. While it’s up to the player as to how many of these quirky sub-plots they follow up on, it does provide some reward for putting up with the excessive collecting of seashells and banana hording. A main storyline slowly develops as well, adding moments of tension and purpose at evidently well designed junctures to keep the player interested in the amusing lives of the characters they created.
 |
| Spearing fish is a vital skill when you’re a castaway – especially when Oliver Reed might be hiding around the new cove |
There are a number of inconsistencies and random, dubious elements to the desert island setting, but in all honesty such pedantry really isn’t an issue when boiling Castaway down to its raw ingredients which, ultimately, are well-rounded, escapist and nonthreatening fun. And although it doesn’t necessarily make use of the dynamic nature of the Wii’s control system, it feels surprisingly refreshing to play a “normal” game on Nintendo’s new machine, and proves not only that there’s a lot of life yet left in The Sims, but also that the Wii is capable of keeping up with all the other games machines in your house, including the PC.
Top Game Moment: Although it might not reveal too much, there’s a simple phrase which I feel sums up Castaway in the proper subtext: monkey butlers.
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Trailer #1
Posted 08.10.07
Length 01:03 Views 936
