Hopefully an average score won’t tempt fate…
If it’s one thing the cast from Lost have taught me, it’s to never be optimistic. Just because you survived a plane crash doesn’t necessarily mean where you’ve ended up should make you glad to be alive. When the infamous show began years ago, no one could have quite comprehended the spoiler-heavy journey it would take, where each twist was so frequent and unpredictable that it’s television’s interpretation of a Curly Wurly. With the roller-coaster ride fast approaching its final bow, however, it may be worth revisiting the mysterious island the unfortunate tourists find themselves on to truly comprehend the bizarre pickle that grows by the second…and uncover some bloody answers.
Lost:Via Domus begins with the landmark moment of the series, the crashing of Oceanic Flight 815 on an island seemingly impossible to find, always one step ahead of the rest of the world. If the odd local sights of Concorde debris and Polar Bears weren’t quite traumatising enough to comprehend upon landing, previously unseen survivor Elliot wakes up to struggle with a bout of amnesia to boot. With even less knowledge of what’s going on than the average survivor, Elliot must uncover mysteries, find out why he was brought to the island and how to get back off of it in order to become something more than just an extra floating about in the background.
For the get go, as the Lost credits zooming past your head, it’s clear that the game is going to heavily borrow from the TV show that brought upon its existence. All of the main cast members make an appearance, some with the voices of their acting counterparts, some with noticeable stand-ins. The substitutes do an admirable job of recreating voices for around half the cast, yet some characters do sound like many a failed Britain’s Got Talent impressionist, a few confusing the American accent with that of a Hillbilly. Accompanied by some bizarre character animations which leave the cast lustfully staring at your nostril hair at times, it’s clear to see why Elliot constantly diverts himself away from the group.
A testimony to the hardcore fans of the series
Those who survive long enough on the island get to see some of the shows trademark locales, all magnificently detailed and encapsulate the atmosphere from the show. Key locations such as the camp and ‘The Hatch’ have all been impressively well recreated, offering a bit more insight to the mythology of Lost, and allow the truly fanatical to do a bit of detective work on all that they see by getting up close and personal.
Despite the many dangers that lurk upon the island, the tasks that lie in wait to impede progress to home dwindle in quantity and are all fairly easy to overcome. If anything, Lost:Via Domus is mostly a title about trekking, with minor mini-games popping up from time to time. The trading system that does away with money and leaves you salvaging coconuts and water to trade for more equipment delivers the true ‘Oh bugger’ politics of castaway life well, yet never comes into light as a key part of survival. Trekking through the jungle with a compass to find your way out is a nifty diversion that only ever occurs incredibly rarely until exploration is soon compensated by fast travel points. These slight trials are all nice ideas, but never manage to extend into memorable segments, and struggle to form a backbone the quest desperately needs. It almost feels like ‘Gameplay’ without the ‘Game’.
One of the mini-games that remains memorable for all the wrong reasons, however, are segments that take place off the island. In each level (or ‘Episode’), Elliot has flashbacks of his former life that he must piece together by taking photographs of key moments that will help him regain his memory. Though it’s always clear where and when you you be shooting your camera during these moments, Elliot is exceptionally picky about both framing and focus of such pictures, and can become incredibly ridiculous when completely faultless pictures fail to make the grade for no clear reason.
Those left at the mercy of the series’ many DVD boxsets will likely find this an intriguing interval between seasons 3 and 4, whereas those just ahead will find it a tantalising flashback. However, the basic shortcomings coupled with the need for background knowledge on the show will definitely turn many away. There are some nice concepts and ideas explored with the navigation of the island and wiring puzzles, yet with the short length of Via Domus, none are fully explored or evolved enough to truly be deemed satisfying to conquer at the end of it all. Short lived gameplay and a head scratching ending means that this is a testimony to the hardcore fans of the series, and though it may not answer any key questions in the bible of Lost, it certainly leaves the door open for the internet’s many theories.
The Bad: Incredibly short, Some key characters act and sound bizarre, Gameplay ideas aren’t given time to shine
