Lost in Blue (Nintendo DS) - Review by Andrew

Introduction

Without question the DS is ideal for adventures of any type and yet mysteriously very few have tapped into its potential. A publisher or developer would only have to spend five minutes reading through handheld forums to see that gamers are crying out for a DS reworking of LucasArts classics such as the Monkey Island series or the incredible Sam and Max. Even a Broken Sword would do and if it can be developed on the GBA just imagine what a DS version would be like. The closest we've got has been the rather enjoyable Another Code but this really is an untapped genre on what is a perfect platform. Lost in Blue should go someway to plugging this gap, although as it's the DS version of Survival Kids there's a leaning towards RPG and management too. Still, it's better than nothing but what's it like?

Gameplay

In Lost in Blue you play the role of Keith, who finds himself marooned on a beautiful deserted island after his boat has capsized. Unaware of where he is or whether he's alone, he sets about exploring the island. In a normal arcade game this wouldn't cause a problem but this is an RPG and as a result you'll quickly begin to get weak, tired, hungry and thirsty. You'll know this because your character will not only tell you but the top screen display your body's outline with a variety of percentages indicating the level of urgency for each of your physical needs. Water is the easiest as you only need to find a fresh water source. Food is also rather simple because you'll find a variety of fruit, vegetables and seafood lying around on the ground. If you choose not to consume these right away they can go in your backpack, as will anything else you pick-up, but beware you can only carry so much so make it count. Rest and your overall well being take a little more time to increase but with a little more exploration you'll discover a cave. Hopefully you've picked up some wood and twigs along the way so you can light a fire and this is where your tool making skills come into play. Initially it's not that complicated really as you simply require the correct components and the item will be made for you. In this case it's two pieces of wood which, when rubbed together, create heat and with the aid of the twigs you have a fire. You can then have some food and a sleep in order to improve your overall well being which only occurs when you have enough rest, food and water.

You've probably realised by now just how much work it takes to survive one day and day two involves you exploring the island to seek out other survivors. Fortunately you come across a girl named Skye but, while she's good company, she'll rely on you at all times a she can't get around very well without her glasses, which have been lost. This means that you are now providing for two although Skye is an excellent cook (even with the ingredients you bring back to the cave) and handy at making things from very raw materials. A long stick with a sharp rock tied around one end with vine can create a spear for hunting, for example. Obviously Skye will now spend the majority of time in the cave, as it's very time consuming taking her out but leave her enough wood and she'll keep the fire going. She'll also create more storage areas allowing you to stock-up as opposed to hunting and gathering on a daily basis. It's then all up to you to explore, hunt and generally make your time on the island as comfortable as possible. How you do this is very open ended. After 20 days or so (the game is saved at the end of each 'game' day) we'd explored quite a distance into the island and were hunting animals for food having grown a little tired of fruit and veg.

Controls

Although this is a DS title most of the control is done using traditional methods and you will find yourself using the complete control layout including the shoulder buttons. Obviously this makes for a fairly complicated game but fortunately the first 15 minutes or so, you'll spend travelling around the island will be in the form of a tutorial with 'pop-ups' explaining just about everything you need or want to do.

Graphics

Visually the game has just about as many highs and lows that you could pack into a DS. On the plus side the character animation is absolutely beautiful with the two characters interactions both smooth and believable. Other than that hardly anything pushes the DS's hardware at all and the draw distances are incredibly short before descending into fog which is a shame really as there a great deal to see and appreciate on the island.

Sound

The music is minimal and not too irritating. Think 'best of pan pipes' and you'll be getting somewhere close. The sound effects are much better. The sounds of the island are truly wonderful and incredibly atmospheric giving you an overwhelming sense of being stranded.

Dual screen

As I've already mentioned, most of the control is by traditional means although the bottom screen is used extensively throughout the game. The majority of this is searching round for food or useful items and you'll find yourself digging around with your stylus in order to move the earth around. You'll also use the touch screen for hunting and fishing but this is not nearly as innovative as it could have been. The developers have even included the microphone in the gameplay and you'll be forced to blow into it in order to get you fire started.

Final comments

Lost in Blue is initially very rewarding and a pleasing extension of the Harvest Moon/Survival Kids genre of games. There's certainly plenty to see and do on the well-designed island with a variety of landscapes. The problems occur with the constant micro-management and while you could argue this adds to the overall realism it also hampers any possibility of true exploration on your part. This results in the type of constant backtracking which plagues many poorly designed GBA platformers, it's just that here it's actually meant to be part of the game. That said, this will still appeal to lots of gamers; it's just a bit more labour intensive than we'd have liked and will stop all but the most determined from ever actually escaping the island.

Pro: Wonderful Character Animation, Hours of Gameplay.
Con: Constant Micro-management, Doesn't Push DS Hardware.
Final score: 7.2

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