Plot: What’s it about?
An isolated tropical island is now the home for Aidan Sanders, who is now shipwrecked there. He isn’t alone however, as his faithful pet monkey Hobo is by his side. Also on the island is Lucy Raine, who was a stowaway on the ship and she also has her pet with her, a dog named Max. The two must adapt to life on the island, a life in which food, fresh water, and supplies are scarce and constant work must be done to survive. If the two want to survive and make life on the island work, they’ll need to learn quickly how to make fire, create tools, and manage perishable items. The island has some surprises also, as others are present, but their stories might not be true. Can Aidan and Lucy create a life for themselves on the island and even if so, will they remain there forever or will a rescue return them to civilization?
I have never played the previous Lost in Blue games, but the concept of survival on a tropical island drew me in. Lost in Blue: Shipwrecked is the first in the series to be released on a console, which means the visuals have been bumped up and overall depth has expanded. As I said, the concept was one that interested me, but Shipwrecked focuses too much on the tedious elements, which detracts from the fun of the experience. You have to monitor gauges constantly, which means you spend a lot of time eating, sleeping, and doing similar chores. I wanted to explore and just soak in the experience, but I never had much free time, between the gauges and all the mini games. The emphasis needed to be shifted from micro management to fun, after all, this is a game, not a realistic survival simulation. The concept is here and controls are excellent, but Lost in Blue: Shipwrecked simply isn’t fun and as such, is hard to recommend.
Video: How does it look?
The visuals here are good, but not remarkable. The Wii isn’t known for its graphics, but this game looks good. The island is bright and colorful, with a lot of sights to take in. The visuals don’t have as much depth as we’re used to, but I was impressed at times and for the Wii, this is solid stuff. The graphics are a bit on the simplistic side, but this is kind of geared toward a younger audience, so that makes sense. In the end, this is no graphics powerhouse, but Shipwrecked looks solid.
Audio: How does it sound?
This soundtrack is passable, but doesn’t help draw you into the island atmosphere. The usual elements are here, but presence is limited and that impacts how immersed the player becomes. The island sound effects, aside from being thin, are fine, while the music is competent and well handled. No issues in terms of technical performance, I just wish there was more depth, to help bring the island world to life.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This release has no supplemental features.
