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Lost: Via Domus Review
Chris Leyton
02/03/2008
"Show me the way to go home", Ubisoft's adaptation is one for the fans only...
When Touchstone Television began to pitch the idea of a Lost videogame to publishing partners back in 2005 it seemed as though fans of the TV show were in for something special when Ubisoft picked it up the following year. In those three years, the TV series has seen its fair share of twists and turns, criticisms, struggled through the Writers strike, yet still not really answered a damn thing - which seemed to be a fitting description for the videogame as well.
The years of silence that followed imposed by a media blackout didn't bode well, sparking rumours that Ubisoft's adaptation of the hit TV series had lost its way, stuck in development hell. Fortunately, it's found a way and finally turned up, making an appearance on the Xbox 360, PlayStation3, and PC, although such a quiet release always sets the alarms bells ringing.
Taking place during the first and second series, Lost is split into seven episodes that follow the adventure of Elliot Maslow, a previously unknown survivor of Oceanic Flight 815. Suffering from amnesia it's up to you to discover his identity, learn more about his past, and eventually find a way off the island. We'll have to tiptoe around the details as the game's storyline is undoubtedly the hook for Lost fans, although there could be some disappointment if you're hoping for any answers.
Of course, you become embroiled in all the characteristic elements you'd expect from Lost: imprisoned in the armoury, part of Hurley's census, Locke's trials and tribulations, Jack's suspicions, Sawyer's wisecracks and the Others attempts to track you down. Running around several small stages that make up the island with locations including the crash site, the hatch, the various different DHARMA stations, and the dark territory, Lost serves up plenty for the fans, although its rigid mission design and that of the island left us wanting for more. The brief selections of 'levels' you'll face are all predominantly path based, and as such it feels as though the game misses out on the exploration element that should have been a pre-requisite; to pull a bad pun, we just wanted to get a little lost at times, rather then constantly pushed down a singular path.
Who's Elliot?
Generally, Ubisoft Montreal has done a satisfactory job of linking the videogame storyline to the well-established TV show, considering the tight reigns and little scope they've been afforded by the show's producers. Reportedly, the concept behind the game came entirely from the TV show executives, leaving Ubisoft little more than to get the game finished. As a result, there's no revelations and no answers, instead the focus is on patching together Elliot's past and watching the show's previous events from his perspective.
Already cast as non-canonical by the show's producers, such a move makes it easier to overlook the occasional plot holes and discrepancies, like why a laptop was never mentioned in the TV series, or in fact Elliot himself when he apparently becomes the 'talk of the island' due to the paranoia over his amnesia. Certainly one particular suggestion behind why Oceanic Flight 815 crashed onto the island seems a little strange given the stance, although in typical Lost tradition, the ending leaves you questioning everything and unsure exactly what you've achieved.
As result, the appeal behind the videogame lies squarely with Lost fans discovering more about the main character's back-story and witnessing little details that only a fan could appreciate: Radzinsky's blood splatter in the Swan station and Mr Eko's brother in a flashback being just a couple. Although the actual game isn't the complete wreck we feared, it's safe to say that nothing really stands out as a stellar gaming experience.
Previously On Lost
Geared primarily around an adventure formula, Lost mixes action, stealth, and puzzle sequences to adequate effect. Primarily it's a case of conversing with the main characters, discovering items to solve certain challenges, playing a repeated mini-game, and occasionally shooting a gun. Targeted towards a casual gaming Lost fan, there's little to recommend beyond discovering exactly where Elliot fits into the equation.
Where Ubisoft Montreal has succeeded is capturing the look and feel of the TV show. Split between episodes and using the 'Previously on Lost...' to stylish effect, the videogame is peppered with the trademark Lost flashback sequences. Armed with a camera, the flashback sequences may not offer the most exciting experience you'll have with a videogame, but the incentive to discover more about the main character and how his back-story fits in the Lost universe provides a significant draw. Flashbacks are triggered by certain conversations or items in the main game and involve watching the sequence and taking a photo of the precise moment (with the correct focus and zoom) to rekindle a memory. With references to the Hanso Foundation and a mysterious character named Savo, the writers have at least created a tangible and believable back-story that encapsulates the expanded Lost universe with nods such as a flashback taking place in Hotel Persephone (one for the fans strictly).
Unfortunately, conversation and dialogue in the game isn't strong enough to carry the experience. Following Bioware's Mass Effect, conversations in Lost feel and sound awkward, stiff, and unnatural. Little more then choosing from a list until you've discovered the information you need or hit the right choice to progress the game, the good work that Ubisoft Montreal have done in recreating the style of Lost is duly undone by the poor stand-in vocals behind the main characters that didn't make it to the recording room.
Of course being stuck on an island the laws of supply and demand remain in place when otherwise everybody's going slightly Lord of the Flies. With various tradable objects scattered across the islands, from Papayas to Homer's The Odyssey, swapping items is little more then matching the costs that some greater being has bestowed upon each item.
Using a mini-game puzzle similar to Bioshock's, one of the most frequent challenges revolves around the main character's fixation with picking up electrical fuses - handily dotted around the island. Using three different types of fuses to split an electrical current, you've got to lead the 100 volts around a circuit and end up with the desired voltage at each of the outputs. It's a clever puzzle and certainly provides the biggest challenge in a game otherwise devoid of any real difficulty.
You Fell Down A Dark Pit
Even for fans of the show, once the appeal of the setting and storyline begins to fade, Lost's thoroughly unremarkable gameplay and aggravating niggles become even more apparent. Picking up items can be a fiddly experience and the various challenges you do face provide very little challenge or entertainment, nothing but filler to wade through just to see where it all heads next. Lost is one of those games you'll want to complete, just to say it's done and never to be seen again.
Away from the mediocrity Lost can also be an infuriating game to play at times with instant deaths reminding us of the dark ages in videogames. Certainly, the cave sections that challenge you to find your way out while avoiding chasms, bats, and a constantly dwindling torch are infuriating enough to leave even the most avid Lost fan contemplating whether it's all worth it. Told by Locke in one such circumstance to find 'your own way' we stumbled around in the darkness, continually falling down holes (having to restart again) and fighting against bats. When the light at the end of the tunnel finally meant the end was in sight, imagine the anger and frustration of seeing Locke's bald bonce shining brightly and realising we were back at the start. Hurried by the constantly reducing torch light, the last resort was to whack the brightness levels up until black resembled a light grey just to make it past these stages
The jungle sections squeezed between the main levels serve as the game's stealth sequences. Trying to avoid both the Black Cloud monster and Others armed with guns, you must track the route using debris from the plane and strange black flags while avoiding the threats by slipping inside the vines that came to the assistance of various characters during the TV show. Serving as little more then extra padding between the plot developments, these sections nevertheless at least manage to create a sense of atmosphere that's lacking in the majority of the game.
Intriguing story.
Shallow gameplay.
doomey
Date Added:Sat 22nd Mar 2008 11:36
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Date Added:Mon 17th Mar 2008 22:41
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Date Added:Mon 17th Mar 2008 20:02
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Date Added:Wed 12th Mar 2008 04:17
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Date Added:Sat 8th Mar 2008 21:41
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Date Added:Fri 7th Mar 2008 18:30
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Date Added:Mon 3rd Mar 2008 18:52