Lost: Via Domus
Losties rejoice, there is a Lost video game. And No, it does not suck.
And that is in fact the truth of it. Lost: Via Domus has been under scrutiny simply because it is a game based on a TV show. Given the history of TV and movie based games, skepticism is understandable. ABC took care in investing a solid amount of money into this game, and the writers knew that they had to be involved enough to deliver a product that would not disgust long time devoted Lost fans. And they managed to do just that.
Lost: Via Domus is a straight forward action/adventure game. Game play is straight forward and simple. There really isn’t too much to say on the subject. In game text is a little small, and on occasion the game gives you a lack of direction, but all in all user interaction is solid and flawless. The graphics are not the best we’ve ever seen, but they are nothing to scoff at. The environments and lighting in particular are impressive.
The concept of the game has you playing as a previously unseen survivor of flight 815 named Elliott, a photo journalist who, post crash, can’t remember anything about himself or his life, even his name. Your story takes place through out the first two seasons of the show. This leads the survivors to grow suspicious of you, and eventually lead them to believe you are an Other. As Elliott you search the island for answers to your past, taking pictures and experience all the mysteries of Lost along the way. Elliott seems a little more motivated to find things on the island and sees things long before the main cast does. This includes other Darmah stations, The Smoke monster, and even a run in with Ben and Juliet. Elliott, like any other Character of Lost, experiences flashbacks. Making these flashback playable had to be a challenge, and I was impressed with how they came out. By finding certain items in each flashback you uncover more of Elliott’s past, leaving the depth of the story up to you.
Via Domus is as loyal to it’s source material as possible. The locations are very accurately recreated, and character’s look like their real life counterparts. I was disappointed by the amount of actors who did not supply their voice for the game, but you can’t have everything.
The game is structured into 7 episodes, each complete with its on ‘previously on lost’ segment and flashbacks. The game is not overly difficult, in fact it’s pretty flat out simple. Not that this makes for a bad game experience. The game is, however, disappointingly short. Each episode takes around an hour or so to complete. Average time to beat the game start to finish is between 7 and 10 hours. This includes all 1000 gamer points for the Xbox 360 version.
To sum it all up. Lost: Via Domus is a good game. it is simple, and very short, but if those are your only complaints, that’s not too bad. This is a game made for the fans, I must stress, if you don’t give a damn about Lost, you won’t give a damn about the game. Unless you are looking for a fast 100 gamer points that is. Should you buy this game? No probably not, at least not until the price goes down. This is a solid game to rent though, as you can without a doubt beat it in one rental, and the replay value is pretty much not there. All in all, i give it a 4 out of 5. If you like Lost, that is.
The Final Stage 