The Sims 2: Castaway – WII – Review

Castaways are
cool. They’re smart and incredibly resourceful, turning everyday objects into
lifelong friends (“Wilson. Wilson!”). Miraculously, they are able to build rafts
from materials found on the island, even without prior experience in
construction. And when escaping is no longer an option, they’ll find interesting
ways to stay occupied – like pushing a button to keep a deadly magnet field
(which they are unaware of) from destroying the island.

With monikers
like “Pets” and “Castaway,” you’d think the Wii was receiving expansion discs.
But while The Sims 2 Castaway does feature many of The Sims 2’s gameplay traits
– players must keep their Sims fed, entertained, well rested, etc. – Castaway is
another side story for the series. It’s also somewhat of a new direction, with
the focus no longer being on the simple adoption of a family and four-legged
friends. You can start with more than one Sim but will be limited in their
control. Only one may be used at the start. This leaves your Sim feeling lost
and, not unlike Tom Hanks’ character from Castaway, desperate to connect with
someone.

Feed a monkey, make a
friend. Shoo a monkey, make yourself go crazy.

You won’t be
lonely for long, however. Monkeys appear out of the jungle and are looking for
attention. Chat with ‘em, tell jokes, and show off your juggling skills. They’re
the same kind of interactions you have with Sims (human characters) but the
reactions are different (monkeys are more easily amused by repetition).

Befriend a
monkey and he may bring you items from the jungle. Those items, which you may
also collect on your own, include berries, melons, bananas, leaves, bamboo,
wood, and dozens of other collectibles that serve a functional, game-altering
purpose. Bamboo is great for making shacks, huts, and other housings to keep the
sun, rain, and other world elements from reaching your Sims. It can also be used
to fashion tools.

Make a spear
and use it to hunt for fish, and then cook the meal over an open flame. The fire
is started automatically by a Sim using wood and a construction Plan (item
blueprints for making tools. Here, you’ll make a fire pit). Walk up to the pit,
select the build-a-fire option, and the Sim will crouch down and begin rubbing
two twigs together. Fire is sparked within a few seconds, and it’ll stay burning
until you leave the area or until rain falls. Relight the fire at any time.

The
letterboxed ("widescreen") view is used for emphasis, says Hollywood.

Good
Controls, Bad Controls

Items are
collected manually by approaching the area where the item resides. Most are not
visible to the naked eye – the graphics are adequate for the series (whose
engine is several years old) but are not overly detailed. You’ll find items via
the rectangular pop-up windows, which asks if you’d like to “Harvest [fruit or
vegetable].” There are two ways to accept this action: one uses a Wii remote
setup similar to The Sims 2 Pets. Point the remote at the screen and select what
you want by clicking the A button. The game warns from the start that it is
“easier” to play Castaway with the remote pointed away from the screen. It fails
to add the words “most of the time,” but you’ll figure that out soon enough.

Castaway’s
single-controller, nunchuck-emphasized setup allows you to navigate the world
via thumbstick and interact with objects by pressing the Z button. Interaction
windows pop up automatically. You tilt the nunchuck up or down to scroll through
the list of options and hit Z to make a selection. This is intuitive and easy to
learn but comes with an unnecessary limitation. Not all things may be selected
with the Z button. Some require the A button, which forces you to use the Wii
remote again, even if you don’t have to (or want to) point it at the screen.

Then there are
selections that require you to point the remote at the screen, a function
that could’ve been supplemented with the thumbstick when the remote is pointed
away. This isn’t necessarily bad – I like the remote’s implementation. It’s
fast, responsive, and makes on-screen clicking a breeze. Using the remote also
brings up your character’s vital information (hunger, energy, etc.). That info
disappears as soon as you take the remote away.

Still, the
constant jump between one- and two-handed controls doesn’t make much sense. Why
tell players that it’s easier to use the nunchuck, and then force them to use
both controller pieces in certain circumstances? This was likely an oversight,
but it could seriously confuse casual players – which is the complete opposite
of what this altered control scheme was trying to achieve.

Reunions like this
only happen once a year on Lost.

The Big
Picture

The Sims, a
series that began as a life simulator, has expanded into more virtual and less
realistic areas. Castaway doesn’t change that course. Players relieve their
bladder by accessing a roll of toilet paper from their inventory. Rather than
cover up this lovely sight via blurriness and pixelation, the game kindly
shields our eyes with a bamboo-and-leaf port-a-potty.

Tool, object,
and house construction is done in a matter of seconds, preventing the Castaway
from boring players to death (something a more realistic game couldn’t have
avoided). The game has wisely placed objects and the items on an unofficial
tier. In other words, you’ll usually make things in the order that you need
them. The workbench is made after finding some wood, an item that’s also needed
to start a fire. Later, after exploring the jungle, you’ll be able to acquire
the items to build a raft and travel to the next part of the game. Hint: think
Lost, season 3. Once there, you’ll find a bit of salvation (but not rescue) and
may continue the journey by spending countless hours perfecting your item
resource and construction skills. You can even construct a whole new wardrobe
while you’re at it.

Alternatively,
players may screw the majority of these side elements and focus on the main
mission, which is to get off the island. You’ll still have to keep your vitals
up by performing the typical Sim tasks. Part of that involves the construction
of buildings that are far more elaborate than anything Jack or Locke can come up
with. And that’s a whole other goal – finding a way to live happily on this
desert island.

"Kate, is it really
you?"

As someone who
loves the show Lost and the movie Castaway, it wasn’t hard for me to get into
this game’s simple challenges. The search for an escape, struggle for survival,
and – as strange as it sounds, animal interactions – were entertaining.

However, I
don’t believe all Sims fans will be as amused. This is not a direct offshoot
like The Sims 2 Pets, a game that kept players in the familiar neighborhood
environment. For that reason – and the lengthy task of resource collection and
construction – Castaway could prove to be an acquired taste. Renting, of course,
is the best way to determine if game any is your flavor. But if you’re too
impatient for your GameFly queue to kick in, just ask yourself: do you like the
idea of being stranded on an island with Sims-style gameplay?

Review Scoring Details for The Sims 2 Castaway

Gameplay: 7.5
The Sims 2 Castaway
won’t expect players to be the next John Locke or a logic-defying FedEx
employee. But you will build a raft, explore multiple areas (any further details
would spoil the surprise), seek out stranded friends, and stay upbeat and
entertained by talking to monkeys. Those who are really lonely can build an
artificial companion. Whatever happens, don’t let anyone see you laugh at your
own jokes or – swallow hard for this one – kiss the statue’s melon head in a
desperate attempt for affection.

Graphics:
6.0
Castaway’s graphics
are no more attractive than its predecessors. They’re acceptable, mainly because
they’re what we expect. (Isn’t it amazing how low our expectations are?) It’s
time for the series to get a new engine.

Sound: 6.0
More quirky tunes
and sounds from one of the quirkiest game franchises.

Difficulty: Easy/Medium
Castaway isn’t a
weak game, but the Sims’ happiness level isn’t too difficult to manage. If you
played Pets, Castaway may seem a tad easier.

Concept: 7.5
Castaway isn’t as
much “The Sims 2: Island Edition” as it is an alternative take on The Sims
formula. Whereas before you would prosper via job success, social success, and
the construction of a big and beautiful home, now you have to worry about
escaping, catching or finding food, and several other issues that could only
occur on a desert island.

Overall: 7.5
It may be an
acquired taste, but if you’ve ever wanted a Sims game that really jumps ship
(silly pun intended), The Sims 2 Castaway has all the island-dwelling excursions
you could hope for, minus the unfriendly encounters with the Others.