Review: Lost In Blue (NDS)

Ever wondered what being stranded on a desert island is like? Konami have attempted to answer with Lost in Blue, a sequel to its cult Game Boy Colour favourite, Stranded Kids. Unfortunately, after savouring Lost - the television series - we were expecting similar depths of intrigue, but instead found that most of our time was spent foraging for food or trying not to die - something that may seem 'realistic' but hardly ideal for videogame recreation.

Following a short cut-scene at the start, you find yourself stranded after your boat sinks. From this point on, you need to find some food, gather wood (to make a fire) and set up camp in a cave - which will become your 'home' for the duration. This will take up your first day, and therein lies the problem with Lost in Blue: the days are incredibly short. Trying to fit everything in, from gathering food to making tools and exploring the island, Gamestyle found it increasingly difficult. Even surviving the first day became quite a nuisance as we died a couple of times before establishing what we needed to do.

Most of the blame lies with the unfriendly menu system, which can be a pain to navigate. You'll soon meet another survivor (a girl called Skye) and together you can explore the rest of the island. Skye is incredibly dependent though (thanks to your breaking her glasses); when you take her out of the cave you will need to guide her by the hand, and there are many moments when you must both traverse an area. This brings with it another problem: not only do you have to watch your own stats (ie, water, food and stamina), but also Skye's - and if either of you reach 0% health, then it's 'Game Over' (and back to the last time you saved). Because these meters deplete far too quickly - coupled with the incredibly short time at your disposal - means many days will be spent just trying to survive, rather than getting to explore your surroundings. Skye can be quite useful though, as she can cook meals and make certain equipment such as rope. It's just a shame that these chores can take a while for her to complete, particularly the cooking cut-scene which seems to take longer than it needs to (with no option to skip it).

However, when the chance presents itself, exploring the island can prove exhilarating and almost makes the constant rummaging for food and supplies seem bearable. Aiding this element of discovery is one of the finest-looking games on the DS: the island environments are beautifully-drawn, the sound design is tremendous and the anime-styled characters look superb (featuring some of the best animations ever seen on a handheld). The DS's touch screen is also well-catered for, with various tasks requiring you to use all of the handheld's functions.

F ire-making is a standout moment: you must rub two sticks together by using the L and R buttons, whereafter you must get the fire going by blowing into the DS's microphone - it's certainly a test of timing and stamina. Other tasks include the milking of goats, trapping animals and using the touch screen to catch fish. While some of these are designed well, others will test your patience (thanks to the rather inaccurate stylus) - however, Konami can't be faulted for trying, as this is still one of the best showcase DS games that we've seen. Gamestyle was quite looking forward to Lost in Blue, but unfortunately the dawn of disappointment arrives much too soon.

Heavily reliant on survival, Konami have stripped the game of fun and presented you with something that's too realistic for its own good. There are alternate endings to be earned, but the majority of players will be hard-pressed reaching the credits for the first time, let alone going back and doing it all again. For this reason, Konami's desert island distraction will merely be remembered for its great concept - but poor execution.

Rating: 6 / 10

Words by Adam Gulliver