Lost in Blue

"Blue is the new black!"

Paradox244 at your service. The game is Lost in Blue, the topic is review, and here we go!

Graphics
The graphics look very nice, with many serene, earthy colors. Everything looks quite good.

Sound
The sound is beautiful. Special Effects sounds are very subtle and well done. The music is calming and wonderful to listen too. Gold stars all around.

Story
You are shipwrecked on a desert island. Soon you find a fellow castaway named Skye, and both of you struggle to survive and unlock what secrets the island has to hold. A pleasant departure from cliche save the world plots.

Controls
The game makes wonderful use of the touch screen for fishing, hunting, and crafting. At the same time a fairly standard direction pad and button scheme is used where it is convenient to do so. The game gets definite props for integrating the touch screen into gameplay with wonderful effect, making this title a truly unique one.

The controls for movement can get a bit odd and glitch at some points, but this is not that big of an issue. Rarely you might get stuck, I think it happened to me once in my fifty plus hours of play.

Gameplay
Gameplay is largely focused, at least during the early stages, on finding enough food and other resources to stay alive. Later on you pick up equipment to make new tools and improvements for your cave, and new ways to carry food and supplies along with you to expand the range of your exploration. Unlocking new areas unlocks new foods and supplies, and furthers the story as well.

Hunting allows you to get meat and supplies like lard and fur, but I found that the range at which the animals can see you differs. It might have something to do with the time of day and the weather, but I'm not sure. Still, the satisfaction when you do take down a deer is wonderful.

The crafting games by which you make improvements like shelves and beds for your cave take getting used to; at first they are fiendishly hard. But with practice you'll be crafting like a pro! And the same old fire making game is sort of annoying at times, but it helps that Skye, who also cooks for you, can keep the fire going as long as she has wood. Sometimes you will need to take Skye along with you, which is an adventure in and of itself.

Once you beat the game you can play a new game, but playing as Skye. It's double the fun!

Overall
Overall I enjoyed this game a lot. I would recommend it, and look forward to the sequel coming out next year.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 10/23/06