Not Penelope's Boat
Page: 1/2
Supplier: Ubisoft
Reviewed By: Rogue5
Price: $60 PS3/360 or $39.99 PC (MSRP)
Untitled Document
I’m going to go out on a limb and tell you right off the bat that unless
you’re a fan of the show Lost you probably won’t appreciate what
Via Domus has to offer. The silver lining, of course, is that it’s incredibly
hard NOT to be a fan of the show.
The biggest reason this game will only appeal to watchers is that Via Domus
is more of a fan-service than a standalone product; if you don’t know
the story thus far (or at least the first two seasons) the game barely fills
you in on the details you’ve missed. So all the rapport and curiosity
that the show has built up to this point is completely lost (pardon the pun)
if you haven’t watched it. Without the curiosity, Via Domus is little
more than a mediocre (at best) adventure game that has you running errands for
people you don’t know or care about. On the flip side, the ability to
traverse the island, talk to the characters of the show, and get any additional
shreds of information make Via Domus a treat, despite its problems.
If you’re still reading this review it’s safe to assume you’re
a fan of Lost and being an aficionado means that one of the peeves you’ll
instantly notice with Via Domus is how most of the main characters sound weird.
Unfortunately not all of the cast members lent their voice talent to the production.
The result is uncanny-valley-esque type, close-but-not-close-enough imitations
that are (for me anyway) bothersome. That said, it isn’t a deal breaker
and can be overlooked simply because you are in fact interacting with all of
the show’s main characters, which is pretty cool.
Speaking of characters, you actually play the game as a series unknown named
Elliott who conveniently has amnesia. While I think a lot of people would have
preferred to play as Sawyer or Jack, being a completely new persona (with an
unknown past) allows for a completely different perspective of life on the island
(cool!) The game’s completely new adventure is cut into seven chapters
produced as episodes of the show.
