Lost: Via Domus

I Love LOST. Unless you love LOST as well then pass on this game.

Via Domus is a third person puzzle quest game that leaves you exactly where the show does. LOST, bewildered and plane wrecked on a Mysterious Island with no answers. You play as Elliot Maslow, a new character not from the show, who was on flight 815 when it crashed. The object of the game is to find your wits, find your belongings and find find your way home. Of course the Island has a different plan for you.

Some of the characters from the show are there: Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Sun, Charlie, Hurley, Loche to name a few. However they do not play as large roles as many fans would have hoped. The voices are not the exact same as in the game and in fact some are done quite miserably. But still for any fan of the show its always a riot to walk around the beach and see Charlie on his Guitar and of course take some orders from Jack...who put him in charge anyways?

Ubisoft has done a great job with the Graphics of the game. I do not think it is possible for them to do otherwise. However you don't have as much freedom as you would want. You are limited to where you can go but the places you do visit stay true to the show and can impress even the most hardcore of LOST fans. There are other settings around the game that are really fun to meander around. Those include the wrecked ship, various hatches, and the beach. The game also features various Easter Eggs that LOST fans will find enjoyable.

There are three elements that you will have to master in order to pass this game. Running from the smoke monster, finding your way through dark caves and fixing circuit boards.

As for the Smoke Monster. The monster itself looks just as mysterious and frightening as in the show. But if you have seen the most recent of episodes of the show, specifically the scenes in which the monster deals death, then you are left somewhat disappointed with what takes place when it actually catches you. Rather than having an epic run through the jungle the Smoke Monster chases are more of shifting from bamboo bush to bamboo bush hiding from the monster. After a few of the chases they do seem to get repetitive. But still it is fun to run and adds a great element from the show into the game. As a LOST fan its very fun.

Dark Caves. Not exactly from the show but still a fun part of the game. You wander through a pitch black cave with nothing but a lighter to begin with. As you progress through the game you get better tools by trading with other survivors. Darkness kills and so do deep holes that never end.

With circuit boards it adds in the puzzle element of the game. You get different pieces that you have to find by wondering around the various settings that you are in. With the pieces you find you work to complete a circuit. At first it can be confusing but once you understand you are doing it can be quite fun for people who like puzzles. Later in the game they become more difficult especially if you cannot find all the pieces you need.

There are various "cutscenes" in the game that are somewhat interactive. While in each cutscene it is your job to find various important factors that explain more of the story and reward you with more achievements. They add a new element to the game that many other games do not have.

When the game is over it doesn't allow for much replay value. In fact if done right anybody can get all 1000 gamerpoints on your first play through. As my blurb says, this game is waay too short. But all in all if you are a LOST fan than this is a must rent