The Sims: Castaway Stories is a very welcomed spin on a very great series!
How do all of the elements fare? Quite great, actually! Most, if not all of the experience was a great delight with fun-filled twists, spins and surprises. From beginning to end, all of the turns in the story made this game have a very satisfying feeling. Now, to break down everything individually.
~STORY~
The story is a bit generic. You wash up on an island, wish to find a way home and meet up with a few other island-goers during the time where Survival of the Fittest is key. There are many refreshing surprises in store, but nothing that hasn't been done before.
Although not much more could have been done to perfect a story for a Sims-based game, everything worked out decently.
♣6/10
~GAMEPLAY~
The Sims: Castaway Stories plays like the earlier games in the series. That said, there is a new approach that adds numerous bells and whistles to how you live your virtual life. A house is not a necessity, it is a luxury. Starting out as an amateur survivor, you are low on resources and are completely depleted of food. Instead of going to the grocery store and forking over some Simoleans, you gather your meals by fishing and scourging for fruits. Speaking of Simoleans, what is used for cash? Resources, of course! There is a Barter mode that works just as Buy mode, although depending on how resourceful you are this could either be a ticket to paradise or a hard-going island life.
With so many new ways to play, the gameplay is far from dried out. This is where Castaway Stories stands tall and proud with an unbelievably near-perfect execution.
♣9.0/10
~GRAPHICS~
Right away when you gain control of the camera your jaw will drop when you see the new water details. Compared to this game's predecessors, the water details are undeniably sweet eye candy. It took me a good five minutes or so just to take a needed glance at the other fine details in this game. When I finally forced myself to look at other graphic-based tidbits in this game, I noticed that the textures were great, the poly counts were astounding and the animation was fluid. Quite a great game engine for a Sims game!
♣8.5/10
~SOUND~
Right away when you start the game you are able to listen in on the clashes, clanks, whooshes and splashes of your Sim starting their journey of being stranded on an island. The rest of the game lives up to these great details, too. Sound effects are spot on, music is well-played and voices are, as expected, lovable as can be.
♣9.0/10
~CONCLUSION~
Despite the mediocre storyline, the rest of the game lived far above my expectations. For a price of only $30 this game is a steal. If you ever find this game and are a fan of the Sims, I highly urge you to take this game for a spin!
♣9.0/10