Castaway Stories is something different for SIms fans, and it's a nice change.
However, the concept of Castaway Stories intrigued me for a number of reasons. Firstly, it really was a fresh idea: this is not a rehash of an expansion, it is something that hasn't been done with the PC game series so far. And second, this sort of game seems to 'fit' better with the Stories series than the other concepts - the story can be the key focus of the game rather than being an interesting side-note.
Having now purchased and played the game, I can safely say it is nothing short of impressive. Castaway Stories breathes new life into a brand that was becoming stale due to an overabundance of expansions, stuff packs, console ports, and unrelated mobile/iPod games (The Sims Bowling, anyone?).
The premise of the game itself is not complex: your Sim had a boat crash and is now stranded on a tropical island. Initial tasks include setting up shelter, gathering food and befriending some tropical apes. Essentially the game mechanics are similar to standard Sims games, with a few notable differences. There is no 'buy' mode - it's called 'barter' mode, which is a little odd given that at first you haven't actually met anyone to barter with. Your Sim still ends up with a job where they can be promoted, and instead of Simoleons there are two types of goods your Sim can collect - food and the more general 'resources'.
Veteran players will notice that Castaway Stories uses plenty of bits and pieces from other Sims games. A lot of the objects have simply been re-skinned to fit with the Castaway scheme, but there is plenty of new content which you won't have seen before. A lot of cues have obviously been taken from the Bon Voyage Sims 2 expansion pack, particularly in furnishing the tropical island locations. Sims still have needs and skill points, but there are different ways of fulfilling and earning these.
Overall, this is a great game, and if you like Sims games, it is definitely worth checking out. EA have truly released something different this time around, and as always the visuals and music are impressive. The locations really feel like a jungle, even if they operate just like normal 'lots' in a Sims neighborhood. And best of all, the game is just plain fun, something that can get missed when The Sims 2 becomes more complex with each new expansion pack installed.