Sand, Sea and Survival
Escape off a mysterious desert island? It’s not Lost but Lost In Blue
It’s nothing to do with current TV phenomenon Lost (as far as we know) but Konami’s stranded on a desert island game Lost In Blue seems to share some ideas with the hit series, although probably not the big scary monster (or is it?), secret backstories and miraculous lame-man-walking etc mysteries.
Nope, Lost In Blue is better described as a cross between Robinson Crusoe - man stranded on desert island finds his man Friday to help him get rescued - and slightly steamy Brooke Shields’ film Blue Lagoon in which boy stranded on desert island finds Brooke Shields and decides not to get rescued quite yet.
At least the starting point is the same in all cases: boy in shipwreck wakes to find himself on a seemingly uninhabited desert island. In Lost In Blue, he then meets another survivor, a 17 year old girl. Together they must learn how to survive: hunting for food; making tools; cooking; as well as uncovering the mysteries of the island - so OK maybe there’s more of the Lost concept in there than we first thought, but please no glossy white teeth and designer stubble.
In terms of how the game works, it will be touchscreen-focussed much like Sega’s Project Rub and Nintendo’s WarioWare Touched!, although in this case, the mini-game approach will be woven into a deeper storyline as you explore the island and eventually get rescued. You play as the two characters in turn, as each has skills which make them suitable to carry out different tasks such as milking a goat, starting a fire, hunting with bow and arrows as well as complex tool making.
As you seen from the screenshots, as well as carrying out these tasks, you’ll have to make sure your water, strength and food levels - as shown in the DS’ top screen - don’t drop too low.
And without going too far down the Blue Lagoon route (at least we assume there won’t be any babies born on this island), Konami also promises the relationship between the two characters will grow as they learn to trust and share their skills with each other.
Your success or failure in the various tasks will also have an affect on the direction of game’s plot, with several endings promised depending on the relationship between the two, what they’ve said to each other and the eventual manner of their escape. And once you’ve finished the game, you can go back and play through, this time seeing the plot unfold through the eyes of the girl.
Assuming it can find its way back to civilisation, Lost In Blue is due for release sometime in November.
