Crazy Campus
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| Crazy Campus

On the surface, university in the US seems a bit different to university here. There are all sorts of confusing things like sororities and frat parties, and seemingly no Pot Noodle dinners, student union bars and squalid shared houses.

If Crazy Campus is anything to go on, though, there are some similarities. Day to day life in this US university-set game revolves around the following: eating, drinking, washing, going to the toilet, being popular and passing exams. That all seems pretty familiar, although washing is clearly optional for students on this side of the pond.

You begin the game in a situation surely recognisable to most of the student population past and present. You're mere weeks from graduation and in danger of failing every exam. You've left it so late to actually do some work, there's no hope of catching up by studying alone. You need the help of other students to get you through.

Unfortunately, your in-game character is not only a bit lazy, but also quite unpopular. Getting help is going to require making friends with the various cliques on campus – that's everyone from the nerds to the goths and sorority girls.

The game plays similarly to Gameloft's Miami Nights: Singles in the City. You can visit numerous locations on campus, like the dorm, bar, lecture hall, frat house and diner, and go up and talk to any character.

Beginning an interaction brings up a menu of options (such as 'talk', 'joke' and 'flirt'), then a sub-menu for the specifics – for instance, what to talk about, whether to tell a dirty or clean joke, and whether to compliment them on their eyes or just move straight in for a French kiss.

Choosing the right interactions makes your relationship with that character stronger and in turn unlocks new tasks, jobs and possibilities, all of which help you gain acceptance with their clique.

One of your first tasks, for example, is getting Tan Girl from the diner to come back to your dorm, where one of the nerds who fancies her is waiting. To succeed, you must win her friendship, then give her some flowers. There are lots of similar social puzzles to solve.

Added to these tasks, you must earn money from jobs in order to pay your tuition fees. Jobs such as serving burgers are translated by fun little mini-games. There's also a Sims-style system in place for keeping your character happy. You must make sure they visit the toilet, eat, drink and sleep regularly. It's not too comprehensive a system, and the bars used are confusing (some need to be full, others empty), but they do add an extra layer to the game.

There are also quite a few mischievous actions, which provide a bit of entertainment. You'll discover you can rummage through bins (at the expense of your personal hygiene), urinate by lampposts and choose to 'consummate' your relationship with other characters in any inappropriate place you like. There's never a shortage of options to explore.

Presentation-wise, the game's isometric view works well, and each location is full of detail and interactive objects. There's also a handy pause screen that displays your relationships with other characters, status, grades, an overall map of the campus and next objective. The only problem is the loading times – every new area you enter has to load for a few seconds, and so do some interactions.

Other than that, some of the one-liners are a bit lame, while others are simply more suited to an American audience. We also found Miami Nights: Singles in the City a bit more compelling. Some of Crazy Campus's goals limp along a bit with a lot of traipsing back and forth (and waiting for screens to load).

Still, it's a well-presented and fun social sim. Provided it's a long-term goal you want and not a quick fix of gaming. And you don't mind being reminded of all the slurs, uncertainties and one-night stands of good old university life.

Crazy Campus

A Sims-style social game played out a university. Lots to do and see, with a well-paced plot. It's just a shame it needs the long loading times
Score
Kath Brice
Kath Brice
Kath gave up a job working with animals five years ago to join the world of video game journalism, which now sees her running our DS section. With so many male work colleagues, many have asked if she notices any difference.