Dharmageddon's 'Via Domus' Appraisal Posted by Dharmageddon at 12:05 (Comments: 4) Labels: Reviews

There are so many Via Domus reviews floating around at the moment, that I feel it would be of no real value to write up one of my own. So instead I have decided to do things a little differently by highlighting a number of notable aspects of the game, and talking a little about each. For the sake of simplicity, I have sectioned them up into “Good features” and “Annoyances”.

Firstly, it will be worth noting that there will be very mild **SPOILERS** ahead.

Secondly, it might also be worth mentioning that I received and installed my game at midday yesterday, and I completed it before I went to bed last night. So in all it took me around about half a day to complete. Of those twelve hours I only really played for seven of them, possibly even less than that. It is not a long game by any means.


***

Annoyances:

Voice-Acting – While some of the voice-acting is fairly good, the majority of it isn’t. From the very moment you stumble out from the jungle to be greeted by Michael, you just know that you’re going to be in for a world of pain. Character voices sound forced at times, and certain characters have been stereotyped, rather than mimicked. Amongst the worst voices are Michael, Sawyer, John Locke and Charlie.

Jack – I found Jack to be an annoyance throughout the game from the very beginning. The game utilizes Jack as an obstruction to the progression of the game’s story. Jack’s stubbornness quickly becomes tiresome though. While I agree that Jack should be used to provide challenge for the player, in many cases Jack seems to become too domineering and too strict, even bordering on stepping out of character at times.

Blockades – In order to keep the game’s narrative confined, the game limits your character to small areas using various types of blockades. The problem is, a lot of these blockades, which consist of things like plane wreckage, foliage and rocks, are often too indistinguishable to pass as blockades. You can’t always tell what is a boundary and what isn’t. In the jungle scenes with the smoke monster, this is especially frustrating.

Pace – One of the biggest problems for me is the pace at which the story progresses. One minute you’re helping Jack to rescue people on the beach, the next you’re hearing about how Scott, or Steve, has been found dead. It leaves you feeling as though you’ve missed out on something. It’s almost as if part of the Lost experience has been robbed from you. What about the days and weeks between? What was Elliot up to in that time? We may never know.

Lack of Lost Detail – Given that the game is so quickly paced, the story of the show of Lost is left to suffer. For example, events such as the making of the raft, Boone’s death, Ethan’s incursion, the tail-end survivors, Danielle’s introduction, etc, don’t even appear in this game. The only real storyline which is respectfully incorporated into the game is the Hatch/Swan Station scenario.

The Trade System – The trading system in Via Domus is pretty much worthless. It is made redundant by the fact that the items provided are never actually needed. Okay, that’s not entirely true because the torches are needed for the caves, but other than one or two torches, the other items are unnecessary. Fuses can be found all over the place, and other than the torches and a gun, they are all you need to progress. Besides, mango fruit and water is so abundant and easy to find, that you are never struggling for items to trade. It would have been better having to accomplish mini-missions/quests for item rewards.

Previously on Lost – At the beginning of each game chapter, we are treated to a ‘previously on Lost’ video segment. While it’s fun to watch the first time, it continues to repeat every time you start that same chapter. This wouldn’t be an issue if the player could press a button to skip the video, but instead the player is forced to sit through the entire thing.


***

Good features:

Graphics – The graphics, for the most part, are superb. I play the game on medium settings, which I suppose is the standard for most people. Aside from one or two pixilated areas, which mostly occur only in the jungle areas, the overall look of the game is smooth, detailed and lifelike.

Sound/Score/Music - Voice-acting aside, the sound in this game is second to none. The game utilizes sound-effects ripped directly from the television show, which makes this Lost experience all the more believable. The music/score for Via Domus is also superb, especially those played in the suspenseful scenes.

Locations – Many of the landmark locations included in this game are spot on. A lot of attention has clearly been paid to such locations as the Swan Station, the Black Rock and the Hydra Station. These locations add to the game and help to bridge the gap between the television show and the game.

The Main Character – Game-based characters always stand the chance of being unrealistic or just plain annoying. In this game’s case, the main character, Elliot, is neither. At first glance he looks like the guy next-door, and in many ways he acts like it too. This is due to the fact that Elliot suffers from amnesia; a masterstroke by the game’s designers. It means that the character is on the same complete journey as you are, meaning that players can easily relate to the character and what he is feeling.

The Smoke Monster – If you thought that the smoke monster in the television show was scary, just wait until you encounter the smoke monster in this game. Talk about suspense! From the very beginning of the game, you find yourself thrown up against the mysterious monster. By using the foliage to hide, you get right up close and personal with the monster. The spot-on sound effects add to this experience. What I consider to be the most challenging mission of the entire game, involves having to avoid the smoke monster while carrying dynamite. I challenge anybody to play that mission for the first time without getting the sweats.

Run-Away! – The chase scenes, in which you are running away from the camera/screen, are absolutely superb. Rather than giving you the freedom to move around freely, you are restricted to a set path, which you have to navigate using jump and slide abilities. Throughout these chase scenes you are either being chased and followed by the smoke monster or the Others. It is a pure adrenaline rush, and is a game feature which I wish they had included more of.

Puzzles – Puzzles are the one feature of the game which slow the pace up, and thank goodness! They are challenging and often perplexing. Throughout the game you are put up against a number of electronic circuits, which you must fix using fuses. These puzzles are fun and addictive.

Flash-Backs – Yet another masterstroke from the game’s designers. Flash-backs, though straightforward, provide escapism from the on-island storyline. Learning about your character’s history through the lens of a camera is both fascinating and exciting. The flash-backs also tie in with certain familiar things from the show.

The Ending – I’m not going to get into how the game actually ends, because I don’t want to spoil it for anybody. But wow. The ending to this game sits right up there with the very best cliff-hangers we’ve seen in the television show of Lost. It had me sitting on the edge of my seat with my hands clasped across my mouth. A truly wonderful end to the game.


***

My Verdict: Via Domus is a decent little game. However, whilst a few of the game’s features are great, a lot of game’s features tend to let the game down. I find myself asking why such a short game couldn't have been filled out with more story. Surely adding in a couple of extra missions/quests wouldn't have taken long to produce, and we would have been left with a far superior product.

The main character’s story, though patchy, helps to guide you through the game, and while at times way too easy, there are one or two tough challenges throughout. Getting an interactive view into island life, beyond that of what we have seen on the television show, is both interesting and exciting.

As I mentioned, I completed this game on the same day that I bought it. For me, that is inexcusable. When I buy a game, I expect to be challenged. When I buy a game, I expect to get more than a day’s worth of play out of it. That said, the game does involve a number of unlockables, for which I shall have to go back and play through each chapter again.

I guess it’s just a good thing that this game carries the ‘Lost’ signature. This alone guarantees the game’s success.

Now although my opinion may seem harsh, I 'did' enjoy the game and I 'would' recommend it to any hardcore Lost fans out there. But for the average gamer with no interest in Lost, I'd suggest you avoid this game like the plague.

I score this game a respectable: 6.5/10