LOST The Videogame - Sadly, a below-average affair (NOW WITH "FINAL THOUGHTS!")

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

LOST : Via Domus

which translates literally from Latin to LOST : House on the Road (or, as GnawRadar more accurately pointed out) THE ROAD HOME

"House on the Road" sounds like a Jacob's cabin reference to me, but, could it ACTUALLY mean - LOST : Road House?

Could Patrick Swayze be making a cameo appearance in this game?

If so, I hope he and Locke have a big dance number and Patrick lifts Terry O'Quinn up for the finale like this :

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/FrankieViturello/LockeSwayze.jpg

But, I digress ...

In any case, it looks like UBISoft's development is moving along swimmingly and the producers have targeted a Feb. release date.

This date misses the season premiere of the show by a week or so ... but, hey, let's not rush things, we LOST fans only have EIGHT friggin' episodes to watch this season, and this game needs to occupy some of the time those other eight hours would have otherwise taken up.

If you're a LOST fan and haven't caught up on the game's development, here are all the pertinent links.

A Great article over at MTV's gaming blog on the game :

http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2008/01/17/lost-video-game-preview-writer-taunts-me-with-knowledge-of-black-smoke-and-three-toed-statue/

Ubisoft's official site (not much going on there) :

http://lostgame.us.ubi.com/

IGN's game profile for LOST : Via Domus :

http://xbox360.ign.com/objects/829/829060.html

LOSTPedia entry for LOST : Via Domus (great analysis of the trailer) :

http://www.lostpedia.com/wiki/Lost:_The_Video_Game

And, of course, there's a great behind the scenes featurette on the development of the game on the extras disc for LOST Season 3 on DVD & BluRay.

[GnawRadar]

I too am a lost fan, but I believe this translation of Via Domus would be: The Way Home. Or I hope it is because that would make sense, and if it isn't the 4 years of Latin I took would be a waste.

EDIT: or the Road Home.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

I too am a lost fan, but I believe this translation of Via Domus would be: The Way Home. Or I hope it is because that would make sense, and if it isn't the 4 years of Latin I took would be a waste.

EDIT: or the Road Home.

Yes. Your more scholarly translation is probably correct.

But I'd still like to see Patrick Swayze tell Jack that NOBODY PUTS LOCKE IN A CORNER!

[Nebagram]

I can't but help be reminded of Monty Python. "People called Romans, they go to houses?"

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

So ... anybody other than me going to be picking this one up?

I was thinking that I would have to hold off playing through this one till the 8 completed episodes were done airing to fill the gap created by the writers strike ...

BUT since executive producer Carlton Cuse says that the season will have 5 more episodes, I'll just pick it up and play through ASAP.

Since UBI Montreal is behind this one, and since I was on the "love it" side of the love/hate relationship that people seemed to have with Assassin's Creed I'm SUPER jazzed for this one ...

... anybody else?

Anybody?

Bueller?

[Sudo]

I'm a big fan of Lost and enjoyed Assassin's Creed as well, but I just don't see this ending up as a good game.

[Sothy]

A game based on a TV show?

I am sure it will be AWESOME!
I dont even care about the show but licensed games are pretty cool. I remember trading Zelda and F-Zero for the SNES Chester Cheetah game and hot damn was I ahead of the curve on that call.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

You're right.

[calthaer]

Sothy FTW.

I would never even consider spending actual dollars on this.

Monopoly money...maybe.

Oh wait...Monopoly money is worth more nowadays...

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

*sigh* I'm not interested in getting into a debate over this ...

... but there's no indication based on early press that this game has not had a budget, development team, development cycle, development house of above average quality, or lack of involvement from the show's producers on any smaller scale than any other current gen title coming down the pike ...

... and the blanket, sweeping assessment that in this console generation (or any for that matter) that every single instance of licensed software is crap based solely on the fact that it's based on an existing property ....

well that's just plain silly.

I'll just go ahead and take the high road of actually trying the game before I pass some type of automatic negative judgment on it.

[Apollo]

*sigh* I'm not interested in getting into a debate over this ...

... but there's no indication based on early press that this game has not had a budget, development team, development cycle, development house of above average quality, or lack of involvement from the show's producers on any smaller scale than any other current gen title coming down the pike ...

... and the blanket, sweeping assessment that in this console generation (or any for that matter) that every single instance of licensed software is crap based solely on the fact that it's based on an existing property ....

well that's just plain silly.

I'll just go ahead and take the high road of actually trying the game before I pass some type of automatic negative judgment on it.

I definitely agree with you on this one. Sure, there are a lot of bad licensed games, but thats not to say that there haven't been any good ones. Also, I remember reading an article a while back on the development process for the game, and it seems like they were taking a very serious approach to making the game, as they didn't ant to insult the fans, knowing how incredibly attentive some of them can be. The team for the game pretty much had the rest of the show revealed to them in order to make a better game, so that way things will tie-in, but not spoil, the major plot line of the show.

So from what I can tell, the game will be a series of events that happens on the island, but doesn't affect the major characters. However, this will tie-in and help resolve some of the questions in the major storyline. I'm all for it. If I actually had a system that this was coming out for, I'd definitely pick it up.

[calthaer]

Like any gamers who have had the hobby for any amount of time, I have very well-defined likes and dislikes. And, as much as I generally respect the opinion of anybody here on DP (some more than others), there's always that lingering doubt (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_62/363-I-m-Evil)...and so I really need to have good reasons (which usually won't appear until AFTER the game has been released and play-tested) before jumping on a ship I don't know, even if it's a DPer recommending it.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Like any gamers who have had the hobby for any amount of time, I have very well-defined likes and dislikes. And, as much as I generally respect the opinion of anybody here on DP (some more than others), there's always that lingering doubt (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_62/363-I-m-Evil)...and so I really need to have good reasons (which usually won't appear until AFTER the game has been released and play-tested) before jumping on a ship I don't know, even if it's a DPer recommending it.

The article in your link insinuates that I was doing one or more of the following

A.) Making an assumption about the games overall quality prior to it's release based on nothing more than my personal bias / excitement. (Which even though I said I was excited about the game, I never made any assessment as to whether or not it would be "good" ... simply that I was excited about it.)

B.) That I was suggesting that you (and/or other DP forum members) buy it without trying it first hand. (Again, if you re-read this whole thread - something I didn't do. Stating a release date for a title is not a suggestion to blindly buy it.)

C.) That I'm some type of "guerrilla" marketer for the game ... of which I'm not. I was (for my own personal amusement) simply gauging who else (likely other LOST fans) is EXCITED for the release of the game, and who will be picking it up tomorrow so I'll know specifically who to share commentary (private or public) on the quality of the game with.

Yes. The game might be awful. It might be a tremendous insult to both fans of the show and fans of 3D action adventure gamers ... but I certainly was not passing judgment on the game before playing it, nor was I saying that you (or anybody else) should spend/waste their hard-earned cash on it prior to seeing what fans of both the show and similar platformers think of it.

I DO however stand firmly on my points regarding licensed products NOT automatically, universally being crap by attrition. (Also an ESPECIALLY EASY dig to make when citing SNES era games.)

Lest we not forget quality licensed titles of days gone by like TMNT (II-IV), Capcom's "Marvel Vs." fighting games, pretty much ALL sports or driving games with pro "licenses" attached to them, or even some contemporary action/adventure titles with licenses like LOTR, Star Wars, The Warriors, or Walt Disney in the case of Kingdom Hearts.

The short short (yes, I know, it's too late for that) is that ALL I did was ask who else is interested in the game. I didn't make any assumptions about the quality, nor did I suggest that people should buy it blind ... so, that editorial (which, again I assume is directed at me) isn't appreciated.

[Sothy]

So who is going to tune in and watch Veronica Mars? It is a really good show and is brought to you by Geiko insurance. When you need quality and affordability, trust Geiko. BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP

This has been a test of the emergency internet system. It was only a test. In the event of a real internet emergency an official statement and evacuation orders would follow this test. We now return to regularly scheduled programming.

.. ith Wings! Now 17% more absorbant than other leading brands.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

You're right.

[Iron Draggon]

GREAT... now I'll NEVER get my partner off the PC, except when it's time for him to watch Lost on TV... then he'll go right back to playing it on PC... :roll:

[DefaultGen]

.....

[GnawRadar]

As a huge fan of Lost and obviously and avid gamer, I'm not sure what I'll do. Maybe I'll wait for the price to drop and just go on Lostpedia.com to find out what new info is uncovered by playing the game...unless there is definitive awesome SMOKE MONSTER ACTION! Then I might reconsider.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

For those interested,

here are my thoughts on the game so far:

I'm about an hour in, and in the second "episode".

The game plays out through chapters that mimic the presentation style of the TV show. Action both on-island and in flashback.

The flashback segments so far are just clue-finding, and help fill in the back-story of your character ... they way that, well, all flashbacks do as a narrative device.

The hitch is that your character is an amnesia victim ... which, frankly, is such a clichéd video game/expanded fiction device, that I'm not sure why they even decided to go that route. The way that LOST's character narratives usually play out, they could have just let the flashbacks fill in his backstory for us without having to use the "amnesia" gimmick. But, well, I guess I'll see how it plays out.

The environments are absolutely beautifully rendered the jungles are jam-packed with fully modeled foliage, and the cave walls may be the best I've ever seen in a game ... but I'm not particularly sure if the environments are 100% "perfect" in terms of size & scale ... characters seem a bit large in comparison to jungle trees and other environmental objects (plane wreckage, etc.) ... especially when making the comparison to the environments in Uncharted : Drake's Fortune, which even if not "correct" in it's character vs. environment scale "felt" a lot more "natural".

The game physics so far leave a lot to be desired. (Again, this title is likely going to suffer in repeated requisite comparison to the OTHER plane crash/island adventure game - the beautiful and polished Uncharted: Drake's Fortune) There's no jumping/climbing mechanic so far, and there may not be for the duration of the game. I realize I'm only an hour in, and that may be an ability that is unlocked based on environmental necessity.

The voice work, while tolerable are all sound-alikes, which sadly, takes something away from the experience. Thankfully the character model renders are spot on, with great likenesses and outstanding detail all around.

If I had to pick a real stand-out area apart from the beautiful graphics, it would have to be the score. It's nice to hear a full orchestra score that feels more like the TV show and less like "video-game music" ... it does the same great job of "punctuating" emotional moments like the chaos of the initial moments on the beach after the plane crash ... or discovering something from your past that fills in a "lost memory".

As far as the "for the fans" level of "attention to detail" visually, in it's narrative, and through LOST character/event interaction, I think this is where the game has shined so far, and is going to shine throughout, even if the game remains as mediocre in it's play control as it's been so far.

I have no doubt that I'll play through the whole adventure in a day or so ... and that will likely be the same for any others who pick it up now, or when the price drops ... but as most non-LOST fans had already made up their minds to do, I see no reason to advise against giving this one a miss. It's just as well.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Status update.

I'm about 3/4 of the way through Via Domus, and I'd just like to report that it is unfortunately what everybody expected it to be (yes, myself included DESPITE my enthusiasm for it's release) a licensed game with good intentions but awful execution.

The game is practically devoid of "action". It's relentless character communication/information gathering is redundant, pointless, and never seems to serve any purpose.

There are game mechanics (the photography/memory recovery flashbacks) that are well conceived, but again awfully executed.

Even hardcore fans aren't going to find much to enjoy here ... as the re-treading it does of the first two seasons feel more like a stroll around a sound stage than an immersive LOST experience.

I am going to finish the game to see where the story goes ... but I'm not going to recommend it by any means. Not new, not used, not even as a rental unless you're a die-hard LOSTIE whose curiosity absolutely has the best of you.

[Nebagram]

I got it today and it's not quite what I expected it to be. Locke sounding like Barney Rubble doesn't help matters any and the random 'sudden deaths' seem tacked-on for no good reason. The photo-taking sections are annoying, I;ve not got to any proper action yet and hearing 'Waaaaaaaalt' constantly is as annoying as it was on the show.

Why do such potentially good licences always get shitted up like this?

[Kitsune Sniper]

I read on a forum that a guy who purchased this game beat it in a few hours. WTF. Is this true? Is the game THAT short?

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

I read on a forum that a guy who purchased this game beat it in a few hours. WTF. Is this true? Is the game THAT short?

Yeah, I've been going easy on flying through it, but I have a feeling it could be done in one marathon sitting.

The "game" portions (ie, non talk-sessions with NPCs) are ridiculously short and mind-numbingly easy.

[boatofcar]

Was this a $60 game?

[Ed Oscuro]

It'll be a $6 game in a few years. Then I'll warez it, maybe. MAYBE.

I've never seen an episode of Lost.

[Oobgarm]

Was this a $60 game?

It was/is.

[Greg2600]

Sounds like one of the countless Star Trek PC game titles over the years. Rather just watch the cut scenes than play the game.

[PDorr3]

Im a Lost fan, and was considering picking this up before I started reading all of the negative press about it, from its length to its basicaly straight path with no gameplay experience. This game will be $20 in no time, which is when I will probably pick it up since having a video game based on Lost to me still seems quite cool, even if its total crap.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

I just finished Via Domus (about a half hour ago) ...

... here are my final thoughts on the game in no particular order.


The combination of sound-alike voice actors (Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Locke, Hurley, Jin, Sayid) and actual actors from the show (Ben, Juliet, Tom, Desmond, Claire, Sun, Mikhail) is frustrating in how jarring it is to hear one character's real voice and then an awful sound-alike in tandem.

The environments often are well rendered and look beautiful, but the scale seems WAY off in places (trees look too small, people look too big) and the physics are just plain awful (invisible walls everywhere, and objects like chunks of grass on the beach will stop your character in his tracks)

The "amnesia" story for the main character is clichéd. WAY too clichéd for a property with fiction as smart as LOST's fiction.

The information gathering through talking to the NPCs, item collecting for trading, picture taking for regaining memories, and CONSTANT fuse-box re-wiring all feel more pointless and LESS SATISFYING than collecting 100 coins for an extra life in Super Mario Brothers on the NES.

Those "high-tension" running segments while trying to escape the black smoke / the others / etc. felt like they were lifted straight out of Crash Bandicoot ... I was seriously expecting to have to jump on some boxes for extra apples, or to pick up one of those colorful floating masks for extra protection.

The format of the narrative presentation mimicked the show opening/closing - including the guy saying "previously on LOST" ... but neither THAT nor the "WRRROARR" sound effect for the show-logo fly-by were authentic!!! Come on, you get the license to make a game based on LOST, yet you don't use the authentic audio from the shows opening? What's that all about?


So, now then ...

... was there anything I liked about it?

Sure.


The music was great ... some of it was lifted directly from Michael Giacchino's work on the show, and what wasn't was created to fit the mold of the music he's done excellently.

The over-all story-arc of the main character (despite the awful amnesia-victim bit) wasn't terrible. It's about as good as the three LOST paperback novels that were released a few years back. And the ending while strange and brief may be the only bit of the game to contain any type of "revelation" for fans of the show. I won't spoil it here, but feel free to PM me if you want to hear it.


While I did make a staunch non-recommendation of the title mid-thread, I suppose that this could suffice for a rent considering it's complete-able in under 10 hours easily. But I'd still find difficulty recommending it for purchase, even at $20. Perhaps wait for the $10 and under bargain bin if you absolutely MUST experience it.

You know what's sad? I enjoyed the LOST cell phone game more than this.

[Poofta!]

thanks frankie, im a big lost fan, and really wanted to get this game, glad i waited for other fan's opinions.

ill wait till the 10$ clearance.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

thanks frankie, im a big lost fan, and really wanted to get this game, glad i waited for other fan's opinions.

ill wait till the 10$ clearance.

Never let it be said that I'm any type of "gurellia marketer".

Frankie tells it like it is.

[udisi]

I don't know what you were expecting, but how often does a Movie, or TV show license actually produce a good game. Every once in a while you get an unexpected nugget of fun, but more times then not these are all a pile of crap.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

I don't know what you were expecting, but how often does a Movie, or TV show license actually produce a good game. Every once in a while you get an unexpected nugget of fun, but more times then not these are all a pile of crap.

Well ... a wise man once said ... every once and a while, you get an unexpected nugget of fun!

Prior to it's release, since there were no "demo" versions available - It wasn't any more fair to pre-judge this based solely on the fact that it was a "licensed property" than it would be to pre-judge ANYTHING without trying it.

I didn't "expect" it to be great, nor did I sing any praises of quality prior to it's launch.

I was simply excited over said licensed property, as I'm sure some other LOSTIES were, even if it might have been a milder form of excitement.

When it shipped, I bought it, played it, and based on it's faults - summarily listed any I could find so other people wouldn't have to suffer based on their potential curiosity.

[GnawRadar]

Thank you Frankie, I too will now wait until this is on about the $10 scale to pick it up (if I ever do) to possibly play it. As long as the show continues to be awesome and keep me sucked in then there is still the chance they I might give the game a go.

[Sothy]

Dont forget to try the new Veronica Mars game VERONICA MARS KART RACE!

Play as one of 9 characters and cruise through the city picking up power shells and nitro cylinders to take the CHECKERED FLAG!

Rated E for everyone.

[DigitalSpace]

A friend of mine who is a huge lost fan rented the game and she's glad she did that. I watched her finish the game and we both agreed that it sucked. She rates it a 4 out of 10.

Too bad they couldn't exceed our expectations for a licensed game here.