Sims 2 Castaway, The
© 2007 Electronic Arts, Inc.
Giving new meaning to the one-player game, this edition of the Sims is noteworthy for several reasons. The biggest is that for the first time in a Sims game, players can directly take control of one Sim character, playing in the first person, rather than clicking on the screen to make the characters walk around the screen. This direct control gives the game a new kind of intimacy and control that has always been missing from prior Sim games. It is also used in many other games, so it is easy to learn. Our testers were hooked. You start by designing your Sim. While there are millions of combinations of body styles, skin colors, jewelry and clothing, the unique and well-tested interface makes it easy to figure out what to do. Strangely, though, all the tinkering in the world seems to result in yet another type of thin, young adult model. Next, you see a short video of your Sim being thrown overboard from a ship. The screen goes black, and your Sim wakes up on a deserted beach. You survive by collecting, building, exploring caves, playing with the monkeys to stay sane, and working with others to build shelters. If you are successful, your Sim's health and happiness goes up. But this can be hard, due to things like sudden storms and the constant shortage of good food. In the DS version, children use the stylus to hunt for bugs, go spear fishing, and painting. Note that it is important to learn how to save progress over time, especially with the PS2, Wii and DS versions. Prices and ratings are: $50 for the Nintendo Wii (T); $40 for the PS2 (T) and PSP (E10+); and the DS version is $30 (E). Will your Sim survive or thrive? That is up to you.
$50, Wii, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, PSP
Teaches: creativity, biology, survival skills
CTR Rating: 94%