Lost: Via Domus
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| Lost: Via Domus | |
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| Developer(s) | Ubisoft Montreal |
| Publisher(s) | Ubisoft |
| Engine | YETI[1] |
| Platform(s) | PC, X360, PS3 |
| Release date | USA February 26, 2008 AUS February 28, 2008 |
| Genre(s) | Action-adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: T OFLC: M PEGI: 16+ |
| Media | Blu-ray Disc, DVD |
| Input methods | Gamepad, keyboard, mouse |
Lost: Via Domus ("The Way Home" in incorrect Latin; also known as Lost: The Video Game in Europe) is a video game based on the ABC television series Lost that was released for the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on February 27th 2008. The game was officially unveiled at Comic-Con 2007.[2]
A Lost game was released for mobile phones on January 16, 2007 and fifth-generation iPods on May 23, 2007. It is not related to Via Domus, nor created by the same developer.
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[edit] Development
On May 22, 2006, Ubisoft announced that they had licensed the rights from Touchstone Television to create a video game based on Lost planned for release at the end of February 2008.[3]
Although it was speculated to be in development hell for some time, as there were no updates on the game since its initial May 2006 announcement, Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse stated in the official Lost podcast of April 16, 2007 that the game was in production and that they had seen playable footage of the game.
[edit] Trailers
A trailer was released on the GameTrailers website on July 27, 2007, showing the island and some of the main characters. In the later released Xbox Live trailer for the game, at 1 minute 8 seconds (23 seconds from the end), just after the character gets slapped and before the ship blows up there is a hidden frame which says "Find us and we will show you the way" on the calculating computer. Also at 1:20 on the Xbox Live trailer the blast door map shows up in red.
[edit] Gameplay
The player is cast as a previously unseen survivor, Elliott Maslow, a photojournalist with amnesia. Gameplay involves Resident Evil-style fetch quests and puzzle solving. The use of flashbacks as a storytelling device, which are integral to the television show, is part of the game play. Also, owing to the main character's amnesia, they are often just as revealing to the character as they are to the player. The game's timeline coincides with the first 70 days portrayed in the television series. The player explores locations seen in the show, such as the beach camp, the dark territory, The Pearl Station, The Hydra Station, the Flame station, the Black Rock and the Swan Station. The player also interacts with some of the major characters of the television show; Sawyer, Jack, Kate, Mikhail, Ben, Juliet and Locke, among others. Elliott must also avoid the "Black Smoke" monster. Trading with other survivors and taking photos with a camera are also part of the gameplay.
The game is split up into seven "episodes". Each episode was plotted by the show's executive producers, Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse.[4]
[edit] Characters
Elliott Maslow - Elliott, the main character, is a photojournalist who suffers from amnesia. He doesn't know his own past and must work to regain his memory and to find a way off the island.
Lisa Gellhorn - A reporter, before the crash Lisa had a brief affair with Elliot while she was working with him on a very big story. She died some time before the events of the game, after being shot in the head by Zoran Savo.
Zoran Savo - The president of the Chenchey Institute of Research. Because of his institute's humanitarian work, he has been named an International Union Goodwill Ambassador of Peace and Tolerance. He is on a diplomatic mission to Sydney to promote a human rights amendment to the IU Charter of Rights signed by over 50 nations.
Beady Eyes - One of Savo's loyal bodyguards, Beady Eyes has been with him since the early days. He was initially involved in the illegal arms trade before Savo approached him to act as a liaison with the criminal world. As their relationship developed, the henchman became Savo's right-hand man, making sure that his boss - and primary source of income - was protected from every threat.
Additionally, the main characters from the series are also present in the game. They include Jack Shephard, Kate Austen, Claire Littleton, Hurley Reyes, James "Sawyer" Ford, John Locke, Desmond Hume, Ben Linus, Juliet Burke, Sayid Jarrah, Charlie Pace, Sun Kwon, Jin Kwon, Michael Dawson and Tom among others. The actors for Ben Linus (Michael Emerson), Sun (Yunjin Kim), Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick), Claire (Emilie de Ravin), Tom (M. C. Gainey) and Mikhail Bakunin (Andrew Divoff) all provided voice work for the game, while the rest of the major characters are provided by stand-ins.[5][6]
[edit] System Requirements
The Windows version requires the following:
- Windows XP or Vista
- 2.5GHz Core 2 Duo / Athlon 64 X (or 3.5GHz Pentium 4/Athlon)
- 1GB of RAM (2GB recommended)
- at least a 128MB DirectX 9.0c-compliant shader 3.0-enabled video card (256MB recommended)
- 5 GB of hard disk space
- The supported cards are
- ATI RADEON X1300-1950 / HD 2000 series,
- nVidia Geforce 6600, 6800, 7xxx and 8xxx series.
[edit] Reception
| Lost: Via Domus | |
|---|---|
| Publication | Score |
| 1UP.com | C- |
| G4 | 2/5 |
| Game Informer | 6.75/10 |
| GamePro | 2.75/5 |
| GameSpot | 6.5/10 |
| GameSpy | 2/5 |
| GameTrailers | 5.2/10 |
| IGN | 5.5/10 |
| Official Xbox Magazine | 4/10 |
| Play Magazine | 38/100 |
| Official PlayStation Magazine (US) | 5/10 |
| Official PlayStation Magazine (UK) | 5.10 |
| PSM3 | 42/100 |
Lost: Via Domus received generally negative to mixed reviews from critics and fans alike. Based on 34 reviews, the Xbox 360 version currently holds a percentage of 58% at Game Rankings,[7] and a score of 56 at Metacritic, based on 13 reviews.[8]
Critics believed the game is most enjoyable to die hard Lost fans, with 1UP.com commenting that "Via Domus is fan service through and through".[9] They also believed that the game was short, with IGN citing completion in 4 to 6 hours,[10] and Gamespot claiming that it is too short to justify full price.[11] Several reviews also criticized the stand-in voice actors. For example, IGN claimed Locke was played like an "old timey prospector", while Sawyer sounded like "Huckleberry Hound".[10]
However, Eurogamer believed that the game did a good job of "creating a new character [that is] able to exist without disrupting the [series'] timeline or feeling like an aberration",[12] and the game's graphics and presentation received praise. Ultimately, IGN summarized that Via Domus "is a game for the fans, which only fans can appreciate. But at the same time - in a strange bit of paradox - this is a game that will disappoint almost every Lost fan."[10] Nonetheless, the game fared better with fans, receiving a 6.5 on Gamespot, a B- on 1up.com, and 3/5 on Amazon.
[edit] References
- ^ Xbox Interview: Lost - The Videogame - ComputerAndVideoGames.com
- ^ Elusive 'Lost' Game to be Unveilved at Comic Con
- ^ Sanders, Kathleen (2006-05-22). Lost Finds Its Way to Videogames. IGN. Retrieved on 2006-09-22.
- ^ Magazine Watching: New Lost details found in EGM
- ^ Lost Video Game Preview - Writer Taunts Me With Knowledge Of Black Smoke And Four-Toed Statue
- ^ Geek Magazine Interview
- ^ Game Rankings: Lost: Via Domus (Xbox 360)
- ^ Metacritic: Lost: Via Domus (Xbox 360)
- ^ 1up - Reviews: Lost: Via Domus
- ^ a b c IGN - Lost: Via Domus Review
- ^ GameSpot - Lost: Via Domus
- ^ Eurogamer - Lost: The Video Game Review
[edit] External links
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| Production | DVD releases • Episode list • Music • Season 1 • Season 2 • Season 3 • Season 4 |
| Main characters | Ana Lucia • Ben • Boone • Charlie • Charlotte • Claire • Daniel • Desmond • Hurley • Jack • Jin • Juliet Kate • Libby • Locke • Michael • Miles • Mr. Eko • Nikki • Paulo • Sawyer • Sayid • Shannon • Sun • Walt |
| Supporting characters | Alex • Bernard • Christian • Ethan • Rose • Rousseau • Tom |
| Groups | Dharma Initiative • Hanso Foundation • Oceanic Airlines • The Others |
| Miscellaneous | Awards • Find 815 • Lost Experience • Lost: Missing Pieces • Lost: Via Domus • Mythology |
