The Sims 2: Castaway
DeveloperEA Redwood Shores
Full Fat (NDS)
PublisherElectronic Arts
SeriesThe Sims
PlatformsKeypad-based mobile phones
Nintendo DS
PlayStation 2
PlayStation Portable
Wii
GenreLife simulation, survival
ModesSingle-player

The Sims 2: Castaway is the third console spin-off of the life simulation video game The Sims 2 for the Wii, Nintendo DS (NDS), PlayStation 2 (PS2) and PlayStation Portable (PSP).[1] It is also available on mobile phones; Nokia offered Castaway on the Ovi Store.[2] A roughly similar game, The Sims Castaway Stories, is available for personal computers, but is not a direct port of Castaway.

Story

The game begins on a boat after the player creates a crew of characters. The crew can consist of up to six Sims. After the crew's creation, a slide-show starts of some mobile phone pictures that are taken showing the trip and also showing the storm that wrecks the ship. The player's starting Sim wakes up on First Beach on Shipwreck Island. The Sim finds books detailing the tasks that have to be followed to survive on the islands and escape. Shortly after exploring Shipwreck Island, the Sim discovers a second island, Airplane Island, and builds a raft to reach the new location.

Upon arrival at Airplane Island, should there be more than one Sim created, the player has the opportunity to reunite the lost crew, culminating in the formation of a tribe of Sims once the relationship is strong enough. While exploring Airplane Island, the player can search for radio parts that are required to complete a goal later in the game and discover a secret passage. Eventually, the player discovers a third island, Volcano Island, and builds a canoe to reach the new location.

On Volcano Island, the player can explore the remains of the llama people or otherwise try to return to civilization. To do the latter, the player can either build a catamaran once on the last beach or travel to the volcano's summit and send an SOS signal using radio parts. Optionally, the player can repair a broken ceremonial forge of the llama people, causing a secret fourth island, Crystal Island, to rise out of the sea.

The game also contains many optional discoverable secrets, including secret areas such as Hidden Lagoon and the Secret Pirate's Cove. These areas can only be accessed once the player has gathered the necessary items via extensive exploration, such as hieroglyphics and treasure map pieces, besides meeting the skill point requirements.

Reception

The game received "mixed or average reviews" on all platforms according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[3][4][5][6] IGN said of the PlayStation 2 and Wii versions, "Designed for everyone's inner Gilligan, The Sims 2: Castaway is an amusing, if somewhat flawed exploration of island life. While it gives an interesting twist on the standard shipwreck concept, the hampered nature of the guidebooks, strange placement of plans in menus and continual micromanagement does hamper some of the fun of the title. However, Sims fans will find this to be a good break from the traditional Sims formula, and one that will keep them entertained for a while."[7] In Japan, where the DS version was ported for release under the name The Sims 2: Survival (ザ・シムズ2 サバイバル, Za Shimuzu 2 Sabaibaru) on January 24, 2008,[8] Famitsu gave it a score of all four sevens for a total of 28 out of 40.[9]

References

  1. ^ Enrico S. (August 18, 2007). "The Sims 2 Castaway packshots". QJ.net. Content Holdings, LLC. Archived from the original on August 21, 2007. Retrieved August 19, 2007.
  2. ^ "The Sims 2 Castaway". Ovi Store. Nokia. Archived from the original on July 3, 2009. Retrieved July 29, 2009.
  3. ^ "The Sims 2: Castaway for DS Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Archived September 6, 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
  4. ^ "The Sims 2: Castaway for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Archived February 14, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
  5. ^ "The Sims 2: Castaway for PSP Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Archived March 15, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
  6. ^ "The Sims 2: Castaway for Wii Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Archived March 28, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
  7. ^ Jeff Haynes (October 24, 2007). "The Sims 2: Castaway Review (PS2, Wii)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived March 21, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
  8. ^ "ザ・シムズ2 サバイバル [DS]" (in Japanese). Famitsu. Enterbrain. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
  9. ^ Brian Valay (January 16, 2008). "Famitsu review scores". Nintendo Everything. Archived April 8, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 21, 2022.