Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2008 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Electronic Arts
• Released on: 2007-10-26
• Platform: PlayStation2

Amazon.co.uk Review

With still not a peep out of The Sims 3 on PC, Electronic Arts are certainly keen to keep reinventing the franchise on consoles. This all new game is not for the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 and, as you might guess from the name, involves you being shipwrecked on a desert island. The concept is basically the same as Konami’s Stranded Kids/Lost in Blue series although you start off completely alone with each of the different sims you create washed up on a different part of the island. Obviously your first task is to find something to eat and drink and a place to sleep, with the initial parts of the game recalling the early episodes of Lost (except without the smoke monster).

Soon enough you’re fashioning fish harpooning spears out of bits of bamboo, planting edible plants, weaving your own clothes and making giant tree houses and huts that would shame the average holiday camp. Most importantly you can train your very own monkey butlers to perform your every menial task for you (up to a point). Soon enough your fellow strandees turn up and the game’s more traditional social elements come into play as it becomes less Lost and more Survivor. Once you’re living in some degree of comfort you can then venture out and explore the island and try and find a way back to civilisation (or stay where you are – the game leaves it up to you). In fact it’s probably the most interesting thing to happen to The Sims in years.

Customer Reviews

4 Stars - Good
The Sims 2: Castaway is a lot different to previous Sims games.

You first make a crew of Sims, each having their own skills and personalities, then you pick the Sim you want to start off with. After that, it shows your crew on a boat having fun, but then a storm arrives and your crew falls overboard. Your Sim is washed up on a small beach and from there it begins.

As you explore the island you will find a lot of food you will need to harvest to survive, like fruit, berries, vegtables, etc. But it's not only food you need. Other things like wood and vines you will need to craft tools and build too.

There are three islands in total you can explore. Each one having their own secrets. There are chimps that live on the islands that can become friends and even butlers. Your other crew members will show up also as you explore more.

I found this game enjoyable. The goals you have to do are quite easy, and it is fun trying to work out where you want to build your home. You can control the other crew members, which is handy, but only when they become a part of your tribe. When you have a full tribe you can really build great things.

Your Sims do become scruffy over time and their clothes get ruined, so making new clothes is a must. Things like that are very realistic.

So, instead of going to bed, getting up for work, etc, this game is all about exploring, building and trying to survive. A great new Sims game.

The only real bad thing about this game is the loading times, which can get quite annoying.

Oh, and watch out for those pigs.

Disappointed
This game is a great idea, and it does have some fantastic aspects such as food recipes, harvesting woods and creating clothes and housing items. You can even keep chickens and grow vegetables - although the item limit is rather low especially if you intend to build the mansion.

However there are a LOT of things missing. No kissing, no woohoo, hardly ANY interesting interactions between sims. You can get married but it is difficult and when you look in relationships it still says best friends, not married.

No children and no aging. EA claim that aging cannot be achieved on the PS2. Well they managed to keep growing their hair and beards. Pregnancy, babies and marriage are lacking in this game. Loading times are especially annoying and happen not only when moving islands but during gameplay when looking at maps and inventory.

The end scenes are really poor to the point of laughable. Once you've finished the game there is not much else left to do. The Sims 2 games on PC were so popular because of the generations, you would have a new generation and the family would keep on growing and growing, but you cannot do this on any PS2 game. I don't think it will even be achieved on the PS3.

So addictive!
This game is brilliant, i was so excited when i heard about this, ive bought every sims game and this is by far the best, insted of the usual going to work, coming home and working on your career, this is all about survival it's awesome, I cant stop playing it, you can explore the island and find your own food, it's an excellent twist on the sims, i couldnt recommend it more, definitely buy this game!