Lost in Blue 3

There was just something so delightfully endearing about the first Lost in Blue game for the Nintendo DS. Konami brought us an original and involving game about two lost souls on a deserted tropical island just trying to survive while awaiting rescue. Perhaps it’s how the other character (you can play as a girl or a boy) depends on the other to live or how sweet it was to explore unknown territory hand-in-hand. Well, the first game was a breath of fresh air while the second just seemed like a repeat with different characters. Now, with Lost in Blue 3, we are returning for a third helping of the same tiring formula with very little new features.

Survival is once again the name of the game and this time there are more shipwrecked survivors you’ll meet on the tropical paradise. Once again, you are given a choice between playing a boy or a girl but playing as a boy you will see how clear the game has given advantage to the male character while the girl in the story is just good at, well, cooking. The two do get their own storylines, though. If you pick Claire, you find out that she was onboard the luxury liner to sing during a dinner show and to see her old flame named Sam who she still loves so deeply. If you pick Sam, on the other hand, you get a mystery. You see Sam might be connected with the events that led up to the ship sinking but he is struck with amnesia. With no memory of who he is or what happened, he is reunited with Claire who holds just some of the answers.

“You can’t remember me but you remember who won the past five Super Bowls? Ugh, men!”

As I mentioned, though, Claire and Sam are not the only ones lost on the island. We meet James, a headstrong survivor who is good at fighting. Then there’s Kumiko, a bookish tech geek who is - surprise - also good at cooking. Really, though, how Claire and Kumiko can whip up lemonade and a tasty salad out of seaweed and coconuts is indeed a wonder but why can’t they also be good at hunting and starting fires too? How utterly sexist! Konami could have at least made the girls good at packing things. Why does James, a martial artist, have to be the one who is a professional at packing items?

Sam is certainly no slouch when it comes to hunting and gathering but, like in the first game, he still requires all the necessary requirements such as nourishment (food and water) and energy. Your daily chore is to make sure that you have food, water and get plenty of rest or else your HP meter will drop dramatically and you will die. This means you must regularly gather food, lead the others to water as well as start the fire that will keep you all warm in the cold, dank cave. You must do this daily so be prepared to go through the same chores often. After awhile even spear fishing becomes tedious and how many times must we shake that coconut tree to get more than one coconut per day?

“Next, on Fox Sports, Bare-knuckle Butler Boxing!” 

Unfortunately, the mini-games that once seemed so innovative and charming are just repetitive and played out in this third game. Constantly having to blow on the microphone to build a fire does get old after a short while. At least this time around there are even more mini-games to accompany the old ones (like building tools or cooking). You’ll be performing rhythm mini-games as Claire as well as communicate with chips by repeating whatever they say into the handheld’s microphone. You can also dive underwater as well as go river rafting (in first-person view, no less). You’ll also fight off bats at one point but the real treat is exploring the huge island that has plenty to see.

The problem - aside from the fact that we’ve been doing the same things since the original and its sequel was released - is that your three companions can often be a burden rather than a blessing. Sure, you’ll have some flunkies to help you out but in the long run they all blindly depend on you to survive. I’ve had to reload a game a few dozen times after Kumiko or Claire died of poisoning or hunger. There’s also a multiplayer mode for up to four gamers but it’s really disappointing that multiplayer doesn’t mean you get to explore the island with your friends taking up the role of the other survivors. Instead there are a few competitive mini-games to play.

The game’s graphics aren’t bad at all but, then again, the Nintendo DS has done better. Still, gamers will love the fact that the anime-styled characters look good and are represented well in-game. There are also some very decent visual effects that make the flames from your campfire flicker. Still, there are some flat textures that are too hard to ignore and the 2D trees look really out of place in this game.

“See, Claire, it was Ok to cross the bridge in high heels. Claire? Claire?”

There’s a soundtrack in Lost in Blue 3 and you’ll hear it in all the right moments but the biggest flaw happens to the fact that the environmental noise is kept at a minimal. This, of course, is understandable but there are DS games available with a nice amount of sound effects. There’s also voice work in the game that sounds a tad muffled through the DS speakers so you’re best left with using headphones.

Lost in Blue 3 for the Nintendo DS seems to recycle all the interesting features that made the first game so delightfully original and, in the end, it just doesn’t give returning gamers much of a reason to be swept away on a lost island again. With new mini-games and three other characters to aid you, everything seen here is just leftovers from the original. Sorry, Konami, but this is one franchise in need of a rescue. 

Gameplay: 5.5
The survival tactics in this game means you’ll have to go through some tedious and repetitive tasks and the fact that you have to baby sit three other characters will make your job harder. Still, this island feels less empty and there are some mini-games … like monkey training. Still, we’ve seen this and done this all before.

Graphics: 7.0
The anime-styled character models actually look good in-game as well as in cut scenes. Despite the washed out textures, the environment looks good and there are some decent visual effects to boot. Even the body of water in the game looks good on the DS.

Sound: 6.0
There are some voices this time around and it is limited to a few phrases but it’s impressive nonetheless. The rest of the game’s sound is made up of minimal sound effects and there’s a soundtrack that offers some variety.

Difficulty: Medium/Hard
What was is it that Jack from the television show Lost says about “living together” and “dying alone?” Each character has his or her own strengths and weaknesses but mainly just weaknesses that will have you working your character to the bone just to help out. Trust me when I say that you will be dying alone a lot in this game.

Concept: 5.9
While the first game wasn’t exactly the Blue Lagoon, it was charming to see the male and female protagonists connecting in such a deep level that isn‘t often seen in handheld games. In this third game, however, the three other characters are more a burdensome lot. At least there’s an Ok storyline and did I mention there’s monkey training?

Multiplayer: 5.5
Wouldn’t it have been cool to have four friends take up the role of the other characters to help the chores and storyline move along more smoothly? The game’s multiplayer mode does offer head-to-head mini-games and a cooking contest. The mini-games (like Bat Wipe Out) are fun while the others not so much (like Diving).

Overall: 5.9
The third outing of the Lost in Blue games just feels like our first trip to the deserted island even with three more people on it. Sadly, Lost in Blue 3 has lost it’s charm or sense of adventure that made the first game so refreshingly appealing to Nintendo DS owners. Sorry but if you’re a returning fan then this island won’t hold anything new. If you’re new to the series, this is not a bad game to pick up.