Customer Reviews

The Sims 2: Castaway

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is definitely a great addition to the Sims line, and the DS system makes the gameplay interactive and fun. The first time I played, I couldn't put it down. I always had to find something new, or get to the next puzzle, or figure out how to help my fellow Sims.

My favorite part about this game is that it's not your typical Sims 2... there are no careers to choose or Simeleons to earn. You're just trying to survive at first (making a leanto to sleep in, foraging for food), and as you progress you can play musical instruments, make clothes, create decorations for your hut, and plant/harvest your own fruit and veggies. It's very much like a mix between Sims and point-and-click adventure games. You still have to make sure your Sim's basic needs are met, but you also have to collect items, put them together to create new items, help out your fellow Sims, and solve puzzles. There are tons of objects to find and places to explore.

My only complaints are that your items/objectives/upgrades screen is occassionally difficult to navigate (took me a while to figure out how to find the screen that told me what I needed to make certain tools), some of the other Sims get cranky with you if you don't solve their problem right away and you have to give them gifts to boost their mood, and some of the objects/tools are really tough to locate and collect.

Overall, though, great game.

In the The Sims2 Castaways you get stranded on an island and you have to do whatever you can to survive. You fish, hunt for bugs and build things that help you progress. Here are some pros and cons:

Pros:

-it has simple and easy to use controls
-there are actual goals in this game which you have to pass in order to progress
-the goals are challenging but not not enough to frustrate you and make you not want to play
-there are a lot of places to explore and objects to interact with
-as you go along in the game you can meet other people that are stranded on the island
-you can craft tools and clothes and other objects
-this game has needs like the Sims computer games

Cons:

-some of the objects are really hard to find
-its hard to keep friendships with some of the the other islanders

Overall the gameplay is just what the typical Sims 2 player is expecting. All the needs are the same; bladder, hunger, hygiene, etc. What really sets this game apart and makes it fun is that you have to figure out what to do to get what you need, and maybe find a way off the island. It's like Survivor: the sim version. Having goals also makes you feel like there is a purpose to the game. I highly recommend this game to anyone who likes the Sims.

I have been playing the Sims line since the original game came out back around 2000, and absolutely adore it. However, I have always been sceptical about trying the game on a console, simply because of how mouse based the play is that I have been used to. That being said, Castaway for DS is one of the best buys I have ever made. The DS is a perfect console for this game because of the stylus based interactions, so close to the mouse style of the computer game. While still maintaining the fun of an open ended game that the rest of the franchise has, this game also combines a feel of the old school adventure games from the 80's and early 90's, a refreshing twist.

If you are looking for a game that you can play for hours without realizing where the time has gone, this is an excellent buy. It is a great way to take the Sims with you wherever you go, and it is entertaining if you have hours to play, or only a few minutes.

I finally broke down and bought the Nintendo DS, even though my husband had no interest in it. He has a PSP that he really likes and I figured I'd play the DS while he has his PSP. I bought the Sims Castaway for the DS because I'm a huge fan of the Sims and the Sims 2. I started playing it and I couldn't even really get started without my husband looking over my shoulder, wanting to play it. I finally turned around and let him play...BIG MISTAKE...He had my DS for over 4 hours, playing the Sims Castaway. Luckily for me, he works today so I can have the game to myself for a couple hours. Based upon my initial playing, and how my hubby couldn't put it down...I rated this game very well. It deems very addictive! They really should start a Sims addiction hotline!!!

I've been playing the various computer type of SIMS from the beginning- and I have pretty much every expansion pack for the games too. I'm SO GLAD it's finally come out with a DS version- it's worth the $[...].
You uncover other "castaways" on the island and establish friendships with them. You boost your social by keeping in touch with them- and you can also trade with them for things you need. Exploring the island you find various fruits and veggies. You collect items to create nicer shelters, fires, clothing, etc.
Definitely a keeper for the DS.

I love Sims games and couldn't wait to try Castaway after finally upgrading to DS. Well, the plot is unique and it was fun to play, but I think it could have been better than it was. The following are Pros, Cons, and a few ways I think would improve the game.

Pros:
----The main pro is that it is a Sims game and they are always fun to me.
----I like the plot. Your Sim falls off a platform while waving to a ship and lands into a crate which is carried through turbulent weather to a deserted island. You must find food, make shelters, and find objects to craft useful (and sometimes not too useful) things or to trade with the few other Sims who also managed to find their way to the island.
----It is easy to navigate from one area of the island to another. Once you find a place, it is added to the map and all you have to do is click on the location and you're there. Your survival guide is also easy to use. You can find an item you need to craft and it will list what you need to find to craft it.
----The food you eat affects different levels of physical needs which is a new feature.
----The spear fishing and rod fishing is fun.
----I like how you can collect different things and use them to craft new things; however, there is also a con to that.

Cons:
----There are a lot of items you can find and others you can craft, but many of the items are useless. A birthday cake? A flamingo? A jack-o-lantern? You can't put these items just anywhere, either. You can only place them where there are rocks. Most of these decorative items look silly outside on an island.
----It is an impersonal game which seems to be the trend with Sims games lately (i.e. Pets2). The background graphics are very nice, but you don't get close-ups of the Sims. There are only 4 other Sims on the island, but they're so small it's difficult to detect much personality. The herb grower wears a hat, the doctor seems lazy, the chef is aggressive and the student is a little quirky. That's about it. I really could care less if they liked my Sim or not. The only time it matters is when you need to trade. You don't need to constantly give them gifts as other reviews have stated. When you see their picture in a thought bubble, that means it's time to pay them a visit and talk with them to maintain their good graces. Communication is just in graphics, no words. Sims no longer have personalities like they did in Bustin' Out and The Urbz--even your own Sim seems boring. Plus, the other Sims are stationary. You can never bump into one in an unexpected place. They are always in the same place, awake or sleeping.
----The frequent rainstorms get to be really annoying.
----You can't save the game at any spot like on other games. You have to go to sleep first before you're given the option to save.
----The game is too short! My Sim found his way off the island after only finding about 50% of the items. I'm continuing to play the game to
see if I can find everything. My Sim keeps fishing, digging, and diving to find more stuff and is up to 95%, but it takes a little away from the game knowing you've already finished it.

The game would be better to me if it were longer and more items were used in the missions of the game. Plus, the intro to the game showed a journal. I thought that entries to the journal would be added after certain milestones of the game were reached, but it was not seen again. Why not incorporate the journal idea more? Have items be more useful, for example, putting the torches up could attract more supply planes. Maybe playing the radio or phonograph could attract the other Sims on the island (or, better yet, a party ship) to come over and dance. I'd definitely like better relationships with the other Sims. Have them move about the island and give them more personality. Once leaving the island, have a place for your Sim to go. Maybe bring things back to the island or take some of the other Sims off the island with you. Oh well. I can't wait to find out where the world of Sims on the DS goes next.

I am a mom of three and a Sims fan. Haven't gotten through the whole game yet but sure having a lot of fun so far. My 13 yr old son plays a lot of games (not so much Sims like me) and even he said it's cool and fun. And he is much fussier than I!

This was a fun game until I finished helping the castaways. After that it became pointless because I could escape the island. After helping the castaways, the only reason to stay on the island is to finish your collections, which is pretty boring. The game also freezes at times so to continue playing I needed to restart the DS. I would rent the game or not buy it at all because it just isn't worth all the money, for the time you actually enjoy it.

I too am a big fan of the Sims franchise, and had a blast playing the (highly addictive) Sims 2 for the DS. But I am ready to throw Castaway into the sea.
While a cool concept and fun to get started on, it becomes very frustrating very quickly. I spend all my time now hunting one particular kind of fish so I can progress through the game. It's been three days and I still have not caught the stupid fish.
I guess the game is still too new to have a helpful walkthrough online, but from what I've read in the forums there are a lot of people as frustrated as I am at other points in the game which makes me not very anxious to move forward anyway. There is something to be said for a challenge--but not to the point that it makes you become so frustrated you want to put down the game!

I thought this game would have more to it. It was okay in the beginning but I soon became bored. There wasn't enough new things, new interactions, it was the same thing over and over. According to the video demonstration it sounded way cool but when I bought the game it was nothing like the video. The video said ds platform but I believe it must have been a pc platform. Overall I would have to say that this game was a major disapointment.