Building a Civilization From the Ground Up
Fans of the Virtual Villagers series will absolutely fall in love with Escape from Paradise. The premise is essentially the same. You have been shipwrecked on a desert island with virtually no resources and it's up to your own wit and street smarts to keep yourself alive. It's stressful and challenging, to be sure, but thankfully you have the help of a Tiki-masked local who will walk you through the process.
As you progress through the vividly depicted adventure, more castaways will slowly join your group, helping you with the various tasks and sharing the work evenly. Also thankfully, you can control each of these new villagers by placing them near various items. Click and drag a new villager toward some trees and he will proceed to chop some wood for you. Drag a person towards a banana tree and she will gather food for everyone to eat. The interface is remarkably intuitive, and there is a distinct sense of progress as you gain new abilities, develop new skills, and unlock the secrets of this gorgeous tropical island.
Unlike Virtual Villagers, however, there is much more direction to be found in this title. The Tiki-masked island person will present you with a series of tasks that you must complete in succession. The first is simple -- collect 50 units of wood -- but soon you'll be building huts, digging wells, and performing all sorts of interesting things. Ultimately, your goal is to get all of your fellow castaways off of this island paradise. After all, we all miss our homes and our families.
Complete Customization
Some games let you choose your character's name. This offering takes this idea a heck of a lot further, allowing you to completely customize the look of your first two on-screen avatars -- one male and one female. In addition to their names, you can set their hair styles and clothing. Yes, colors too!
The new villagers that join your growing civilization, however, will be randomly designed from the different variables, giving a little bit of diversity to your little microcosm. Will they all get along? Will they be reasonably happy despite the less than ideal circumstances? Well, that depends on four primary factors. Each villager has four main needs: food (hunger), water (thirst), rest (sleep), and interaction (social). Ensure that they are all addressed and smiles will be abound.
Tasks and Games
In between building huts and gathering wood, you will be granted the opportunity to play a variety of mini games. These aren't just for entertainment purposes! Successfully complete them and the Tiki man will reward you with new attributes and other tools. For example, upon clearing the first mini-game, you will be given a shovel so that you can dig a well.
These (and other) attractions can be accessed through the alternative Mini Game mode. This is somewhat separate from the main Quest mode. Mini games found here include everything from Bridge Battle and War to Furious Feast and Tower of Hanoi. Fun, challenging, and wildly imaginative.
Can You Get Away From Paradise?
It's ironic, isn't it, that the goal in this game is to leave paradise rather than arrive there. The brilliant sun, azure seas, and golden beaches are great, but ultimately, there's no place like home. It'll be a long (and fun) journey... are you up to the challenge?
