The Sims 2: Castaway

The Sims 2: Castaway is the third console spin-off of the life simulation video game The Sims 2. It was released in October 22, 2007 for PlayStation 2, Wii, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, and mobile.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) Interesting concept: Your sim is shipwrecked and you have to survive in the wild.
 * 2) A huge environment to explore, in which many of them have special items you can collect.
 * 3) This game introduces a crafting system where you can make tools, clothing, furnace, and stuff to build your house.
 * 4) Unlike the other sim games, this game is more realistic than the previous games. Since overtime your sim's clothing can get destroyed the longer you wear them/explore a new area, your sim's hair/facial hair grows longer and you can trim it using your knife in your inventory, etc.
 * 5) This game also have monkeys, a feature that was not in the original Sims 2. If you befriend them, they can bring you some useful things.
 * 6) You can create up to 6 Sims, unlike the original console version of The Sims 2.
 * 7) Amazing soundtrack, in which fits the island setting.
 * 8) The PlayStation Portable version is very impressive for a portable console, since it is close to the console versions.

Bad Qualities

 * 1) The game requires a bit of grinding to get the required amount of resources to craft a item.
 * 2) While you can find your crew member, they are not playable unless you make friends with them and then ask them to join the group.
 * 3) *In which you need to do since if your sim dies, they need to be revived from a death daisy potion by a another sim and if you only have 1 sim and that sim dies, it is game over.
 * 4) The game is very short, as it can be beaten in around 1 hour or less. In fact it is possible to beat the game in just 20 minutes. However the game doesn't end, so you can keep playing.
 * 5) The sim customization is very limited in this game, since you cannot choose your own clothing, and has less features to choose from. The only way to change your sim's clothes is to choose a different role for your sim or crafting new clothing.
 * 6) *The PlayStation Portable version doesn't allow you to create your own Sim's Face, and instead has a few preset faces for your sim.
 * 7) The cutscenes are done in slideshows instead of FMV cutscenes like in the original console version of The Sims 2.

Reception
Castaway received mixed to positive reviews, such as an 8.0 from GameSpot. It has also received a 7.5 from IGN, which stated "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."