Lost in Blue 3
You taste like fishbiscuits.
More castaways also means more people who need to be fed and watered, which just multiplies the annoyance for players struggling with the basics of survival (tip: find an oil drum to store water in and give everyone a lunchbox before you go out exploring, and they'll never starve uselessly to death in their cave ever again - this is something the game really should tell you by itself).
On the whole, though, the castaways' abilities complement each other, and though it takes time getting used to having to rely on your companions to survive, communicating and working together makes the game more involving on the whole - you're ever-eager to find out more about what happened on the ship, more about your fellow survivors. Fans of the series, already well-versed in the easy ways to catch animals, save resources and ensure that your castaway companions are equipped to look after themselves, will come to Lost in Blue 3 ready to enjoy a new story, a new and enticing island and the exciting addition of several more characters to your merry island band.
Others, sadly, will probably give up out of sheer frustration within the first hour or two, simply because the game never points out how to equip your partner with sufficient food and water to stop them from dying, or explains the intricacies of fishing, hunting and gathering that stop you having to spend ten boring and repetitive hours a day gathering berries. It doesn't even point out the menu screen for making tools, leaving beginners completely stumped as to how to make a firestarter or spear. Although there is definitely merit in finding these things out for yourself, a lot of it really ought to be in the manual - the frustration and repetition that puts so many people off these games is just so infuriatingly unnecessary.
I love Lost in Blue for refusing to change - for remaining determined in the face of moaning critics who are unable to find the rewards in its invigoratingly difficult take on being lost on a desert island. But curse it, too, for refusing to improve, for hanging on to the unnecessary awkwardness in its design as well as the justifiable difficulties of survival. Lost in Blue 3 is not quite the improvement over its predecessor that Lost in Blue 2 was, and though its new ideas, new characters and better, more enticing storyline make this a must for fans, confused newcomers are as likely as ever to give up. The new tutorial-esque hints do help a bit, but the real tricks that make Lost in Blue much more enjoyable are still too obscure for most people to bother discovering.
If you do have the staying power, though, it is well worth it. The gradual, rhythmic process of improving your castaways' lives with better food, living conditions and tools until they're the little kings of their seemingly deserted island is rewarding and addictive in itself, and the allure of the unknown lurking in the unexplored depths of their tropical paradise adds an element of intrigue that gets you through those days spent gathering firewood and scraping scrawny fish together for a half-decent meal. The Lost in Blue series is still the most compelling and realistically punishing take on the excitement and hardships of survival on a desert island that videogames have to offer, even if it still has much room to improve.
Lost in Blue 3 is out in the US on DS, but a European date has yet to be confirmed.